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John Timmer

Sergeant, Kaffrarian Volunteer Artillery - Basuto Gun Wars
Lieutenant, Port Elizabeth Town Guard – Anglo Boer War

- Cape of Good Hope General Service Medal with clasp Basutoland to Sgt. J. Timmer, Kaff. Vol. Arty.
- Queens South Africa Medal to Lieut. J. Timmer, P. Elzbth. T.G.

John Timmer was born in Rotterdam, Holland in about 1858 – the identity of his parents is unknown but, at some point in the latter half of the 19th century, he left his native Holland and, journeying to South Africa, took up residence in the Eastern Cape.

Initially settling in East London he was to become embroiled in one of the many skirmishes that plagued the Eastern Cape Frontier. For a period of over forty years as many as nine Kaffir Wars were fought – these battles were between the British and Colonial authorities and the black tribes who relentlessly infiltrated westwards in a bid to plunder and pillage the crops and livestock of the isolated settler communities who were trying to eke out a living in this arid and most inhospitable of territories.


Timmer with his wife in Bedford, Cape Province

The settlers had been granted farms in what was essentially an area that acted as a buffer between the towns of the Cape Colony to the west and the marauding invaders to the east.

As was so often the case, the Imperial effort had to be augmented by volunteers from the colonists, leading to the raising of many a unit with a decidedly local “flare” to it.

The Kaffrarian Artillery Volunteers (or Kaffrarian Volunteer Artillery) was one such unit. According to “nunc amicus” the official history of the Kaffrarian Rifles by Francis L. Coleman (pages 4 to 7) the K.V.A.C. was recruited in East London with their services accepted on 25 November 1876. It was probably here that Timmer decided to join their ranks. Their original Captain was Charles McDowell followed by F.W. Bompas who became their commanding officer. The K.V.A.C. served with the Headquarters column in Basutoland in April 1881 and Timmer would have been on of this number.

The Basuto Gun War, otherwise known as the Basutoland Campaign was fought from 13 September 1880 to 27 April 1881 and was a follow-on from the Zulu war of 1879. With the diamond diggings at Kimberley in full swing, thousands of Basuto tribesmen streamed from their rural homes in search of employment. As part of the payment they received they were allowed to acquire firearms which, it was thought, could become a threat to the authorities if allowed to go unchecked.

Cape of Good Hope Governor Henry Bartle Frere and Prime Minister Gordon Sprigg attempted to disarm the Basotho and ordered them to hand in their firearms. Some chiefs reluctantly complied, but were almost immediately attacked by chiefs who had refused to comply, such as Lerothodi and Moletsane. In September 1880 they also attacked white administrators and, as a result, troops were mobilised and the Basuto Gun War broke out. Various encounters ensued until February 1881, when an armistice was arranged. Peace was eventually concluded in May 1881.

A newspaper account of the action on 19th October 1880 near Kalibani Hill prior to the relief of Mafeteng provides insight into some of the action seen. Appearing on page 16 of the South Australian Chronicle and Weekly Mail of Saturday, 20th November, the article headed “OUR CAPE OF GOOD HOPE LETTER” informed their readers thus: -

From our own Correspondent.
Cape Town, October 29.

The struggle which is now going on in Basutoland is perhaps the most momentous in which this colony has ever been engaged, and far more depends upon it than the subjugation of the Basutos.

Before proceeding to give an outline of the operations of the last fortnight it may be interesting if I give you some information with respect to one or two of the most prominent men amongst the rebels. Lerothodi, whose name I mentioned in my last in connection with the then recent attack upon Mafetang, is a son of Letsea.

He is between 30 and 40 years of age, about 5 feet 10 inches in height, and is described as a stout well-made man, but with a bloated and forbidding countenance. Lerothodi has received little or no schooling, and only speaks in his native language, with the addition of a few Dutch words. He is extremely taciturn, but has a high character for courage amongst his own people. As the leader of the young party amongst the Basutos he carries great weight in the councils of the nation. Lepoquo, the eldest son of Masupha, who has been seriously wounded in a recent attack upon Maseru, is about twenty- three years of age, five feet seven inches in height, and is possessed of an intelligent countenance. He was educated at a Kafir College, founded by the late Bishop of Cape Town, in this city, and speaks English well.

As another matter of interest I may mention that the Basutos have for years been acquainted with the art of making gunpowder, and that the villainous compound was largely used by them during the war of Morosi. The Basutos prefer powder of European manufacture, which burns much more freely than that made by themselves, bar when their purchased ammunition has been expended they are not altogether without the means of doing mischief.

At the date of my last letter the colonial forces had just succeeded in relieving the small party which had been previously shut up in Mohalie's Hock, and the men who had been engaged in holding that point, together with the reliefs, had proceeded in the direction of Mafetang. Since then there has been warm work both at Mafetang and Maseru, and whenever our men have come in contact with the rebels the advantage has been with us. A volunteer, writing to a friend, gives the following interesting account of the march to Aliwal North,

Aliwal North, Saturday, October 9, 1880.

After a miserable voyage and a long march, we arrived at Aliwal North yesterday. The march has been a very hard one, over mountains without number, through the rain, mud, wind, and dust. It is indeed a very hard life. On Thursday day morning we struck tents at 5 a.m., and commenced marching in our yellow corduroy suits. We were not long on the road when a thunderstorm overtook us, which lasted for five hours. We were all drenched to the skin. It was indeed a pity to see us, we could scarcely move along, so cumbersome were the clothes, which stuck like glue to our bodies and dyed it with a colour like yellow ochre. I never felt so miserable before. It thundered and lightened without mercy. The men were slipping on the road, falling in the mud; others scarcely able to move, others falling, down, and others pushing ahead as fast as their legs could carry them. The whole column was broken, which reminded me very much of the Turkish retreat from Plevna. The wagons were some hours in rear of us.

We had very little to eat the previous day and very little the morning we left. Before 1 o'clock we marched more than eighteen miles over a very ragged and bare country. You can fancy our dilemma: imagine us marching for five hours in a thunderstorm; indeed we were a miserable little army that day. If the Basutos, or any other tribe, had attacked us we would all have been massacred. The men were marching along in groups of tens, fives and so forth.

About 2 o’clock the storm abated, and we had to wait a long time for the baggage, commissariat, and ammunition train. After the storm the sun shone with an awful heat.

We soon had something to eat, and changed our clothes; then commenced our march, again. That day we covered more than twenty-one miles of ground, such a rugged and stony road too. Next day we reached Aliwal. On the 10th instant a determined attack by a large, number of Basutos was made upon Maseru.

The assault commenced at daybreak, and was continued during the whole of the day, and late into the following night. The rebels succeeded in burning down the courthouse and several other buildings, and carried off large quantities of commissariat stores, and the stock, in-trade of two or three traders. Our men fought bravely, and with the aid of a twelve pounder which they had with them inflicted heavy losses upon the enemy. During the night our men were at a great disadvantage owing to the darkness which prevailed, and in order to lessen this a building, which had been erected for use as an hospital, was set fire to and burnt down. The loss of the building was a serious one, but it was more than counter balanced by the injury the light enabled our forces to inflict upon the enemy.

It had the effect of convincing the Basutos that their efforts to take the place had failed, and they withdrew to a safe distance. Our losses during the engagement were confined to two or three men who were wounded.

Mafetang, October 19. — The troops under my command, numbering 101 officers, 1,495 Europeans, and 75 natives of all ranks, moved from their camp at Massayne's Farm, near the border, at a quarter to 5 this morning, and proceeded without much opposition as far as the Kalabani Hill, a small height on the road, which was taken possession of by the Cape Mounted Rifles, which enabled the waggons to pass the Poort between Kalabani's village and Kalabani. The enemy at this time appeared in some force to the northward, but were driven back by a few well directed rounds from the seven pounders.

Nothing at this time appearing on our left, I directed the main body of the 1st Yeomanry, who were in immediate advance of the waggons, to move to the left of the ridge of Kalabani to feel for the enemy in an easterly direction. Captain Dalgetty, the adjutant, was in command, Colonel Brabant being at the time in charge of the advance.

The men had not proceeded far from the main body when they were charged by a large body of Basutos who came down at full speed over the rise. A hand-to-hand fight ensued, in which the Basutos, being armed with assegais, succeeded in killing twenty-four of the 1st Yeomanry.

The 2nd Yeomanry was sent to their assistance, and the enemy was driven back with, I am informed, considerable loss. The enemy appeared in large force afterwards on both flanks. Those on the left were driven back by artillery fire, and those on the right never came into action. The number of natives about is estimated at from seven to eight thousand, but the greater portion never came under fire at all.

The above despatch conveys only a very scanty outline of the events which followed immediately after the departure of the colonial troops from their camp, but from a letter from a war correspondent of the Cape Times, which has been published, it would appear that a crushing blow would have been administered to our men except for their coolness and courage.

Skirmishing continued during the greater portion of the road to Mafetang, but the garrison at that place was relieved without any farther losses than those already mentioned. Colonel Carrington's forces have now formed a junction with the invading army, which is thus raised to about 2,000 men, it is opposed by from 8,000 to 9,000 of the rebels, and under these circumstances Brigadier-General Clarke, has telegraphed to the Government for reinforcements. In response to an appeal the Burgher law has been proclaimed in several divisions of the colony, and 2,000 men have been called out for active service. Some companies of volunteers are being raised at various points, and the universal opinion is expressed that the rebellion must be put down at once and for ever.

The struggle will be a severe one, but our people are resolved to succeed. Without waiting for the additional force which is required to crush out the rebellion, Brigadier-General Clarke, having relieved Mafetang, continued his march to the eastward, and has engaged and defeated the Basutos near Lerothodi kraal, and has burnt down the village. The following is an extract from the despatch of the commander, in which he reports the particulars of the engagement.

October 22nd. — Leaving the laager near Mafetang protected by the three Yeomanry regiments, The Kimberley Horse, and The First City Volunteers (Graham's Town), I moved the remainder of the force soon after 3 this morning, augmented by all the men that could be spared from the garrison of Mafetang, against the village of Lerothodi, situated on a strong mountain position, some three miles distant. The force was placed under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Carrington, Cape Mounted Rifles.

Daylight broke as we approached the village, and the rebels were thereby enabled to occupy it in sufficiently strong force to prevent a surprise, which was nearly effected. The troops gained a rocky plateau some 900 yards from the neck on where the village is situated without loss, although the natives held it in some force, and I cannot understand how they allowed us to gain this ground. The rebels were seen hurrying in large numbers from all parts of the country, and shortly held the village in strong force. The 7-pounder gun and two 5-inch mortars were dragged up to the plateau we had gained by hand, and the fire from the guns soon drove those in the open to a respectful distance.

As large numbers had occupied a rocky gorge on our right, in which they were secure from our fire, it was not deemed advisable to carry the village by a direct attack, and the Kimberly Horse were, soon after eight, sent for from camp as our numbers were scarcely adequate to the storming of so formidable a position they arrived at ten o'clock. The rebels on our right had by this time also taken possession of a dry sluit from which they supported those in the gorge.

It was then determined by Col. Carrington to attempt to drive the rebels from the gorge which was attempted by the C.M.R. and the P.A.V. Guard (Port Elizabeth), but their strength was not sufficient -for the purposes.

Those who know anything of the native tribes of South Africa, and of the manner in which they have been treated by the whites will be surprised when they find the colonialists are indignant that a high-class London paper the Spectator speaks of this rebellion as an “unprovoked attack upon a tribe of innocent and loyal fellow-subjects, which the moral, sense of the whole civilised world, would condemn.”

Colonists did not provoke the war, and were prepared to make almost every concession to avoid it, but it is mainly the Molteno policy which allowed the natives to purchase guns with the wages earned by them while working upon the colonial railways and in the diamond mines in Griqualand West.”

As can be surmised from the above report, the Kaffrarian Volunteer Artillery had some part to play in the war. Never a large outfit, they numbered 2 officers and 33 men at one point. Timmer, with the rank of Sergeant, was a Senior Non Commissioned Officer. For his efforts he was awarded the Cape of Good Hope General Service Medal with the Basutoland clasp. (This medal was only approved and claimed in 1900 with the proviso that the recipient had to be alive to claim it himself)

Hostilities over Timmer betook himself to Port Elizabeth where he worked, variously, as a Checker with the Railways and as an employee with the Port Elizabeth Harbour Board. This latter employer was where he seems to have spent most of his working life.

The Cape Directory has him as a Checker living at Guthrie’s in Upper Pier Street in 1892. It was in mid-1896 that he found employment with the Harbour Board and it was two years later that tragedy struck his family with the death, on 28 March 1898, of his 5 year old son, Frederick George Timmer. This was a mere eighteen months before the outbreak of the Anglo Boer War, the advent of which raised patriotic fervour to a high pitch in the predominately British community of Port Elizabeth. Already a commercially active town, a new level of activity was reached with the influx of troops and supplies being landed at the harbour, destined for the interior and the front.


The old Harbour Board building where Timmer worked

Port Elizabeth didn’t see itself as immediately threatened and at first no particular measures were taken for its defence. The war was far away to the north and it was felt that the British would prevail but a number of early setbacks changed the mood and altered public opinion leading to an uneasiness that grew that even far away Port Elizabeth might not be immune from attack.

By 17 January 1900 the staff of the Harbour Board (Timmer’s employer), had formed a company for the defence of its own particular area. Major Herbert Smith was appointed to set up a Town Guard and a meeting was held in the Feather Market Hall on 5 February to establish this force. There were to be eight companies each 100 strong. The Guard would be a purely voluntary organisation and each company would be commanded by an efficient officer.

At first nightly drill sessions were held at the Feather Market Hall although it was felt that the Guard would not need to be called out. The eight companies were designated by the letter A to H, the E and F Companies being composed of Harbour Board employees and G Company being reserved for Cape Government Railway employees.

Timmer, now in his early 40’s, was commissioned as a Lieutenant. Throughout 1900 regular drills were still being held but interest started to wane, after all the war was going well and the Boers were on the run. What hadn’t been anticipated though was that the war had entered its second or guerrilla phase, where roving Boer Commandos ventured south deep into the heart of the Eastern Cape in search of supplies and fresh recruits from the Dutch farming population.

On 14 January 1901 a special parade of all companies was called with the Mayor and other prominent citizens present. A call went out for more men, in fact another Battalion, bringing the strength up to 1200. The Base Commandant called for volunteers to go out to the waterworks at Van Stadens for guard duty and stated that he intended to raise a Mounted Company.

According to the medal roll off which his Queens medal was issued, Timmer was assigned to Escort Duty – making sure that supplies and equipment reached Van Stadens without hindrance.

The Town Guard was disbanded at a grand parade in the Feather Market Hall on 23 October 1902. Timmer was not alone in the Boer War – his son, John Frederick Timmer, a Carpenter by trade, served for eighteen months with the Railway Pioneer Regiment. He was 20 years old when he enlisted on 6 February 1900.

Back at his old employment promotion for Timmer was rapid. On 11 February 1907 he submitted a request for three months paid leave to attend to “urgent private affairs”. His “situation and station” was Outdoor Superintendent of the Port Elizabeth Harbour Board.

His grounds for requesting leave (other than that supplied above) were stated to be because of a “serious indisposition” and a medical certificate from the Board’s Medical Examiner, Dr Blackburn, was attached to his application. This stated that Timmer had been under his care for four years and that he was suffering from “constant strain of work for five years without holiday, chronic headache after over exposure to sun.” His address whilst on leave would be c/o the Agent General, London. The certificate went on to state that “he should have leave for a period of six months for the purpose of “going home for rest and recuperation.

At the end of the day three months leave was granted with the caveat that a further three months could be applied for on production of another medical certificate. His salary was £30 per month.

Shipping records indicate that he did indeed sail to England but nothing is known of whom he visited and what he did there.

Back in South Africa, Timmer resumed his service. A meeting of the members of the Harbour Institute was convened on 30 August 1917 with the intention of electing a committee. Timmer was, as Outdoor Superintendent, nominated by the Administration. The meeting was described as "very lively" with the regret being expressed that the old committee didn't get a "move on."

John Timmer retired in 1918 after 22 years’ service with the Harbour Board. That he was held in high esteem by, among others, the Coloured employees, was confirmed in the Railway Magazine of November 1918 wherein it was said by one of their representatives at a farewell function that, "On the eve of your severing the connection with the Railways and Harbour Administration, the coloured employees of the harbour ask your acceptance of a small memento of the many years which it has been your privilege to rule our destinies. We wish, on this occasion, to think of the kindness you have shown to us, and to wish that those acts may be returned to you during your retirement." (The memento was a handsome mounted umbrella)

Where did he go? The same trusty Railway and Harbour Magazine informed us in their April 1931 edition, that, "The many friends of Mr John Timmer, who retired from the position of Outdoor Superintendent, Port Elizabeth Goods, about 12 years ago, will be pleased to learn that he is again living among them, having returned to the scene of his former activities after a lengthy residence at East London. The years sit lightly on Mr Timmer's shoulders, but at the time of writing, he is laid aside with an attack of bronchitis, from which we wish him a speedy recovery."

Timmer ended his days in the small hamlet of Bedford in the hinterland of the Eastern Cape where he passed away on 6 May 1945 at the age of 87 years 6 months. His wife had predeceased him on 13 December 1940 and he was survived by his only remaining children, William Henry James Timmer and Florence Frederika Griffiths.

The South African Railways and Harbours Magazine of July 1945 (page 556) showed that he was not forgotten: - "Members of the older generation of railwaymen will remember Mr John Timmer, who passed away on May 6th last at the age of 88. Mr Timmer had been associated with the harbours and, later, the railways of this country since 1886. After serving his apprenticeship with the Indian Railways he came to South Africa and was for a time engaged in dredging at Buffalo Harbour. Subsequently he transferred to Port Elizabeth and was finally appointed Outside Superintendent on the harbour here, a position he held until his retirement in 1918."

A long life well lived had come to an end.