8 NOVEMBER 1901 - DEFENCE OF PIQUETBERG

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During the first week of November 1901 the Rebel General Manie Maritz steadily advanced along the West Coast in the direction of Malmesbury while the British columns in the area were disorganised. 

“In short, the road to Cape Town was practically open and a blow which, successful or not, might have roused all rebel Cape Colony, seemed about to fall.

 

But at this critical moment Maritz, instead of rushing across Malmesbury, lingered on the Great Berg River to attend to a side issue.”
Official History, Vol IV, p360.

Because he was in urgent need of arms and horses to equip a number of his new Cape Rebel recruits, he sent Commandant Jan Theron with some 300 men to attack Piquetberg at 4:20 am on 8 November 1901.

 

The town was defended by Major A F Pilson with 86 officers of the Town Guard & District Mounted Troops as well as the Western Province Mounted Rifles behind well-planned and well-constructed fortifications and wire entanglements.

 

After maintaining fire for the whole day, Theron fell back southwards to Moorreesburg. Conflicting numbers of casualties were reported: the SAFF Casualty Roll records 2 killed and 4 wounded on the British side whereas one Boer source mentions 7 Boers wounded and another source adds 3 Boers killed.