UPDATE: Canadian grave story awakens interest
Plenty of interest in Enseleni's mystery Canadian grave.
THERE has been international response to last week’s Zululand Observer article on the search for the identity of an unknown Canadian whose gravestone lies in the eNseleni Nature Reserve.
Local historian Dr JC van der Walt put out the word that he is looking for clues to solve the mystery of the inscription that simply states: ‘Cameron. Canadian. 1901’ and a separate engraving that states: ‘Relocated Nov. 1950’.
The South Africa correspondent of The Globe and Mail, Canada’s leading daily newspaper, was first to make contact with Van der Walt, asking for any more information and promising help.
Canadian Defence Adviser Colonel John Mitchell, based in Pretoria, was especially touched by the story which he read on 11 November, Remembrance Day.
Mitchell offered to establish contact with Canadian military officials responsible for war records to search through archives.
In correspondence with the Canadian War Museum, Mitchell said: ‘I am aware that we had Strathcona’s Horse troops near Dullstroom in the late 1900 and then 2nd Canadian Mounted Rifles near Potchefstroom in early 1902.
‘But I don’t know what Canada did in the interim period, which is when this soldier died.
‘Any information that the Canadian War Museum might be able to provide would be greatly appreciated by the historical team in South Africa.’
After first being discovered by Enseleni Conservation Manager Roy Jones in 1991, the grave site at the bearing S 28.69288 – E 032.00906 was cordoned off.
