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Served: Commandant van Dam.

ABO (Sersj. C.J.P. Van Den Berg). City Coins August 2016

Coenraad Johannes Petrus van den Berg of Van Dam Johannesburg Commando was POW 1900 and sent to Portugal returning after peace was declared. When his unit crossed the border into Mozambique they were all taken prisoner by the Mozambique Authorities. He was imprisoned in Portugal, returning after peace was declared. His ABO was authorised as he had been ordered to enter Mozambique and had not done so on his own accord.

Took part in the following actions: Ladysmith; Tugela; Colesberg; Abramskraal OFS; Bronkhorstspruit; Dalmanutha; Zandspruit. He was a Sergeant in the S.A. Police.

From the next City Coins auction, November 2020

ABO (Sersj. C.J.P. van den Berg)

When applying for his ABO medal, Coenraad van den Berg stated his rank as Sergeant in the Police (the ZARP under Commandant Van Dam). However, his ABO file contains a fragment of a letter with the ZAR Coat-of-Arms from President Kruger, dated 30 Dec 1901 and addressed to CJP van den Berg, Commandant, Peniche, Portugal.

In addition, in “The Boers in Portugal” by D de Klerk, p 68, it is noted: “The second special train was about to start…The Boers had been split into two groups: 389 men under Commandant van der Berg, former Chief of the Johannesburg Police Force… This group was to alight at Obidos on their way to Peniche”

In “Viva os Boers” he is also referred to as Commandant van den Berg.