TOPIC:

Just to clarify, I think the man you found online, the man on the WMBR database, and the man named at the start of this thread as being from the Pretoria Cdo... are indeed all the same man. Everything matches.
His being called a Free Stater (i.e. a citizen of the OVS, not of the ZAR) is the only unexpected bit.
The Vorm B is what you need.

Thanks again for your help, I'm emailing Dewald as we speak

Hello all, thanks so much for all of your help here Rob, Dewald has very kindly sent me information and this is definitely my Great Grandfather's Vorm B! I've attached it here (hopefully it works!)

My Afrikaans is very rusty, so I would be grateful, if anybody could help me understand what this all means!!

Thanks again for the help!!

It’s pretty self explanatory - what bits do you want help with?
Rob

Hi Rob, I’m curious if it means that he fought in the battle of Spionkop, I’m just wondering if there is a way to tell when & where he was captured, before being sent to India?

Thanks so much for all of your help already, and for putting me in touch with Dewald!

Good morning,

Yes; he says that he was at Spionkop, the Pretoria Commando was there too as noted by Reitz:

www.angloboerwar.com/books/35-reitz-comm...-battle-of-spion-kop

So there is no reason to doubt his statement that he was present; unless recorded by a primary source we will never know what role he played; but it's good to know you had a relative there.

On the subject of when he was captured; he stated January 1902 but the ABW database has 3x De Waal family members captured in 1901 at TWEESPRUIT, one 44yo, 20yo and 19yo; you can search here:

wmbr.org.za/database-search/

The researching part is half the fun; especially when it's a family member....please post any photos or any memorabilia that the family may have of him; the connection to the person is most valuable.

Good luck.

Regards,
Sturgy