Description
Gids tot die Anglo-Boereoorlog in die Oos-Transvaal – Gert & Erika van der Westhuizen /
Guide to the Anglo-Boer War in the Eastern Transvaal – Gert & Erika van der Westhuizen
**Bilingual – all text in both Afrikaans and English**
This guide covers the eastern part of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republic or Transvaal Republic as it was during the war. The area stretches from Babanango in the south to Pilgrim’s Rest in the north. This is the area in which Gen. Louis Botha, Commandant-General of the Transvaal, operated. North 0f the Oosterlijn he was assisted by Gen. Ben Viljoen and after Viljoen was taken prisoner of war Gen. Chris Muller was in charge. This is also the area where the Transvaal Government was stationed at the beginning of June 1900. After September 1900 they were constantly on the move in this area.
Newcastle was included, since the Boers occupied the town on 14 October 1899 and renamed it Viljoensdorp. Technically spoken the town became part of the ZAR.
We attempted to the best of our ability to locate all Anglo Boer War related graves as well as all cemeteries, battlefield sites, concentration camp sites, monuments, memorials, buildings, fortifications, blockhouses and trenches that are related to the Anglo Boer War. The National Monuments Council: War Graves’s registers, kindly provided by Jean Beater, were our most important source in locating war-related graves. For the Ingogo-Newcastle area we also made use of research done by Mr Steve Watt regarding graves of British soldiers.
One suspects that numerous unmarked graves are still to be found in the Eastern Transvaal.
The period the guide covers commences at the end of September and beginning of October 1899 whereafter the Boers entered into Natal. In the middle of May 1900 the British moved into the Transvaal. (Battle at Scheepersnek 20 May 1900, occupation of Utrecht on 30 May 1900 and the battle at Koringplaas on 10 June 1900.)
Not long after the battle at Bergendal on 27 August 1900 the Boers turned to guerrilla warfare. A number of large battles and hundreds of skirmishes took place during this phase of the war in the Eastern Transvaal. During this time hundreds of Boers and thousands of British were killed in action, died from wounds received in battle or died from diseases and accidents. In the Standerton Garden of Remembrance alone lie buried 556 British soldiers.
Seven Concentration Camps for Boer Women and Children and at least five Native Refugee Camps (Paardekop, Platrand near Standerton, Greylingstad, Heidelberg and Nelspruit) were established in this area. In the Concentration Camps in the Eastern Transvaal 4876 adults (mainly women) and children died.
Towns such as Bethal, Ermelo, Dullstroom, Roossenekal, Paulpietersburg and Piet Retief were completely or almost completely destroyed by the British and most farmhouses were burnt. It is not certain how many of the 100 000 Boer farms that were burnt, were located in the Eastern Transvaal.
Numerous people assisted us in the gathering and retrieving of information and to those and others who were helpful in any way we would like to express our gratitude. A list of names of these people appears at the end of this book. To the following people a special thanks: Piet Schoeman, Eddie Hadland, Naas van Wyk, Andreas Steenkamp, Pieter Steenkamp, Rouvierre Rens, Ray Steel, Sara Koster, Marius Adendorff, Christine Grove, Judith Schultz, Ludwig Ankiewich,Chris Smit, Catharina Struwig, Hentie Joubert, Johnnie Kunneke, Willie and Gerrie Botha, Hans Bornman, Christabel de Bruin, Lourens Wolfaardt, Theuns en Met le Roux.
To Jaco le Roux — thank you for hours in front of the computer and for kindly lending your computer to us. We would like to thank Oumie who attended to the household for several months. Thank you to our two children, Karlie and Nico, who were patient and supportive throughout. Without the financial support of our parents Chris and Christa Lourens we would not have been able to have done this research —our sincere thanks!
Gert and Erika van der Westhuizen 2000
