De la Rey

General Jacobus Herculaas de la Rey, known as Koos de la Rey, is generally regarded as the bravest of the Boer generals during the Second Boer War, using guerrilla tactics to great effect. De la Rey opposed any confrontation with Britain, but when the time for war came, he continued fighting long after everyone else had given up.

Albeit ragged and often hungry, his men roamed at will over vast areas and tied down tens of thousands of British troops. Despite some reverses, such as the Battle of Rooiwal, De la Rey's commandos, numbering up to 3,000 men, remained in the field until the end of the war.

Interest in the life and career of Koos de La Rey has recently made a resurgence among Afrikaners, in no small part due to this song dedicated to him by Bok van Blerk.