TOPIC:

Hi All
I am new and not too familiar with how everything works.
I live on a farm just outside Colesberg and want to find out more about its involvement in the war and also Colesbergs involvement generally.
we still find a lot of shells/bully beef tins and other artefacts on the farm!

The Farm name is Kuilfontein which was owned by Thomas Plewman at the time (still owned by his descendants). I know that there was a battle at Vaalkop (which is the neighbouring farm and a mountain name on the farm. Also I know De Wet used Kuilfontein as a base.
If anyone knows anything about Kuilfontein/Vaalkop and Colesberg during the war I would appreciate it greatly.

I have very little knowledge on the war and I have just become very interested by living here and finding these things. Any info would be great.
Thanks
Grant

Hi Grant

Welcome to this forum. I hope that you will contribute pictures and other information about the Boer War relics from your area and, also, tell us more about Colesberg during the Boer War as you learn about it.

I was once told that Colesberg had (? has) a fine museum. Is that still true and have you used their records as a source of information?

Regards
Brett

Hello Grant
And a warm welcome to the forum.
I second Bretts request for pictures of your finds!
Good luck with your research.

Paul

gstocks wrote: Hi All
I am new and not too familiar with how everything works.
I live on a farm just outside Colesberg and want to find out more about its involvement in the war and also Colesbergs involvement generally.
we still find a lot of shells/bully beef tins and other artefacts on the farm!

The Farm name is Kuilfontein which was owned by Thomas Plewman at the time (still owned by his descendants). I know that there was a battle at Vaalkop (which is the neighbouring farm and a mountain name on the farm. Also I know De Wet used Kuilfontein as a base.
If anyone knows anything about Kuilfontein/Vaalkop and Colesberg during the war I would appreciate it greatly.

I have very little knowledge on the war and I have just become very interested by living here and finding these things. Any info would be great.
Thanks
Grant

Hi Grant,

I note you live in the Colesberg area and wish to enquire whether you may have heard of the above farm where my GGrandfather ( Michiel Christiaan Horn ) died in 1863.

Any information will be appreciated.

Yours sincerely,


David K Jamieson

4 William Phillips Drive
Montrose Angus
Scotland
DD10 8TU

tel : 44 798 4011051 E-mail :davidkjamieson@yahoo.co.uk

Hello Grant

Kuilfontein was the site of a VC Action:

[3024: 3050-2500] a farm in the Cape Colony (Colesberg district; Northern Cape), 15 km south-west of Colesberg. Variant: Plewman's Farm (presumably the owner, and as used in the Victoria Cross citation). During the Boer advance southwards into the Cape Colony, commandos under Veg-Gen H.J. Schoeman occupied the farm on 11 December 1899, but were driven off by shell fire from Vaal Kop (2)* two days later. In the second British advance northwards, Boer forces were pushed back as far north as the farm on 24 February 1900 by forces commanded by Maj-Gen R.A.P. Clements. In a skirmish on the farm that day, for twice rescuing men under heavy fire, Sgt J. Firth, The Duke of Wellington's (West Riding) regiment, was awarded the Victoria Cross; he was himself severely wounded on the second occasion. HMG I pp.281-282 (map no.16), II p.254, IV p.701; Times III pp.125-126 and 487 (map facing p.512).

and Vaalkop:

[3024: 3050-2502] a hill, 1,498 m high, which gives its name to a farm in the Cape Colony (Colesberg district; Northern Cape), 20 km south of Colesberg. Variant: Surprise Hill (as indexed in Breytenbach II). The hill was occupied by burghers under the command of Veg-Gen H.J. Schoeman. On 11 December 1899, Maj-Gen J.D.P. French sent a reconnaissance to the hill comprising a squadron of the 10th (Prince of Wales's Own) Hussars and 'R' Battery, Royal Horse Artillery. Driving the Boers from the hill, an outpost was established, but after many days of shelling it was abandoned by the British on 16 December. HMG I pp.281-282 (map no.16); Breytenbach II p.193 (not mapped), IV pp.14-17 (map facing p.450); Wilson I pp.320-321 (map on p.322).

From: A Gazetteer of the Second Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902, HM & MGM Jones (Military Press, Milton Keynes 1999)

As co-author of the Gazetteer I will update the sentence about "Plewman's Farm" to reflect that it was indeed owned by one Thomas Plewman.

Regards
Meurig

Hi there Grant

I have quite a bit of info re Colesberg actions. How are you getting on in your quest for info?

Regards

Stewart