TOPIC:

Served: Middelburg.

ABO (Burg P.J. van Niekerk) City Coins August 2014.

Petrus van Niekerk of the Middelburg Commando saw early Boer War service in Natal (Ladysmith, Colenso, etc.). When he applied for his ABO medal in June 1941 he was 80 years old and his memory apparently not all that clear: he stated that he was taken PoW in April 1901 but the PoW Register clearly shows that he was captured at Nooitgedacht on 20 February 1902.
This was a mopping up operation by the Columns of Col. Park and Lt. Cols. Williams and Urmston to try and net Commandant Trichardt’s Middelburg Commando, which was known to be in Bothasberg, some 40 km north of Middelburg. In the ensuing operations two Australian units, 2nd NSW Mtd Rifles and 3rd NSW Imp Bushmen who were part of Williams’ Column, played the major role by taking 120 of the 163 Boers captured.

Picture courtesy of Bodorbuy

Starting price of R7,500 (£380)

This is being re-advertised on BidorBuy.

Starting price of R7,500 (£380).

No bidders,

Picture courtesy of Spink

ABO (Burger P. J. Van Niekerk.)

David, most grateful to you for sharing the history of this medal which hopefully I acquired yesterday, my first foray into Boer Oorlog medals.

I note it is the same medal shown in the City Coins Catalogue with the details you outline and then the Bobshop offering which is where i first saw it back in 2021, one of the reasons i started collecting medals!

The Vorm 'B' shown with the sale on Bobshop in 2021 shows him as Pieter Johannes vNiekerk a member of the Kimberley Kdo.

As mentioned my first foray so would appreciate any steers from members of the forum on properly identifying him. Best Regards - Mark