by Allan Gordon | Nov 6, 2020 | Battles, South African War 1899 - 1902
Doornkraal was a farm 10 km south of Bothaville in the Northern Orange Free State. The British forces were on the trail of Boer General de Wet who late in October 1900 was heading south from Potchefstroom. Three British columns were in pursuit with the one under the...
by Allan Gordon | Nov 5, 2020 | Deaths, South African War 1899 - 1902
Shortly after the outbreak of World War 1 in 1914, in poor health and suffering from depression, Colonel Robert George Kekewich took his own life at the age of 60 on 5 November 1914. He had been invalided from his command and hospitalized. During the South African War...
by Allan Gordon | Nov 4, 2020 | Deaths, South African War 1899 - 1902
Lieutenant-Colonel Alexander Whitelaw Thorneycroft died on 4 November 1931, aged 72. He is buried in Reading, UK. He served in the Royal Scotch Fusiliers, and saw action in the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 and the First Boer War (1881) where he took part in the Defence of...
by Allan Gordon | Oct 30, 2020 | Deaths, South African War 1899 - 1902
Lieutenant-Colonel George Elliot Benson was killed on 30 October 1901 at the battle of Bakenlaagte. Benson commanded the British No. 3 Flying Column, which comprised of 2 000 men and specialised in night raids on the Boer Commandos on the Highveld. Benson had seen...
by Allan Gordon | Oct 30, 2020 | Battles, South African War 1899 - 1902
With Brigadier-General Yule and his Dundee forces now safely in Ladysmith, and the build up of Boer forces on Pepworth Hill, Long Hill and Bulwana Mountain, General White decided to mount an attack on the Boers. Lieutenant Colonel Carleton was to make a night march to...
by Allan Gordon | Oct 28, 2020 | Anniversaries, Birthday, South African War 1899 - 1902
Major-General Neville Gerald Lyttleton was born on 28 October 1845 in Hagley, Worcestershire, in the UK and educated at Eton. He was commissioned as a junior officer into the Rifle Brigade in January 1865. He saw service in the South African War (1899-1902) as...
by Allan Gordon | Oct 26, 2020 | Anniversaries, Deaths, South African War 1899 - 1902
When the South African War (1899-1902) broke out Gerhardus Gravett fought for the Boers, first as a Veld Cornet, then later as a Commandant and finally as Combat General in overall charge of the Boksburg Commando. He saw action in Natal, the Free State, the Cape...
by Allan Gordon | Oct 25, 2020 | Anniversaries, Battles, South African War 1899 - 1902
25 October 1900 was the final day of a five day siege of the railway station at Frederikstad, where General Barton’s column had arrived and encamped on 17 October. On 20 October the Boers under General de Wet and Commandant Liebenberg had taken up positions on the...
by Allan Gordon | Oct 24, 2020 | Anniversaries, Battles, South African War 1899 - 1902
After the Battle of Talana the British troops decided to leave Dundee and make their way to Ladysmith. Major-General Yule commanded the force after the death of General Penn-Symons. Lieutenant-General White who commanded the garrison at Ladysmith decided to send out a...
by Allan Gordon | Oct 23, 2020 | Anniversaries, Deaths, South African War 1899 - 1902
Major-General William Penn-Symons was a British Army officer who was mortally wounded as he commanded his forces at the Battle of Talana Hill during the South African War (1899-1902). Although the British won the battle, having suffered considerable casualties and...
