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Thank you Rob; this is very interesting. I've never visited South Africa, so have only seen the Brandwater Basin on Google Maps etc, so don't really understand what must be a huge area and guess that there must be a huge number of farms there.

The Wiltshire diary makes clear reference to De Jagger's Farm, but who knows if that information was actually correct. There is no reference to prisoners or the burning of farms. However, I know that the Regiment did do this, just as it seems all Regiments did, because my Great Grandfather said that they were (unfortunately) given the order to take whatever they wanted from certain farms, but interestingly not all farms and soldiers were specifically ordered to leave some alone. I have also read mention of this in various diaries held in the Regiment's archives.

A Boer shot for wearing khaki wasn't mentioned in the Regiment's diary, but was recalled in a soldier's diary, but this wasn't at this place.

SLAAPKRANTZ

Thank you Elmarie. Where is this map from please?

Hi Ian,

The Great Boer War by Arthur Conan Doyle
www.gutenberg.org/files/3069/3069-h/3069-h.htm

I have received an update from the kind gentleman who owns the website mentioned earlier, whose family owned various farms within the Brandwater Basin.

The movement on 28/7, and therefore the attack on De Jaggers farm, would have been along the line of what today is the Slabbert to Fouriesburg road to the north of Fouriesburg and not to its east in the vicinity of Surrender Hill. The troops would have undoubtedly ranged quite wide of the road itself and probably more particularly to the east of the road into the Rooiberge. There was quite a lot of action in these mountains in the week or so prior to 28/7.

He is kindly looking further into locating De Jager's farm. Rory, the above may assist your contact too.

See this website: clarensnews.co.za/self-drive-clarens-to-fouriesburg-2/