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 16, 2020 | Anniversaries, Deaths, South African War 1899 - 1902, Uncategorized
Herbert Charles Onslow Plumer died on 16 July 1932 aged 75. Plumer found himself in Rhodesia when the South African Was (1899-1902) broke out and was in command of the force that relieved Mafeking. In November 1900 he was given command of a force which operated in the...
by Allan Gordon | Jul 16, 2020 | Battles, South African War 1899 - 1902
Rietvlei was a farm north-west of Delmas. Early in July 1900 Brigadier-General Porter’s cavalry brigade joined Major-General Hutton’s Division on the nearby farm, Rietvlei. When Major-General French joined them, he took command and made this his headquarters. Early...
by Allan Gordon | Jul 14, 2020 | Anniversaries, Deaths, South African War 1899 - 1902
President Paul Kruger died on 14 July 1904 in Clarens, Switzerland at the age of 78. He received no ‘official’ education and his family were part of the Great Trek. He was first elected President of the Transvaal Republic / ZAR on 9 May 1883, and then...
by Allan Gordon | Jul 14, 2020 | Battles, South African War 1899 - 1902
Zuurvlakte was a farm in the Eastern Cape between Aliwal North and Jamestown. On 14 July 1901 the Connaught Rangers, under the command of Major Moore had to withstand an attack from Boer Commandos of Commandants Fouche and Myburgh. The Boers had entrenched in the...
by Allan Gordon | Jul 11, 2020 | Battles, South African War 1899 - 1902, Uncategorized
With Johannesburg and Pretoria falling so easily to the British, many Boers from the old Transvvaal/ZAR decided to lay down their arms and return to their farms. The Boer Generals had to do something to reverse this sense of despondency so three attacks were planned...
