Nongqai Vol 11 No 11B (Special Edition: Major Scherman - It's in the Blood) by Hennie Heymans, Nongqai Publications

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Publisher | Uitgewer The Nongqai is compiled by S.A. Police Brigadier (Ret) Hennie Heymans (HBH) and this e-magazine is published on ISSUU. Hennie lives in Pretoria, RSA. He is passionate about our police-, military- and national security history and holds a MA Degree in National Strategic Studies. Any opinions expressed by him, are entirely his own.

Die Nongqai word saamgestel deur brigadier Hennie Heymans (HBH) (S.A. Polisie afgetree), en word as ‘n etydskrif op ISSUU gepubliseer. Hennie woon in Pretoria, RSA. Hy is passievol oor ons polisie-, militêre- en nasionale veiligheidsgeskiedenis en het 'n MAGraad in Nasionale Strategiese Studies verwerf. Enige menings wat hy uitspreek, is uitsluitlik sy eie.

Aim | Doel Our goal is to collect and record our national security history for publication in the Nongqai for future generations.

Ons doel is om die nasionale veiligheidsgeskiedenis in die Nongqai aan te teken en so vir die nageslagte bewaar.

We publish the articles and stories as we receive them from our correspondents; we only correct the spelling mistakes. It's important to publish the stories in the form and context as we receive them from our correspondents. Policemen and defence personnel have their own language and the have their own sub-culture. We are not a scientific or literary journal. We only work with historical building blocks.

Ons gebruik die artikels en stories soos ons dit van ons korrespondente ontvang; ons maak slegs die spelfoute reg. Dis belangrik om die stories te bewaar in die vorm en in die konteks soos ons dit ontvang. Lede van die veiligheidsmagte het hul eie taal en ons moet dit ook so aanteken. Ons is nie ‘n letterkundige of wetenskaplike joernaal nie. Ons werk slegs met die boustene van geskiedenis.

Policy | Beleid

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www.samirror.com/nongqai |

FEATURE ARTICLE: Its In The Blood: PAGE 6

2 ADMINISTRASIE | ADMINISTRATION 3 FOREWORD | VOORWOORD Prof Ian van der Waag. 6 FEATURE ARTICLE Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s In The Blood: Major JP Scherman 28 COPIES: DOCUMENTS & PHOTOS 44 POW CAMPS Stalag VII A 63 POW CAMPS Stalag VIII B 66 BASIC CV: MAJ JP SCHERMAN 79 AFTERWORD Major JP Scherman SA Army College 2012

80 INDEMNITY & COPY RIGHT | VRYWARING & KOPIEREG

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Foreword by Prof I van der Waag

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Its In The Blood Major Jean-Pierre Scherman, School of Armour, Tempe Military Base, Bloemfontein

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Copies of Documents, photographs and illustrations

Gravestone in Prieska North Cape of T.H. Scherman and M.J. Haasebroek, the parents of Constables T.H. Scherman and H.J. Scherman who served together in 2nd SA Division. NONGQAI VOL 11 NO 11B SPECIAL EDITION 2020

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Christening Register of the NG Church Stellenbosch of the first Scherman born in Africa, Joel Johannes Scherman 31 December 1797, son of Frans Scherman of Wurtzburg German and Catherine Mossher of Copenhagen Denmark. NONGQAI VOL 11 NO 11B SPECIAL EDITION 2020

Constable Sonnekus

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Above: HL Sonnekus Certificate 1914-15 Star (Trooper SAMR: No 2364)

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No 8941 (M) Const HL Sonnekus SAP 60: Patrol Report on the day he died on duty

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No 19254 RH Sonnekus

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HJ Sherman HJ Scherman with friends 15 Dec 1940

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HJ Scherman Uniform Profile

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HJ Scherman at Camp 1940

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HJ Scherman at Camp 1940

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HJ Scherman Dugout NONGQAI VOL 11 NO 11B SPECIAL EDITION 2020

POW Camps: Stalag VII A

Barracks. View from the east watchtower NONGQAI VOL 11 NO 11B SPECIAL EDITION 2020

Above: Barracks. View from the main watchtower Below: Barracks. View from the southeast watchtower

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Above: Barracks. View from the southwest watchtower Below: Burrow

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Above: Camp kitchen Below: Camp street (now SudentenlandstraÃ&#x;e). View from the main watchtower

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Above: Construction site. View from the South Watchtower Below; Delivery of potatoes for the Stalag (Thalbacher Strasse, 1944)

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Above: Delousing barrack. View from the southwest watchtower Below: East fence and east watchtower. View from the southeast watchtower

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Above: Entrance of the camp Below: Hospital and southwest watchtower. View from the south watchtower

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Main watch tower NONGQAI VOL 11 NO 11B SPECIAL EDITION 2020

Main watchtower and entrance to the camp NONGQAI VOL 11 NO 11B SPECIAL EDITION 2020

Northeast fence and northeast watchtower. View from the east watchtower NONGQAI VOL 11 NO 11B SPECIAL EDITION 2020

Sewer pipes, tents of prisoners of war. View from the south watchtower NONGQAI VOL 11 NO 11B SPECIAL EDITION 2020

West fence and main watchtower. View from the southwest watchtower.

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West fence and main watchtower. View from the southwest watchtower NONGQAI VOL 11 NO 11B SPECIAL EDITION 2020

Above: Southwest fence. View from the south watchtower Below: Tents and barracks. View from the southeast watchtower

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Above: Tents of the prisoners of war. View from the south watchtower Below: West Fence and Southwest Watchtower - Moosburg in the background. View from the main

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Above: West Fence and Southwest Watchtower - Moosburg in the background. View from the main Below: Administration and main watchtower. View from the southwest watchtower

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Above: Baracken der Wachmannschaft des Stalag VIIA 4 Below: Stalag vii A

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Above: A photo of Stalag VII A, c1945. The camp area is marked by a white line (Jim Huddleston). Below: Mignonette Flowers (Sonny and Yvonneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s daughter, the authorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mother Mignonette, was born on 14 April 1952. Sonny had decided on her name while he was a prisoner of war in Germany. Wild Reseda or Mignonette flowers grew in the fields that surrounded his camp and provided some colour and delight to an otherwise bleak existence.)

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StalagVII-A ID-tag

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POW Camp: Stalag VIII B Lamsdorf

German WWII prison of war camp money NONGQAI VOL 11 NO 11B SPECIAL EDITION 2020

Stalag POW-camp

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Basic Curriculum Vitae for Jean-Pierre Scherman Born on 19 May 1974 in Saint Mary’s Women’s Hospital in Springs, East of Johannesburg Matriculated in 1992 from West Ridge High School in Roodepoort, West of Johannesburg. Joined the South African Defence Force (SADF) on 6 January 1993 and was first posted to 1 Special Service Battalion (1SSB) and then transferred to the Tank Wing, School of Armour where I completed Basic Training. After Basic Training was accepted onto the Junior Leaders (JL’s) Program at the School of Armour. Completed JL’s on the Eland 90 Armoured Car and was promoted to the rank of Corporal in October 1993. Joined the SADF on a year two contract (1994-1995). Was transferred to Delta Squadron, 1SSB as an Eland Armoured Car Troop Sergeant an immediately deployed with Delta Squadron on active service for the next 14 months. The Squadron as part of the SADF’s 1994 General Election safety guarantee deployed to Queenstown, the Rand, the Ciskei and the Transkei. In November 1994 attended and was accepted onto the SANDF’s Officer Selection Program. Joined the SANDF Permanent Force. January to April 1995 attended the Junior Officers Formative Course at the SA Army College in Pretoria. Received my commission as a Second Lieutenant in the SANDF from President Nelson Mandela in April 1995. Returned to 1SSB as a Troop Commander, where I was posted to the first Non Statutory Force Training Squadron that the SA Armoured Corps was accepting. In 1997 still as a Troop Commander, deployed down to the Natal Midlands with Echo Squadron 1SSB as part of a SANDF-SAPS anti-crime initiative. Over next six months my Troop of 40 soldiers along with members of the Ladysmith Firearms Unit hunted illegal weapons all over the Midlands. At the end of our tour of duty we were awarded an SAPS Ladysmith Firearms Unit Commendation for assisting in the recovery of more than 50 weapons, including a Russian Light Machine-Gun, Sniper Rifle, numerous AK47 Assault Rifles and countless rounds of ammunition.

Echo Squadron 1SSB, deployed down to the Macadamia Base along the Mozambique border. The Squadron became responsible for patrolling the RSA-Mozambique border from the Kruger National Park up to Swaziland. In September 1998, as part of Operation Boleas, the SADC intervention into Lesotho, Echo Squadron in Ratel 90 Fighting Vehicles led the assault into Lesotho and was assigned the subjection of the Royal Lesotho Defence Force Headquarters at the Rajimotse Military Base as its objective (considered the most heavily defended objective). Once the base was in SANDF hands the Squadron was rapidly transferred across Maseru to the Makonyane Base which had resisted the efforts of members from 1 Parachute Battalion, resulting in own forces casualties. By nightfall, after effectively deploying its 90mm Main Guns for the first time since the end of the Angolan Border War, Makonyane fell to the Squadron. The Squadron only suffered three casualties during the days fighting. Unfortunately, I was one of them, being wounded by gunfire during the mission at Rajimotse. I was casevaced by Helicopter from Maseru to 3 Military Hospital Bloemfontein. After 5 weeks in hospital I was discharged and returned 24 hours later back to Maseru. For my actions during the mission I was mention in despatches to the President. In 2000 I was transferred as a Captain to 1 South African Tank Regiment, where I was posted to the MAN 40-440 Tank Transporter Squadron, firstly as its Second in Command and from 2001 as its commander. In October 2002 I deployed with 46 SA Brigade to the Republic of Burundi as an Operations Officer as part of the AU/UN mission to that country. In May 2003 I was promoted to the rank of Major and posted to the School of Armour as a Military Officer Instructor. As a Major I have commanded various training branches and have also been posted as a Training Wing Second in Command here at the School of Armour. In September 2019, I successfully registered to complete a PhD in Military Science at the Faculty of Military Science in Saldanha, Stellenbosch University. In December 2020 I will report to the Fac-

In January 1998, as the Second in Command of NONGQAI VOL 11 NO 11B SPECIAL EDITION 2020

(Continued on page 67)

(Continued from page 66)

ulty in Saldanha as a Military University Lecturer, my new assignment.

Photo Credits Photos of Stalag VII A from 1939-40 when the camp was being built. All photos are from: http://www.moosburg.org/info/stalag/indeng.html Photo: ID tag as worn by POWs. Name and service number are on the brown disc. Brian Jenkins, CC BY-SA 3.0, https:// commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php? curid=17267739 Barrack 3 of the guard of Stalag VII-A in 2013

CREDIT: Lou.gruber - Own work, CC0, https:// commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php? curid=25361462 Aerial Photo of Stalag VII-A CREDIT: https://alchetron.com/Stalag-VIIA#stalag-vii-a-7110ac2e-2c03-422d-b6a3afc7c45cedb-resize-750.jpg

Some certificates

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Some Photographs of maj Scherman

Corporal JP Scherman (1994)

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Lieutenant JP Scherman (1997) Maj JP Scherman (2017): Major JP Scherman and student (Major Diego Lorenzoni - Brazilian Armoured Corps) when latter was student on the SA Armoured Corps Squadron Commanders Program, School of Armour, Tempe, Bloemfontein in 2017.

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Major JP Scherman, SA Army Combat Training Centre (2009)

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Conclusion by HBH

It has indeed been a special privilege to be involved in this “Police Brigade”-project where the lives of three fighting policemen were examined. The Major says its all in the blood! Well this is what the best South African steel, guts, is made of!! I had the honour to be trained and serve with former members of the Police Brigade. The fathers of some of my friends were in the Police Brigade, e.g. Lt WA Wessels. I have been privileged to have chronicled their history - here I think of the

RSM of 1SAP, (General) LG Snyman, the RSM of 2SAP (WO) Fred Geldenhuis and many more. One of our members of the Police Brigade, Const Gold, was murdered by the Nazis in the Lamsdorf POW camp. Nongqai has published several Special Nongqai’s on the Police Brigade. One can only salute their memories, lest we forget. We wish the Major all the success with his doctorate! Our thanks also to Prof Van der Waag!

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SLOT | END Dear reader

Geagte leser

Please note that in this quasi-historical magazine we make use of various sources and consequently it is obvious that the document contains various diverse and personal opinions of different people and the author of the Nongqai cannot be held responsible or be liable in his personal capacity.

Vir hierdie kwasiehistoriese tydskrif maak ons van verskeie bronne gebruik en bevat die dokument uiteraard uiteenlopende en diverse persoonlike menings van verskillende persone en die opsteller van die Nongqai kan nie in sy persoonlike hoedanigheid daarvoor verantwoordelik of aanspreeklik gehou word nie.

ÂŠ 2020 Brig. HB Heymans (SAP Ret.)

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Annexure “A”

Gallantry Awards of the SA Police Terrence King Although Maj Scherman found the original lists in the archive, for clarity, the list provided by Terry King is used

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Authority to Quote Terry King: Gallantry Awards of the SA Police Morning Hennie It was good to speak to you again yesterday and to know you are well. As I said over the phone, I am delighted that you would like to quote from, and reference my book in your upcoming article. You are most welcome to do so and thank you. There are still copies of the book available at a cost of R395.00. This price includes postage locally in South Africa. Overseas postage would

need to be quoted on depending on destination. Anyone interested can contact me on WhatsApp on my number 084 369 3473 or via this email address. (Terence King <terenceking.pcf@gmail.com>) I hope we speak soon again. Best wishes Terry

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