TOPIC:

Served: Mafeking.

ABO (Artilleris D. A. Oberholzer). City Coins Dec 2004.

David Andries Oberholzer served in the Mafeking Commando under S.J.P. Eloff and saw action at Tullie, Ramutsa, Kraaipan and Mafeking. He was captured on 12 May 1900 and sent as a PoW to St Helena until the war ended.

Issue of medal approved Sept. 1941.

From the next City Coins auction, November 2020.

ABO (Artilleris D.A. Oberholzer)

David Andries Oberholzer joined the ZAR State Artillery in 1898 (Ledger Number 928) and was in action at the first battle of the Boer War (Kraaipan, 12 October 1899), Ramoutsa and the Tuli Block on the ZAR north-western boundary.

He was one of some 200 men under Commandant Sarel Eloff, a grandson of President Kruger, who, on 12 May 1900, made a last desperate attempt to take Mafeking.

They succeeded in penetrating the outer defences of the town and captured the fort in which Colonel Hore had his headquarters. However, they did not have backup and support from General Snyman and, although half of the men escaped, Eloff and 109 officers and men had to surrender.
That night Eloff was invited to dinner with Baden-Powell!

The Official PoW list makes for some interesting reading. It contains names such as Capt Victor Albert Du Framond (French Army), Lieut Carlo Bruno (Italian Navy), Lieut Friedrich Reichard (German) and Burghers Antonin Francisco (Oporto, Portugal), Alfred Giradet (Berne, Switzerland), Barend Gyswyt (Leeuwarden, Holland) and Maurice Le Gall (Paris, France).

All the men taken prisoner were sent to St Helena.