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Served: General de la Rey.

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

DSO GV;
ABO (Burger. P. W. Vorster.) area of erasure before rank;
1914-15 Star (Lt. Kol. P. W. Vorster Krugersdorp Kdo.);
British War and Bilingual Victory Medals, with MID (Lt. Kol. P. W. Vorster.)

DSO London Gazette 20 August 1918: ‘For distinguished service in the Field and in connection with the campaign in German South-West Africa, 1914-15. To date 1 January 1916.’
MID London Gazette 22 August 1918.

Pieter Willem Vorster was born in Krugersdorp, west of Johannesburg, and served with the Krugersdorp Commando during the Boer War from May 1900 – the Krugersdorp Commando was already famous as the Commando that captured Churchill at Chieveley in 1899, although Vorster joined the Commando after this. He saw active service under General de La Rey and Kommandant J. J. van Zyl at Krugersdorp, Rustenburg, Lichtenburg, and Bloemhof, and on the Western Border, and fought at Yster Spruit, Rooiwal, Klipdrift, Marico, and elsewhere, including the skirmish at Nooitgedacht, where he would have served alongside Deneys Reitz, who was later the Adjutant of Jan Smuts’ Commando, the author of the famous book ‘Commando’, and was the South African High Commissioner in London at the start of the Second World War.

Following the outbreak of the Great War Vorster enrolled in 2nd Regiment Military Constabulary at Windhoek on 14 October 1914, and two days later was advanced Major. He was promoted temporary Lieutenant-Colonel on the authority of General Smuts on 1 June 1915, and was confirmed in this rank the following month. As Commanding Officer of the Krugersdorp Commando he helped put down the Boer Rebellion, prior to the Allied invasion of German South West Africa. For his services he was Mentioned in Despatches by General Louis Botha, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order. He subsequently served with 1st Mounted Brigade in South West Africa throughout the campaign, and was demobilised in Windhoek on 14 April 1920.