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Battle of Bakenlaagte – 30 October 1901

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Beytel, Boshoff, Botha, Bothma and 16 others
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  •
    Genl. Hendrik Abraham Alberts (1855 - 1906)
    --Translation in progess-- (see Dutch Tab- Help needed.....) Hendrik Abraham Alberts took part , as a private citizen, in several battles, which Kommando are the Heidelbergers, delivered in Natal. At ...
  • Lukas Cornelius Fourie (1879 - d.)
    ABW: Fourie, Lucas Cornelius farm Nooitgedacht, Dist. Ermelo. Taken prisoner by Genl. B Hamilton.===Prisoners Of War ABO===Number: 27944Surname: FOURIEName: LUCAS CORNELIUSAge: 22Address: NOOITGEDACHTD...
  • Petrus Frederik Johannes Joubert (1884 - 1965)
    ===League of Veterans=== Surname Joubert Name Petrus Frederik Johannes Date Birth 5.9.1884 Residence Ermelo Name Last Officer Genl Hans Grobler Weapon Junie 1902 When Killed Widow Veteran Branch Er...
  • Albertus Abraham Stoop (1873 - 1931)
    TAB MHG_0_75876_1 Start Date: 1931===League Of Veterans ABO===Surname: STOOPFull Names: ALBERTUS ABRAHAMDate of Birth: 18.12.1873Address 1899: ERMELOName of Last Officer: GENL HANS GROBLERDate Surrende...
  • Stephanus Johannes Grobler (1867 - 1921)
    Death Notice:- Of War ABO===Number: 30702Surname: GROBLERName: STEFANUS JOHANNESAge: 35Address: BANKPLAATSDistrict: ERMELOCaptured Where: HAMILTONCaptured When: 1902/02/23Camp: UMBILOCountry: SUID-A...

Extract from an article titled Bakenlaagte Nogeens by Evert Dommisse that appeared in Die Huisgenoot of 12 May 1939:

General Louis Botha established his headquarters on the farm Roodepoort, some four miles south of Ermelo. However, he could not remain inactive for long. In the second week of October, he sent Piet Jooste, currently Chairman of the Diamond Control Board, and Fred Siemssen, both members of his staff, with the curt instruction "Go and find out what the enemy is up to.

They rode some sixty miles in a westerly direction without seeing the enemy. Near Trichardtsfontein, they found a telegraph wire, origin unknown. Piet Jooste, who also was a field telegraphist, climbed up the pole and tapped the wire with his vibrator. Remarkably, the message intercepted was from Col Benson, informing Lord Kitchener at Standerton that he [intended] leaving Middelburg for the High Veld on 20 October with a large convoy and 2 200 men.

Piet Jooste and Fred Siemssen immediately turned back and when they reported back to Gen Botha he formed his plans in an instant. Together with Hendrik Watkins and Dirk Dirksen, he climbed a koppie, taking a heliograph to contact Gen Coen Brits in the Standerton district. After a few moments of flashing in the direction of Bloukop, Hendrik Watkins said: I've got him, General. Gen Coen Brits immediately advanced in the direction of Bethal. The other commandos were ordered to do likewise. General Botha himself instructed the Ermelo Commando under Gen Hans Grobler and Comdt Willem Buhrman to saddle up and, after five forced night marches he reached the area where he intended to ambush Benson.

The Battle of Bakenlaagte was fought during the guerrilla phase of the Anglo-Boer war of 1899 – 1902. The battle saw the Eastern Transvaal Boer commandos of Generals Grobler, Brits, Viljoen and Louis Botha attack the rear guard of Colonel Benson's much feared No 3 Flying Column while it was in marching formation to its base camp.

The Column's rear guard were outnumbered 4 to one. These 210 Commonwealth troops set up a defensive position on Gun Hill and fought about 900 Boers in a close quarter twenty minute gun fight that ended only when the column rear guard was annihilated.

Although the battle became known as Bakenlaagte after a Boer farm in the vicinity, the position of the main camp was actually at the junction of the boundaries with two other farms – Schaapkraal and Nooitgedacht, and the action at Gun Hill took place wholly on land within Nooitgedacht.

Great bravery was demonstrated by the men on both sides with combined casualties numbering approximately 87 killed with 182 wounded. Colonel G.E. Benson died the next morning from wounds received on the battlefield.

The 73 dead Commonwealth troops were buried on Gun Hill but later reinterred in Primrose Cemetery, Corner of Cemetery road and Beaconsfield road, Germiston in the 1960s.

Date: 30 October 1901

Location: Bakenlaagte; 35 kilometres north-west of Bethal, Eastern Transvaal

Result: Boer Victory

Boer Commandos

Commanders and Leaders





Strength: 900 men

Troops under General Louis Botha

A

B








C

D






E

J



K






L

M


P


R

S




U

V









W

Troops under General Johannes Nicolaas Hermanus (Hans) Grobler

B



C



D




E


F



G

H


J



K

L


M

P


R

S








V




Casualties and losses

14 killed

48 wounded

Casualties

B



E


J


N

P

Commonwealth Troops

Commanders and Leaders

Strength: 210

Troops

A

B

C

Casualties and losses

73 killed

134 wounded

Casualties

B

Lance Corporal J Bell, 2nd Scottish Horse, Killed in Action, 30 October 1901

Private W Buesden, 2nd Scottish Horse, Killed in Action, 30 October 1901

Private T Bradford, 2nd Scottish Horse, Killed in Action, 30 October 1901

Private W Bradshaw, 2nd Scottish Horse, Killed in Action, 30 October 1901

C

Private B Campbell, 2nd Scottish Horse, Died of Wounds, 5 November 1901

Private D Clark, 2nd Scottish Horse, Killed in Action, 30 October 1901

Private A Cunningham, 2nd Scottish Horse, Killed in Action, 30 October 1901

D

Lance Corporal David Wellington Davies, Victoria, 2nd Scottish Horse, Killed in Action, 30 October 1901

Saddler Corporal Morgan John Davis, Victoria, 2nd Scottish Horse, Killed in Action, 30 October 1901

Private G Duns, 2nd Scottish Horse, Killed in Action, 30 October 1901

F

Private Charles Ferris, Queensland, 2nd Scottish Horse, Died of Wounds, 31 October 1901

G

Private Robert G Grant, Victoria, 2nd Scottish Horse, Killed in Action, 30 October 1901

Private WG Grant, 2nd Scottish Horse, Killed in Action, 30 October 1901

I

Captain AW Inglis, 2nd Seaforth Highlanders attached 2nd Scottish Horse, Killed in Action, 30 October 1901

J

Private Alexander Jordan, Victoria, 2nd Scottish Horse, Killed in Action, 30 October 1901

K

  • Age: 31
  • Address: Victoria, Australia
  • Unit: 2nd Scottish Horse

L

  • Age: 29
  • Unit: 2nd Scottish Horse

M

Private H Marsh, 2nd Scottish Horse, Killed in Action, 30 October 1901

Private G Marshall, 2nd Scottish Horse, Killed in Action, 30 October 1901

Private M McGregor, 2nd Scottish Horse, Killed in Action, 30 October 1901

Private A McKenzie, 2nd Scottish Horse, Killed in Action, 30 October 1901

  • Unit: 2nd Scottish Horse

Lance Corporal A Murray, 2nd Scottish Horse, Killed in Action, 30 October 1901

Private A Munro, 2nd Scottish Horse, Died of Wounds, 2 November 1901

S

Sergeant JM Saunders, 2nd Scottish Horse, Killed in Action, 30 October 1901

Private J Shepherd, 2nd Scottish Horse, Killed in Action, 30 October 1901

Private J Simpson, 2nd Scottish Horse, Killed in Action, 30 October 1901

Sergeant GB Smith, New South Wales, 2nd Scottish Horse, Killed in Action, 30 October 1901

Lance Corporal W Smith, 2nd Scottish Horse, Killed in Action, 30 October 1901

  • Age: 39
  • Address: Canberra, Australia
  • Unit: 2nd Scottisch Horse

T

Shoeing Smith H Tringlette, 2nd Scottish Horse, Killed in Action, 30 October 1901

W

Private Francis Walker, Victoria, 2nd Scottish Horse, Killed in Action, 30 October 1901

Lieutenant Charles Woodman, Western Australia, 2nd Scottish Horse, Died of Wounds, 31 October 1901

[http://www.samilitaryhistory.org/vol112le.html]

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Bakenlaagte]

[http://152.111.11.6/argief/berigte/volksblad/2001/10/31/11/1.html]

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