Poem ~ Woman Saves Flag - Friday, 20 November 1914

Thursday in Cape Town,

South Africa, stirred a rebellion.

Famously known by three names;

1914 Maritz Rebellion, Boer Revolt

Or Five Shilling Rebellion -

There was to stand a brave woman.

At the start of Europe’s war,

General Louis Botha,

South Africa’s President,

Vowed support to the Empire.

With Governmental Support,

A South African Defence Force

Would be raised, to invade

German held South west Africa.

Yet some high standing

Afrikaners disagreed.

Among them –

Christiaan de Wet,

General Beyers,

Lieutenant Colonel Maritz.

On hearing how civilians

Were to be conscripted,

These men resigned

Their commissions.

The Afrikaner rebels

Now sought out

An independent Nation,

From Britain -

Wanting freedom

For the Boers,

They called for a Union

Of South Africa –

In the process Maritz

Made a treaty

With German held territory.

Thursday 19 November,

South African Cape Town,

Still rallied with rebellion.

Telegraphed new,

From Winburg, told how,

In the Orange Free State,

There came an occupation

Of Cape Town.

This defiant act being led,

By Christiaan de Wet.

Here a group of rebel men,

Climbed the Court House.

Hauling down the Union Jack,

They threw the flag

Down to the earth -

Trampling the colours,

Down into the dust.

Striding out between them

Was a young woman -

Mrs Pienaar -

She grabbed the flag

Up from the ground.

Mrs Pienaar bound the flag

As a sash about her waist.

The rebel men stood amazed,

Demanding her purpose

With the Union emblem.

Mrs Pienaar was defiant

As she addressed the men;

‘For the present I carry it with me,

And you dare not touch me.

When decent people return,

We will hoist it again.’

Furious rebel men gave

Her verbal abuse,

But did not make any move,

To take back the flag,

Or put hands upon Mrs Pienaar.

After this the young woman

Kept the flag safely.

With the town’s Reoccupation,

The emblem was raised again,

By General Botha.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1914. Saving the Union Jack  - A Woman’s Bravery. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 20 Nov. p.9. Col.5. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11241566/Daily-Telegraph-November-20-1914.html [Accessed: 20 November 2014].

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maritz_Rebellion

http://www.sahistory.org.za/article/responses-south-africa-outbreak-wwi-afrikaner-response-and-1914-rebellion

Mann, J., 2014. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 20 November 2014). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11241566/Daily-Telegraph-November-20-1914.html

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