TOPIC:

Hi. Can anybody assist with the following.
I live in Brisbane Aus and have met a South African lady and she gave me a copy of a claim her grand father made for his farm house and animals destroyed in the Boer war. She is 93 years old and wanted to know the following.
In the claim he made on 16 Nov 1901 for the sum of 140 pounds and 5 pennies, he states that he surrended on 24 August 1901 and that he is now a guide in Col Williams Column. His name is Cornelis Johannes Visser from the farm Rachem / Racham in the district Heilbron.
She does not understand why he was a guide for Col Williams Column. I would really appreciate if somebody can shed some light on this. It would also give the lady some understanding of the background on why her gransfather was working for the English

To actually change sides was fairly commonplace, there were a great many joiners and I for one don't really blame them, they could see the way things were going from mid 1901, of course for some, it was little more than a pure business arrangement and the British Army paid well, notwithstanding, I do have rather more respect for those who played the game to the very last.

Thanks for the reply. Cornelis Johannes Visser then fought for both sides. After surrendering he joined the English. I assume that the ones that joined were then allowed to claim for their losses due to the scorched earth policy. Is there any database on the people that were guides for Col Williams Column ?
Very interesting to talk to the 93 year old lady. She was also the last person born on Robben Island. Her father worked at the leper colony on Robben Island and she grew up on Robben Island before moving to the main land.