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From the Bloemfontein Cdo. to service in WWII - A.S.W. Brits 4 years 9 months ago #64261

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Andries Schalk Willem Brits

Burger, Bloemfontein Commando – Anglo Boer War
Trooper, Brand’s Free State Rifles – WWI
Corporal (Farrier), South African Veterinary Corps - WWII


- Anglo Boer War Medal to Burg. A.S.W. Brits
- 1914/15 Star to Burg. A.S.W. Brits, Brands V.S.S.
- British War Medal (skimmed), eligible for but not claimed
- Victory Medal (skimmed), eligible for but not claimed
- War Medal 1939/45 to 37296 A.S.W. Brits
- Africa Service Medal to 37296 A.S.W. Brits


Andries Brits was born in Vryburg in the Northern Cape on 11 June 1888, the son of Petrus Christiaan Johannes Brits, a Farmer, and his wife Engela Catharina Francina Brits. Brits senior had been born and brought up in Colesburg in the Karoo Region of the Cape Colony before moving his family to Vryburg. As was the norm in those days, the family was a large one with Andries having no fewer than eight siblings – Adriana Maria Jacoba Brits, Rudolf Johannes Brits. Frederik Coenraad Petrus Brits, Johannes Nicolaas Brits, Catharina Gertruida Bezuidenhout, Gert Johannes Rudolf Brits and Christiaan Johannes Petrus Brits.

Being sons of the soil, Boer children were put to work on the farm from an early age. They had to learn to stand on their own two feet and became expert hunters, horsemen and shots in the process. Skills which be put to good use in the years to come.

At some point in time Mr Brits appeared to have moved his brood to Bloemfontein. Andries Brits was a mere boy when the Anglo Boer War broke out on 11 October 1899. On that day there was a spirit of feverish anticipation in Bloemfontein – something on a large scale was in the making and most men, of fighting age, headed for the front. The Bloemfontein Commando, under the command of Commandant Kolbe, was deployed to the west of the city, in the direction of Kimberley. Initially they were beset by an outbreak of measles among the men, with many dying from the illness as a result. Soon after they were part of the force besieging Kimberley. But this momentary success was to be of all to fleeting a nature.

After Kimberly was relieved and Roberts entered Bloemfontein on 13 March 1900 the Commando force, such as it was, either surrendered their arms and returned to their farms or, joined the ranks of the smaller, highly mobile, groupings that were brought into being to continue the fight against the foe. General De Wet, the Chief Commandant of the Free State, decided that his new mission was to mobilize as many faint-hearted Free State burghers as possible and have them operate in their local areas while he himself planned to invade the Cape Colony with a selected group of men.

Brits, at the tender age of 13, saddled his horse, took up his Mauser rifle, and joined the fray in April 1901, under the direct command of Commandant A.J. Bester of Brandfort who, in turn, was subordinate to both General C.C.J. Badenhorst and the aforementioned De Wet. This was the guerrilla-phase of the conflict where no pitched battles were fought. It was a case of hit and run, speed and mobility were of the essence and the Boers, increasingly hemmed in by Kitchener’s Blockhouse policy and sweeping drives, were feeling the pinch.

According to the Vorm B he completed when claiming his ABO medal in 1922, Brits was involved in several such actions including those just outside Bloemfontein at Bainsvlei, at Wag ‘n Bietjie Pan in the North West of the Cape Colony and at Bosrand Pan and Witkraal – these latter two in the south western parts of the Orange Free State.

A number of British officers left us with their experiences in letters and/or diaries. The most important are Lt. Murphy of the Scottish Rifles as well as Maj. Dennison of Dennison’s Scouts (Kimberley Flying Column) in his book “A fight to the finish”. Victories during the guerrilla period included skirmishes at Damplaats, Paardeberg, Skeerpan, Wag-‘n-Bietjiespan as well as Slypkliphalte.

At the same time, Badenhorst was promoted to General, with the rank of “Assistent Hoofdkommandant”. Badenhorst reorganised his own commandos as published in his book ‘Uit den Boerenoorlog’, p. 101-102. Many a skirmish was fought against the British Columns in this district mainly under Pilcher and other column commanders such as Henry and Paris. Kitchener’s Proclamation of 15th September 1901 did not have a major influence in the districts under Genl. Badenhorst.

Badenhorst’s last major success fought on the 8th of April 1902 on the farm Hartenbosch, close to Bultfontein and in which action Brits was almost sure to have taken part. This was a major setback to Thorneycroft’s Mounted Infantry. At 02h30 on 8th April 1902, a force of 200 men was dispatched from Bultfontein. The force consisted of the Burma Mounted Infantry, A and D Companies of Thorneycroft’s Mounted Infantry and a detachment of the 18th Battalion Imperial Yeomanry under the command of Maj. C. C. Luard with orders to move westward and deal with commandos in that region. After reaching the farm Hartenbosch without encountering any resistance, they returned to Bultfontein. However, they were suddenly attacked by a force under Comdt. Herklaas Badenhorst (at this time in command of the Hoopstad commando) with a party of 300 burghers. They approached rapidly from the west and the rearguard formation was broken up totally. Luard tried to get his men in a good position which was sighted more or less 4 miles further on. Before this could be achieved the fight was practically over. A small party of the TMI attempted to make a stand but they were outflanked. In the end the entire force was rounded up group by group and 128 POWs were taken.

Pte. William Cooper recalled: “It was a hot fight. The bullets were spitting and cracking around our feet something awful, especially the explosive and Martini-Henri. I had the shoulder strap of my tunic cut with a bullet. That was close enough”.

The skirmish was fought over a long distance. The TMI lost one soldier killed and 9 wounded out of a total of 2 officers and 15 men killed and wounded. Shortly afterwards Badenhorst was ordered to meet at Kwaggashoek, close to Bultfontein where the representatives were elected to attend the Peace talks at Vereeniging. They were addressed by Genl. De Wet.

Peace was declared on 31st of May 1902 and Badenhorst and his men laid down arms at the farm Aarddoorns in the district of Brandfort on 14th of June 1902. For Brits this too signalled the end of the hostilities. A late joiner (on account of his tender years) to the fight, he had become a “bitter einder” – fighting to very end.

As mentioned he claimed his medal in 1922, a year after the Government of the day had succumbed to pressure and had authorised the issue of a medal to Boer combatants. The address he provided at the time was Barclay Vale, P.K. Alkmaar Stasie, Transvaal. (P.O. Alkmaar Station).

Both Boer and Brit now settled down to a period of peaceful co-existence. Whilst old animosities and hurts were not forgotten, they were, at least, partially buried for the greater good. Boer leaders like Louis Botha and Jan Smuts became, respectively, Prime Minister and Minister of Defence in a Union Government made-up of both Boer and Crown Colony territories.

This peace was shattered on 4 August 1914 when Britain found herself at war with Imperial Germany. At first South Africa was slow to enter the conflict but after a successful debate in Parliament, Botha took his country into the war on the side of Great Britain. Initially there was internal resistance to the move – Boers in parts of the Orange Free State and the North West Transvaal, with the loss of the war twelve years before still fresh in their minds, came out in open rebellion against the Government and Botha was forces to take up arms and send troops to suppress this rebellion. This often led to a situation where brother would be fighting brother and many lives were unnecessarily lost.

Brits, now residing in Winburg in the Eastern Orange Free State, found himself in a rebel hot-spot. Nevertheless, his sense of duty prevailed and he joined Brands Free State Rifles – a unit which formed part of the 5th Mounted Brigade. His particular mustering was with the 1st Regiment under the command of A.L. Thring. As his next of kin he provided his father, Mr. P.C.J. Brita c/o his brother J.N. Brits of the farm “Strydfontein”, Winburg. Assigned no. K144 and the rank of Trooper he enlisted on 5 November 1914.

Having entered German South West Africa, the Commandos (for such were the men of the Mounted Brigades known) were sent north in pursuit of the retreating Germans. Wherever the German forces attempted to make a stand the mounted men would be upon them whilst they were still attempting to set up their defences. They were instrumental in the final push which drove the Germans to surrender at Otavi on 9 July 1915.

Brits who had entered the theatre on 9 February 1915, took his discharge on 30 July of that year, returning home and not taking any further part in the war. He was sent his 1914/15 Star on 22 March 1921 – to the same address his Boer War Medal was despatched – Barclay Vale, P.O. Alkmaar Station. His British War and Victory Medals were never claimed – this is confirmed by the medal rolls in the S.A.N.D.F. Archives.

All went quite on the Brits front, but not for very long – the spectre of a World War again reared its ugly head in September 1939 when Britain found herself at war with a formidable foe in the form of Adolf Hitler. South Africa was slow to enter the war, with lots to arrange after winning a close vote in Parliament, the war effort was only able to accept recruits in large numbers from about April 1940.

The indefatigable Brits, now all of 52 years, completed the Attestation forms for the Volunteer Units of the Union Forces at Johannesburg on 23 August 1940. Claiming to have been born a year later – on 18 July 1889 – he was a Farrier by trade and was married to Elisabeth Magdalena Johanna Brits with whom he had five children – all minors aged 14, 12, 10, 8 and 6 years. His address was provided as 30 Kimberley, Booysens Road, Orphiston, Johannesburg.

It was here that we got our first glimpse at the physical Brits – a large man at 6 feet and weighing 200 pounds, he had a dark complexion, brown eyes and black – turning – grey hair. He was of the Apostolic faith and sported a tattoo of “Papillon” on his back. Having been passed as Fit by the Doctors he was assigned no. 37296 and the rank of Private (Dresser) with the South African Veterinary Corps.

Clearly not in the first bloom of youth, he was categorised as “C3” and never destined to leave the borders of South Africa during his service. On 5 September 1940 he was posted from the S.A.V.C. Depot to No. 2 Veterinary Hospital, Standerton where he was to remain, with the odd admittance to hospital, for a number of years. On 5 October 1944 he was transferred to the Prisoner of War Camp at Zonderwater for duty. Despite the end of the war being declared in May 1945 Brits was kept on strength, being promoted to Corporal on 1 February 1946. He was discharged from the army on 21 April 1948, by which date he was almost 60. For his efforts he was awarded the War Medal 1939/45 and the Africa Service Medal – despatched to him on 18 June 1953.

His discharge papers revealed that he suffered with nerves and a poor stomach, his medical records confirming that he was admitted to hospital many tomes with chronic diarrhoea. Despite claiming to be a Farrier he was set to return to his pre-war employment as a Bricklayer in the employ of J. Eustace, 71 Hay Street, Orphiston, Johannesburg. His residential address had also changed – he was now residing at Plot 46, Kafferskraal, outside Cullinan. His conduct was rated as Very Good and his Character as Exemplary and he was allowed to claim 6 years 148 days service – a very long time in uniform.

Brits passed away on 24 May 1956 at the General Hospital in Johannesburg from multiple injuries occasioned by a motor vehicle accident, which led to a culpable homicide investigation. He was 67 years old and was survived by his wife and seven children. A sad end to man who spent many a year fighting for different causes and believing in all of them.






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From the Bloemfontein Cdo. to service in WWII - A.S.W. Brits 4 years 9 months ago #64264

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Thank You Rory...… Again a young man who grew up to soon...… Mike
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