ABO (Burger R. Liebenberg). City Coins May 2002 and November 2020
Roelof Liebenberg joined Comdt Hans Pypers’ Commando in October 1900: this implies that he was still a teenager when he was wounded at Tontelboschkolk on the evening of 1 Dec 1901.
Eben Nel in “Die Kaapse Rebelle van die Hantam-Karoo” describes the incident (freely translated):
“…That evening the enemy sent 3 men to the dam/pool to fetch water. They were under the impression that there were no Boers, but all three were shot. When they heard the shots Hans Pypers with Stoffel Snyman and Roelf Liebenberg went outside and stood next to the house… Against the light of the setting sun Pypers noticed somebody moving from one fort to another. He fired a shot at the person, which resulted in a volley from the forts to the house. One shot ricochet from the wall and hit Liebenberg in the shoulder. They immediately took Liebenberg inside where one of the Burgers, using a razor, made a cross-shaped incision over the wound and, using his hands, “popped” out the bullet.”
When Liebenberg applied for his ABO Medal in 1931, he noted that he was wounded at Tontelboschkolk, but did not apply for a Wound Riband.
