TOPIC:

Hi everybody
The Raid has fascinated me for a very long time, especially after the late 1970's when I obtained the original of a raid-related telegram from the ZAR Commandant General P Joubert dated 31 Dec 1895. This must have been sent shortly after Joubert was informed of Dr J's border-crossing




VAN AAN
Commandant- Commandant en
Generaal Landdrost
Zeerust
Waar zijn de troepen nu; Wat is hun beweging; Zij moeten gestopt worden waar ze nu zijn maar nach achterwaarts. Indien zij gewillig de wapenen afleggen, die door u in bezit kunnen genomen worden, kunnen zij terug keeren tot …. …. over de grenzen.
31/12/’95 P J Joubert

FROM TO Commandant and Magistrate
Commandant- Zeerust
General

Where are the troops now; What is their movement; They must be stopped where they are now but ?turned around? If they are willing to lay down arms, that you can take charge of, they can return ….. …. over the border.
31/12/’95
I will post images of a number of roll players in the Raid and would welcome Images from fellow-forumites
Henk

Ryan
I forgot to mention that you are free to use anything I post for your upcoming OMRS exhibit
Henk

Thanks Henk!

I am about 70% done. It is taking up most of my lounge floor at the moment as I lay it all out. I have three panels, one for an introduction and medals to the raiders and which medals are extant. The next is about the reformers but there is little of direct medal interest about them, and the third about the defenders (JVC medal and those who had it and the ABO).

I am now looking at which raiders got the BSAC medal.

I'm trying to balance history and numismatic interests, to keep it about the medals more than the men.

Ryan

Hi Ryan and others
Medal-wise I will start with the group to a Hollander, Wouter Kool, who was a volunteer in one of the Commandos that forced Jameson's surrender at Doornkop on 2 January 1896.




Wouter Kool was born in Wilnis, Holland in April 1867
After finishing his studies at the Polytechnic High School in Utrecht he had to do a total of 2 years' compulsory military training. This he did on an on-off basis between May 1887 and May 1893 and in that period also qualified as Civil Engineer.




The top left photo shows Kool as Military Cadet (aged 20), the photo below that is Kool as student in the early 1890's and the third photo is Kool in 1911.

In 1895 Wouter Kool came to the ZAR and in September 1895 got a position at the Central Workshops, Pretoria, of the NZASM, the company involved with the construction of railway line to Lourenco Marques.
Four months later he did voluntary commando service against Jameson's force: this earned him in January 1898 in a Letter of Naturalisation with full Voting Rights as a ZAR Citizen.




I translate the 2nd and 3rd last lines of the above document : "...did Commando Service in connection with the disturbances at the end of the year 1895 and the beginning of the year 1896..."

In October 1899 he enlisted in the Hollander Corps and entrained for Natal. He was wounded ( lance cut, upper left arm) and taken PoW in his first engagement at Elandslaagte on 21 October 1899.
After a period at Simons Town he was sent to St Helena and was only repatriated in November 1902.
After the Boer War Wouter Kool became a Building Designer and Contractor in the Eastern Transvaal. He died in June 1933
Henk

Hi everybody



One of the 33 Raiders who stopped a Boer bullet : Trooper Stewart Bruce who is listed in a telegram from Sir Hercules Robinson to the Colonial Office as "Severely Wounded". His home address was Carden Street, Dundee and he was shot in the right thigh.
Henk

Hi




A QSA to a Civilian with a Raid Connection!



It is quite possible that Tonkin helped to dress Tpr Bruce's wound!

Henk