Talk:Deneys Reitz

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Untitled

I have removed the following elaboration, which does not appear in my 1929 copy of "Commando":

"Reitz thanked Vivian and indicated that he did not feel justified in taking them. Reitz recorded Vivian's reply:

"It's the fortunes of war, boy just the fortunes of war. You can't worry about such things, they just happen. If you don't take them, somebody else will. Besides, if I give them to you they will be a gift - which is better than loot"^[1]

This story has a sequel. In his introduction to the 1983 Jonathan Ball edition of Commando, Thomas Pakenham recounted the following story:

Forty years after the Battle of Elands River, in 1943, when Reitz was South African High Commissioner in London, he met Lord Vivian again. Vivan appeared at South Africa House in London, carrying a brown paper parcel, and was taken to Reitz's office. He told him that they had met before in less auspicious circumstances, and perhaps he would recognise what was in the parcel. He then placed on the desk Reitz's old Boer War Mauser rifle - with his name carved on the butt, and with all the scratches and cuts made by his knife when he had cut his biltong, still visible. Reitz was absolutely speechless. ^[2]

However, the rifle could not have been returned to him by Lord Vivian in 1943 as claimed because Vivian died in 1940!^[3]"

Reitz reports that he met Lord Vivian in London in 1935, on excellent terms, but the 1943 version of "No Outspan" which is open in front of me makes no mention of the rifle, nor does "Commando" (the 1929 version) report any direct speech between the two. I would also think it rather odd to leave prisoners of war with working weapons. In short, I suspect that the authentic story told by Reitz has been "improved" by subsequent authors. Referenced comments welcome! Richard Keatinge (talk) 21:34, 27 March 2010 (UTC)[reply]

References

^ Cite error: The named reference Commando was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Shearing, Taffy (2000). General Smuts and his long ride. Sedgefield: Anglo-Boer War Commemoration Cape Commando Series No 3. p. 248. ISBN 0-620-26750-X. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
^ Smith, RW (June 2004). "Modderfontein 17 September 1901". Military History Journal. 13 (1). Johannesburg: South African Military History Society. SA ISSN 0026-4016. Retrieved 30 April 2009. {{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

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[Commando-1] Cite error: The named reference Commando was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[2] Shearing, Taffy (2000). General Smuts and his long ride. Sedgefield: Anglo-Boer War Commemoration Cape Commando Series No 3. p. 248. ISBN 0-620-26750-X. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)

[3] Smith, RW (June 2004). "Modderfontein 17 September 1901". Military History Journal. 13 (1). Johannesburg: South African Military History Society. SA ISSN 0026-4016. Retrieved 30 April 2009. {{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

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