by Allan Gordon | Jul 22, 2020 | Battles, South African War 1899 - 1902
On 22 July 1900, Colonel Airey, with a force of about 300 men, from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and West Australian Bushmen, having been ordered by Lieutenant-Colonel Baden-Powell to return to Elands River to escort a convoy, were attacked by a far superior...
by Allan Gordon | Jul 21, 2020 | Battles, South African War 1899 - 1902
Olifantsnek was a pass through the Magaliesberg mountains 15 km south of the town of Rustenburg. At the time of the South African War it was just a pass – today there is a dam there which was constructed in 1929. After the fall of Johannesburg and Pretoria the pass...
by Allan Gordon | Jul 19, 2020 | Battles, South African War 1899 - 1902
Palmietfontein was a farm 20 km west of Petrus Steyn and it was here on 19 July 1900 that the rear-guard of Boer General de Wet’s commando was attacked by the British force under the command of General Broadwood. At the same time Colonel Little engaged the main convoy...
by Allan Gordon | Jul 18, 2020 | Anniversaries, Birthday, South African War 1899 - 1902
Commandant Jacob Louis van Deventer was born in Ficksburg in the Orange Free State on 18 July 1874. He was a huge man and stood over 6 feet tall. He started his military career with the ZAR Artillery in 1896 and was at the first action of the Boer War, at Kraaipan,...
by Allan Gordon | Jul 17, 2020 | Anglo Zulu War, Anniversaries, Birthday, South African War 1899 - 1902
Major-General William Penn Symons was born on 17 July 1843 in Cornwall and saw action in the Anglo-Zulu War (1879). He was in charge of all British forces in Natal before the South African War (1899-1902) commenced, but with the additional forces sent out by Britain,...
by Allan Gordon | Jul 16, 2020 | Anniversaries, Deaths, South African War 1899 - 1902, Uncategorized
Herbert Charles Onslow Plumer died on 16 July 1932 aged 75. Plumer found himself in Rhodesia when the South African Was (1899-1902) broke out and was in command of the force that relieved Mafeking. In November 1900 he was given command of a force which operated in the...
by Allan Gordon | Jul 16, 2020 | Battles, South African War 1899 - 1902
Rietvlei was a farm north-west of Delmas. Early in July 1900 Brigadier-General Porter’s cavalry brigade joined Major-General Hutton’s Division on the nearby farm, Rietvlei. When Major-General French joined them, he took command and made this his headquarters. Early...
by Allan Gordon | Jul 14, 2020 | Anniversaries, Deaths, South African War 1899 - 1902
President Paul Kruger died on 14 July 1904 in Clarens, Switzerland at the age of 78. He received no ‘official’ education and his family were part of the Great Trek. He was first elected President of the Transvaal Republic / ZAR on 9 May 1883, and then...
by Allan Gordon | Jul 14, 2020 | Battles, South African War 1899 - 1902
Zuurvlakte was a farm in the Eastern Cape between Aliwal North and Jamestown. On 14 July 1901 the Connaught Rangers, under the command of Major Moore had to withstand an attack from Boer Commandos of Commandants Fouche and Myburgh. The Boers had entrenched in the...
by Allan Gordon | Jul 11, 2020 | Battles, South African War 1899 - 1902, Uncategorized
With Johannesburg and Pretoria falling so easily to the British, many Boers from the old Transvvaal/ZAR decided to lay down their arms and return to their farms. The Boer Generals had to do something to reverse this sense of despondency so three attacks were planned...
