Forgotten Man –FR de Bertodano

If George Witton was the third man in the infamous Morant-Handcock killings of Boer prisoners, Captain Frederick Ramon de Bertodano, (later a Major in WW1), has clearly been the forgotten man of the ABW.

It was the investigation activities of the Australian intelligence officer that led led to the trial and execution of the two war criminals, despite him being totally ignored in the 1980 movie drama ‘Breaker Morant’.

Born in Sydney NSW, in 1871, de Bertodano had an interesting Spanish pedigree himself, eventually becoming the eighth Marquis del Moral. His family had fought the Moors, in 1212, but later had become Anglicised, after the fifth Marquis married an Englishwoman, later becoming Governor of the Bank of England in 1835-36.

In the ABW it was the disappearance/murder of the German missionary,Rev Daniel Heese, that set the Captain investigating. Ironically, although he would bring the pair to justice for war crimes, the BVC oficers were exonerated, by the court, for the murder of the missionary-although they most certainly did the deed.

Rev. Heese was the classic case of the right man in the wrong place at the wrong time. His Christian charity would cost him his life. How? Because on the 19 August 1901 he offered Captain de Bertodano a Cape cart with a pair of mules to transport a sick Intelligence clerk, John Craig, to Elim Hospital, some 110 miles away and,further, the reverend offered to accompany the sick Australian.

The Captain accepted Heese’s offer, a man he admired but unfortunately the trip was in vain as Craig died within two hours of reaching Elim Hospital.

The Rev. Heese, then planned  a return journey -wanting to make his daughter’s first birthday party to help his pregnant wife Johanna celebrate the birthday of a one year old daughter.

Unfortunately, for him, however, he witnessed a party of BVC soldiers and some eight Boer prisoners. Heese knew one of the Boers, a schoolmaster (Vandermeyer) and spoke to the him as the captive was worried about their situation.The teacher had every reason to be fearful because after the departure of the missionary, Morant had planned their deaths and he now had the problem of Heese knowing but then a dead man cannot give evidence. Whispered words to Handcock followed.

When Captain de Bertodano heard of the German’s death his sorrow gave way to fury. The claim,he was hearing, that Boers had killed the missionary was plainly ludicrous. What gain was there in such an act? None- and that contention was as ludicrous as Morant’s claim that his friend Captain Hunt had been mutilated by Boers after an earlier firefight. Morant had become unhinged by that death.

Captain de Bertodano then sent two of his best Native scouts to investigate-Hans and Kaffirland.

He ordered this duo to go to Fort Edward, arrive at their native camp at dusk and get out within a few hours of ‘sniffing around’ for information, about the BVC, amongst other natives. Hans took the advice but Kaffirland was tired and decided to stay the night. He was never sighted again. However, Hans returned with information, gained from Morant’s ‘boy’ about the culpability of the two BVC lieutenants. Morant, apparently, had met up with Handcock on the trail, done the foul deed, to both the cart driver and missionary, and then the two BVC officers had departed, in different directions, back to base at Fort Edward.

His native scout confirmed the Australian intelligence officer’s worst fears but he now had the problem of proving it to a court. He also was concerned that the BVC commanding officer at Fort Edward, Major Robert Lenehan, was complicit in the murder of Boer prisoners, after de Bertodano had discussions with him.

Captain de Bertodano then immediately sought an interview with Lord Kitchener. It was granted and he told the CIC everything that Hans had told him. Kitchener told him to continue to investigate the matter. The Captain then saw an appalled Colonel Hall, OIC at Pietersburg, who wanted to make immediate arrests. However, the Captain prevailed on him to let him gather further evidence, something that took a few months of ‘digging’.

 This included sending more agents –‘boys’- to Fort Edward to enquire amongst the local natives.

The danger to these African agents attempting to get information against BVC officers has been already been illustrated by the ‘disappearance’ of Kaffirland but it was necessary to achieve justice, as the reflections of the eighth Marquis, himself indicates. (de Bertodano ‘put pen to paper’ after a 1928 visit from an old Sydney friend, in London, urging him to write something on his involvement in the investigation).

The failure to ‘nail’ Morant and Handcock, for the murder of the respected missionary, is shown when the Marquis notes that ‘Morant’s ‘boy’ was the only witness of the murder.  ‘We tried to get the ‘boy’ to Pietersburg for safety but could not manage it without arousing suspicion.’ Indeed, and as he further notes,  when Morant started on leave, (to go to Pretoria),  his ‘boy’ was with him when he left Fort Edward but not with him when Morant arrived at Pietersburg! As the Marquis said, ‘we were never able to find any trace of the unfortunate lad and came to the conclusion he had been shot.’ However, the importance of the Heese murder was that it started the ‘ball rolling’ against the BVC killers. The shooting of the Boers, who had surrendered under the white flag, ‘caused little trouble as the facts had been admitted by the accused.’

During the trials of the BVC officers in Pietersburg, the man responsible for the court martial action was in the town for part of the period but did not attend the trial. The Captain felt guilt ‘for having sent the poor man into the Spelonken, and savage at his cold-blooded murder. I thought it better to stay away.’

Nevertheless, he did have a face-to-face meeting with Morant, as the BVC lieutenant was being exercised under the watch of a British officer. In the brief exchange that ensured, Lt Morant accused Captain de Bertodano of letting down brother officers and that he should be ashamed for that ‘betrayal’ of someone who was being victimized for shooting a ‘few damned Boers.’

The Captain replied, that he was proud of bringing him to trial and that he,(Morant), was as “guilty as hell and I am glad to help send you there?” With that the Captain told the young Wiltshire Regiment Lieutenant that Morant was not to talk to anyone and he walked away- to be the forgotten man of history.

Whether Morant and Handcock went to hell, is known only by their Maker. However, ironically, their earthly remains ended up in Heroes Acre, Pretoria alongside President Kruger, where they all are to this day!