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

[Armpie]

[Tony the Boney]

This is going to be nice. Ek is hier!

[Armpie]

Now the trip into the Rebellie history starts at Pretoria.  With three Rebels.  Then on to Carletonville and a stop at Potch were another Johannesburg rebel joins the trek.  After Potch the small commando sets off for the Freestate.  This is the tracks of the Great Freestater.  And we must start in the Freestate.  At Bothaville we filled up and set off for the Vaal Crossing.  After Mushroom Valley de Wet sent his men home and now at 21:30 on 21 November he was opposite the lKommandodrift.  But the 13 men were stopped by a Regeringswag in the Anglo Boer War Blockhouses.  So, with the help of a local farmer and his black labourer they small commando moved 8km north and here at Schutsdrift they crossed the Vaal at 00:30 on 22 November 1914.  But without knowing it, there was also Regeringstroepe posted there.  So after crossing the river a vicious firefight broke out and 6 of the group run into a barbed wire entaglement.  With no way of escape, the group of 13 became a group of 7.  So we reached a drift (it might be Schutsdrift) and crossed over into the Transvaal.  Without a shot being fired.  Even with today's waterlevel, I think the KLR would be able to manage the drift.  Below is the old bridge build on the shallows of the drift.

[Armpie]

Now after the general and his 6 men crossed the Vaal their next target was Leeudorings.  They had to get there before day break.  They made the 20km and when they reached the little town there was again a doringdraad fence.  There was a train at the station and a few meters before the train was a gate.  So they charged through the gate without incident and set of north.

The road along the Vaal to the now Leeudoringstad


The railway line at Leeudoringstad.  As all of them these days.  Dirty and neglected.

[Armpie]

For the next 4 hours the little group continued north until they reached a house at the farm Palmietfontein, at the start of the Klipspruit.  The house was a bit lower than the rest of the surroundings and Kmdt Mentz, the son-in-law of de Wet saw the weakness.  The group had more than 24 hours last something to eat.  And the horse had to rest.  The next moment a army car with soldiers and Col Sarel du Toit surprised them.  In the shootout Mentz was wounded, and the young Hendrik Spies was also captured.  Harm oost de Wet's secretary jumped on a horse but a few hundred meters later the horse died.  From 12 it was 7.  Now it was only 4.  Here as Palmietfontein near the start of the Klipspruit our little rebel commando stopped under a thorn tree, and had lunch.  We did not eat anything since we left the Wimpy in Potch at 8.  And it was already past 1.

[Armpie]

From Palmietfontein we went north and then west.  Huge mielielande.  At times lots of sand.  And times the most flies I have ever seen in my life.  But for the next 2 days the general and his men moved in the same direction. just beyond the N12 Gary had his first fall.  But we continued in the hot Wes Transvaal sun.  On our merry way to Vleeschkraal.  Today know as Glaudina.


After Gary's fall in the sand, I lost the power to my GPS, and there next to the road we did some motorcycle auto electical changes

[Armpie]

ROLL BACK THE CLOCK 12 YEARS TO 1902.  11 APRIL- TO BE PRECISE.  So here was the ABW getting to the close. de le Rey and the supreme commanders was at Vereeniging to talk about talks about talks.  So Gen jan Kemp was left in charge.  On 11 April 1902 Jan Kemp with a force of 700 men charged over 2000m open terrain the British lines at Roodewal.  Completely stupid.  The left end of the line was held by 3000 Britsh soldiers..  Right in front, in a blue jacket was the kmdt of Wolmaranstad.  Kmdt Ferdinandus Potgieter.  He charged bravely but about 200m before the lines the attacked stopped.  On the battle field was 150 Boer casualties. 54 dead.  Many wounded.  Many captured.  The story always fascinated me, so we turned 15km out of our de Wet tracks to see where these brave men buried.  Potgieter was buried how and where he fell.

 The brave man in the blue jacket as he died

Kmdt Potgieter se graf in die suidwestelike hoek, teen die oorkantse muur.  Sy graf le so suidwes, noordoos

Callie en Piet by Roodewal between de la Reyville and Ottosdal

[Tony the Boney]

This is so interesting 

[dirtyXT]

like a real life history channel show! 

[Buff]

 

[Armpie]

ROLL ON TO 23 November 1914.  Now it would not be the last gen Jan Kemp cavalry charge.  In the last days of the  Rebellion he would undertook a similar charge on Upington.  Wit similar results.  This time ABW Cape Rebel and 1914 Rebel Kmdt Albert Stadler would die.  Sad.

But our little commando would turn our bikes south to Glaudina, 23km away.  Here on the 23rd of November de Wet and his 3 men arrived at the farm Vleeschkraal.  It was from here were Kemp 3 weeks earlier started his trek to Duitswes.  With 700 men.  But when de Wet arrived he found 80 Free State rebels.  And a day later 50 more Western Transvalers.  In 2 days his commando turned into 130 men.  On the 25th the Government forces of Col Sarel du Toit found them again and in heavy rain a vicious 5 hour pitched battle took place.  In the midst of the battle one more man joined them.  Harm Oost the man who's horse died 4 days earlier, evaded capture and found a horse!

In 1930 the farmer, van Zyl,  at Vleeschkraal applied for "dortpstigting" and formed the setlement of Glaudina.  Named after his wife.  At Glaudina we found the couple Japie and Valerie van Heerden, the current owners.  It was hot.  And thirst was a problem.  But Japie showed me his pride and I bought a beer.  The smallest I could get hold off.

[Armpie]

So we left our new found friends and set off west, past Migdol to Broedersput.  I drove past it.  We turned on the N12 and slept at Union Guest Farm.  Small farm but they supply wild animals for movies.  So they have buffalo, Zebra, Gemsbok and many other things.  Magda en Frikkie Jacobs.  Nice and hospitable people.  Support them when you travel there.  About 30km north of Vryburg on the road to Delareyville.

At Unity Gaste Plaas a Wes Transvaalse Rebel joined us.  A Farmer of Hartbeesfontein.  We were 5 now.

[Snafu]

Ek ry saam!

[Armpie]

De Wet and his commando’s problems started on the 25th of November when they were attacked at Vleeschkraal.  They moved into the dry west country.  But also on the 25th 170 motorcars of the “Special Motor Transport Contingent” were loaded on the train at Kimberley.  As de Wet crossed the railway line at Devondale that night, the cars were unloaded at Vryburg.  Now it was motor car against horse.  And into the coming sand of the Kalahari,  the cars could only manage 8km per hour, the same as the Commano’s horses.  But cars do not get tired.

We turned right on to a small farm road the Z136 and travel the next 35km on that road.  We crossed the railway, like de Wet at Devondale. Then the tweespoor paadjie with gatte en slote continued.  The last part was 8 gates in the last 5km.  But really pleasant riding.  Then we reached the tar road and drove into Stella.  At the Kooperasie we put in Petrol and the manager gave us all a free Coke.  I told you these are hospitable friendly and generous people. 

The Rebel Flag is seen at Devondale 104 years later


The Z136

[ratrap]

.

[Armpie]

About a year into the ABW, the two general brothers de Wet, Piet and Chrisjan had a disagreement about the continuation of the war.  Piet said is futile and a waste of blood.  Chrisjan said he would fight to the bitter end.  Piet left the commando at Blesbokfontein 15km east of the current Edenville and surrendered to the British.  Later he actively fought the Bittereinders.  His Volk would never forgive him.  Piet left the Free State and settled west of Stella on the farm Beesdam were he started breeding horses.  Now with the introduction of motorcars Chrisjan and his 130 men needed fresh horses.  And Christiaan knew where to get them.  So from Devondale the rebels went through the veld, directly to Beesdam.

How times have changed!  14 years earlier Piet was the traitor. In some circles he is still seen that way today.  Now Chrisjan and his bunch were the traitors.  In some circles he is still remembered for his treason in 1914.  So we set of to Beesdam and Pieter and Amanda, the farm of the great great grandson of gen. Piet de Wet.  We wanted to see the horse camps and old house.  But to get there was the fisrt serious sand. 23km of it.  It would be the precursor of what was to come.
 Die 20 jarige Piet de Wet by Majuba


Piet en Amanda de Wet sit vir ons 'n brekfis op die tafel.  Waar kry jy mense wat vir 5 vreemdes ontbyt maak?  Dit was net die begin van hulle groothartigheid.



En hier in die kamp waar die perde stalle was, wag hierdie pragtige dier op ons.  die de Wet's van Beesdam weet van mooi perde.


 

[sidetrack]

 

[Armpie]

Colonel Saker with his 170 cars from his dealership,  leave Johannesburg for the Kalahari to fight the rebels. The colonel was good with car sales and the strategy of using cars, but his tactical military application fell short.  So Gen. Coen Brits, one of Louis Botha's Boer Generals took over the command of the SMTC.  This is a rare picture of the cars.

[Armpie]

When sitting under Pieter de Wet's tree we were waiting for Gary and Callie.  When arriving we found out that Gary became the first casualty of the sand.  After breakfast we went about 1km before Gary stopped us.  He could not go on in the sand.  His ribs were seriously damaged.  We phoned Piet and a few minute later Piet arrived with his bakkie.  We loaded the GS onto the bakkie and Piet took Gary away to Stella.  Piet de Wet is ons held.  Baie dankie Amanda.  Julle gasvryheid is hoogs waardeerd.
  So kom Piet tot ons redding.  Baie dankie.


The 5 Rebels.  The only picture of them.




Die witsand.  Dit voel soos Ilovo golden syrip wat jou fiets vasgryp.  Geen krag.  Jy dink die fiets gaan vrek. Ongelukkig het ek nie 'n mooi foto van die baie dik sand en stof gatte nie.  Dit was nie 'n tyd om stil te hou nie.  Die mense moet my maar glo.  Strews bob.  Maar daai een gat so 20km voor Tosca was seker 100m lank en die hele breedte van die pad.  Jy kom so aan dan weet jy "Hier kom moeilikheid!!!"

[Tony the Boney]

well done Armpie!