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A list of all the known Boer Scouts and a collection of their daring exploits...
Scout activities were of necessity undertaken by most Boer Commandos, but the specific grouping led by Danie Theron was a formal institution and became the most well-known. Danie Theron was requested by both the ZAR and Free State governments to form such a grouping on Sunday, 7 March 1900, following his earlier 'Wielrijders rapportgangerscorps' and in the wake of his personal efforts to courier a message from Gen De Wet to and from the beleaguered Gen Piet Cronjé at Paardeberg in February 1900. Danie Theron's scouts would be formally set up as Theron Verkennerskorps (TVK) and were made up of selected volunteers from many nationalities. The TVK was estimated to consist of between 100 and 200 men.
- Hindon and Slegtkamp (of Spioenkop fame) were two of the members, as well as Gideon Scheepers and the later famous General Wynand Malan from the Cape. Manie Maritz and Jopie Fourie would later be closely involved with the 1914 Rebellion.
The TVK was instrumental in assisting Gen De Wet to stay one step ahead of his pursuers during the guerrilla phase of the war. Many famous officers during later stages of the war (and after the war) were groomed as part of the TVK.
When Danie Theron lost his life in September 1900, the corps in practice split into several groupings who each made an impact in a different geographic area - Gideon Scheepers and Wynand Malan in the Cape; Jack Hindon in the Transvaal.
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- Please assist by adding (and linking) names and stories (these could be added by way of documents associated with the project). If you could genalogically identify any of the 'unidentified' individuals, please link them to their Geni profile.
- If you have an ancestor who was a Boer Scout:
- Get yourself added as a collaborator.
- Navigate to your ancestor's profile. Under the "More Actions" link choose "Add to Project". Select the 'Anglo-Boereoorlog Boereverkenners - Anglo Boer War Boer Scouts' project.
- Optional:
- Include in the "About Me" section of each person a brief biographical sketch of their lives. Include a photograph/painting of your ancestor if one exists. Your ancestor's profiles should be marked as "public" and not "private". All included profiles should include full identifying information including birth and death dates as well as birth and death locations. It would also be very helpful if the immediate family of your ancestor, (their parents, siblings and children) profiles were public profiles too.
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Names
- HDJ Bodenstein (1881-1943)
- Ben Coetzee
- Albert de Roos
- Capt WM Edwards
- Fritz Joubert Duquesne (1877-1956) - not a TVK scout - he developed into an unofficial 'secret agent'
- Lt BGL (Barney) Enslin (later Cmdt)
- Jannie Erasmus
- Jopie Fourie (1878-1914) (later Capt)
- Hickley
- Capt Jack Hindon (1874-1919) - see short entry here
- Boet Jacobs
- Alwyn (Janse) van Rensburg (1878-1975) - brother of Lt Gert (Janse) van Rensburg
- Lt Gert (Janse) van Rensburg (1875-1952)
- Cmdt Hennie (Janse) van Rensburg (1880-1955) - last Commandant of the TVK in May 1902
- O (Janse) van Rensburg
- Piet Joubert (Joubertjie) (1885-1935) - 15yr old boy from Dewetsdorp
- Robert de Kersauson de Pennendreff (1879-1971) - see short entry here
- Danie Kolver
- Wynand Malan (1872-1953) - later Cmdt and Gen
- Lt Isak Marais
- Manie Maritz (1874-1940) - later Cmdt and Gen
- Walter Mears (later Cmdt)
- Marthinus Nel
- Gideon Scheepers (1878-1902) (later Cmdt)
- Stoffel Schoeman
- Capt Henri Slegtkamp (1873-1951)
- Adriaan Stander(s)
- Cmdt Danie Theron (1872-1900)
- Cmdt Jan H Theron ( -1902) - elected successor to Danie Theron (his cousin)
- Cmdt Carel van Heerden (1875-1902) - short sketch in Afrikaans
- Melt van Schoor(1879-1953) (later Cmdt)
- Abraham van Zyl
- Hendrik Verloren van Themaat (1874-1966)
- John Wassenaar
- Egbert Weeber
- O Weeber
- Henri Williams (Willies) (later Capt)
Stories
General
- Book: 'Kordaatstukke van Boereverkenners tydens die Tweede Vryheidsoorlog' by Gen Wynand Malan
- Extracts from chapter IV (In Theron se Verkenners Korps) from 'My Lewe en Strewe' by Manie Maritz:
- Danie Theron se korps was ongeveer 200 man sterk. Die korps het altyd gesê: "Ons is Komdt Dikeet se mense" as ons gevra word wie ons is. Kapt Theron se lyfspreuk was "Nee seuns, ons eet nie vark nie" as hy 'n onsinnige bevel ontvang. Die korps het uit manne van alle nasionaliteite bestaan.
- Danie Theron was die liefling van sy manne. Hy was seker een van die bekwaamste offisiere, dapper en eerlik.
- Sy leiding en bekwaamheid blyk ook daaruit dat al sy burgers later van die beste offisiere geword het. Sy naam sal voortleef in die harte van sy manne en by die Afrikanervolk, as die van 'n held.
- Ons kommandotjie was sonder leier. Daar was maar net een Danie Theron, en die kommando het toe ook somaar opgebreek. 'n Paar burgers het egter besluit om die TV (Tranvaalse Verkenners) Korps te laat voortbestaan.
- Party van ons wou genl. Flip Botha kies as leier, maar die meerderheid het luit. Jan Theron gekies, 'n baie goeie man, maar hy het as leier en vegter nie naby sy neef gekom nie.
Danie Theron
- Danie Theron “A more brave and faithful commander I have never seen” (General Christiaan de Wet)
- Danie Theron's Wikipedia entry.
- Danie Theron -- Hero of the Anglo-Boer War on africanhistory.about.com
- The Danie Theron Medal on Wikipedia.
Jack Hindon
- Jack Hindon on Museums Northern Cape website
- Oliver 'Jack' Hindon, Boer Hero and Train Wrecker in the SA Military History Journal.
- The Jack Hindon Medal on Wikipedia.
Henri Slegtkamp
- Henri Slegtkamp op Wikipedia.
- Henri Slegtkamp on Museums Northern Cape website
Manie Maritz
- See Chapter IV (In Theron se Verkenners Korps) from 'My Lewe en Strewe' by Manie Maritz. It has been attached as a document to this project.
Gert van Rensburg
- This website provides background and information on various activities.
Hennie van Rensburg
Fritz Joubert Duquesne
- Read about the man who killed Kitchener - fact or fiction?