Copernicus Kepler de Meillon

Copied verbatim is text about Hans De Meillon and two of his sons in a typewritten account of the De Meillon family by the late Dr. Jasper De Meillon Vink, dated 26 Oct 1992. " One of his sons (Eugene) was killed as a teenager at the battle of Elandslaagte in the early days of the Anglo-Bסer war. Eugene received his name apparently at the request of the Empress Eugenie, widow of Napoleon III. She paid a visit to S.A. to view the site where her son, The Prince Imperial, had been killed in the Zulu war. It seems that Hans used his claim as a "Count of the French Empire" to gain entry to this lady. Kepler, the oldest son, was a great friend of my parents, and served in the Boer Commandoes for the duration of the Boer war. He refused to stay in S.A. under British rule after the war, and lived in the then "German West Africa" till 1914 when the First World War broke out joining the forces led by his old commander, Louis Botha, when they invaded the German Colony. Botha apparently used Kepler as a scout (possibly as a spy) for his invading army making use of Kepler's local knowledge of the terrain. Due to some mishap Kepler was captured b y the Germans and shot out of hand as a traitor to his adopted country! Hans 's other sons were also vivid characters ."

Have just become aware of a more recent and quite detailed account of Copernicus Kepler's military activities and his death by Lawrence G. Green in his 1966 book "Thunder on the Blaauwberg". This account describes his military activities and his last commission is given as Major de Meillon (p.72 & 74).

Ontsnap! by Albert Blake (2015) writes details about the imprisonment of Copernicus Kepler during the Boer war and his escape from the HMS Penelope in Simonstown harbour and once references his cousin "Henry de Meillon" also imprisoned on the boat. This Henry could be one of three first cousins once removed named Henry Clifford, born in 1860, 1874, or 1877. This likely occurred in 1899 when Copernicus was 20. A few days later, according to memoirs by D.J. du Toit (a fellow prisoner) he took shelter in Observatory and a few days later was warned by a well-disposed Englishwoman neighbour that the police were on his trail and who urged him to flee. He took a train hoping to go North but was captured in Wynberg by a guard. This escape was international news in spite of attempts to keep it secret. In the British Parliament a question was asked why no-one was held responsible. On the 6th March 1900 he escaped again with eleven other prisoners from the South camp in Simonstown by tunneling down and out via a toilet. This was the second tunneling escape from the South Camp. He was described by a fellow prisoner as fearless and the "soul of the tunnel". With the help of farmers he had a horse to reach the nearest village in the Karroo where he was given money and a bicycle. He eventually got to the eastern Transvaal where he joined the commando of General Chris Botha. After the war he tried prospecting in Barberton and went with Denys Reitz to Mauritius and from there to SW Africa where he had prospecting rights. Due to a disagreement with the government there he returned to South Africa. He eventually fought on the side of the British in WWI, mainly on account of allegiance to Generals Louis Botha and Jan Smuts. Note that in one place he is referred to as Captain De Meillon (p.15) and the vast majority use "De" instead of "de".

The undated photograph is from Albert Blake's book "Ontsnap!" and may be from 1910-1914, when he was in his early thirties.