by Allan Gordon | Sep 28, 2020 | Birthday, South African War 1899 - 1902
Lieutenant-Colonel John French was born on 28 September 1852 in Kent and before joining the army, he signed up with the Royal Navy. French became a national hero during the Second Boer War. He saw action at the Battle of Elandslaagte before taking over command of a...
by Allan Gordon | Sep 27, 2020 | Birthday, South African War 1899 - 1902
Boer General Louis Botha was born on 27 September 1862 in Greytown Natal and spent his early life there before his family relocated to the Orange Free State. He saw action in the early battles of Natal, taking over command of the forces after the death of Piet...
by Allan Gordon | Sep 26, 2020 | Battles, South African War 1899 - 1902
Whilst planning the attack on Itala, General Botha had divided his force into two, with one half attacking Itala and the other half, Fort Prospect. Fort Prospect was about 20 km north west of the town of Melmoth, and about 15 km east of Itala. The attack began in the...
by Allan Gordon | Sep 26, 2020 | Deaths, South African War 1899 - 1902
Leander Starr Jameson was educated at University College Hospital in London and qualified as a Doctor 1870. After qualifying he was made Resident Medical Officer at the University College Hospital. When his health broke down from overwork in 1878, he went out to South...
by Allan Gordon | Sep 25, 2020 | Battles, South African War 1899 - 1902
After the success at Blood River Poort General Louis Botha was planning his next attack in northern Natal before moving back to the Transvaal. Itala had been a Mission Station before being converted into a British fort and was to be the focus of an attack by the...
by Allan Gordon | Sep 23, 2020 | Birthday, South African War 1899 - 1902
Christian Frederick Beyers was born on 23 September 1869 in Stellenbosch, but moved to the Transvaal in 1869 where he established himself as a lawyer in Boksburg. In 1891 he represented Transvaal at rugby against the British touring team. During the South African...
by Allan Gordon | Sep 19, 2020 | Deaths, South African War 1899 - 1902
Lieutenant-General Reginald Pole-Carew died on 19 September 1924 at the age of 75. In the South African War (1899-1902) he fought in all the battles leading up to the Relief of Kimberley. In February 1900 he was appointed in command of the Guards Brigade and he later...
by Allan Gordon | Sep 19, 2020 | Battles, South African War 1899 - 1902
Slangfontein was a farm in the Free State, north west of Dewetsdorp. On 19 September 1901 Commandant J. Ackerman came across a force of British soldiers burning the farm house. Taken completely by surprise, the British force were forced to surrender, with six men...
by Allan Gordon | Sep 17, 2020 | Battles, South African War 1899 - 1902
In early September 1901 General Louis Botha commenced with his second expedition to Natal. A British force under Major Gough noticed a commando of Boers under Commandant Opperman who had de-saddled and appeared to be getting ready to encamp for the night. Instead of...
by Allan Gordon | Sep 15, 2020 | Anniversaries, Deaths, South African War 1899 - 1902
Jacobus Hercules de la Rey who was better known as Koos, died on 15 September 1914 and his death cemented the rift between the Boers wanting independence from Great Britain, and President Louis Botha’s government. De la Rey served as a Boer general during the South...
