DE LA REY DVD

A new documentary about Gen. Koos DE LA REY has been produced by Hennie VAN DER MERWE and Sanet SCHEEPERS of Ulula Produksies. "Die Leeu van Wes-Transvaal" is available on DVD. The two film-makers were involved in the 2001 DVD / TV series, Verskroeide Aarde. The latest DVD focuses on the General's whole life, not just his military career. Participants in the documentary include historians such as professors Fransjohan PRETORIUS, Andries RAATH, André WESSELS and Albert GRUNDLINGh. Advocate Colin STEYN, grand-son of the Free State President M.T. STEYN, is also involved, as are Steve LUNDERSTEDT and Zelda ROWAN. Scenes were shot on locations related to the General's life, such as Kraaipan (where the first shots of the Anglo-Boer War were fired), and Langlaagte, Johannesburg, where he was shot on 15 September 1914. His farm Elandsfontein and his resting place, Lichtenburg Cemetery, are also visited. The DVD was a result of the popularity of Bok van Blerk's song, De la Rey. It is planned that more DVDs will follow about Boer leaders. Ulula Produksies: ulula@worldonline.co.za or (021) 982-7642.

Jacobus Hercules (Koos) DE LA REY was born on 22 October 1847 on the farm Doornspruit, near Winburg. He was the sixth son of Adrianus Gysbertus (Lang Adriaan) DE LA REY and Adriana Wilhelmina VAN ROOYEN, who came from the George area. Later the family moved to the Wolmaransstad district. Adrianus was a soldier in the Cape Frontier Wars and a Transvaal pioneer, taking part in the Battle of Boomplaats. After the discovery of diamonds, the family moved to Kimberley, where Koos became a transport rider. On 24 October 1876, Koos married Jacoba Elizabeth (Nonnie) GREEFF, daughter of Hendrik Adriaan GREEFF, founder of Lichtenburg. The couple settled on the farm Manana and later on Elandsfontein in the Lichtenburg district. They had 10 children. Koos participated in the war between the Free State and the Basuto in 1865. In 1876 he became a Field Cornet, fighting against the Bapedi. In 1880, Koos led Lichtenburg residents against the British annexation of the Transvaal - by taking down the magistrate's British flag and sending him back to the Cape. In 1885 he was made Commandant. In 1893 he was elected to the Volksraad. When war broke out in October 1899, he said in council that he was opposed to a war but if there was no other way, he would fight to the end. He captured a British armoured train at Kraaipan. His eldest son was killed in the Battle of Modder Rivier. After the war, together with Gens. Louis BOTHA and C.R. DE WET, he travelled to Europe to raise funds for the rebuilding of the country. In September 1914 when WWI broke out, Gens. DE LA REY and C.R. DE WET joined the Rebellion, opposing supporting the British. A group of Boer loyalists planned a rebellion. Some believe Koos was on the side of the rebel generals, others believe he was going to Potchefstroom to tell them he did not want to be involved. On the night of 15 September 1914, Koos and Gen. BEYERS drove from Johannesburg to Potchefstroom. The Foster Gang was to play a vital role - the gangsters had evaded police for months and were wanted for a string of robberies across the Reef, and the murder of three policemen and a passer-by. They were hiding out in a cave in Kensington. The police had set up roadblocks. Seeing a roadblock ahead, the two generals instructed their driver to drive through the barrier in Langlaagte. A policeman fired a single shot - it struck the ground, ricocheted into the back of the car, lodging in Koos' chest. He died within seconds. There is a plaque outside Langlaagte Station, at the entrance in Deville Street in Paarlshoop.

BLOEMFONTEIN ZOO UNDER THREAT

The Bloemfontein Zoo was opened in 1906. It now faces possible closure or relocation because of new developments in the area. The local council must make a decision soon. Naval Hill has been mooted as a possible site should relocation be chosen. More than 4000 residents have signed a petition protesting against the closure/relocation. About 65 000 children visit the zoo annually.

HISTORIC HOUSE ON AUCTION

A stately home at 11A Grace Road in Johannesburg, with magnificent views, is going on auction on 30 July. Originally named Beauvais, it was built in 1907 by Allen WILSON for mining magnate Percival White TRACEY. It is set on 1.1 ha of prime land and has an imposing Cape Dutch façade, a cathedral glass window, and Burmese teak panelling. The large cathedral glass window has the TRACEY family crest and motto, Honores Ambire (Surround with Honour). Percival had worked a claim at Kimberley. In 1902 he found diamonds in a stream near Johannesburg, and followed it to its source. Twenty-four miles east of Pretoria, he came to a diamond pipe. The Cornelis MINNAAR farm, Elandsfontein no. 85, was registered on 07 November 1859. Cornelis sold a portion of the farm to his brother Roelof in 1861, who in turn sold the northern part of this farm to Willem PRINSLOO for £570 on 07 December 1896. Thomas Major CULLINAN, a building contractor, tried to buy the Prinsloo farm but failed. When Willem died in 1898, his wife Maria became the new owner. After the Anglo-Boer War, Maria's brothers returned to the farm. The family were in dire need of money. When Cullinan started new negotiations with the family, they agreed to the outright sale of the farm for the sum £52,000. The company was first registered as the Premier Syndicate on 06 November 1902 but re-registered on 01 December 1902 as The Premier (Transvaal) Diamond Mining Company Ltd. with Cullinan as chairperson. Percival was part of this syndicate.

Premier Diamond Co. Ltd. became one of the largest diamond mines in the world and produced the largest diamond ever found - the Cullinan. This diamond was bought by the Transvaal government for £150,000 and presented to King Edward VII. It was cut into nine large stones and ninety-six small ones. The largest is mounted in the British Royal Sceptre and may be seen in the Tower of London with the Crown Jewels. The mine was renamed the Cullinan Diamond Mine in November 2003

During the 10 years that the family lived at Beauvais, it was the scene of glittering social functions, as well as tragedy. Three of the seven TRACEY children died within a week of one another in an epidemic. Percival also died there. After his death in 1909, his widow, Marcella Susan (maiden name DEVENISH) and two daughters lived on in the house. In 1912, Beauvais was featured in a "Stately Homes of Johannesburg" series in the South African Ladies Journal. Marcella died in 1926. In 1917, the 15-year-old Park Town School (PTS) took over the house and for the next 40 years the halls and passages echoed with the voices of red-coated school boys. Many famous South Africans attended PTS, including Sir Harry OPPENHEIMER. The house accommodated 62 boarders and 15 day boys. Economic pressures forced the closure of the school in 1957. Two years later, AECI purchased the then neglected building and most of land, and restored it to its original glory. They used it as their training centre for 40 years. It then became the premises of Dorothy Van't Riet Design & Décor Consultants, and Dorothy Van't Riet Design Academy. Now known as Mountain View, the estate has views from Johannesburg International Airport in the East to the edge of Krugersdorp in the West. The Northern view includes the Magaliesberg and Witwatersberg mountain ranges and the Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria. The Iscor furnaces and the lights of Pretoria are easily seen on a clear night.

COLYN BROOKES

It has been a sad week for South African history circles. Colyn Brookes passed away in Cape Town earlier this week, of a sudden heart attack. Colyn was a great contributor to our military history, travelling around the country to record long-forgotten, and often unknown, grave sites and memorials to fallen soldiers. I was blessed to meet him in Cape Town, where he gave me photos of all the female soldiers' graves he'd recorded to date. Colyn was born in Wakefield, Yorkshire in 1946. He served with the Scots Guards from 1966 to 1973. He moved to South Africa in 1979. Colyn started MIBISA (Military Burials In South Africa) Archive Project in 2003. He undertook three photographic trips a year, and covered about 2,000 kilometres each trip. His work has been preserved in various ways, one being the book "MIBISA Volume One - Western Cape (Military Burials in South Africa)". He started MIBISA with the intention of photographing all military-related burials within the borders of South Africa. The Western Cape book was the first of nine proposed volumes. The listings cover headstones, memorials, plaques and monuments and have the Name, Rank, Serial Number, Unit and other information. A CD with the photographs is included with the book. Colyn was involved with various volunteer projects, such as Find A Grave, the South African War Graves Project, and the War Graves Photographic Project. A military burial is classified as that of any person who died whilst undergoing military service or training. The MIBISA photographs include those of the Zulu Wars, the Anglo-Boer War, the Rand Revolt, World War I and II, the Border War and the Freedom Struggle. The database contained more than 7500 photographs from the Western, Northern and Eastern Cape areas, collected over 36 months and involved travelling some 60 000 kilometres. The project was self-funded by Colyn. His trips depended on holiday pay, annual bonus and tax rebates. His published books were to help support the project financially. Colyn also had plans to publish a coffee table book, From Bridges to Blockhouses: A study of military construction during the Second Boer War 1899-1902". Colyn was married to Pauline for 38 years.

One of the many special stories that Colyn got involved in, concerns David TITUS. David died of illness at the age of 30. He was one of the first members of the Cape Coloured Corps to volunteer for duty in WWII (service number C273709V). Colyn started looking for his grave in 2003. Three years and some 7000 graves later, he found it and placed a small advert in a local paper. David's sister, Dinah CHARLES, and his brother Samuel, made contact on 16 October 2006, the same day as David's death in 1946. Colyn found David's grave in Taylor’s Cemetery, outside De Doorns. Dinah (age 70 in 2006) recalled how her Ouboet looked after the family with his war pay. Samuel, Dinah and Colyn attended a re-dedication service for David at the grave on 22 October 2006.

PROF. STEPHEN BURRIDGE SPIES

Prof. Stephen Burridge SPIES (78) passed away at his Garsfontein home on 22 July 2008. He was an author and historian. Prof. Spies had diabetes. He was born on 05 January 1930 in Port Elizabeth and educated at Pretoria Boys High and the University of the Witwatersrand. He taught history for 15 years at Pretoria Boys' High. He was Professor of History at the University of South Africa until his retirement in 1995. Prof. Spies is survived by his wife Marion DUTTON and three children - Rene WHITE, Helen TERREBLANCHE and Andrew, as well as eight grandchildren. Prof. Spies wrote "Methods of Barbarism? Roberts, Kitchener and Civilians in the Boer Republics: January 1900-May 1902", first published in 1977. The book's title comes from a 1901 speech by Sir Henry CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN, leader of the British Liberal Party, in which he asked, "When is a war not a war? When it is carried on by methods of barbarism in South Africa." Prof. Spies played cricket for Northerns from 1951/52-1962/63.

A TOP SECRET MISSION

In December 1997, the South African Navy set off on a mission to the Prince Edward Islands, south-east of Cape Town. The small island group consists of Prince Edward Island and Marion Island, and was annexed as the first and only foreign territory of the then Union of South Africa. The Navy's mission was to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the annexation of the islands. One of the sailors who took part in the annexation was retired Warrant Officer Ernst SADLER, later of Kalk Bay. He was then a Petty Officer aboard the frigate HMSAS Transvaal which set sail from Simon's Town on 21 December 1947, commanded by Lieutenant-Commander John FAIRBAIRN. It was a top-secret mission. German and Japanese submarines and ships sought shelter and water in the relatively safe islands. This became a concern for Field-Marshal Jan SMUTS as rocket and guided missiles were accurate at ranges of up to 1 000 miles (1 600km) or more. A decision was taken for pre-emptive action and Operation Snoektown was born. The frigate reached Marion Island on Christmas Day but bad weather and heavy seas made it impossible for the sailors to land. They finally made it ashore on 29 December, and Petty Officer Henry SCHOTT recorded the event. A stone cairn was built, on which a metal South African flag was mounted, as well as a bronze plaque inscribed "HMSAS Transvaal, 29.12.1947", and Lieutenant-Commander John FAIRBAIRN read out the Deed of Sovereignty. Prince Edward Island was annexed five days later. A few days later, HMSAS Transvaal was relieved by its sister ship, HMSAS Natal, and the coaster Gamtoos, which carried a construction team, prefabricated huts and a small media contingent. Formal annexation ceremonies were held.

COLLEGE STOLEN, PIECE BY PIECE

Worcester residents are upset about the destruction of the former Minnie Hofmeyr College, which has been vandalised and had its doors, window frames, security railings, wooden flooring and roofing stolen. Coloured social workers received their training at the college, from 1931 in Harring Street, Cape Town, and from 02 October 1948 in the current building in Grey Street, Worcester. The Women's Mission Association of the NGK Western and Eastern Cape, restored the college years ago and carried on supporting the college financially. Between 1983 and 1992, it cost R1 106 420 to run the college. In 1986 a new admin building, lecture hall and library were built. The college was closed in 1993 when the Western Cape Verenigende Gereformeerde Kerk bought the building. It was then rented out to various businesses, until a month ago.