Assistant Veldkornet Jacobus Johannes van Biljon, DTD

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Assistant Veldkornet Jacobus Johannes van Biljon served in the Frankfort Kommando from 2 October 1899 till taken P.o.W. on 9 May 1902.

 

He was in action at Platrand near Ladysmith, Natal, at Winburg, OFS and many others in OFS and the Cape. 

 

He was wounded in action on 27 February 1902. 

 

On the night of 22 February, De Wet and his men reached the Cornelis River and Commandant Manie Botha, and his Vrede Commando joined them. Botha told them of the British force sweeping in a line from the Wilge to the Drakensberg. They were thus in danger of being trapped against the Bethlehem-Harrismith blockhouse line. 

The British sweep caused a wide variety of people to flee and join up with De Wet and his commandos. Amongst them were two Boer commandants, Alexander Ross and his men from Frankfort and Hendrik Alberts and some men from Heidelberg. 
 

The ribbons of the DTD and ABO medal were switched