I've been collecting for a long time now, and have just a few ABO's in my collection, I have found that recipient's of these medals are not the easiest to research, but the last few years with research becoming more available on the internet, it's becoming a little easier and thanks to articles from Henk Loots and others on the ABO's it has become more interesting.
For a long while now, these medals have been stored away and have done no recent research, but just by chance after reading a posting on this forum, I found that the Anglo-Boer War Museum, had a database search of men.
Well, in the last few days, I started my research, one of the first ABO's I bought was to a James Edward Poole, possibly an English man. I did know that he was in the Middleburg commando and he that had most likely fought at
Talana, Colenso, Ladysmith, Pieter's Hill, Wynne Hill, Helpmekaar and Laing's Nek.
What I found out was that he was 40 years old, had been captured at Roossenekal on 22nd May 1901 and he was interned at Onbekend Camp.
The next man to whom I did not know too much about was to a Hermanus Johannes Kleynhans, who was a Veldkoronet and was a member of the Kroonstadt commando under Kommandant P De Vos
What I found out was that he was born in Kroonstadt on the 26th September 1863, he was captured Wapen Angele 1902,that he was married to Hester Wilhelemina Kleynhans. and that he lived in Vlakplaas, Lichtenberg and passed away in 1936.
From what I can find out the literal translation of "WAPEN AFGELê" 1902 means "Arms Travelled 1902" which I presume means he was captured at the end of the war and was a "Bitter Ender"
So, that's the story on 2 men so far, such an interesting hobby we have.
Best regards,
TheBreaker02
