I had a farm in Africa- Colenbrander out of Africa

Leading a formation of squadron of aircraft that was detailed to ground-strafe the road from Gazala to Timini, Major Adrian Montague Colenbrander took off in a Kittyhawk. Just after the squadron had strafed the road, his aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire, and it crashed into the sea, only thirty yards from land. No parachute was observed.

Adrian Montague Colenbrander was born on the day before Christmas, December 24, 1917, at Louwsburg where his father was the Magistrate at that time. The Colenbrander family moved to Magudu (Magudu means “The Rain Queen”), near modern day Pongola, when Adrian was only a year-old boy, and then onto the farm in 1929, when he was about 12-years old.

Adrian was the son of magistrate, and farmer, Adrian Leopold Brunner “Addie” Colenbrander, who was nicknamed “Upenyane” which in the Zulu Language means “The one who enquires very deeply into the matter”. Addie Colenbrander was born at New Guelderland, Natal, in 1884. Adrian’s mother was Margaret Lilian Colenbrander neé Wood, who was born in 1891. Addie and Margaret Lilian were married in September 1910 in the St Thomas Church in Berea, in Durban. Addie passed away on the farm in 1941, and Margaret Lillian passed away at the Nongoma Hospital in 1968. Both Addie and Lilian are buried beside each other in a little cemetery on Goedgeloof farm, near Magudu.

It was written that Margaret Lilian was born on a ship near the coast of Australia, but Anthony Colenbrander comments from Australia, that Margaret Lilian was actually born in Adelaide, in Australia, and that it was her younger sister, Annie, who was almost born on board a ship, in London, England.

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Adrian grew up on the farm Goedgeloof or “Kwa Penyane” as it was known by the local Zulu people in the area of Magudu. His father “Addie” also owned the farms Vergelegen and Goedvertrouw, and the Colenbrander homestead was named “Chichester” after a nearby town in England, where Lilian grew up.

Adrian had four siblings: A sister, Jacqueline Lilian St Clair Gibson born Colenbrander, a brother, Ralph Brunner Colenbrander, a sister, Margaret Evelyn Hunt born Colenbrander, and a brother, John Colenbrander.

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Adrian started his schooling career in Vryheid at Nuwe Republiek Skool, and later he went on to Murchiston in Pietermaritzburg, and he matriculated from Maritzburg College at the end of 1935, and in that same year he played fullback for the Maritzburg College 1^st 15 rugby team, and he also captained the schools 1^st 11 cricket team. Adrian was also a good tennis player.

Adrian joined the South African Air Force after completing matric, and also spent time with the Special Services Battalion (SSB). Adrian was one of only one hundred men chosen by the then Minister of Defence to be trained in all branches of the Defence Force. At the outbreak of the war he was already a fully trained pilot, soldier, and an instructor.

In a note to the writer from Australia, Anthony Colenbrander wrote, that during Adrian’s time at the Coastal Command in Durban, one of his tasks was to patrol the North Coast of Natal, and so when he could he would detour inland via the farm as it was only 100km inland, and when he got there he would drop a weighted note onto the tennis court, giving a radio frequency for the family to tune into, and then he would talk to them as he circled around the farmstead, in his aircraft. Then there was another occasion when Adrian and two other old Maritzburg Collegians, and without authority, flew their fighter planes up to Pietermaritzburg, and gave the College, and Pietermaritzburg an exhibition of low level aerobatics, and dive bombing. The Mayor of Pietermaritzburg was so impressed that he wrote a letter to the Commander of the SAAF in Durban to thank him, and that letter got Adrian Colenbrander and the other two into DEEP trouble with their commander.

During the time that Adrian was stationed in Pretoria he played rugby, polo and cricket for the “Garnisoen” (Garrison) first team, and in 1938 he also represented the then newly formed Northern Transvaal Rugby Union (“Blou Bulle”), at fullback, and in both rugby teams he played together with the infamous Springbok rugby legend, Doctor Daniël Hartman “Danie” “Doc Craven”. On July 13, 1938, Colenbrander also played a rugby match for Northern Transvaal versus the touring British Isles rugby team, captained by Irishman Sam Walker.

Major Colenbrander also served with the SAAF in Kenya, Abyssinia, and North Africa. Many other stories can also be read about the much respected Major Colenbrander in a book by Major Jack Parsonson, named “A Time to Remember”.

Major Adrian Montague Colenbrander, the Officer in command of the SAAF 2^nd Squadron, was killed in action, at El Alamein, on November 13, 1942. He is remembered at the El Alamein Memorial in Egypt, the memorial at his Alma Mater, Maritzburg College, and here at the St Peters Parish, Anglican Church in Vryheid.

Lest we Forget.