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Served: General Cronje.

ABO (Burger J.A. Viljoen). City Coins August 2016

Jan Viljoen served in the Schoonspruit Ward of the Potchefstroom Commando. He saw service during the Siege of Mafeking and at the Battle of Magersfontein and was taken POW at Paardeberg on 27 February 1900 when Gen. Cronje and his force surrendered. He was sent to St. Helena (POW No 2976, age 24) and was repatriated on 4 September 1902.

An interesting speculation: could he be the J.A. Viljoen who is named as a ZAR Secret Service Agent in the 1999 Doctoral Thesis of H.J.G. Kamffer? A “start of service” date of 18 November 1899 is quoted for that Viljoen: could the Potchefstroom Viljoen have been recruited during the period of his Mafeking service?

Prisoner 2976 is listed as:

VILJOEN, JOHN ANDRIES
Aged 24
From PALMIETFONTEIN, POTCHEFSTROOM
Captured PAARDEBERG 27 Feb 1900

ABO (Burger J.A. Viljoen). City Coins December 2021

Jan Andries Viljoen of Pretoria served under General P.A. Cronje at Mafeking and Magersfontein. He was captured at Paardeberg and sent to St Helena as a Prisoner of War.