A legacy of pain and heartache. Freddie Peters is the descendent of an Anglo Boer war prisoner. His story is one of orphaned children, loss and a fight to keep his family together.
His great-grandfather fought in the war before being imprisoned in a concentration camp. Over the decades, details of soldiers’ experiences have been lost to time.
BGTN joined Freddie on his search for answers.
Living in the Anglo-Boer War concentration camps was a harrowing ordeal. From 1899 to 1902, these camps housed thousands of Boer women and children, enduring squalid conditions, disease, and deprivation.
Families were forcibly relocated, with inadequate shelter and sanitation. Malnutrition and disease, primarily typhoid and measles, claimed the lives of over 27,000 detainees, mostly children.
The harsh South African climate added to their misery, as extreme temperatures and dust storms exacerbated their suffering. This dark chapter in history serves as a stark reminder of the human cost of war and the grim consequences of internment during conflicts, highlighting the resilience and endurance of those who endured it.
