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Boer burghers shot for wearing khaki. 2 years 7 months ago #78383

  • Rob D
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Here's an image members might not have seen.
From nzhistory.govt.nz/media/photo/execution-boer-prisoner
A Boer prisoner about to be executed by a firing squad in South Africa, 21 January 1902. He is thought to be one of four prisoners captured by members of New Zealand's Seventh Contingent. Found wearing British-issue khaki uniform, he was tried by court martial and then separately charged with murder. He stands in the centre of the picture with his hands tied in front of him. In the foreground, a British officer gestures to several soldiers to move away from the firing squad's line of fire. They are standing to the left and do not appear in this image.

I'd be very interested to know who this poor man was, and why he was charged with murder. Was that because he had killed an enemy combatant while wearing khaki?
I'd welcome others posting stories and images of Boers who were executed for wearing khaki.

Rob
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Boer burghers shot for wearing khaki. 2 years 7 months ago #78385

  • jancodk
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Rob,

In the book "So het hulle gesterf" by Graham Jooste & Abrie Oosthuizen, the person being executed is named as C. Steyn(e).
The execution took place on the farm Blouboschspruit in the OFS on 21 January 1902.

There are three more individuals from the republics mentioned as being executed for wearing khaki:
SJ Kruger (Fanie), Frankfort 29 Januarie 1902
I Koen, Jakkalsfontein TVL 15 April 1902
Straus (Struis), Vlakfontein OFS 24 December 1901

The names of the Cape rebels that were executed for wearing khaki is given as:
Piet de Ruyt, Bedfort district September 1901 (mentioned in Reitz book)
Cornelius Vermaak, Glenconner 3 October 1901
Henry Rittenberg, Glenconner 3 October 1901
Arie van Onselen, Glenconner 3 October 1901
John (Jack) Alexander Baxter, Aberdeen 13 October 1901

Janco
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Boer burghers shot for wearing khaki. 2 years 7 months ago #78391

  • djb
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In George Witton's book, Scapegoats of the Empire, he mentions that only Boers wearing the uniform with the intention to deceive were liable to be shot.

www.angloboerwar.com/books/253-witton-sc...e-of-the-visser-case
Dr David Biggins

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Boer burghers shot for wearing khaki. 2 years 7 months ago #78394

  • LinneyI
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Rob
They could be shot for other crimes apart from wearing khaki with intention to deceive. In Rodney Atwood's "Roberts and Kitchener in South Africa, 1900-1902" there is a passage from which I will quote in part (regarding military executions)"..,, there were thirty three by the British while Kitchener was commander in chief. Some of them were because there were widespread shooting of blacks, others because of obvious treachery, such as was the case of a certain Van Heerden, who allowed his property to be used to ambush British forces. He was wounded, captured and convicted by a drum-head court martial and shot immediately. In all, some 500 were sentenced to death but most had their sentences commuted to terms of imprisonment. Two who were not were Commandants Lotter and Scheepers. The former for the murder of unarmed scouts amongst other things and the latter also for shooting natives and twenty eight other serious charges.
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Boer burghers shot for wearing khaki. 2 years 7 months ago #78395

  • Rob D
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Three comrades of Reitz's were shot for wearing khaki. They were Cornelius Vermaas (20), Henry Rittenberg (20) and Arie van Onselen (22)
The incident is described in "Commando": the three men, on reaching the top, walked straight into the arms of an English force lying in ambush there, and, as they were dressed in khaki uniforms, were executed out of hand. They lie buried where they fell, their graves being the most southerly of any of our republican dead.
All three were buried at Osberg, but the remains of Vermaas were later re-buried at Uitenhage and Arie van Onselen and Henry Rittenberg lie at Kariega train station, farm cemetery.

(source: www.graves-at-eggsa.org/main.php?g2_itemId=52917 and War Museum of the Boer Republics database).
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Boer burghers shot for wearing khaki. 2 years 7 months ago #78396

  • Rob D
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Reitz also mentions: my friend Jack Baxter, had been executed that morning at an adjoining farm for wearing khaki.
Baxter was born in 1879 in Newcastle, Natal. Intelligent, sensitive, kind hearted and brave, the young Baxter joined the Commando of General Liebenberg in Klerksdorp to fight the British occupation when the war broke out in 1899.
After standing guard one night on the farm Goewermentsvlei, Baxter set off to rejoin his unit. He met a shepherd and inquired the whereabouts of his commando. Baxter was wearing a British uniform and the shepherd unwittingly directed him to the nearest British camp. Baxter walked straight into the enemy’s camp, and was court-marshalled the same day and sentenced to death by firing squad.
In 1938 Baxter’s grave on Goewermentsvlei was identified and transferred to the cemetry at Aberdeen. Baxter’s glasses, magnifying glass, comb, spoon and some buttons found in his grave are kept at the Aberdeen primary school.

(source: www.saforums.co.za/rlt/index.php?topic=8500.0;wap2
www.geni.com/people/John-Baxter/6000000000359475141 )
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