Gilbert van Kerckhoven

Born 6 January 1928 in Essex, England, the third child of a demobilised Belgian soldier and an English girl, Gilbert van Kerckhoven emigrated to South Africa with his family in 1936. A Johannesburg resident thereafter, Gil (as he is known to his many friends) became part of the South African community and culture, serving in the SA Defence Force as a Reserve Force member from 1946 to 1972, rising to the rank of Colonel. The period provided Gil with a broad education into the history and cultures of the many that make up what is now proudly called the "Rainbow Nation", these experiences formed questions about the Nation's history as indicated in the book which have been the driving force that culminated in "The Claw of Gold".

african culture    afrikaner    alluvial gold    ancestors    assegais    atrocity    boer    boer war    colenso    court    court martial    crime    drakensburg    drama    durban    heroes    history    impi    irish at ladysmith    isandhlwana    marwicks march    military hist    murder    natal    native    novel    pilgrims rest    racist    rebellion    rourkes drift    sangomas    sedition    serpents    settler    shaka    south africa    spionkop    transvaal    tugela    voortrekker    warriors    witches    witness    zulu