Wepener siege account and medal roll
Authors: Biggins, D. and Biggins, A.
Publisher: Token Publishing Ltd
Abstract:The siege of Wepener took place in 1900, at the height of the Second Boer War. As the British advance into the Orange Free State ground to a halt following a series of stunning Boer victories under their masterful tactician Christiaan De Wet, a small group of Colonial troops under Colonel E H Dalgety found themselves besieged near the town of Wepener. Two weeks of intense fighting would follow during which the heavily outnumbered defenders managed to hold out against De Wet’s superior forces, and in doing so they brought an end to the Boer’s run of success and good fortune.
The book covers two aspects of this dramatic conflict. First, the authors recount the events prior to and during the siege, and the strategic impact these had on the course of the Second Boer War. Second, a comprehensive roll of 1,939 individuals involved in the fighting, and who were to receive the ‘Wepener’ clasp for the Queen’s South Africa Medal. The authors’ exploration of the siege is complemented by numerous photographs, maps and personal accounts from those involved, in order for the reader to understand and visualise the crucial individuals and events of those gruelling, hard-fought days in April 1900.
Source: Manual