VANDELEUR – FOSTER SEYMOUR

Medal:
LIEUT-COL VANDELEUR TOOK PART IN THE NANDI EXPEDITION OF 1895-1896, WAS MENTIONED IN DESPATCHES AND AWARDED THE D.S.O (SOURCE – DOONER)
Note:
THE CONTROVERSIAL INCIDENT THAT LED TO THE DEATH OF LIEUT-COLONEL VANDELEUR IS DESCRIBED IN THE BOOK ‘TREINVERNIELERS” BY TIAN SCHUTTE AND PEET COETZEE PAGES 253-259
A FURTHER DESCRIPTION OF THE DERAILMENT OF THE TRAIN BY JACK HINDON AND HIS MEN IS GIVEN BY COLONEL F.I. MAXE IN HIS BOOK “SEYMOUR VANDELEUR” PUBLISHED IN 1906, AND IS AS FOLLOWS  “THE MINE EXPLODED BENEATH THE ENGINE – OVERTURNING IT AND THE ARMOURED CARRIAGE.  AT THE SAME INSTANT A FIERCE MUSKETRY FIRE WAS POURED INTO EVERY PART OF THE TRAIN BEFORE ITS OCCUPANTS COULD SEIZE THEIR RIFLES. BOTH THE LADIES WERE WOUNDED.  VANDELEUR IN THE ADJOINING COMPARTMENT, SPRANG FROM HIS SEAT AND RUSHED INTO THE CORRIDOR, SHOUTING AS LOUD AS HE COULD – LADIES AND MEN, LIE DOWN FLAT- WHEN HE REACHED THE DOOR TO GET OUT OF THE CARRIAGE AND TAKE COMMAND OF THE MEN, HE WAS CONFRONTED BY A BOER NAMED UYS WITH A LOADED RIFLE AT HIS SHOULDER, AND WAS INSTANTLY SHOT DEAD AT TWO YARDS’ RANGE”.  COLONEL MAXE WAS VERY CRITICAL OF HINDON AND HIS GANG, AND BRANDED THEM AS MURDERERS AND ROBBERS.
LIEUTENANT COLONEL VANDELEUR HAD BEEN SELECTED BY KITCHENER TO REPLACE LT.-COL HAROLD GRENFELL AS COMMANDER OF THE FORCE OPERATING FROM NYLSTROOM, AND WAS ON HIS WAY THERE WHEN HIS TRAIN WAS DERAILED.  OBSERVERS HAD BEEN SENT AHEAD OF THE TRAIN AT THE PARTICULAR CUTTING AND THEY ATTEMPTED TO WARN THE TRAIN DRIVER OF THE DANGER AHEAD, BUT HE EITHER IGNORED THEM, OR COULD NOT UNDERSTAND THEM, AND SO CARRIED ON,  WITH THE CONSEQUENCE BEING THE TRAIN DERAILMENT. THERE IS A PLAQUE AT THE PETRONELLA GARDEN OF REMEMBRANCE LISTING THE NAMES OF THE MEN KILLED IN THE INCIDENT, WITHOUT MENTIONING LIEUT. COLONEL VANDELEUR, WHO WAS SUBSEQUENTLY BURIED IN THE CHURCH STREET, PRETORIA, CEMETERY.