MEDALS AND DECORATIONS MAJOR H. S. PRETORIUS; D.T.D.; D.S.O. REBELLION IN THE NORTHERN CAPE: OCTOBER 1914 Hendrik Stephanus Pretorius was a close and personal supporter of General Louis Botha. During the Anglo-Boer war he served on his personal staff and was deployed by General Botha to assist during the 1914 rebellion and was sent to the Northern Cape. His medal application for his Anglo-Boer war medals confirms that he was a captain and adjutant on the staff of General Louis Botha. This appointment was described as being very dangerous and required men with initiative who were able to serve as scouts and despatch riders taking Botha’s orders through enemy occupied territory to the leaders of his various Commandos. Serving closely with Botha in the field Pretorius fought in Natal, the Orange Free State and the Transvaal. Pretorius was wounded near Ermelo but stayed in field until the end of the war. He formed the “Pretorius’ Calvinia Commando” after the outbreak of the Rebellion in the Northern Cape. H.S. Pretorius took command of one of the fragmented sections of the Calvinia commando on the 14th of October 1914. He commanded the unit until the 31st of January 1915 and officially left to join the staff of Colonel J.L, van Deventer on the 1st of February 1915. Pretorius was in Upington when Maritz and his rebel forces attacked the town. The rebels were defeated and in the ensuing chase the Maritz’s men suffered an embarrassing defeat. He later served as the Staff Captain of the Southern Force during the German South West Africa campaign. For his service in the campaign he was mentioned in Despatches “for distinguished service in the field”. Major Pretorius was awarded the British Distinguished Service Order(D.S.O.) which therefore made him one of a very few select officers to be awarded both the prestigious awards of the British and the Boer equivalent called the Dekoratie Voor Trouwe Dienst (D.T.D.). “Had it not been for this officer who was a highly trained staff officer my task in the North Western Districts of the Cape Province would have been of the utmost difficulty. I recommend him for special recognition.” D.S.O. RECOMMENDATION: AWARDED: 5th SUPPLEMENT LONDON GAZETTE 22 AUGUST 1918 “Outstanding and varied service on the staff of the commanding general”. D.T.D. RECOMMENDATION: AWARDED IN 1921
Posted on: Thu, 09 Oct 2014 13:24:25 +0000
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