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33-474: Deneysville was established in 1936 and named after Deneys Reitz , writer of Commando: A Boer Journal of the Boer War and son of former Orange Free State president Francis William Reitz . The dam has two names, Lake Deneys and Vaal Dam, with the latter being the official and most commonly used name. The town "Deneysville" however, established on the shores of the dam was named after him. The stone cottage on

66-584: A carriage window and climbing aboard" . During the initial phase of the War, he fought several battles, including the engagement at Surprise Hill ( Vaalkop ) and in the Boer victory at Spionkop . After a string of Boer defeats in set-piece warfare and the British capture of Pretoria , Reitz was one of the fighters who remained in the field. He joined General Smuts who decided to conduct guerrilla operations, not in

99-447: A dedicated premeasured charge was the solution to this problem. Since these were loaded prior to going into battle, the musketeer could take the time to accurately measure each charge. The bandolier was fitted with small wooden bottles called charges. The charges were recommended to be turned from a single piece of wood; a two-piece design (tube with a bottom) could come apart and metal charges make too much noise. The number of charges

132-445: A fashion similar to traditional bandoliers, albeit with a far more limited capacity. In World War I and World War II , bandoliers were issued primarily to riflemen . They were made of cloth, stitched into pockets which held clips of rifle ammunition. In civilian use, bandoliers are often worn by hunters and recreational shooters using shotguns . The Chetniks of World War II made heavy use of bandoliers, often carrying two over

165-401: A lead ball wrapped in paper. The bandolier then became a shoulder strap fitted to a bag or satchel wherein the cartridges could be carried. Eventually, any bag worn in the same style may also be described as a bandolier bag or possibles bag ; similarly, pocketed belts holding ammunition worn around the waist may also be called bandoliers. A somewhat different form of bandolier came into use in

198-518: A living convoying goods by ox-transport "hard work in dank fever-stricken forests and across mountains sodden with eternal rain" . In his spare time there he wrote Commando , dated 1903 but not published until 1929. On the advice of his wartime commander, Jan Smuts , he returned to South Africa in 1906. The malaria he had contracted in Madagascar had so severely affected his health that he collapsed unconscious upon his return to South Africa. He

231-497: A look at it. Soon, Reitz, who that morning had been wearing a grain-bag, riding a foundered horse, and carrying an old Gewehr 1888 rifle with only two rounds of ammunition left, was dressed in a cavalry tunic and riding breeches , with a superb mount , a Lee-Metford sporting rifle, and full bandoliers . Reitz reports that he met Lord Vivian again in London in 1935, on excellent terms. ( Thomas Pakenham , in his introduction to

264-859: A mounted regiment. On the Western Front during World War I he commanded the First Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers in 1918, after being wounded in late 1917 while serving with 6/7th Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers. He led his men to the Rhine after the Armistice , as detailed in his book Trekking On . He joined Smuts' South African Party , becoming the member of the House of Assembly of South Africa for Bloemfontein South, defeating Colin Steyn of

297-775: A period of exile in French Madagascar he returned to South Africa, where he became a lawyer and founded a major South African law firm. In the First World War he fought for the Union of South Africa against the German Empire , and then was an officer in the British Army, commanding several battalions. In later life he was a politician. Deneys Reitz was educated at Grey College, Bloemfontein . While in exile in Madagascar, he wrote about his experience of

330-449: A volumetric spout. The spout was calibrated to deliver the proper charge for the user's arquebus. With the advent of the heavy arquebus (later known as a musket) in the early 16th century, a spout large enough to measure the required powder was impractical. Furthermore, trying to double or triple charge from a flask was time consuming and could create a “missed” charge. A bandolier from whence would hang several little flasks each filled with

363-663: Is held at Lake Deneys Yacht Club. National Sea Rescue Institute Station 22 is located at Manten Marina in Deneysville. Free State Dumelang News Vaal Ster, Vaal Weekblad 2 October to 4 October 2013 Deneys Reitz Deneys Reitz (1882–1944), son of Francis William Reitz , was a Boer warrior who fought in the Second Boer War for the Boer Republics against the British Empire . After

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396-476: Is named after him. His law firm, Deneys Reitz Inc , became a leader in South Africa, and in 2011 merged with an international law firm. Three volumes of an autobiography: Also published in one volume: Other works: Bandolier A bandolier or a bandoleer is a pocketed belt for holding either individual cartridges , belts of ammunition or grenades . It is usually slung sash -style over

429-607: The Battle of Elands River , took place, with the Lancers being caught in a cross-fire and suffering heavy casualties. Stunned by the onslaught, the remaining Lancers put up a white flag . Reitz encountered Captain Sandeman, the Lancers' commander, and his lieutenant Lord Vivian among the wounded. In his book Commando , Reitz recounts how Lord Vivian pointed out his bivouac tent and told him it would be worth his while to take

462-724: The National Party by 101 votes in the first of their three contests for this seat. His principles during his political career included loyalty to General Smuts, loyalty to the British Empire as guarantor of South African freedom, and harmony between Dutch and English South Africans. He opposed the Ossewa Brandwag organisation, which planned to take control of South Africa as soon as Britain had been crushed. In 1920 he married Leila Agnes Buissiné Wright (Cape Town, 13 December 1887 - Cape Town, 29 December 1959). She

495-409: The 1983 Jonathan Ball edition of Commando , reports a more elaborate story. In this touching account, Vivian overcame Reitz's reluctance to take the spoils of victory, and presented Reitz's original rifle to him in London in 1943. As Vivian died in 1940 this is impossible. ) At the end of the war, after remarkable adventures, Smuts' commando had made itself a relatively comfortable base in the west of

528-513: The Cape Colony and was besieging the garrison of Okiep, Northern Cape . Reitz formed part of the negotiating delegation from his commando, given passage to meet the delegates from the other commandos still in the field. He reports that "nothing could have proved more clearly how nearly the Boer cause was spent than these starving, ragged men clad in skins or sacking, their bodies covered in sores, from lack of salt or food, and their appearance

561-690: The Field-Cornet's office said he was too young to fight and refused to enlist him. He met his father with the President of the Transvaal , Paul Kruger , who took him straight to the room of the Commandant-General Piet Joubert . Joubert personally handed him a new Mauser carbine and a bandolier of ammunition . He and one of his brothers then joined the Boer forces "by virtue of having thrown our belongings through

594-572: The Municipal buildings. There is an interesting exhibition of artifacts in the town's library which is situated behind the Municipal offices. It was inaccurately said the ruins were from the Khoisan, but the archaeological study proved that it was the Tswana-Sotho branch of Kwena and Fokeng and not the Khoisan that lived in the area. Many of these artifacts were saved prior to the flooding of

627-521: The Second Boer War (1899–1902). When it was eventually edited and published in 1929 as Commando: A Boer Journal of the Boer War , it still had the freshness and detail of an account written soon after the war. The account is unique in that he was present at virtually every major event of the war. At the age of 17, while visiting his father in Pretoria , at the start of the Second Boer War ,

660-480: The late 19th century that held modern metallic cartridges and hand grenades . Bandoliers are now less common due to the use of detachable magazines and belt-fed firearms, though extra ammunition belts are often carried around the body like a bandolier. They are, however, still often used with shotguns, hand grenades, and grenade launchers. Shotgun shells can easily be stored in traditionally designed bandoliers. In fact, some aftermarket shotgun slings are designed in

693-404: The number of charges varied between 8 and 16. Additionally, the bandolier would be fitted with a bullet pouch and a priming flask. It might also carry an oil flask for the lock mechanism, a match keeper, or other accessories. The evolution of a sparking type lock mechanism, such as the flintlock , paved the way for the development of paper cartridge containing a premeasured powder charge and

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726-575: The office of minister of agriculture and irrigation, later minister of agriculture. In 1939, he became Minister of Native Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister until 1943, when he was appointed as South African High Commissioner to London , where he served until his death in 1944. He is buried south of Mariepskop , approximately 10 km (6.2 mi) east of the Blyde River Canyon in Mpumalanga . The Free State town of Deneysville

759-455: The shoulder and chest, with the ammunition pockets across the midriff and chest. Though functionally similar, they are distinct from chest rigs, which are designed to hold magazines instead. By the late 15th century, the earliest viable handheld firearms in Europe were the arquebus fitted with a matchlock mechanism. The user kept his shot in a leather pouch and his powder in a flask with

792-426: The shoulder and two around the hip, using the latter as a holster for revolvers and daggers. Another modern use of a bandolier is for the automatic rifleman of a military fireteam . Since a squad automatic weapon is often belt-fed , an automatic rifleman will carry an extra belt on his person; either in a separate compartment or slung over the chest in bandolier fashion. The bandolier was used to keep ammunition off

825-599: The territories of the Boer republics, but in the Cape Colony . They faced immense difficulties, both from British forces and from nature, and when the majority did break through to the Cape they were on their last legs. On 17 September 1901, Smuts' commando encountered the 17th Lancers in the vicinity of Tarkastad . Smuts realised that the Lancers' camp was their one opportunity to re-equip themselves with horses, food and clothing. A fierce fight, subsequently to be known as

858-727: The valley and originate from the farm, Zandfontein, which is now an island in the middle of North Bay called Groot Eiland (or UJ Island, as the University of Jhb. has a 99-year lease over it). Deneysville, situated on the Free State side of the Vaal River , is the largest town on the Vaal Dam banks. There are four yacht clubs that hold regular sailing races at weekends. Two of the most known races are Keel Boat Week held at Deneysville Aquatic Club and Round The Island Yacht Race which

891-578: The waterfront which was originally built as a hunting lodge by the Reitz family, is now St. Peter's Church, and has become a popular wedding venue. The original village management board became a municipality and today falls under the large area council of Metsimaholo . The town was slow in developing until the turn of the century when it was rediscovered and is today a fast developing recreational center with many new holiday homes adding to permanent working and retired population. The waterfront along Waverley Road

924-483: Was a great shock to us, who came from the better-conditioned forces in the Cape." Reitz's father was among the signatories of the surrender, but only in his official capacity; he refused to sign himself and was given two weeks to settle his affairs in Pretoria before leaving the country. Deneys felt that he had to stand by his father and so also refused to sign. He left for Madagascar with his brother, where they eked out

957-588: Was a social reformer, an outspoken advocate of women's rights and suffrage for women, and the first woman member of the Assembly (representative for Parktown in Johannesburg, 1933–1944). On 3 August 1920, Steyn again stood against him in the same constituency. Reitz won again, this time with a majority of 141. In the general election of 1921, Reitz and Steyn contested Bloemfontein South once more. This time Steyn

990-524: Was declared a tourism node by Fezile Dabi district municipality in 2013 and is the start of the 'Lion Route'. In early stone-age times, the Tswana-Sotho had settled along the shore of the Vaal River, where Deneysville is established today. The Makgolokwe-a-Mafehleng (Bakgatla from Tabane) lived in the area from around 1836. The ruins of their stone dwellings can be seen in the area today opposite

1023-413: Was determined from the size of the musket, that is, the weight of the ball it fired. Each musketeer was issued a pound of lead from which they would cast their ammunition. For instance, if they had a 1⅓ ounce (583.1 gr (37.78 g)) musket ball, a pound of lead would provide them with 12 balls, hence, 12 charges. A “two-ouncer” would have eight charges. Throughout Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries,

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1056-761: Was nursed back to health over three years by Jan Smuts' wife, Isie. He then completed his studies and in 1908 in Heilbron began his successful career as a lawyer. In 1914 he helped Smuts suppress the Maritz Rebellion in the Orange Free State , and he served on Smuts' army staff in the "German West campaign" (in the German colony of German South West Africa ) and in the "German East campaign" (in German East Africa ) where he rose to command

1089-725: Was returned with a majority of 47. When the Smuts government fell in 1924, Reitz returned to his law practice. In subsequent years he visited the Kalahari , Kaokoveld , the Belgian Congo and Angola . His last book, No Outspan (1943), describes this period. The South African Party formed a coalition government with the National Party in 1933, next year establishing the United Party . In this government Reitz accepted

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