David Stephanus was die seun van Albert van der Westhuizen en Louisa Susanna Fourie.
Sy naam kom voor in hulle pa se sterfkennis van 1858.
Kroonstad was surely one of the most unattractive camps in the entire system. When Lucy Deane of the Ladies Committee visited the town in October 1901, she thought it a hideous place. In fact, she added, it wasn’t a ‘place’, merely a railway centre and storage depot for military supplies, with ‘acres of bags of meal etc. covered with sail-cloth’. ‘The rest is wide dusty tracks with spotty Camps of various “Corps” of sorts, a tent Hospital, tin shanties, a few seedy Bungalows and Wesleyan-Church-looking place, the whole enveloped in a permanent cloud of dust made worse by the incessant galloping to and fro of men on horse-back’. She was not the only one to form such an unfavourable impression of the town, for a reporter from the Bloemfontein Post admitted that the dust was unbearable. But the position of Kroonstad as a railway and supply centre was to have a major impact on the camp, for such distribution points have always been important for the dissemination of disease. The troops, who lingered in Kroonstad for some time between the fall of Bloemfontein and the march on Pretoria, brought typhoid with them, while their followers, ranging from labourers to prostitutes, probably harboured other infectious diseases. (
Kroonstad camp was most likely formed fairly early since General Kelly-Kenny suggested on 7 September 1900 that a camp be created there, to protect loyal farmers from the Boers. Already in 1900 a number of farms had been burnt, leading to a substantial influx of homeless families into the town. By 24 November 1900 it is clear that a camp had been formed. The village of Reitz was evacuated on 20 January 1901 and Lindley was probably emptied about the same date. By the end of March 1901 Kroonstad camp was already fairly large, with over 2,500 inmates. (https://www2.lib.uct.ac.za/mss/bccd/Histories/Kroonstad/)
The camp was divided into two parts, with 365 people from the Lindley district on the south side of the Valsch River and the remaining 1,200 on the north side. Flooding cut off the Lindley people completely, making it impossible to feed them. Inspector Daller visited Kroonstad camp in April 1901 and he thought the Lindley camp was ‘prettily placed’; it was an ideal spot for a ‘pleasure vamp’. He was not surprised that the families did not want to move, for they had put in hard floor, and built themselves kitchens and ovens. They were, he considered, a ‘better class’ than the people on the north bank. Breaking up their homes would only cause unhappiness. But the situation was impossible and the Lindley people were transferred across the river. (https://www2.lib.uct.ac.za/mss/bccd/Histories/Kroonstad/)
From the first Kroonstad lacked accommodation as Boer families poured in. Nutrition was also critical and it was months before the camp authorities admitted that the ration scale, based on military rations and scaled down for women, children and men who were not performing hard labour, was inadequate. Only twelve passes a day were issued so people could not get into town to buy food, clothing or do business. The length of stay in Kroonstad camp also took its toll. By August 1901 the MO was reporting cases of scurvy and it was decided to issue lime juice to inmates who had been in the camp for more than six months. (https://www2.lib.uct.ac.za/mss/bccd/Histories/Kroonstad/)
All these conditions ensured that infectious diseases would spread rapidly and hit hard. And epidemics struck early for many of the first arrivals were in a bad way. By the end of February 1901 there were already forty patients in the camp hospital, twenty-seven of whom had enteric and the first medical report makes it clear that this was initially the major health hazard. But measles had also struck as early as March 1901 and diphtheria was common as well. (https://www2.lib.uct.ac.za/mss/bccd/Histories/Kroonstad/)
The two doctors spelt out the problems very clearly but their warnings fell largely on deaf ears in these early months. They were particularly concerned about the food provided for the sick children, which was unsuitable for those suffering from digestive difficulties, arising from typhoid, measles and diarrhoea. Food was not the only problem. In his report for March 1901 Dr van der Wall commented on the overcrowding in the tents. Exposed to excessive heat during the day, and excessive cold at night, not to mention the fact that many of the tents were not waterproof, it was not surprising that the young and the old suffered. Gradually the number of trained nurses was increased. (https://www2.lib.uct.ac.za/mss/bccd/Histories/Kroonstad/)
Although the first epidemic was partially contained, by July 1901 a second wave was attacking the camp. After he had visited the camp in early August, Goold Adams reported to Lord Kitchener that the epidemic had been fuelled by 800 people, brought in from Graspan, near Reitz, six weeks ago. They were already suffering from measles which ‘spread like wildfire’. General Knox also took an interest in the problem, recommending a convalescent camp, since the children often died after they had been discharged from hospital. (https://www2.lib.uct.ac.za/mss/bccd/Histories/Kroonstad/)
At the end of October 1901, the water, drawn from the Valsch River was muddy and inadequate, with each inmate allowed a gallon a day. The latrine pails were filthy and the seats were too high for the children. On the other hand the terrible overcrowding of the early days had disappeared and the bell tents now averaged three people to a tent. The shops, of which there were seven, were reasonably well stocked. Passes were still issued reluctantly, 10 a day for women but those whose men were on commando were not allowed passes. Nor were they allowed to buy food in the town, partly because there was so little available for the townspeople. (https://www2.lib.uct.ac.za/mss/bccd/Histories/Kroonstad/)
By 1902, then, life in Kroonstad camp had improved considerably, although there were always some problems running a camp in wartime. In the winter of 1902 the problems of meat supply recurred in all the camps, including Kroonstad. It was poor, tough and inferior to the frozen meat they had been getting. At the end of the war, when the families had to be repatriated, Kroonstad became the holding camp for the area, taking in people from Vredefort Road when that camp was closed. Relief works were set up at Strydfontein nearby to provide for destitute families with no home or work to return to. Widows and orphans were sent onto Brandfort. Nevertheless, the camp was still in existence in January 1902. The last people were finally moved out on 4 February 1903, although the formal report stated that Kroonstad camp was closed on 12 January. (https://www2.lib.uct.ac.za/mss/bccd/Histories/Kroonstad/)
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Personal Details
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Name:
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D S van der Westhuizen
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Born in
camp?
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No
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Place of
death:
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Kroonstad RC
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Age
died:
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55 years
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Died in
camp?
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Yes
|
|
Cause of
death:
|
ziekte
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Race:
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white
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|
Nationality:
|
Transvaal
|
|
Unique
ID:
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21725
|
|
Camp History
|
|
|
Name:
|
Kroonstad
RC
|
|
Farm History
|
|
|
Name:
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Schoongezicht
|
|
District:
|
Heidelberg
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|
Sources
|
|
|
Title:
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RS 27
Transvaal DL
|
|
Type:
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Death lists
|
|
Location:
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National Archives, Pretoria
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|
Reference
No.:
|
RS 27
|
|
Notes:
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p.472
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Surname
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VAN DER WESTHUIZEN
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Name
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David S.
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Age
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55
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Address
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dist Heidelberg , ward Zuikerboschrand
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Commando
|
Heidelberg
|
Battle
|
Schoongezicht,
|
Buried
|
|
Ref ID
|
3332
|
06. Plaque with list of names
eGGSA library Gravestones in South Africa Gauteng Gauteng, HEIDELBERG, Urban area Gauteng, HEIDELBERG, Laer Volkskool, Burgher Memorial 06. Plaque with list of names
