Welcome, Guest
Username: Password: Remember me

TOPIC:

QSAs with clasp Elandslaagte 11 years 1 week ago #9121

  • JustinLDavies
  • JustinLDavies's Avatar
  • Offline
  • Senior Member
  • Senior Member
  • Posts: 572
  • Thank you received: 119
Henk,

Not for nothing were the Royal Army Medical Corps known as "Rob All My Comrades" during the First World War but other contemporary accounts differ from Davitt as to what happened to the dead at Elandslaagte. See Donald Macdonald's account of Ladysmith and events around it "How We Kept the Flag Flying" (1900), page 22. He was the War Correspondent for the 'Melbourne Argus'.

He also comments (p. 24) on the youthfulness of the combatants, ref your ABO to Blignaut Senior:

"The only white-haired man buried was the father of W. (sic) Blignaut, a champion South African athlete."

Further interesting details about the Blignaut father and two sons at Elandslaagte can be found in one of Macdonald's despatches, republished from the Argus in the New Zealand 'Hawke's Bay Herald' in April 1900.

paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/papers...d=HBH19000427.2.12.6

Justin

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

QSAs with clasp Elandslaagte 11 years 1 week ago #9127

  • Frank Kelley
  • Frank Kelley's Avatar
  • Offline
  • Senior Member
  • Senior Member
  • Posts: 6739
  • Thank you received: 954
Good morning Justin
That is a very interesting article, the paragraph on the circumstances relating to Piet Blignaut and his death in particular.
A very bloody affair! :(
Regards Frank

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

QSAs with clasp Elandslaagte 11 years 1 week ago #9130

  • Brett Hendey
  • Brett Hendey's Avatar
  • Offline
  • Senior Member
  • Senior Member
  • Posts: 2932
  • Thank you received: 716
It is source of wonder how interesting details of the Boer War keep emerging. Thank you to Henk, Frank and Justin for recent additions to our store of knowledge of this war.

Regards
Brett

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

QSAs with clasp Elandslaagte 11 years 1 week ago #9131

  • Henk Loots
  • Henk Loots's Avatar
  • Offline
  • Senior Member
  • Senior Member
  • Posts: 803
  • Thank you received: 442
Justin : Thanks for the umpteenth snippet of information that you have added to the files of recipients of medals in my collection over a period of more than 25 years!
Macdonald’s account differs from Hillegas, but I doubt the factuality!
I append the list of Boer Casualties at Elandslaagte, ex Vol II of Breytenbach : “Die Tweede Vryheidsoorlog”, published in 1949 (I got my copy as a Xmas present from my parents in 1950). These lists are not 100% correct : for instance Burgers W Kool and J W van Genne are listed as unwounded PoW’s, but I have their ABO’s with LvW Certificates. There are 3 Blignauts listed : PJ (should be PG) as KiA, PJ as wounded PoW and CE as PoW.
The microfilm record in the Transvaal Archives (appended) also list only PG as KiA, and the same applies to the recently updated Boer casualty returns done by the War Museum in Bloemfontein. I would think that the “blowing out brains” episode probably was journalistic sensationalism as there is not a second KiA Blignaut recorded for Elandslaagte !
The Blignaut family suffered another loss later in the war : the Commandant Blignaut, who was killed at Fort Itala on 26 Sept 1901, was PG’s eldest son. I am very privileged to also have his DTD and ABO in my collection.

Henk

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

QSAs with clasp Elandslaagte 11 years 1 week ago #9132

  • Henk Loots
  • Henk Loots's Avatar
  • Offline
  • Senior Member
  • Senior Member
  • Posts: 803
  • Thank you received: 442



Hi
I seem to have trouble adding multiple images : 2nd try!
Attachments:
The following user(s) said Thank You: djb

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

QSAs with clasp Elandslaagte 11 years 1 week ago #9133

  • Henk Loots
  • Henk Loots's Avatar
  • Offline
  • Senior Member
  • Senior Member
  • Posts: 803
  • Thank you received: 442



Hi
I seem to have trouble adding multiple images : 2nd try!
Henk
Attachments:

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Moderators: djb
Time to create page: 0.592 seconds
Powered by Kunena Forum