ABO (Burg. P. J. Grobler). In original white box of issue. City Coins September 2017.
Petrus Johannes Grobler (Kassie) was born 1873. Called up October 1899 to take part in the war. He joined the Carolina Kommando under General David Joubert and Veldkomet A de Lange.
He participated in actions at Tugela, Colenso, Estcourt and Bothaspas. On 18 September 1901, during the guerrilla stage of the war Kassie was one of 49 men captured at Pelloes and sent to Shahjahanpur in India as POW.
On 19 October 1901 the first prisoners arrived at the camp located some two miles from the station, near some very old ruins crawling with jackals and other unpleasant vermin according to A.P. Burger. The jackals made a pest of themselves in the camp. Many a POW lost a treasured pair of shoes to these fourlegged thieves who were not afraid of approaching the tents in broad daylight.
The men were housed in large marquee tents with sides that could open. Each POW received a wooden bed, a mattress, cushions, two sheets, blankets and a chest for their clothes. They also received a knife, fork, and mug on arrival.
After the war Petrus Grobler married Anna Catharina Badenhorst the widow of
General J.D. Opperman
in Newcastle. They had one son.
