by Allan Gordon | Jun 8, 2020 | Battles, South African War 1899 - 1902
Botha’s Pass, about 25 km north west of Newcastle, was named after Commandant-General Botha’s grandfather who had farmed in the area. General Buller, who was making his way with his force to the Eastern Transvaal (now Mpumalanga) surprised the Boer Commandos...
by Allan Gordon | Jun 7, 2020 | Battles, South African War 1899 - 1902
Boer Commandant de Wet, who was active in the Northern Free State, decided to split his force into three and to attack three British positions on 7 June 1900. All three positions were stations on the Bloemfontein-Vereeniging railway line, south west of the current...
by Allan Gordon | Jun 7, 2020 | Events, South African War 1899 - 1902
After the fall of Pretoria on 5 June 1900, without a shot being fired, Boer Commandant-General (Transvaal) Louis Botha, on 7 June 1900, called a meeting of all his senior officers. In addition to getting buy-in from all to carry on with the war, it was to plan a line...
by Allan Gordon | Jun 6, 2020 | Anniversaries, South African War 1899 - 1902
Commandant Kritzinger and his commando were surprised early in the morning of 6 June 1901 by Lieutenant-Colonel Lukin’s column. Most of the men were still asleep when the attack commenced. Kritzinger and some of his men managed to escape on foot. The British killed...
by Allan Gordon | Jun 6, 2020 | Anniversaries, Battles, South African War 1899 - 1902
Graspan was a farm in the Free State, about 20 km east of the town of Reitz. During the day of 6 June 1901 a Boer convoy was discovered by the South Australian Busmen column under the command of Major Sladen. The resulting engagement resulted in most of the Boer...
by Allan Gordon | Jun 6, 2020 | Anniversaries, Deaths, South African War 1899 - 1902
Lieutenant-Colonel Byng died on 6 June 1935 aged 72. On his arrival in South Africa in 1899 he was tasked with raising and commanding the South African Light Horse. He successfully commanded various columns during the course of the war and was mentioned in...
by Allan Gordon | Jun 5, 2020 | Anniversaries, South African War 1899 - 1902
Having received an ultimatum on 4 June, General Louis Botha decides to evacuate Pretoria and make a stand with his fighters, north of the City. At 10 am General Roberts entered Pretoria unopposed.
by Allan Gordon | Jun 5, 2020 | Anniversaries, Deaths, South African War 1899 - 1902
H.H. Kitchener died on 5 June 1916. At the outset of the South African War he was second in command to General Roberts, taking over from Roberts in November 1900. He was present at the battles preceding the Relief of Kimberley, and at Paardeberg where Boer...
by Allan Gordon | Jun 3, 2020 | Battles, South African War 1899 - 1902
After the fall of Johannesburg on 29 May 1900, the false truce gave the Boers the chance to get their troops out, together with guns and ammunition. The British, however, weren’t sitting with their arms folded and General Roberts set out along the main Johannesburg –...
by Allan Gordon | Jun 2, 2020 | Anniversaries, Deaths, South African War 1899 - 1902
On 2 June 1908 General Redvers Buller died at the age of 68. During the Anglo-Zulu War (1879) he was awarded the Victoria Cross for bravery under fire at the Battle of Hlobane. At the outbreak of the South African War in 1899 he was sent as...
