NEWSLETTER - NOVEMBER 2024

Dr Vicky Heunis' postponed lecture Fact, fiction or myth: A reinterpretation of the Springfontein Concentration Camp Children's Cemetery took place on 31 October punctuated by Diwali fireworks in several of the audience's locations.

In the past there has been quite a lot of speculation about the origin of the Springfontein Concentration Camp Children's Cemetery and why the children had been buried separately, away from the larger Springfontein Military Cemetery.

At Springfontein in the OFS there are two cemeteries associated with the Concentration Camp which was opened there early in 1901. In February 1901 there were already almost 500 people while by the end of April the Camp had grown to over 2 500.

Most burials were in the cemetery set up for use by the military and that is also where the majority of civilians from the Camp lie. But a small number (29 graves) are to be found in a different, smaller cemetery located a short distance away. These turn out to be the graves of children. The question then arises, why are these in a separate cemetery?

Vicky related three hypotheses - put forward at roughly 40-year intervals - to explain this. A Dutch Reformed church minister who was involved with the Camp for part of its existence, Rev Sandrock, originally indicated that the graves were those of children who had not been baptised and whose burial therefore could not take place in consecrated ground. This was largely accepted as the explanation.

A wall and a gateway with the inscription VIR VRYHEID EN VIR REG (for freedom and right) as a wrought iron archway were erected in 1946 at the Children's cemetery. The local youth movement, the Voortrekkers, undertook the maintenance of the site.

The second hypothesis, put forward by Prof Raath and others, was that the children buried in the small cemetery COULD NOT be baptised because they were the result of forced sexual assaults or out-of-wedlock relationships. Research into the church records, as well as archival documents including the previously embargoed Havenga Report (only opened in 1982, 25 years after his death), gave Dr Heunis more questions than answers. There was very little correlation between the various sources - some of the children HAD been baptised but were laid to rest in the children's cemetery. Others, although unbaptised, were to be found in the main cemetery.

Archives, church records and diaries were combed for information - some of the death records for Springfontein were partly found mislabelled as Bethulie Camp records. For 37 named deaths there were only 29 graves.

The third hypothesis, which she underpinned by meticulous research, was that in the very beginning, things at the camp were so disorganised that some graves, especially those of children who had died of infectious diseases, were dug on the Farm "De Bome", which was much closer to the railway line than the Concentration Camp cemetery. Measles killed 30% of the camp's casualties and 40% of children. Later, once the military cemetery had been set up, it was used for all burials.

Vicky's lecture has been added to the Video Library.

Monday 11th November 2024 at 19h30 and then at 20h15:

Speaker: Pat Irwin
Subject: Frontier Wars Signal Towers.
You are invited to wear a Haig Poppy during the meeting.

14th November 2024 at 19h30 and then 20h15

Speaker: Dr Graham Winton
Subject: Horsing the British Army: Die Tweede Anglo-Boere Oorlog 1899-1902
Horsing the British Army during the war of 1899-1902 was a complicated affair. The late 19th century had seen the creation of central Army Remount and Veterinary Departments. These embryo services would be tested during the War and although in part successful they would be found seriously wanting.

The next RPC (Request the Pleasure of your Company) Zoominar will be held on Monday 25th November 2024 at 19h30 and then 20h15. Speakers and topics will be confirmed by invitations.

DDH - Bill Brady - "The Mighty Hood": The story of the famous British battle-cruiser which met with a tragic and untimely end at the hands of the German battleship Bismark.

Main talk - author and Parabat Steve Camp who will be using information collated for his upcoming book on the history of the South African Parabats.

The starting time is 1.30 for 2.00pm. The venue remains the St Cyprians Church Hall off Umbilo Rd, with secure parking and liquid refreshments available for cash.
Entry is free and open to all; but a donation of R10 for the raffle and R10 for the car guard are requested from all attendees.

Let scribe@samilitaryhistory.org know in order to be sent an invitation to the next ZOOMinar.

For those members still anxious about Zoom lectures, please give them a try! Go onto the internet and open your web browser at www.zoom.us . If using a cellphone visit the app store. Once you have the app on your device - computer or cellphone - choose to join a meeting. Either use the link which is provided in the invitation or type in the meeting code and then the password,also from the invitation, as requested. There are usually two Zoom sessions per evening.

You do NOT need to have a camera - unless you are the speaker or a chairman - although it is always interesting to match faces to voices. As in the auditorium, you do not HAVE to ask the speaker any questions, but there are ways in which you can draw the chair's attention so you can do so.

Eastern Cape details contact    Malcolm Kinghorn    041-373-4469    culturev@lantic.net

Gauteng details contact    Joan Marsh     010-237-0676    joan@rfidradar.com

KwaZulu-Natal details contact    Prof Phil Everitt    084-437-1636     everitt@iafrica.com

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