TOPIC:

Served: Heilbron.

From the next City Coins auction, November 2020

ABO (Burger J.W.T. Wessels)

Johannes Wessels was 17 when he joined the Heilbron Commando in November 1899 and he saw early action, inter alia, at Colesberg, Rensburg Siding, Lindley and Sannas Post (“Waterwerke”). He was subsequently wounded at Groenkop (“arm afgeskiet”: fractured arm) but did not apply for the Wound Riband. He recovered from his wound, only to be taken prisoner together with 7 other Burghers at Bezuidenhoutsdrift (roughly midway between Vrede and Reitz in the Free State) on 5 March 1902.
He was sent to India on 2 May 1902 as PoW No 31329 and held out on signing the Oath of Allegiance till October 1902 and could only then return home.

Hi David, thanks for the info provided in your post. This photograph of Johannes and his 2nd wife Mabel Susan (Boswell) was taken in the 1940's He died on his farm Blesbokfontein, Heilbron in 1946

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

ABO (Burger J. W. T. Wessels.) Sold for a hammer price of GBP 300. Totals: GBP 386. R 8,490. AUD 740. NZD 810. CAD 660. USD 490. EUR 420.

Out of interest here are a few footnotes on the Wessels Family that may one day assist a future researcher or family member:

Johannes father was Kaptein Cornelis Jacob Wessels, whose medal was sold at the 2007 City Coins auction, and saw action with the Heidelberg Commando at Spion Kop and later under Commandant van Coller of the Heilbron Commando at Groenkop/Krismiskop (25 Dec 1901):

www.angloboerwar.com/forum/surname-w/244...rnelis-jacob-kaptein

This means that Johannes was wounded whilst fighting alongside his father at Krismiskop on the 25th Dec 1901 and was captured 6 days after his father was taken as a POW.

Source: Anglo Boer War Museum 2016
Father: Cornelius Jacob Wessels
Prisoner number: 30421
Captured: Straithnairn 27 Feb 1902
Sent to: India
Age: 51
Address: Blesbokfontein