Chris Boonzaier Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 I was going through my stuff this morning looking for an Item to toss in the sale section and this one was initially shortlisted... Then I dug out the papers and saw how much research potential is there... Cornelius Daniel Kleynhans.. He missed the beginning of the war as he was serving as Landdrost/Magistrate for the town of Bethal, but when the Town fell to the invaders he went "on Commando" and served in the Guerilla phase of the war, until he was captured on the 4.12.01 and sent as a POW to St Helena. While he was on Commando the British put his wife and son in a Concentration Camp in Balmoral, then near Durban. One of the main streeets in Bethal is named after him (There are not that many streets in Bethal...) In Bethal there is a museum about the war.. http://www.encounter.co.za/bethal-museum.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Boonzaier Posted February 23, 2011 Author Share Posted February 23, 2011 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Boonzaier Posted February 23, 2011 Author Share Posted February 23, 2011 The last three medals are nemed to the son Who was in the Camp as an infant. Jan Hendrik Kleynhans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Boonzaier Posted February 23, 2011 Author Share Posted February 23, 2011 Here is another fantastic one... To Burger J. Doyer... Served in all the big battles and was a "bitter-ender" going through the whole Guerrila phase of the war.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Boonzaier Posted February 23, 2011 Author Share Posted February 23, 2011 never wore the medal... it is just perfect... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Boonzaier Posted February 23, 2011 Author Share Posted February 23, 2011 "Burger Cornelius Machiel Du Plooy joined the Bethal Commando on 10.5.1900, fought in the Eastern Transvaal and was captured on 4.12.1901 at Vantondershoek. He was sent to the Prisoner of War camps on Bermuda. " Here is the description of an ABO to the same unit, captured on the same day... so I assume we can say Kleynhans was captured at vantondershoek. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted February 26, 2011 Share Posted February 26, 2011 Here is another fantastic one... To Burger J. Doyer... Served in all the big battles and was a "bitter-ender" going through the whole Guerrila phase of the war.... Chris, I see his name is Johannis but is Doyer a Dutch name? It doesn't sound particularly Dutch or English to me. Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Majesteka Posted November 20, 2011 Share Posted November 20, 2011 Chris, Good afternoon - probably a little late for this post, but I have just joined to find out more about Cornelius Daniel Kleynhans. If you have any other info about the chap - is there a way to get in contact Many thanks Majesteka Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter monahan Posted November 20, 2011 Share Posted November 20, 2011 Majesteka Simply click on Chris' name at the top left of one of his posts and a new window will open with his 'bio' and a button to send him a private message. Welcome to the GMIC, by the way! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Majesteka Posted November 20, 2011 Share Posted November 20, 2011 Peter many thanks majesteka Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brett Hendey Posted May 25, 2013 Share Posted May 25, 2013 Chris A fellow medal collector in Australia has pointed out a link between your post on Cornelius Daniel Kleynhans and posts I have recently made on another forum. My posts relate to Sergeant Tom Vinnicombe of the Natal Guides. Vinnicombe was in fact an English-speaking Transvaal Burgher who had been given the contract to build the Dutch Reformed Church in Bethal. This project was interrupted by the Boer War and Vinnicombe had to go back to Bethal afterwards to finish it. His published biography is: Vinnicombe's Trek. Son of Natal. Stepson of Transvaal by R N Currey (James Currey, London. 1989). Bethal features prominently in the book and there are several mentions to Kleyhans. The book gives an insight into the problems with divided loyalties in the Boer War and the tragic consequences of Kitchener's "scorched earth" policy. Most of Bethal was razed to the ground by the British, including Vinnicombe's house. Shown below is Vinnicombe's QSA, which in a sense is a companion piece to Kleyhan's ABO. Regards Brett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Boonzaier Posted May 25, 2013 Author Share Posted May 25, 2013 Wow... that is fantastic!! Do you have any idea how I can get a copy of the book? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBFloyd Posted May 25, 2013 Share Posted May 25, 2013 Chris, The book-search site www.addall.com has several copies listed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brett Hendey Posted May 25, 2013 Share Posted May 25, 2013 Chris I got the book off the AbeBooks list and, as Jeff has indicated, there are several copies available, both in the UK and the US. Although I had a rather personal reason to buy the book, anyone with an interest in the Boer War, especially the aspect of the divided loyalties of ordinary people caught up in it, will find it well worth having. Regards Brett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Boonzaier Posted May 25, 2013 Author Share Posted May 25, 2013 Just picked one up... thanks for the tip ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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