TOPIC:

Served: Pretoria.

ABO (Burger A. van Nierop). City Coins November 2007

When Abraham van Nierop filled in Vorm “B” to claim his medal he listed service in the Pretoria Commando under Commandant Zeederberg (as given in the Forsyth Roll), but also under Commandant Krantz in the German Corps at Platrand and Spion Kop. He must have gone to the front with the Pretorians, but when Kranz took over the German Corps, van Nierop joined them. After the German Corps split and disintegrated, van Nierop went back to Pretoria where he was taken PoW by the British in June 1900 and deported to Europe. Van Nierop’s ABO is highly unusual: he was not an official PoW or still in the field on 31 May 1902. However, his Vorm “B” was officially endorsed “Personal knowledge of person” by Lt Col D O van Velden, Adjudant General, UDF, and the medal duly issued.