Page 16 - WW1 - 1915

Remembering Redditch Residents & WW1 Redditch Local History Society

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Birmingham Gazette – Saturday 30 January 1915

Boer General’s Signature on a Biscuit - Letter from Trooper Foley

Field– “I am now back from the rebellion after a very short period of service of rounding
the rebels up. The part of Africa where we caught De Wet is very dry and hot. A delay on
our part of another two hours, and he (De Wet) would have got away, with his staff to
German West Africa, which is only about thirty miles from Waterburg where he was caught.

“De Wet is a grim old fellow, and seems to take things quite easy. After we had got him to
Vryburg I was picked out as one of the escort to take him to Johannesburg with his staff. On
the way up I got a biscuit on which I got General De Wet to sign his name, also his staff.
When I got to Johannesburg, I showed it to several people, and |I could have sold it for any
money but would not.” Letter from Trooper Foley Field, of the South African Union Defence
Force, to his mother Mrs F. Field, Prospect Hill, Redditch.

(Christiaan Rudolph de Wet was born in 1854 and died in 1922. He had been a Boer soldier and statesman and
regarded by Afrikaner nationalists as one of the greatest heroes. In 1910 he had retired from politics and
settled on his farm, Allanvale near Memel. However when the First World War broke out De Wet opposed the
Prime Minister Botha’s decision to conquer German South West Africa, (Nambia) and organised a rebellion
which led to his capture at Waterburg. He was sentenced to 6 years imprisonment and a fine of £2000 which
was soon paid by voluntary contribution. Several influential people secured his release after 6 months.

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