Colonial

[Chris Boonzaier]

While researching a group I have to a South African I found a very interesting fact.
He was wounded and taken prisonner on the 5th Sep 1914 in the area of Schuitdrift in GSWA.

South Africa declared war on Germany on the 9th of September 1914.

Up unitil that itme I can find reference to an incident at Schuitdrift on the 21st of August 1914, when a German unit fired on some Boer farmers, to fired back, Killing on German, mortally wounding another and taking a 3rd prisoner.

I saw a vague reference to a "Von Beenbreck" incident that took place on the 2nd of september... but find no information on it.

South African troops were moving north but didnt really do anything until after the declaration of war.

Nowhere do I find a reference to an action near schuitdrift 05.09.1914 in which a South African Officer was wounded and made POW.

Are there any imperial colonial collectors out there who may be able to help, or tell me what the Von Beenbreck incident was?
If his records are correct, than he may be the first South African Casaulty of the war.

Thanks
Chris

[Chris Boonzaier]

Guys, can I assume from this that the famous, elite Imperial collectors subgroup only collect abstract, unresearched bits of metal and enamel, and the 3rd Reich guys are more into research than youse guys???

How did the war in South West Africa start in August-September 1914... first shots and incidents....
dont tell me the best reaction is "Huh !?!"

[Daniel Krause]

Oje! Du hast Fragen!

I think we can reconstruct every hour of the DSWA war 1905/07 and also the 1st world war actions in DOA, but WW1 in DSWA...I have not so much sources about it but will look around.

Beste Grüße

Daniel

[Rick Research]

Jeez, such impatience! And from a guy who disappears leaving us all wondering how any toes are still attached, too!

Nope, nada on anyone with a supposed name of "von Beenbreck" or anything remotely similar. No such regular officer, no such person listed as killed in the Heldengedenkmappe. (Maybe it was not that serious an "incident" to HIM! )

Virtually zip on DSWA... that's so....


Boer-ing!

MUCH prefer German EAST Africa, still holding out after the war ENDED.

[Carsten126]

Oh no Rick, boring whyyyyy ? As much as I find the East Africa story (read Heia Safari by Lettow-Vorbeck) fascinating and I think it would be a great story to develop a nice PC game out of it, i think all the efforts were useless in the end. But Namibia is another story ! The country is extremely beautiful and fascinating, the Wilhelminian architecture, the desert, the language and this tiny war of 1904 and this sweet red and white and golden DSWA-Medal with all the possible clasps. The hottentot wars were for many german authors and writers an important event of their youth and a typical and "big" event of the young 20. Century. I wish you could have seen this great morenga 3-part-movie of 1985, where the ARD (first german TV channel) still had so much money for financing such great Bildungs-films (before football and the private channels took all the money). This film is really lovely and brings the feeling and atmosphere of the peaceful and great era of pre-1914 to life before the big catastrophe of 1914-1918.

[Tom Y]

Beenbreck was a village or station, not a man. Go to http://www.taucher.net/index.html?co...ic%3D6%26X%3D1 and see if that helps. It's got some great photos, too. My German isn't good enough and Babelfish's Ginglish leaves a lot to be desired, but I'm sure you can make something of it.

Just as a sidenote, when I was in college I had a friend who was Doala from Kamerun. He said the old folks used to talk about "the good old days" when the Germans were in charge

[Daniel Krause]

Hi Chris,

what I found was that the South african union declared war to DSWA on the 9th of September and the first action was an attack on a police station 4 days later.

The 2 incidents You mentioned have been BEFORE the declaration of war.

Best regards

Daniel

[Chris Boonzaier]

Hi,
It is indeed an interesting question.

In August and September 1914 Botha and Smuts (South African head honchos) are doing everything to show South Africans that Germany is the aggressor. (there were many South Africans who would potentially have sided with Germany to help them get rid of the British)
Any examples of German aggresion were pushed to a maximum propoganda value.
1) 19st August the Germans occupy the kopje at Nakob (apparently a mistake as to know exactly where a border is in a desert is not easy)
2) 21st August a small shoot out at Schuitdrift between some Boer farmers and Germans, One German killed, one wounded.
3) 23rd August, Maritz (the soon to be rebel leader in the area) crosses at Schuitdrift to apologise, and contacts the Germans to apologise for the shootings and to make plans for the rebellion .
4) 2nd September the Skirmish at Beenbreck (saw a mention of this in a German book, but no further info as to what it was.
5) 9th september, war is declared.

All the time Smuts is looking for evidence of german aggression... Why is Owens 5th of September wounding and capture not mentioned?

He was rescued/freed or whatever in april and may of 1915 and operated to remove particles of shot from his face. The wound had blinded him.

I go this month to the state archives in Pretoria and hopefully I will find something there. As I said, the South African Govt was desperately seeking examples of German aggresion and trangressions, I am very suprised there is no mention anywhere of this in any of the books I have.

[Dave Danner]

I suppose it's possible that whatever happened was started by the South Africans and Botha couldn't figure out a way to spin it to fit his case before Parliament. He did cite the August Schuitdrift incident, though.

Here is the chronology of 1914 from Klaus Dierks' site: http://www.klausdierks.com/Chronology/72.htm

He is the German expat who is chairman of Namibia's Electricity Control Board. His site is about the most comprehensive single resource on Namibian history.

There is also an index of "Battles and Skirmishes in the History of Namibia," although many of the incidents he describes as "battles" were little more than skirmishes and ambushes: http://www.klausdierks.com/Chronology/index_battles.htm

Here is a list of SA casualties from 1914 to 1917. The only mentions of Schuitdrift date from December 1914 and are for a Burger (KC Marais) and a Private (HJ Fenton) in Cradock Commando. http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/R...ext/SA1914.TXT