On Commando (My life as commando and guerrilla commando)

On Commando: my commando and guerrilla commando life

"On Commando: my commando and guerrilla commando life" is one of the earliest and most vivid Boer accounts of the Anglo-Boer War, written in 1901 while Dietlof Siegfried van Warmelo was a prisoner of war at Ahmednagar in India. It was written in Dutch (as "Mijn Commando en guerilla commando-leven") and later translated into English and it is this version on which this electronic edition is based. (A copy of the Dutch version can also be provided gratis with this edition).

Van Warmelo writes without literary pretension, offering what his contemporary Frederik van Eeden called a truly representative portrait of the Afrikander spirit: stubbornly independent, deeply religious, often humorous, and unshaken in adversity.

This book was written without diaries or official reports, Van Warmelo's few letters and notes having been soaked through in the field or lost through worn-out pockets. He reconstructs his commando life entirely from memory, resulting in an unusually direct & personal narrative. He takes the reader from the first crossing of the boundary into Natal, the entry into Dundee and Ladysmith, and the siege and “blowing up of the cannon” on the Rooirandjes, through the eight-day battle on the Tugela and rumours of foreign intervention.

Later chapters follow the retreat from Pretoria, the trek from Middelburg to Rustenburg and the battle of Silkaatsnek, the harsh guerrilla existence on the Magaliesberg – including the narrow escape of Presidents Steyn and Kruger and General De Wet – and adventures on the Sabie River and north of Lydenburg. Van Warmelo relates how he rides once more with General Beyers to the Magalies and he gives gripping accounts of Nooitgedacht, Paardekraal Day, Kaalfontein station, the suffering of the commandos, the battle of Boesmanskop with the flight of women and children, Chrissiesmeer, Tafelkop, and finally Stompies, where he falls into enemy hands.

The heart of the book lies in Van Warmelo’s descriptions of day-to-day commando life: the long marches, hunger and cold, the constant danger from spies and traitors and the hopes pinned on a Cape rebellion. Along the way he records small but striking incidents – from looting in Dundee to the destruction of Warmbad’s baths – that rarely appear in official histories.

The events related in On Commandoare plainly told, without artifice, and they open a window to highly interesting, often little-known incidents. For anyone seeking to understand the Boer War from the inside, in an authentic Afrikaner voice, this is essential reading.

A full index has been added to this edition of the book.

The Preface, Foreword and Table of contents can be downloaded here.

Pages:   105 (English)
Format:  Downloadable PDF (±1.7Mb)

On Commando: my commando and guerrilla commando life

"On Commando: my commando and guerrilla commando life" is een van die vroegste en mees onthullende Boere-geskiedenisse van die Anglo-Boereoorlog, en is geskryf terwyl Dietlof Siegfried van Warmelo in 1901 'n krygsgevangene in Ahmednagar in Indië was. Die oorspronklike Hollandse uitgawe ("Mijn Commando en guerilla commando-leven") is later in Engels vertaal en dit is op dié weergawe wat hierdie eboek baseer is. (Die Hollandse weergawe kan ook gratis saam met hierdie weergawe verskaf word).

Van Warmelo skryf sonder enige literêre pretensies, en hy skets wat sy tydgenoot Frederik van Eeden 'n werklik verteenwoordigende beeld van die Afrikaner wese noem: diep gelowig, hardnekkig onafhanklik, dikwels met 'n goeie humorsin en onwrikbaar in teenspoed.

Sonder dagboeke of amptelike verslae, en nadat sy skaars notas en briewe in die veld of natgeword of uit verslete sakke geglip het, is Van Warmelo gedwing om slegs op geheue staat te maak. Die gevolg is ’n ongewoon direkte, persoonlike vertelling. Die leser steek nie alleen saam met hom die grens na Natal oor nie; die intog in Dundee en Ladysmith, die beleg en die “opblaas van die kanon” op die Rooirandjies, en die agt-dae Tugelaslag word ook meegemaak te midde van die fluisteringe oor moontlike buitelandse ingryping.

Daarna volg die terugtog uit Pretoria, die trek van Middelburg na Rustenburg en die geveg by Silkaatsnek en die harde guerrillabestaan in die Magaliesberge. Van Warmelo beskryf vervolgens die noue ontkoming van presidente Steyn en Kruger en generaal De Wet, die avonture langs die Sabierivier en noord van Lydenburg en hoe hy generaal Beyers terug na die Magalies vergesel het. Die laaste aantal hoofstukke bevat aangrypende beskrywings van die slag by Nooitgedacht, Paardekraal-dag, Kaalfontein-stasie, die lyding van die kommandos, die slag van Boesmanskop met die vlug van vroue en kinders, Chrissiesmeer en Tafelkop. Die boek sluit af met die geveg by Stompies, waar Van Warmelo in die vyand se hande val.

Die gebeure in On Commando word sonder tierlantyntjies en met 'n outentieke Afrikanerstem beskryf. Dit skyn die lig op hoogs interessante en dikwels weinig bekende insidente en is 'n onmisbare bron vir enigiemand wat in die Anglo Boereoorlog belangstel.

'n Volledige indeks is in hierdie uitgawe ingesluit.

Die Voorwoord en Inhoudsopgawe kan hier afgelaai word.

Bladsye:   105 (Engels)
Formaat:   Aflaaibare PDF (±1.7Mb)