by Allan Gordon | Jul 18, 2020 | Anniversaries, Birthday, South African War 1899 - 1902
Commandant Jacob Louis van Deventer was born in Ficksburg in the Orange Free State on 18 July 1874. He was a huge man and stood over 6 feet tall. He started his military career with the ZAR Artillery in 1896 and was at the first action of the Boer War, at Kraaipan,...
by Allan Gordon | Jul 17, 2020 | Anglo Zulu War, Anniversaries, Birthday, South African War 1899 - 1902
Major-General William Penn Symons was born on 17 July 1843 in Cornwall and saw action in the Anglo-Zulu War (1879). He was in charge of all British forces in Natal before the South African War (1899-1902) commenced, but with the additional forces sent out by Britain,...
by Allan Gordon | Jul 10, 2020 | Anniversaries, Birthday, South African War 1899 - 1902
Major-General Henry Edward Colvile was born on 10 July 1852 and educated at Eton before entering the military in 1870. He served in the South African War (1899-1900) and saw action at the Battles of Modder River and Magersfontein. He was part of the force that...
by Allan Gordon | Jul 5, 2020 | Anniversaries, Birthday, South African War 1899 - 1902
Major-General Henry John Thoroton Hidyard was born on 5 July 1846. During the South African War (1899-1902) he saw action at the Battles of Colenso and Tugela Heights, commanding the 2nd Infantry Brigade. He returned to the United Kingdom in October 1901 to take up...
by Allan Gordon | Jul 1, 2020 | Anglo Zulu War, Anniversaries, Birthday
Private Samuel Wassall, who won the Victoria Cross at the Battle of Isandlwana (Anglo-Zulu War), was born on 1 July 1856. When the British camp at Isandlwana was overrun by the Zulu Impis, Wassall retreated to the Buffalo River. When he noticed a fellow soldier,...
by Allan Gordon | Jun 24, 2020 | Anniversaries, Birthday, South African War 1899 - 1902
Lieutenant-General Horatio Herbert Kitchener was born on 24 June 1850. At the outbreak of the South African War (1899-1902) Kitchener was second in command to General Roberts. He was present at the Relief of Kimberley and saw action at Paardeberg. When the...
