by Allan Gordon | Apr 19, 2020 | Battles, South African War 1899 - 1902
Lieutenant-General Blood had six columns under his command and was engaged in the sweep to counter act the guerrilla tactics of the Boers in the area, working his way towards Dullstroom. On 19 April, Lieutenant-Colonel Benson, who was commanding one of the columns...
by Allan Gordon | Apr 17, 2020 | Battles, South African War 1899 - 1902
Vygehoek was a farm in the Lydenburg District of the then Eastern Transvaal (now Mpumalanga). In a section of the sweep to capture General Ben Viljoen, a column under the command of Major-General W Kitchener (brother of Lord H.H. Kitchener), moved west from Lydenburg...
by Allan Gordon | Apr 16, 2020 | Battles, South African War 1899 - 1902
Palmietfontein was a farm 8 km north of Dullstroom. In late March 1901 the British put plans in place to capture Boer General Ban Viljoen. Lieutenant-General Blood was put in command of this initiative and had six columns and 10 000 men under his command. Columns were...
by Allan Gordon | Apr 14, 2020 | Deaths, South African War 1899 - 1902
Lieutenant-Colonel William Pulteney saw action at the battles of Belmont, Modder River and Magersfontein. He was part of the march to Bloemfontein and Pretoria, and thereafter saw action at the battles of Diamond Hill and Belfast. Late in 1900 he received the...
by Allan Gordon | Apr 14, 2020 | Battles, South African War 1899 - 1902
On this day in 1901 Jan Smuts’ Commando was laagered on the farm Goedvooruitzicht, 20 km south of Coligny. At daybreak, Lieutenant-General Babington, with his mounted infantry, commanded by Colonel Rawlinson, executed a surprise attack on the laager. The Boers under...
by Allan Gordon | Apr 11, 2020 | Battles, South African War 1899 - 1902
Although referred to as Roodewal in most British publications and reports, this battle was fought on the farm Rooiwal in the district of Delareyville. This was to be the last set piece battle of the war. The British had suffered ignominious defeats at Yserspruit (24...
by Allan Gordon | Apr 9, 2020 | Anglo Zulu War, Anniversaries
Frederic Augustus Thesiger who later became Lord Chelmsford, died on 9 April 1905 aged 77. Chelmsford was in command of the central force which invaded Zululand in 1879 and camped at the foot of Isandlwana. Chelmsford decided to split his force to try and find the...
by Allan Gordon | Apr 9, 2020 | Battles, South African War 1899 - 1902
Jammersburg Drift, or Jammersburg Bridge as it is sometimes known, is on the Caledon River, and was the first battle in the Siege of Wepener. Knowing of the presence of Boer Commandos in the area, the then Commander of the Garrison, Major Maxwell, decided to reinforce...
by Allan Gordon | Apr 8, 2020 | Events, South African War 1899 - 1902
On 8 April 1900, Boer Commandos under the command of Commandant Christiaan de Wet commenced the Siege of Wepener. Colonel Dalgety was in command of the garrison of British and South African colonial forces.
by Allan Gordon | Apr 8, 2020 | Battles, South African War 1899 - 1902
Hartenbosch was a farm in the Orange Free State, 90 km north of Bloemfontein in the Bultfontein district. A British patrol under Major Luard were in the area when they were attacked by Commandant Badenhorst’s Commando on their return to Bultfontein. In the...
