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Boer War - United in the Cause of Freedom Obverse: Two shields inclined toward each other and overlapping. The left shield, representing the British Empire, is quartered with: (1) Star of India, (2) kangaroo – Australia, (3) scale balance – New Zealand and (4) beaver – Canada and with a small shield of the Cape Colony superimposed in the centre. |
The Boers Cried: "Hands Up!"
General Christaan De Wet could well be called the instigator of the small war phase of the Anglo-Boer War. Soon after the occupation of Bloemfontein in mid March 1900, he executed a number of actions using limited numbers of burghers and aiming at aggravating the triumphant British.
According to his memoirs he was rightly proud of these encounters. On the entrapment of a large British force at Sannaspost on 31 March 1900 he wrote:
“As soon as they reached the stream they were met by the cry of ‘Hands up!’... a forest of hands rose ... More troops quickly followed, and we had disarmed two hundred of them before they had time to know what was happening. The discipline among the burghers was fairly satisfactory until the disarming work began ... the burghers kept asking: ‘Where shall I put this rifle ... what have I to do with the horses?’ ... this sort of thing sorely tried my hasty temper.”
Here he admitted the fact that he had a quick temper and wanted duties and matters generally, to be speedily resolved.
He described the destruction of the British supplies the Boers had captured at Roodewal on 7 June 1900 particularly eloquently:
“ ...I ordered fifteen men to set the great heap of booty alight. The flames burst out everywhere simultaneously ... When we had covered fifteen hundred paces, we heard the first shells, and wheeled round to view the conflagration ... It was the most beautiful display of fireworks that I have ever seen.”
It is clear that De Wet was proud of the victory which was in reality a serious blow to the British supply line at a most critical stage of the war.
Source: The Psychological Impact of Guerrilla Warfare on the Boer Forces, UP
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“And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.”
Matthew 10:38
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