Rebel Ride- On the 1914 tracks of Gen de Wet into the Kalahari

[Armpie]

Now the last time I did a similar trip I was accused of being "obsessive" about General Christiaan de Wet.  In the national press.  In Rapport op 'n Sondag.  Ek is 'n bietjie mal.  So just for the record.  General de la Rey was the best of the lot.  And there is a specific reason to it.  When an old man, that serviced  under Botha, de la Rey and de Wet,  was asked who the best was, he eventually had to decide between de Wet and de la Rey..  He finally gave the judgement that de la Rey was the best.  When he was asked what made the difference giving de la Rey the edge, the oom answered "Want hy moes met die Wes Transvalers reg kom!" And on this trip the Wes Transvalers, and Stellanders showed their metal.  People opening up their hearts and houses to us.  With a great sense of humor.  We would have to rely on them and they never disappointed.  The story is a cruel joke, but de la Rey was brilliant man.  Billy Joel sings a song about Leningrad and sung "We never knew what friend we had, until we came to Leningrad"  We never knew what friend we had until we came to the Wes Transvaal.

Christiaan Rudolf de Wet, at the end of the 1914 rebellion.

[Oupa Foe-rie]

n Geskiedkundige toer met n moderne vervoermiddel ................ 

[Armpie]

Die trip begin van die kaart af.  By Schutsdrift net Noord van Bothaville, dan oor Leeudorings, met so ompad na Glaudina (Vleeschkraal en daar gaan hy op hierdie kaart aan.

[Dorsland]

Mooi man, uiteindelik weer iets wat die moeite werd is om te lees hier oppie forum.  Kappit flou Armpie, ek sien baie uit.

So terloops, sonder om verder jou fred te skaak, was ek gelukkig om 'n genommerde Africana weergawe van Genl. De Wet se Three Years of War so 'n klompie jare gelede te kon koop.  As my huis ooit beginne brand, gryp ek daai boek eerste.

Skryf voort......

[Armpie]

This report might take a week to finish, but let me tell you in the mean time the history.  So at the end of the Boer War the British got a number of very unwilling subjects.  Some of them changed in time and endorsed the new Union of South Africa.  But when the Union declared war against Germany in September 1914, it did not go off well in certain areas.  That was still fine, but when the South African Government decided to call up the Commando's to fight the war in German South West Africa, the pot boiled over.  About 18 000 Freestaters, Transvaler and Northern Cape rebels took to the field.  With Premier Louis Botha, stood his minister of Defence, Jan Smuts and many other Bittereinders.  On the rebel side the Chief of the Army Gen Beyers resigned and took up arms, so did General de Wet in the Free State, in Potchefstroom Gen Jan Kemp, and in Upington Manie Maritz.  But the rebels were outnumbered by 4 to one.  And except for good horses they were outgunned in every other facet. One in 3 did not even possessed a rifle.  So the rebellion in the Transvaal and Free State was doomed right from the start.  In the Northern Cape the Rebellion continued until early February 1915.  But this story is about the Rebel General Christiaan Rudolf de Wet, hero from ther Anglo Boer War.  And de Wet's attempted escape.  And the poor horses that succumbed to the power of the motorcar in the sand.

[dirtyXT]

 

[J-dog]

 

[0012]

Super sub   

ek sien daai roete loop baie naby aan Schweizer-Reneke verby....

[Armpie]

So the Rebellion took off in the Northern Freestate, with limited success to the rebels.  At Doornberg I the Northern Freestate,  Danie de Wet, son of Gen, de Wet's died in battle.  But on 11 November 1914 the rebels were given a big defeat when Gen. Botha's Government troops at Mushroom valley near Winburg, attacked de Wet's commando with artillery and and a bigger force.  It was obvious the rebels needed equipment.  So on 16 November at Virginia Siding, the 2500 strong de Wet commando was cut in two when trying to cross the railway line.  On the 18th de Wet send his commando home.  He and  a small group of 12 men would try to get to German South West Africa to get help.  But the plan with only 12 men did not work, soon again he would have a commando of more than 130 rebels with him.  The 12 first went south and then turned north.  Trying to cross the Vaal at Kommando drift north of Bothaville,  but the drift was protected, so the 13 men went a few kilometer upstream to Schutsdrift.  And here things started.  This is where at Bothaville were our trip would start in earnest. We would follow the tracks of the Boer Pimpernel on his last trip. 

[Armpie]

So why would a 4 or 5 bikers follow the tracks of a rebel to the South African Government, 104 years later?  Well in the South African context there are a number of famous horse treks.  Dick King from the new Durban to Grahanstown.  1843 1000km in 10 days.  The Gen. de Wet Brandwater escape, the Denys Reitz Cape excursion, the 1914 Gen. Kemp rebellion trek with 800 men from Vleesckraal to DSWA, and then this one.  The last trek of gen. de Wet.  By now the man was nearly 60 years old.  But this time the rules would change.  As a small boy I was told stories by my 1914 rebel oupa about his 1914 rebellion adventures.  I learnt about Waterbury, but could not find it on a map.  As desendant of a 1914 rebel, I just had to go search for this place.  My oupa was not on this trip, but politically (and militarily) the young Gert and his father was fighting the same fight.  a Nationalist one.  One of a republic, free of England.  And the old KLR would take on the sand for this one.

[DikZol]

Ek ry saam!

[Kamanya]

A soutie is also along for the ride if you don't mind.

Excellent start!

[lpj]

Ek's in vir hierdie een...

[ROOI]

 

[J-dog]

My great uncle...   

[1ougat]

 

[Poenabul]

Why are we waiting??

[Armpie]

Sorry I experienced some family member in intensive care and family at my house. Give me a day or two

[Armpie]

[evansv]