eGGSA Graves - Mpumalanga

GRAVE UNDER A TOILET Story by Rob Milne from his book “Anecdotes of the Anglo Boer War”) Early in 1902, Colonel E.C. Knox’s column swept across the Eastern Transvaal in a great ‘drive’ to round up the scattered Boer Commandos. On 1st February 1902 there was a skirmish with the Bethal Commando near Witbank in which J Bryant of the 26th Mounted Infantry was killed. He was buried in the veld, where he fell, and a metal cross was later placed at the head of his grave. After the war a coal mine was opened in the area, and it was decided to build a railway station near to Bryant’s grave in the town now called Ogies, after the farm name Ogiesfontein or “the fountain with many eyes’ (springs). The Railways authorities determined that the tracks would pass over the grave so they decided to disinter the remains and re-bury Bryant under the station platform. This became the only military grave in the world located on a railway station. However, there are curious links to two railway stations in England. There is a plaque between platforms 1 and 2 in Manchester’s Victoria station recording that part of the old Walker’ s Croft Cemetary lies under platform 2. In 1988 a grave, thought to be that of Boudicia, the Icenic Warrior Queen, was discovered under platform 10 in King’s Cross Station, London. The story of Bryant’s grave under the platform at Ogies Railway station does not end here. As the station got busier it was decided to build on, and again the grave was in the way. The remains were left where they were, and Bryant’s cross was moved a few meters along the platform to the east of the new building extension. Now Bryant’s remains lie under the new building – under the men’s toilet! Information submitted by Derek Walker. Album complete. eGGSA captions done by: Alex van Niekerk. Information also available on the GGSA Cemetery DVD:- Cemetery ID: 6224 Names in cemetery: 1 Google Earth Project Information:- GPSID: 7437 GPS: -26 03.002, 29 03.047