SORRY! John -----Original Message----- From: south-africa-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:south-africa-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Kevin and Lynette Sent: 12 December 2011 11:57 PM To: Johan; south-africa@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [SOUTH-AFRICA] camps/Bethulie You are discussing peoples lives and living conditions not a box of rotting apples. There is NEVER any excuse for mans inhumanity to man. One has got to stand for what is right and not place the blame on others. One man can change the world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How about 'SORRY'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Lynette from OZ -------------------------------------------------- From: "Johan" <morgenthal@amobia.co.za> Sent: Tuesday, December 13, 2011 1:09 AM To: <south-africa@rootsweb.com> Subject: Re: [SOUTH-AFRICA] camps/Bethulie > Hi John > Interesting about the Major, but perhaps you are a bit harsh on him. > Perhaps you should go to the Norval Family website where quite a bit is > recalled about the Bethulie (and Norvals Pont) concentration camp. > > http://www.norval-family.co.za/index.php/tt?showall=&limitstart= > > It seems that the Major was thrown into the deep end, and history did not > judge him kindly, although it must count against him that in contrast the > Norvals Pont camp was looked upon as a "model establisment". Firstly, so > it > seems to me, he was not an administrator to speak of (like, I suppose many > of the camp authorities). Secondly his staff was too small and > incompetent; > Thirdly his superiors seem to have been incompetent as well; Fourthly he > was > swamped by a human tidal wave that he could not accommodate with the > infrastructure at his disposal; Fithly, he was constantly without > sufficient > provisions and medical staff and medicines. No wonder the man virtually > gave up and let things go from bad to worse so that almost 2000 of 5000 > inmates died over a 13 month period of hunger, diseases and exposure to > atrocious weather conditions. > Regards > Johan Morgenthal > Stellenbosch > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "John Deare" <dearej@mweb.co.za> > To: <south-africa@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Monday, December 12, 2011 12:26 PM > Subject: Re: [SOUTH-AFRICA] camps/ WW1 POWs/ Zambia post ABW > > >> Have you heard of the 'Bastard of Bethulie' ? >> He was a man who had been a hero in earlier years in the Eastern Cape >> leading his troops from the Prince Alfred Guard in the notorious K Wars. >> I have read that he was instrumental in setting up a Rocket system to >> send >> lines to stricken ships during storms off Port Elizabeth. He is recorded >> as >> receiving a commendation for sending supplies to the survivors of Rorkes >> Drift. Then during The Anglo Boer war he was appointed as a Camp >> Commander >> at Bethulie where he was obviously unsuitable for the job. He had no >> knowledge or experience in handling civilians, their dietary requirements >> and establishing a sanitation system. Fortunately the Brits fired him and >> installed a new camp Supervisor who rectified the situation within weeks. >> His name? - Major Russell Deare......No relation. >> > [cut] > > > -- > I am using the free version of SPAMfighter. > We are a community of 7 million users fighting spam. > SPAMfighter has removed 57 of my spam emails to date. > Get the free SPAMfighter here: http://www.spamfighter.com/len > > The Professional version does not have this message > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > SOUTH-AFRICA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to SOUTH-AFRICA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message ----- No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2012.0.1873 / Virus Database: 2102/4676 - Release Date: 12/12/11