When I was in school all I ever learnt about the ABW was "Die donderse Ingelse het ons vroue en kinders vermoor" and nothing else. I was personally blamed on numerous occasions by my fellow pupils at the predominantly Afrikaans speaking high school I attended. Today I photograph the graves associated with the camps, so far having visited and photographed 5 of them, and strangely enough dont see any of those people who frothed at the mouth about the camps actually out there keeping the graves neat and tidy. The fact remains, that while it was a tragedy, it has tarnished relations between English and Afrikaans speakers since 1902 and is still a contentious subject and will continue to be so as long as there is still one Afrikaans molecule and one English molecule left in SA. and that is 0,2 cents worth. Derek. > > > >> Despite me getting all uppity earlier on this is proving fascinating and > >> I > >> shall look up those biographies and have a good read. I know little of > >> south african history; my father in law left New Zealand with a horse > >> contingent to fight in the Boer War and his diary is most interesting and > >> informative. He didn't write of the fighting, remember he was writing to > >> his Mum and by the time the letters got to her she would have been > >> frantic > >> with worry about it all...they are utterly charming and he mentions > >> Bulawayo > >> (where we lived eventually) and so on on his ride from Beira to Mafeking > >> and > >> beyond. His brother became a Policeman in that era in S.A. and his diary > >> too is really good reading chasing horse thieves etc and living > >> eventually > >> in Botswana as it is now. I have a photograph album of sketches of > >> folk > >> during that period very clever but not signed, and some photos of "Boer > >> families" but no names...then he wrote one on his Kalahari campaign in > >> WW1 > >> as by that time he had fallen in love with S.A. and settled in Sydney on > >> Vaal he rode through the desert to S.W.A - once again I have typed those > >> letters too and through them I know something about your history. > >> > >> I was educated in India so only knew about Indian history. Then we went > >> to > >> Rhodesia now Zimbabwe and children there these days only have terrorist > >> victory stuff...every country seems prejudiced from one angle only very > >> sad. > >> > >> Now I am off to see if the comprehensive Auckland History Library has > >> anything to help me > >> > >> Merry Christmas everyone > >> Jean in Auckland > >> > >