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Seriously, if you ever do that lecture series again, have it video taped and make some DVD's. I would like a copy and doubt if I'm the only one.

DF

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Me on videotape. Now that would be a hoot. grin


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That's not too unlike the story of the prophet Balem in the Old Testament. It was the message from the Lord, spoken by Balem's donkey, that saved the ole boy's bacon. Bottom line, it's not the messenger, it's the message... smile

So, we may have to look at you on the DVD, but that would be OK. It's the message we are wanting to hear... laugh

BTW, there are still a lot of donkeys out there preaching the Word... shocked

DF


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Originally Posted by Dirtfarmer
That's not too unlike the story of the prophet Balem in the Old Testament. It was the message from the Lord, spoken by Balem's donkey, that saved the ole boy's bacon. Bottom line, it's not the messenger, it's the message... smile

So, we may have to look at you on the DVD, but that would be OK. It's the message we are wanting to hear... laugh

BTW, there are still a lot of donkeys out there preaching the Word... shocked

DF




I never thought about it like that. Man, you are good for my ego. grin


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I hate to be a stickler, but it was Balem's Azz (misspelled on purpose to print, substitute ss for zz)

Randy


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Christ Still lives upon the throne
And I know the blood still cleansess
Deeper than the sin has gone
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Originally Posted by rxgremlin
Pieter maybe you could wish for some cholera in the party punch bowl. Maybe that way he could get a taste of what his subjects have suffered through during his reign.


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Has anyone ran into some/one of the Mauser rifles with the Boer Free State markings on the receiver ring?


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War Museum Joburg, collection of Armscor in the Armscor building Pretoria and at Fort Klapperkop in Pretoria.

The latter two have most likely gone to bits due to a lack of interest and qualified personnel.

Come to think of it the National Cultural History Museum in Pretoria might just have a few examples. NCHM is part of the Ditsong Museums together with the War Museum. Person to talk to at NCHM is Jan van den Bos.

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I have only seen one in the collection of a big well heeled private collector in Virginia.


How he obtained it I do not know.



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Through interesting family connections in Africa! I'll see when I'm out that way again if I can get a picture of one or more of those Mausers.

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I look forward to seeing the pictures.


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Here is one from the Twilight Zone file I discovered this morning while going over some of my research material:


My ancestor who won the Victoria Cross succumb from wounds received in a skirmish with the Boer Commando at Driefontien on 1 March 1900. He was buried in the Driefontein Cemetery on 2 March 1900.

A relative in England described him ( in a letter to a cousin just after his death) as a tall man with a mustache, "laughing" blue eyes, and an affable nature.


I was born on 2 March 1968, I have blue eyes, have worn a mustache since I was old enough to grow one and I am fairly tall at about 6 ft. 4.5 inches.


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A quick email to my friend (Old Friend!) Africa Travel Services for his notes on Driefontein (Three Springs) yielded the following, which includes a run-up to the Battle of Driefontein:

15 Feb - Relieve of Kimberley by French circling from the east using a classic cavalry charge over Reit and Modder Rivers (104 days)
Broadwood - formerly relieves Kimberley
British provisions for 140,000 men in 170 wagons & 3000 oxen at Riet & Modder Rivers taken by De Wet @ Waterval Drift.

16 Feb - Roberts moves HQ to Jacobsdal
French finds Cronje's laager stretching six miles, includes woman and children

17 Feb - Robert�s first proclamation

18 Feb - Battle of Paardeberg, North bank on Modderrivier, Cronje's wagon laager halted, 10 Kms long, Kitchener orders frontal attack, 2,200 Brits killed, the most ever died in Battle while under Kitcheners command, Roberts was ill at the time, Roberts later stops the suicides.

27 Feb (Majuba Day)

Paardeberg @ 06h00 Surrender of Cronje with 4000 men to Roberts. De Wet takes Oskoppies (now Kitcheners Koppie) south of Cronje on the Modder River to make his escape, Cronje refuses and De Wet was forced to retire. Danie Theron establishes communications across the Modder River with Boers. Kitchener critised for using a frontal attack causing unnecessary British causalities.
Kruger on hearing the news states "They have taken my Majuba Day away"
Cronje & his wife where both sent to St Helena.

28 Feb - Buller�s final attempt # 4

Battle of Tugela Heights (also know as Colenso, Harts Hill & Pieters Hill) Boers retreated under heavy pressure, Siege lasted 118 Days

7 March - Battle of Poplar Grove, Kruger, Steyn, De Wet and De la Rey where almost captured, in vain De Wet attempts to stop Roberts



10 March - Battle of Driefontein, (Abraham's Kraal)

Lord Roberts split his forces into 3 columns about 16 kms apart, Gen Sir John French was leading his cavalry south of the Boer positions but Dela Rey had anticipated this and French rides straight into the Boer position which was setup to give Kruger time to build defences in Bloemfontein, 150 Boers hold 10,000 of French's colomn, when artillery arrived De la Rey retreats.
This site is near Bloemfontein between Paardeberg & west of Bloemfontein

The only one on my file is a Lt Parsons of the Essex Reg buried in Driefontein Cemetery with a VC , apparently awarded after a bayonet charge against the Boers
The dates supplied don't correlate with my time line, that doesn't mean his dates are incorrect as British scouting parties where frequent


13 March - Capture of Bloemfontein, Roberts met no resistance, OFS government moved to Kroonstad.
Within 6 weeks over 5,000 British troops where down with Typhoid (enteric fever) due to bad water and conditions on the Modder River, because of the Boer Laager upstream.
From a total of 22,000 British dead it is estimated that 14,000 died from Typhoid.
Roberts orders farms to be burnt

15 March - Roberts first proclamation, amnesty except for the leaders,
The destruction of the farms in an attempt to stop Boer supplies

16 March - Roberts names OFS -- Orange Free Colony

Well HBB there you go as far as the Global Village! I am forwarding your links to Bob so he can have a look at them also.

Pieter

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That is some great information. Thanks a bunch.


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HillBilly I am not as fast as I used to be 20 years ago but some things are slower than I. Visited a collector wink this morning who asked not to be identified. He did not have the OVS engraved on the receivers of the 1896 Mausers as I thought he may have. However he knew about it and said the Martini Henry also had it that was made on order for the ZAR (Zuid-Afrikaanshe Republiek) South African Republic government.

He had a heck of a lot of very interesting stuff of which there were one or two he asked me not to take pictures of.

However here are a few pics of rifles from the Anglo Boer War (1899 - 1902). First Anglo Boer War was 1880 - 1881. I remembered to ask.

[Linked Image]

Above: An old flint lock original in absolute mint condition, just for the heck of it and was not used in the ABW.

[Linked Image]

Above: One of more than 10 Martini Henry's in the collection.

[Linked Image]

Above: The Mauser that belonged to Genl Beyers in almost mint condition.

[Linked Image]

Above: I cannot remember the details or even begin to translate the side loading mechanism. Anybody please do an English on this version. Below is a second picture.

[Linked Image]

Above: Loading mechanism open.

[Linked Image]

Above: A battle we would sooner forget. Most of the SA POW's were deported to Ceylon (Sri Lanka) where they had to stay busy. JZ Venter would have done the carvings with a pocket knife for the Tommy owner of that rifle. The following picture is the reverse side of the same rifle and that's how I know Venter carved it!

[img]http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i322/PieterKriel/HPIM0287.jpg[/img]

Above: The other side of the stock.

Due to many reasons I will hopefully have more pictures in the next few days.

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Wow! Those are some FANTASTIC rifles.


What caliber was the Krag Jorgensen rifle (the one with the side loading magazine)?


Imagine the tales that would be told if these grand old guns could talk.


Thanks for getting the pictures.




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HHB,

That Krag is probably a .30-40 unless it's been re-barreled. Looks original military to me.

Really neat stuff. Lots of history there.

Thanks, Pieter, for taking the time to post those great photos.

Do you know what caliber the Martini happens to be?

DF

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There must have been 300 rifles and I asked so many questions I cannot remember 20% of the answers sorry.

I'll be sure to ask what the calibers are in the morning and get back to you in due course.

A name that kept cropping up is of Ron Bester. Bester is considered to be the highest authority on small arms of the ABW in the country. A few calls and his publishers email was found. I sent an email which bounced back so I called the white pages who said they have never heard of such a company (from the mail address) so they must have gone bust. Then I called someone else who gave the name of the town he lives in, and white pages had his number. I phoned him up and some voice said "sentrale". That caught me off guard for a moment before I realized it was still an exchange where you spoke to the guy at the post office who then manually connects your call to who you want to speak. So I just asked the operator, who spoke Afrikaans, I wanted to speak to Ron without giving his last name. No need to when the population is as sparse as in the really rural areas. He said hang on and I could hear Ron's ring tone, a few longs and some shorts inbetween. Next thing I was speaking to Ron.

Ron is the author of a book: Small arms of the Anglo Boer War by Kraal Publishers. The book is out of print but Ron still has "a limited number of copies" that I'm sure he will be willing to sign if anyone wants a copy. The book retails for R 575-00, and postage (including insurance) is an additional R 230-00. Now here's the deal: you contact him with your order and mailing address. He mails it to you and if you receive it in good order you stick the relevant amount of $ bills in an envelope and mail it back to him. He says he does some overseas travel and can use foreign currency.

If anyone wants a copy of his book please PM me for his email address that I will gladly supply.

I have never seen the book but from what I understand this is the book all local researchers use as a reference.

Last edited by PieterKriel; 02/28/12. Reason: all has 2 l's
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The Jorgensen is a 6,5 X whatever. The guy did not have it off the cuff, and the particular Martini is a 303.

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Thanks for all the great information. I have seen one other Krag that was a 6.5x55.


Definitely Grand Old Guns.


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