About this book
On Commando by Dietlof Van Warmelo plunges listeners into the grit, fear, and fierce loyalty of Boer fighters during the Second Boer War. Written in 1901 while Van Warmelo was a prisoner at Ahmednagar and translated from Dutch, this war stories memoir offers an intimate Afrikaner perspective often missing from British accounts.
Van Warmelo recounts life on commando with vivid eyewitness detail: the siege of Ladysmith, the eight-day struggle along the Tugela, skirmishes like Nooitgedacht and Paardekraal, guerrilla raids across the Magaliesberg, and the practical realities of camps, supply shortages, and narrow escapes. Themes of endurance, camaraderie, and the clash between conventional and irregular warfare run through the narrative, framed by historical figures such as President Steyn and Generals De Wet and Beyers. The book balances battlefield action with quieter scenes—refugee hardship, the flight of families, and the moral complexities of a people defending homeland and identity.
Ideal for listeners drawn to military history, classic war stories, and primary accounts of the Boer War, On Commando delivers a compelling, humane chronicle of guerrilla conflict and Afrikaner resolve that brings a crucial chapter of Southern African history to life.
