ERNEST HAMILTON-BETHUNE’S MOUNTED INFANTRY
| Where: SCHEEPERS NEK NEAR VRYHEID Date Unveiled: 13th MAY 2013 Unveiled By: ROBIN SMITH GPS: S27° 51.021 E30° 40.043 |
Assisted By: DAVID SCHOLTZ Construction: SOUTH AFRICAN GRANITE Interest: ANGLO-BOER WAR 1899-1902 Brief Reason: AN INTERESTING CONNECTION BETWEEN BROTHERS WHO PERISHED IN THE WAR |
Note: The construction of the memorial was organised by David Scholtz. This is his story:-
SOME YEARS AGO, A VANDALISED GRAVE, WAS PHOTOGRAPHED IN THE PRESIDENT BRAND CEMETERY IN BLOEMFONTEIN. THE GRAVE MARKER HONOURED KENNETH, WHO DIED IN BLOEMFONTEIN, AND ERNEST, KILLED IN ACTION AT VRYHEID, SONS OF MAJOR BRAMSTON HAMILTON, R.A. THE GRAVE CONTAINED THE WORDS – THEY WERE LOVELY AND PLEASANT IN THEIR LIVES, AND IN THEIR DEATH THEY WERE NOT DIVIDED. ERNEST WAS A MEMBER OF BETHUNE’S MOUNTED INFANTRY, WHEN KILLED AT THE BATTLE OF SCHEEPERS NEK. TWO HAMILTON BROTHERS DIED DURING THE ANGLO-BOER WAR, AND A THIRD ONE DIED SHORTLY AFTER THE WAR ENDED, WHEN STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. IT WAS DECIDED TO REPLICATE THE BLOEMFONTEIN GRAVE WITH ONE CONSTRUCTED OF SOUTH AFRICAN GRANITE AND TO PLACE IT WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE SCHEEPERS NEK MEMORIAL
