Sergeant
Charles John HOLTZKAMP[F]
Infantry
Died: 17th April 1918 - Age: 37

Commemorated:

1. Book:The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918Pg.125
2. Memorial:The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour51B GQS
    

Awards & Titles:

 

Early Life :

The spelling of his last name is different in several places of record. In the Masonic record it is Holtzkamp, whereas on the South African site it is Holtzkampt, but in reality and in line with confirmation from his great-nephew, his birth name is Holtzkampf.

Born 28th May, 1880, son of Archibald Frederick and Martha Maria Elizabeth Holtzkampf, of George, Cape Province. Siblings: Daniel Henry (b.1881), Archibald Francis (b.1884), James Edward (b.1888), Lydia Maria (b.1892), William Henry (b.1893), George William (b.1894), Martha Maria (b.1895) and Jane Maude (b.1899). He also had other step-siblings through his father's second marriage.

Service Life:

Campaigns:

Unit / Ship / Est.: 4th South African Infantry 

The 4th SA Infantry Regiment and the larger South African Brigade initially served with the British 9th (Scottish) Division. Following the Brigades decimation in March 1918, it was reconstituted and incorporated in September into the 66th (2nd East Lancashire) Division until the end of the War. After a short campaign in North Africa against a Turkish attack on the Suez Canal the South African Scottish, as they were known, were sent to France. Here they took part in the Battle of Delville Wood as part of the battle of the Somme in 1916. Between July 12 and 19th the total casualty rate was about 74% of those who went into action. By the end of July, the SA Scottish had suffered 868 casualties. After Delville Wood, the shattered SA Scottish were reformed and served on the Western Front in particular at Vimy Ridge, the Somme, the battle of Passchendale, Marrieres Wood, and the battle of Messines.

Action : The Battles of the Lys 

9 April - 29 April 1918. As the first phase of the great German campaign of 1918 lost momentum and failed in its objective to split the British and French armies, subsidiary attacks were shift the balance of the attack and to seek opportunities to exploit other sectors. On the Lys the Germans initially enjoyed spectacular success against a Portuguese Division but the gap was soon plugged and the advance halted.

Detail :

6926, Sergeant Charles John Holtzkampf, 4th Regiment, South African Infantry, killed in action at Ypres a month short of his 38th birthday. It is more than likely that it was between the actions at Marrieres Wood and Messines counter-offensive.

Charles has no known grave and is therefore one of the many commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial (as Sergeant Holtzkamp C.J. and also remembered on the South African War Graves Project.

Masonic :

TypeLodge Name and No.Province/District :
Mother : Norwood No. 3149 E.C.South Africa (Northern)

Initiated
Passed
Raised
11th February 1914
11th March 1914
8th April 1914
 

Charles was recorded as a Stonemason, from Johannesburg when he was initiated as the 99th member into Norwood Lodge 1914 at Bellevue, as shown in the contribution records of the Lodge at the United Grand Lodge of England. (His age is at odds, stating 37 in the local lodge register at initiation, which would have him at 41 when killed). He was proposed by W.Bro. Allen P.M, and seconded by Bro. Williams. His war service is shown in the contribution record over at least two years and he is shown "Killed in Action 17.4.1918," which is mirrored in the local lodge record that he was "Killed in Action in France" on the 17th April 1918.

Charles' name appears on a Roll of Honour Board headed Norwood Lodge No. 3149 and "Pro Patria" along with 31 others from his Lodge who participated in the Great War. He is listed as having been killed.

With grateful thanks to W.Bro. Richard Woodward and Lance Epstein of Norwood Lodge for their valued assistance.

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

Additional Source:

Last Updated: 2020-11-11 07:29:45