TOPIC:

I came across this photograph of Asmegan’s Commando taken from the Black and White Budget magazine. It dates from 1900 and is accompanied by a rather rude explanation.

I’ve never heard of Asmegan. A person or a place? Can anyone explain?

Could be an error transcribing the name "van Aswegen" , though I can't find a Commandant or Veldkornet with that name...

Thank you Rob. You enabled me to find this:

journals.co.za/doi/pdf/10.10520/ejc-stilet-v33-n1-a4

I’ll read it later, but a Quick Look found a reference to a Commandant Jacobus Van Aswegan, but I think this might be something fictional.

Yep, is fictional

I would guess he was the Cape Rebel, Commandant Bart van Aswegen of the Griqualand West Commando who was killed in early May 1900.

Thank you Rob, so there was a real person. I wonder if he is in the photo?