In August 2020, a Blue Plaque was unveiled at Swartruggens on the 120th anniversary of the siege of the Elands River Post. It commemorates the remarkable resilience of a small garrison of Australians and Rhodesians during the South African War. General Jan Smuts, who took part on the Boer side, described it thus:
Never in the course of this war did a besieged force endure worse sufferings, but they stood their ground with magnificent courage. All honour to these heroes who in the hour of trial rose nobly to the occasion. (Jan Smuts Memoirs of the Boer War)
Despite the high praise at the time, the episode is often overlooked in latter-day accounts such as Thomas Pakenham’s celebrated book, The Boer War, for example.
The military cemetery at Elands River (Vincent Carruthers)
The dedication of local history enthusiasts Peet Coetzee, Maarten Stols, John Pennefather and others has ensured that the battlefield is beautifully maintained and the siege is well interpreted in an interesting museum and an excellent book, The Siege of Elands River Battlefield Guide, by Peet Coetzee.
This is the story:
In the early months of the South African War, the British forces suffered a series of defeats that saw them besieged in Ladysmith, Kimberley and Mafeking. However, when the Boers...
