Wolraad Woltemade

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Woltemade's rescue

Wolraad Woltemade (c.1708 - June 1, 1773) was a South African dairy farmer, who died while rescuing sailors from the wreck of the ship De Jonge Thomas in Table Bay on 1 June 1773.^[1]

Woltemade was born in Hesse-Schoumberg, part of present-day Germany, around 1708. He later migrated to the Dutch settlement at Cape Town (Kaapstad) and worked for the Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie (known in English as the Dutch East India Company) as a dairyman. (Although the notion seems strange to modern minds, many of the earliest European colonies were established by commercial companies, rather than through the direct intervention of the Governments of the European nations. See for example the history of the British South Africa Company).

In the very early morning of 1 June, 1773 (early winter in the southern hemisphere), a sailing ship, De Jonge Thomas,^[2] was driven ashore in a gale on a sand bar at the mouth of the Salt River in Table Bay. Many lives were lost as the ship started to break up, but there were a substantial number of survivors, left clinging to the hull. The stricken ship was not too far from dry land, many sailors made the attempt to swim ashore. Most of those who attempted this perished; in spite of their closeness to land, the current from the nearby Salt River was too great. Apart from the very strongest swimmers, most who tried were carried out to sea.

A crowd of spectators stood on the shore. Some came to watch, others to try and help, and others to loot the cargo that was being washed ashore. A detachment of soldiers was in attendance, to keep order amongst the mass. Corporal Christian Ludwig Woltemade, the youngest son of the by now elderly Wolraad, was amongst those standing guard. As daylight came, Wolraad left his home on horseback, taking provisions for his son.

As he reached the beach, Wolraad was filled with pity for the sailors marooned aboard the wreck. Seeing that nothing could be done by those on the beach, he mounted his horse and urged the animal into the sea. As they approached the wreck Woltemade turned the horse and called for two men to jump into the sea and grasp the horse's tail. After a moment's hesitation two men threw themselves into the water and did so, whereupon Woltemade urged the horse forward and dregged them to shore. Wolraad rode out seven times, bringing back fourteen men. By this time he and his horse were exhausted, but at that moment, as they rested, the ship began to collapse. Wolraad once more urged his horse into the water, but the desperation amongst the sailors was tremendous. Seeing this as probably their last chance to escape before the ship was destroyed, six men plunged into the sea, grabbing at the horse. Their weight, was too much for the exhausted horse; all were dragged below the waves and drowned. Woltemade's body was found the next day.

Of the 191 souls on board, only 53 survived and, 14 saved by Woltemade.

Woltemade immediately became a hero. The Dutch East India Company provided amply for his widow and children. A suburb of Cape Town is named after him. The Union of South Africa King's Medal for Bravery, instituted in 1939, bore a depiction of Woltemade's heroic act on its obverse. In 1970 the Woltemade Decoration for Bravery was instituted as the highest civilian decoration for bravery in South Africa. This was replaced in 1988 by the Woltemade Cross for Bravery. The Woltemade Cross was discontinued in 2002, as part of the move towards establishing a new South African honours system, following the advent of majority rule.

[edit] Notes

^ Most of those whose mother tongue is English will have difficulty pronouncing his name. Try VOLL (rhymes with knoll) RARD (rhymes with bard) VOLL TER MARDER).
^ Roughly, the young, or the younger Thomas