by Allan Gordon | Apr 6, 2020 | Events, South African War 1899 - 1902
The British had been pursuing commandos in the Cape for the entire length of the guerrilla phase of the war, none more so than Commandant Kritzinger. In December 1901 he was cornered and in a skirmish, injured and taken prisoner. He was imprisoned...
by Allan Gordon | Apr 6, 2020 | Anniversaries, South African War 1899 - 1902
Barry Hertzog, as he was known, was born on 6 April 1866 and was a general in the South African War. He fought with distinction during the guerrilla phase of the war. After the signing of the Peace Treaty of Vereeniging, he became a political opponent of both Louis...
by Allan Gordon | Apr 6, 2020 | Battles, South African War 1899 - 1902
Zeekoegat was a farm south-east of Graaf-Reinet in the eastern Cape. Graaf-Reinet was a town, used by the British, as a base from which they started out in their searches for the various Boer Commandos operating in the area. On 6 April 1901 Commandant Scheepers...
by Allan Gordon | Apr 5, 2020 | Battles, South African War 1899 - 1902
Tweefontein was a farm 10 km south-east of the town of Boshof in the Orange Free State, which is town in the western Free State, about 50 km from Kimberley. Colonel Villebois-Mareuil (also known as The French Colonel) had just been made Veg-Generaal of the ‘foreigner’...
by Allan Gordon | Apr 4, 2020 | Events, South African War 1899 - 1902, Uncategorized
O’Kiep is a town in the remote area of the North Western Cape and at the time of the South African War was the site of one of the richest Copper ore mines in the world. More than 700 British soldiers were besieged by Boer General Jan Smuts and his commando for 30...
by Allan Gordon | Apr 4, 2020 | Anniversaries, South African War 1899 - 1902
Gideon Scheepers was born on 4 April 1878 and started his military career with the Staats Artillery as a heliograph signaller. At the start of the South African War he was seconded to Commandant de Wet and saw action at the Siege of Kimberley. He then served with...
by Allan Gordon | Apr 3, 2020 | Battles, South African War 1899 - 1902
Reddersburg is a town 60 km south of Bloemfontein. Commandant Christiaan de Wet, with his spoils from Sanna’s Post, was moving southwards. On 2 April 1900, 600 troops of the Royal Irish Rifles left Dewetsdorp, bound for Reddersburg. The following morning (3...
by Allan Gordon | Apr 2, 2020 | Anniversaries, South African War 1899 - 1902
Denys Reitz was born on 2 April 1882 and was 17 years old when the South African War broke out. Initially he was considered too young to take up arms, but with the blessing of his father and President Kruger, he was sent to the Natal front, where under...
by Allan Gordon | Apr 1, 2020 | Battles, South African War 1899 - 1902
This battle is also referred to as the Battle of Boschmanskop due to the fact that the British who initiated the attack on the Boers, were based at the farm Boschmanskop. The British force under Lieutenant-Colonel Fanshawe, led by some National Scouts surprised a Boer...
by Allan Gordon | Mar 31, 2020 | Battles, South African War 1899 - 1902
This battle is also referred to as the Battle of Koorn Spruit as well as Korn Spruit – the wording in the citations relating to the VC’s awarded at the battle. The Boers were demoralised following the surrender of Commandant Cronje at Paardeberg, and...
