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LIEUT FRANK J. IRVING - SCOTTISH HORSE 4 years 4 months ago #66936

  • Elmarie
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From an old newspaper I discover the following true story:

In the old cemetery at Rustenburg stands an orange tree at the grave of a British Officer who died during the Boer War. A tree that grew from kernels wetted 118 years ago by the tears of his beloved, a Transvaal farm girl.
This is the story of Lieutenant Frank Irving, Scottish Horse and Aletta van der Merwe who signed up for duty as a nurse at the British Military Hospital in Rustenburg. They met at the hospital and saw each other a lot. On 30th September 1901, Lieutenant Irving became one of the first wounded soldiers brought to the hospital and died there on 1st October 1901 of wounds received the previous day in action at Moedwill, seven miles East of Magota Nek in the Magaliesberg. Aletta attended his funeral and after the service she wiped 12 orange kernels with her tears and planted beside her loved one's grave.

The picture is not good quality.

Elmarie Malherbe
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LIEUT FRANK J. IRVING - SCOTTISH HORSE 4 years 4 months ago #66937

  • Elmarie
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Rustenburg Cemetery

Elmarie Malherbe
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