TOPIC:

An officer who already got some attention on this site is Assistent Veld Cornet C.F. Meyer. He is revisited in this thread because he was a rather prolific user of Gouvernement’s Noten in payment for goods whilst on commando.

Coenraad Frederik Meyer was born on the 20th of December 1869 in Utrecht. He was the son (third of four children) of Coenraad Frederick (different spelling) Meyer and Cecilia Johanna Marais. Coenraad joined the Utrecht Commando as Assistant Veld Cornet of Wijk (Ward) III on 20 September 1899, a full three weeks before Kruger’s Ultimatum to the British lapsed.

Assistent Veld Cornet Meyer moved with the Utrecht commando into Natal and saw action at at Dundee (Talana), Ladysmith and other battles including at Helpmekaar, 13 May, 1900 before crossing back over the Buffalo river back into the Transvaal. The Utrecht commando was thereafter involved in many battles in the South Eastern Transvaal, first in an effort to keep the Rooineks out, thereafter mostly in Guerilla-style raids on enemy occupied towns, garrisons and columns. At the battle at Kambula on September 10, 1900, Coenraad was hit in the chest by one of the reputedly 66.000 bullets fired by the enemy. The bullet pierced his lungs for which he was successfully treated by a “Dr. Tielman.” (Tielman could have been a Christian name.) After recovery, Meyer rejoined the Utrecht commando and participated in Generaal Louis Botha’s ill-fated second expedition into Natal in September and October 1901. Coenraad Meyer thus took part in two famous actions: Spieshoek (Blood River Poort: 17 Sept 1901) and Taleni (Fort Itala: 26 Sept 1901). Meyer also mentioned actions at Ingogo, Louwsburg and Rooivoetpad (The only place of that name is located in the Cape, which is at odds with the fact that all other battles he participated in took place in the Eastern Transvaal and Natal. Perhaps he meant “Rooikoppies” a place of interest during Botha’s second expedition into Natal). According to information on this site posted by David Biggins, Coenraad Meyer was the first Boer Officer to arrive on the horrific scene at Holkrans (6 May 1902) where 56 Boers were butchered by the Zulus under the Native Chief Sikobobo. Meyer was a "Bittereinder' and was one of the 570 Burgers and officers who surrendered to Major-General Bruce Hamilton at Knight’s Farm near Utrecht on 13 June 1902.

Coenraad Meyer served throughout the war under various Commanders. On his application forms he notes Kommandant Barend Breytenbach, Kommandant B.C. Hattingh, Kommandant P.J. Truter and Kommandant (later Veg-Generaal) Cheere Emmett. On the Bloemfontein Museum website Meyer’s last commander was listed as Generaal Marthinus Myburgh. Myburgh had taken over from Emmett after the latter was captured in March 1902.

Of Meyer’s personal life little information is available other than that in 1888, aged 18, he married Johanna Philippina Labuschagne (1867-1944). In 1921, at the time of applying for his ABO/DTD medals and Lint voor Wonden, Meyer lived in or near Paulpietersburg. Generaal Cheere Emmett signed off on his DTD application. Coenraad Meyer passed away in Paulpietersburg in on May 15, 1958.

Coenraad Meyer’s application for the Lint voor Wonden


Map of the area where Coenraad Meyer was mostly active. Ingogo and Itala are outside the area. I could not find Louwsburg on the Jeppe Map but from the 1920’s a Louwsburg township is located on the farm Toggevonden (Toch Gevonden 33). Bloodriver Poort/Spieshoek are also not indicated on the map and the approximate position is based on the location of the monument commemorating the battle. “Knight’s farm” does not figure either but Knight may refer to the name of the owner.


Coenraad Meyer annotated the Gouvernement’s Noten that he used for payment for goods with either “UItgegeven” or “UItgegeef” voor Commando Dienst - Issued for Military purpose. He signs off with Velt or Veld Cornet, Utrecht. This Noot is printed on thin, low quality paper by Van den Burg & Jorissen in Pietersburg in the early months of 1901. Perhaps not mother’s prettiest but a hell of a lot more interesting to the Boer War collector than her virgin sisters. This particular Noot was presented to the CJC in a claim for compensation and demonetized by a double-punch cancel.

Another lovely vignette, thanks!
“Dr. Tielman” who treated Meyer for wounds may well have been Dr Hero Tilemann, a German doctor with the Boers who wrote Tagebuchblätter Eines Deutschen Arztes Aus Dem Burenkriege (München, Beck, 1908.)