REITZ – DENEYS

Note:
DENEYS REITZ WAS THE FIFTH CHILD FROM PRESIDENT F.W. REITZ’S MARRIAGE TO BIANCA THESEN.  DENEYS WAS BORN AT KLIP RIVER, SWELLENDAM.  HE WAS THE THIRD MEMBER OF HIS FAMILY IN THREE GENERATIONS TO ENTER PUBLIC LIFE. SERVING IN THE ANGLO-BOER WAR, HAVING BEEN PRESENT AT MOST OF THE INITIAL MAJOR SET PIECE BATTLES, HE THEN JOINED THE COMMANDO OF GENERAL SMUTS.  ON THE WESTERN FRONT, DURING THE 1ST WORLD WAR, HE COMMANDED THE FIRST BATTALION ROYAL SCOTS FUSILIERS UNTIL HE WAS SEVERELY WOUNDED IN 1918. HE RETURNED TO ACTIVE SERVICE TO LEAD HIS MEN TO THE RHINE AFTER THE ARMISTICE. HE RETURNED TO SOUTH AFRICA AND AFTER QUALIFYING AS AN ATTORNEY, THREW IN HIS LOT WITH GENERAL SMUTS AND REMAINED ACTIVE IN NATIONAL POLITICAL AFFAIRS FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE. A MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR 13 YEARS, AND AS MINISTER OF LANDS HE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE VAAL AND HARTEBEESPOORT DAMS.  WHILE IN CABINET HE PLAYED A LEADING ROLE IN THE PASSING OF LEGISLATION THAT LED TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE KRUGER NATIONAL PARK.  HE ALSO HELD VARIOUS CABINET PORTFOLIO’S, BECOMING DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR.  FINALLY HE FILLED THE POLITICALLY SENSITIVE POST OF HIGH COMMISSIONER IN LONDON WITH GREAT SUCCESS – AS HIS UNCLE W.P. SCHREINER HAD DONE IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR – AND LIKE HIM, DIED THERE IN OFFICE.  DENEYS WROTE THREE AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL BOOKS – COMMANDO, TREKKING ON AND NO OUTSPAN.  IN NO OUTSPAN HE DESCRIBES THE PURCHASE OF A FARM, SANDRINGHAM, VERY CLOSE TO THE KRUGER NATIONAL PARK.  DENEYS DIED AT THE AGE OF 62,  AND HIS ASHES WERE RETURNED TO SOUTH AFRICA AND BURIED AT MAGALE, MARIEPSKOP, ON THE SLOPES OF THE DRAKENSBERG ESCARPMENT, OVELOOKING SANDRINGHAM, 10KM EAST OF THE BLYDE RIVER, IN THE EASTERN TRANSVAAL  (NOW MPUMALANGA).  THE GRAVE AND MEMORIAL GPS POINTS SOURCED FROM WIKIPEDIA ARE – S24°33.56  E30° 53.37