http://www.eggsa.org/library/main.php Photo's of memorials available on above eGGSA link
People in camp
People who died in this camp
were forced to evacuate the town shortly after their arrival, when they returned they found the disruptions had created a substantial refugee population for which they had to provide. A camp was probably established quite early; certainly it was in existence by October 1900. A black camp was probably created alongside the white camp, although little is known about it.
The camp, which had been run by Mr Duncan under the supervision of the military, was turned over to civilian administration in February 1901. At that point there were over 4,000 inmates, about half in tents and the other half living in the town. Some had started to build reed houses with tarpaulins for roofs. An Afrikaner burgher, Mr Jacob Swart, was appointed superintendent. By March the camp had risen to over 5,500 inmates. When Dr Kendal Franks visited the camp in August 1901, he noted that the camp was divided into four, with a water furrow, which supplied both the camp and town, winding its way through the middle. As late as this there were still 3,651 people living in the town on rations, in addition to the 5,000 camp people, making this a very large camp.1
Throughout the life of Potchefstroom camp accommodation seems to have been a problem. Not only was there always a shortage of tents but the quality of the canvas seems to have been exceptionally bad. New stocks, often rotten themselves, were used only to replace those which had disintegrated entirely. As the Potchefstroom residents began to return to the town in April 1902, pressure on lodgings increased since a large number of camp people still lived in the vacated houses. The new superintendent, Mr R. Duncan, insisted that those on rations live in the camp but a number opted to fend for themselves and remain in the town, ‘thus proving that they were able to sustain themselves’, he noted. Still, as late as May 1902, at the end of the war, there were over 1,000 camp inmates living in Potchefstroom town.2
In August 1901 the camp was moved to a new site on sloping ground with better drainage. At the same time, people were continually moving in and out. In September there were over 600 new arrivals. Superintendent Swart had hoped to house them all in the camp but the tents he received were too worn to use and many people still had to live in the town. At the same time, the deportation to Natal of families whose men were still on commando, began. They went quietly, Swart reported, some even coming to say goodbye and expressing their gratitude for what had been done for them http://www2.lib.uct.ac.za/mss/bccd/Histories/Potchefstroom/
Blue names Geni Profiles
Black names Not on Geni Yet
- Mrs Alfred Ayres, Unique ID. 136312
- Camp History; Johannesburg RC 09/12/1900 -Date departure: 22/07/1902
- Reason departure:transferred to Potchefstroom RC
- Tent number:RT 248 T B5
- Farm History:Kaalfontein / Kalfontein / Kalkfontein, Potchefstroom
- Johannes Celliers, Unique ID 47298
- Camp History:Johannesburg RC 25/02/1901 - 02/07/1902
- Reason departure:transferred, Potchefstroom RC. Ten number:RT 897; T F9
- Farm History: Driefontein, Potchefstroom.
- Christina Elizabeth Margaretha Joubert 1896
- Henrietta Cornelia Christina Wilhelmina Joubert 1898
- Isabella Elizabeth Joubert 1895
- Susanna Catharina Snyman
- David Benjamin Snyman
- Aletta Elizabeth Snyman
- Johannes Jacobus Snyman
- Catharina Dorothea Snyman
They died in Potchefstroom Camp
- Johanna Fredericka Ackerman(3.2 years) died of a whooping cough
& bronchitis Unique ID NO 9949
- Bekker, Albertus Jacobus Johannes (82) died of hepatic disease and heart failure
- Unique ID 3015
Farm History: Sterkstroom Ventersdorp
- Petrus Philippus Potgieter (80.7 years)
How to Participate
If you have an ancestor who was in the ABW Potchefstroom Concentration Camp:
- Get yourself added as a collaborator
- Navigate to your ancestor's profile
- Under the "More Actions" link choose "Add to Project"
- Select the ABO ===Potchefstroom ===" project
How to add a link is explained in the attached document - Adding links to Geni profiles to projects.
- Include in the "About Me" section of each person a brief biographical sketch of their lives. Also include their Settler party and ship name and arrival date if known
- Include a photograph/painting of your ancestor if one exists.
- Your ancestor's profiles should be marked as "public" and not "private".
- All included profiles should include full identifying information including birth and death dates as well as birth and death locations. It would also be very helpful if the immediate family of your pioneer ancestor, (their parents, siblings and children) profiles were public profiles also.
- Do not make public any profiles of living people.
NOTE: All POW included on this project will have their profiles editable by other geni.com collaborators of this project. The object of reproducing the list here is to see if these people can be located on Geni and perhaps develop trees from them. To take part in any project - you do need to first be a collaborator - so join the project. See the discussion Project Help: How to add Text to a Project - Starter Kit to get you going!