Peter Greeff wrote:

> Hi all
>
> With the approaching 11th October 1999, events 100 years ago were geared towards war. The politicians had met and unmoved. A recent report in Die Burger (WoonBurger) newspaper discusses planning for the forthcoming war on the part of Milner in April/May 1899. In June 1899, the Secret Service Report on the Dutch Rebublics in Southern Africa was released.  The Boer Rebpublics were rarming their burghers.  Can any member of the list shed more light on the build-up to the war?
>
> June is characterized by bright sunny warm days in the OFS and ZAR.  The night skies are clear and the bright milky way blazes crisply in the cold air. The veld is very dry. Ecept for the Western Cape, the winters are the dry months in South Africa. Mean rainfall in the ZAR is less than 5 mm for June. In the Eastern Cape Karoo, June rainfall varies from 5 to 10mm with up to 20mm in the mountainous regions. The daily mean relative humidity is less than 60% during June in the Boer Reublics. Evaporation runs at 80 to 120 mm for the month in these areas.  The aridity of the veld in June is emphasised by the yellow/brown highly flammable vegetation cover, baking in the sun.
>
> The average daily minimum temperatures in the war zones (ZAR Highveld),  OFS, Central and North Eastern Karoo (Cape),  is -2 deg C to 2 deg C in the western OFS and Mafeking . Where one comes off the Sneeuberg escarpment south, nites warm slightly to an average of 2 to 6 deg C.  In the OFS and ZAR, the daily mean temp for June is 11 to 12,5 deg C. North winds on the dry veld blow up dust. The weather is very conducive for flu and colds. Average Diurnal temperature ranges are 16 deg C in the OFS and now Gauteng (Johannesburg, Pretoria) areas. Frost is a daily occurence on clear and windless nights.  Soldiers on the veld at night had a hard time - any information on how these men spent this time?
>
> June 1900
>
> The distribution of the English forces were roughly as follows (at the end of May);
> Roberts with the main force - spread from French at Florida (to the Jukskei River) - Johannesburg - Hamilton on the right at Elandsfontein, all poised for the move on Pretoria.  In the West, Baden-Powell was set to advance on Pretoria via Rustenburg.  On the Natal front, Buller was poised to take Laing's Nek at the Drakensberg summit and enter the ZAR.  P{resident Kruger had gone east to Machadodorp. The ZAR Boer leaders were in the vicinity of Pretoria. In the OFS De Wet and Steyn were east of Heilbron. English forces were moving east from Winburg and Kroonstad towards Bethlehem.  Metheun had moved up from Kimberley to Kroonstad.
>
> The main battles during the month were the fall of Preotria June 5th, Diamond Hill (Jun 11-13th), Rooiwal Jun 6th, Alleman's Nek Jun 11, attack on Railway at Zand River Jun 14th.
>
> June sees the continued success by Christiaan de Wet in hid commando warfarte against the English wagon convoys and the trains between Bloemfontein and Vereniging. All the major bridges on this line and been blown during the Boer retreat in May. The Royal Engineers Railway Companies were hard at work with repairs and reconstruction. The railhead had reached Rooiwal by the end of May. Stores and mail had been accumulated there. Jun 4th - De Wet captures a convoy at Swawelkrans, east of the railway at Koppies towards Heilbron.  From there Gideon Scheepers and the Scouting Corps spy the English Forces at Rooiwal, Rhensoter Rivier and Koppies.  The Boers hid much ammunition in the banks of the river near Koppies and De Wet's farm west of the railway.
>
> The main mystery of the war is linked to June 1900 - what happened to the Kruger Millions? The gold was taken from a number of Banks in Pretoria during the period June 2-4 ? and railed east. What happened then?
>
> June 1901.
>
> The whole of present day South Africa is in the grip of war. Martial law in the Cape Colony. Concentration Camps for white and black displaced persons stand grimly on the vled (vis-a-vis the Kosivo camps on TV).  Boer Commandos have free reign on the veld, whilst the Englsh forces control the towns and main lines of communication.  Boer forces attack the blockhouses and forts along the railways regulary. Jun 26, attacks on the Delogoa Rlwy. The North eastern Cape is alive with activity. Kritzinger captures the village of Jamestown Jun 2. Jun 6, De Wet was surprised by Elliott at Graspan, near Reitz. Jun 12, the Victorians are surprised by Boers at Wilmansrust.
>
> June 1902.,
>
> Peace and the coming in of the Boer Commandos to hand in their weapons - and then to move into the future of uncertainity. But the Boer burghers, women and children preserved and the rebuilding of the South Africa begins.
>
> Groete
>
> Peter Greeff
> George, South Africa.
>
>                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                !
> !
> !

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