PAST EVENTS
Whilst the subject of our April talk had dealt with model and toy soldiers, Mrs Val Stephenson presented our May meeting with the picture of a real model soldier, in the person of GENERAL DAN PIENAAR. Daniel (Dan) Hermanus Pienaar was born on 27.8.1893 on a farm near Ladybrand, but soon his family moved to a farm near Wakkerstroom in the Transvaal. When the Anglo-Boer War broke out his father and two elder brothers went on Commando, but his mother and all the younger children, including Dan, were taken to a concentration camp near Pietermaritzburg. As the result of a serious accident during play, Dan was hospitalised for a lengthy period at the Fort Napier military hospital. Here friendly contact with wounded British soldiers undoubtedly influenced him considerably in his personal attitude towards the British and towards soldiering as a career. Then his mother died. So great was Dan's attachment to her, that many years later he spent his first earnings on erecting a tombstone to her memory. After the war the family had become reunited at Wakkerstroom. Dan went to a farm school and did farm work. In 1911 he joined the Natal Police as a trooper. He was no horseman, but with determination he soon mastered this art. When the police established a gunnery section he was accepted as a gunner. His determination and single-mindedness was again shown when through illness, he missed three months out of a six month promotion course and was told he had no chance of qualifying. In the remaining time he caught up with the class and did qualify. In 1913 he transferred to the S.A. Mounted Riflemen when it became the Permanent Force, providing for five regiments, each with a permanent battery of artillery.
During WW I he served with the 2nd Battery S.A.M.R. in South West Africa, was promoted to Sergeant and joined the S.A. Field Brigade for service in East Africa. After a short break at Potchefstroom he rejoined the S.A. Field Artillery Brigade for service in Egypt, Palestine and Syria. He became a battery sergeant-major and, although a strict disciplinarian, he tempered his strictness with great kindness, which made him unusually popular with the men. During the next twenty years Pienaar attended many military courses. He served as a battery commander, senior instructor at the military college, staff officer at Defence Headquarters, Officer Commanding Free State Command, Transvaal Command and Wits Command.
When WW II broke out he was appointed to the command of the 1st S.A. Infantry Brigade. The campaign took him through Italian Somaliland, Abyssinia and Egypt. Promoted to Brigadier in 1940 he won the D.S.O. at El Wak. As commander he made a significant contribution to the daring and mobility and to the superiority in morale of his men. Space, unfortunately, does not permit to outline his many actions and exploits during the war in the desert, which saw him promoted to Major-General and being honoured by King George with the C.B.
He was on his way back to South Africa on some intermediate duties when his aircraft crashed into Lake Victoria where General Pienaar found an untimely, watery grave on 19.12.1942, having barely turned 50 years of age.
Fellow-member Major Darrell Hall expressed his appreciation, on behalf of the meeting, for the wealth of personal detail given about General Pienaar in Mrs Stephenson's talk and the tremendous amount of research which had gone into its preparation.
Supporting Item
At the commencement of the meeting Metro Goldwyn Hall had presented a most colourful episode from its 'Military Magazine' dealing with "The Changing of the Guard' (in this case the Horse Guards) and explaining the differences between the various Guards Regiments. This was greatly appreciated by the audience.
SIEGE DIARY NO. 7 - WILLIAM WATSON
The publishing of a further diary in the series was the highlight of the past year for the Ladysmith Histcrical Scciety. This publication may be ordered from the Society, Box 20 Ladysmith 3370, Tel. (0361) nnnnn (0) mmmmm(h) (Mr Norman Hearder, Chairman), at a Hon Members' price of R5,00 + Postage.
FUTURE EVENTS
NEXT MEETING
JUNE 14th Fellow-member BRIAN THOMAS will talk on "Thomasian Military Antecedents".
In addition to the above, Major Darrell Hall will present a short from the MGH series entitled "Regimental Heritage Part I (1716-1902) - The Story of the Royal Artillery in Paintings, Uniforms, Medals and Silver". (10 - 15 mins.)
The venue is the functions room, Westville North Library, 167 Blair Atholl Road, commencing at 19h45. Please bring jour own GLASS and bottled or canned refreshments. ICE will be supplied. FRIENDS AND INTERESTED PERSONS ARE WELCOME TO COME ALONG.
MODEL SOLDIERS
Fellow-member Major Alec Machin has passed on the information that 1st class, yet inexpensive, model soldiers may be obtained from Drumbeat Toy Soldiers Collectors' Series (J.M. Davis and V.M. Davis), Burmingham House, Mary st, PAINSWICK, Gloustershire, U.K. Telephone Painswick 81****.
(Mrs)Tania van der Watt
Secretary: Durban Branch
S.A. Military History Society
Box 870 Hillcrest 3650
Tel. 74mmmm