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Served: Staats Artillerie.

Picture courtesy of City Coins

ABO (Burg. J.S.A. Arnhold). City Coins December 2024

Awarded to a Jewish Boer War veteran, Johannes Stephanus Jacob Arnhold, regarded as one of “President Kruger’s own” and with the nickname of “Kruger se Jood”. This special item showing the unique connection between the Boers and the Jews. From both a Jewish and Boer point of view, Arnold is a remarkable character. A totally assimilated Afrikaner wearing a Vierkleur green shirt and could reel off songs from old Dutch Commandos. He also wore a Tallis and Tephillin with a good command of Yiddish with a delightful sense of humour. The Jews and the Afrikaners have a strong connection evident in the history of Jacob Arnold, a “whimsical Jewish character of the Boer War”.

This Boer War veteran was born in Leipzig, Germany in 1871. He was left an orphan and enrolled in the famous cadet School of Potsdam. Two years later he was recruited by Commandant Schille as a recruit for the Boer forces. He proceeded to Krugersdorp joining the Volunteer Corps under Commandant Ben Viljoen and therefore is one of the few Jews to have served in the small regular army of the Boer republic. In 1894 he transferred to the recently formed Staats Artillerie which played a significant part in the Boer war under Henning Pretorius. Anglo-Boere Oorlog (ABO) 1899-1902 Medal Arnold’s first action was the Jameson Raid taking part in the capture of Jameson and his men, accurately remembering the capture of three pom-poms. He acted as a runner with reports between Sarel Eloff and his grandfather, the President and to Veld-Kornet Dominie Martins. It was this duty that brought him to the kind notice of Oom Paul. In 1897 the Staats-Artillerie was increased to 800 men and he was the only Jew in it . Arnold fought in the artillery throughout the war in all four provinces. His first encounter was at Milner’s Pass under General “Lappies” Prinsloo. When he was President Kruger’s bodyguard in Machadadorp, he was told to henceforth call himself “Johannes Stephanus Jacobus Arnhold” by the President, and this was documented. After Oom Paul’s departure Arnhold fought on, finally surrendering with General Botha at Kestrolhoogte, Wakkerstroom. He had strong ties with the Boer movement becoming secretary to the “Transvaal and Militaire Bond of the old South African Republic” and was interned in WWI for refusing to fight against the rebels. During the rebellion he followed closely the fortunes of Christiaan de Wet, whom he stayed with until his deathbed. In his interview with Rabbi Rabinowitz he concludes “It was a great war – 60,000 Burghers who were not soldiers, fought against 400,000 British soldiers and 3,000 Indian lancers. And still we might have beaten them had not Lord Roberts instituted his pernicious black house system. At every mile they set them up, it was too much for us.” Arnold has provided invaluable insight into the Jewish participation n the Boer side, along with all of the Jewish heroes, the Segalls, Kaplan and many others.

Sold with copy Vorm “B” as well as copied extract of “The Story of the Pretoria Jewish Community up to 1930” & “President Kruger se Jood” by L. Rabinowitz