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Date: 1923 Type: Hall Status: Extant   Click to view large map Coordinates: 32°00'06.08" S 27°34'46.49" E Alt: 963m

See more photographs The Great War Memorial Hall has a cruciform plan with a simple gabled north front. A sandstone foundation stone is set into the hammer dressed stone plinth at the northwest corner which simply records the words: IN MEMORY OF THOSE WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR. The gable has a high-level round plaster panel inscribed with the date of 1923, a circular louvred ventilator below it and three arched openings - the central one creating an arched and columned opening into an entrance porch. The central opening is surmounted with the words MEMORIAL HALL set into an arched plaster band. The two flanking arched timber windows serve the rooms on either side of the entrance porch. A three-sided flight of stairs gives access to the entrance porch. The Hall was originally set in a symmetrical garden layout on the north side but this has been lost under a paved parking area. A marble Roll of Honour is mounted on the left-hand side of the rear wall of the entrance lobby. The wording is transcribed below: In Undying Memory of THOSE OF THIS DISTRICT WHO IN THE GREAT WAR OF 1914-1918 LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES THAT TRUTH RIGHT, AND FREEDOM MIGHT LIVE. L/CPL D. J.N.ARNOT - 4TH S. A. I. DIED OF WOUNDS 27TH MARCH 1918 PTE G.O.BAKER - 3RD S.A.I. KILLED 24TH MARCH 1918. PTE C. C.HOWSE - 2ND S.A.I. KILLED 9TH OCTOBER 1918. PTE F. LAWLOR - 1ST S.A.I. KILLED 22ND MARCH 1918. PTE W. L. PALMER - 1ST S.A.I. KILLED 10TH APRIL 1918. THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE. The details of each of the deceased is recorded below: David John Nelson ARNOT was the son of William Octavius Robert and Margaret Georgina Arnot, of Cofimvaba, Tembuland, Cape Province. He enlisted on 2 February 1917, was a Lance Corporal with the 1st South African Infantry Brigade and served with the 4th Regiment in France. He died - aged 18 years old - on 24 March 2018 of wounds to the abdomen and is buried in St. Hilaire Cemetery, Frevent, Pas de Calais, France. George Oswald BAKER, (born 17/8/1897) was the son of the Reverend William and Bertha Hallam Baker, of Butterworth, Cape Province. George was a Private with the 1st South African Infantry Brigade and served with the 3rd Regiment in France; Wounded in action in September 1917; killed in action at Marrieres Wood near Peronne, Somme, in France on 28 March 1918. His body was sadly never recovered. He is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial to the Missing, in the Somme, France as well on the Butterworth Great War Memorial. Clement Charles HOWSE was the son of Mr. Charles A. and Mrs. E. M. Howse, of Cofimvaba, Transkei and attended Selborne College, East London. Clement was a Private in the 1st South African Infantry Brigade and served with the 2nd Regiment in France and was 23 years old when he was killed in action. He is buried in the Highland Cemetery at Le Cateau, Nord, France. Frank LAWLOR was the son of Mr. J. E. and Mrs. Emily Sarah Lawlor, of Cofimvaba, Transkei, Cape Province and attended Selborne College, East London. Frank was a private in the 1st South African Infantry Brigade and served with the A Company, 1st Regiment in France and was 20 years old when killed in action near Peronne. Somme, France. His body was never recovered and he is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial to the Missing, Somme, France. (Panels 95-98). William Leslie PALMER, was the Son of Alfred and Amy Palmer, of Cofimvaba, Cape Province and attended Selborne College, East London. William was a private in the 1st South African Infantry Brigade and served with the 1st Regiment in France and was killed in action, aged 29, at Messines Ridge, Belgium, His body was never recovered and he is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing, Leper, Flanders, Belgium. (Panel 15-16 and 16A) The names of thirteen members of the South African Native Labour Battalion from Cofimvaba - who were largely on the SS Mendi when it sank in the English channel on 21 February 1917 - are listed below. A second Roll of Honour could easily be erected in the Great War Memorial Hall to commemorate these thirteen names and make the memorial more inclusive. Dengese ALDUM. Son of Viti and husband of Nohalika Aldum, of Zwebeqwebe, St. Marks, Cofimvaba, Cape Province. Nuko GALAXANA. Son of Galaxana and husband of Nosajini Nuko, of Qamata, St Marks, Cofimvaba, Cape Province. Mtnyedwa MAFILIBA. Son of Mafiliba and husband of Nowisile Mafiliba, of Rwantsana, Cofimvaba, Cape Province. Sam MANGCAS. Son of Basa and husband of Nosamana Basa, of Rwantsana, Cofimvaba, Cape Province. Edward MDUNA. Son of Maqoko and Sina Maqoko, of St. Mark's, Cofimvaba, Cape Province. Silwanyana MEHLOMANE. Son of Mehlomene and husband of Nowinisi Mehlomene, of Rwantsana, Cofimvaba, Cape Province. Charlie MPAYIPELI. Son of Zwaartbooi and husband of Nomayiti Zwaartbooi, of Rwantsana, Cofimvaba, Cape Province. Willie SEPOSO (spelt SIPOSO on memorial). Son of Dyalo and husband of Nominiti Dyalo, of Sabalele, St. Marks, Cofimvaba, Cape Province. Jonas SILOSINI (recorded as JONAS, S. on memorial). Son of Magqaza and brother of Tokota, of Rwantsana, Cofimvaba, Cape Province. William SOMGEDE. Son of Somgede and husband of Agnes Somgede, of St. Marks, Cofimvaba, Cape Province. Jacob TSAMAYA. Son of Dyantji and husband of Nowaite Dyantji, of Rwantsana, Cofimvaba, Cape Province. April ZULA. Son of Mavugengwana and husband of Nowisile, of Rwantsana, Cofimvaba, Cape Province. William ZUZO. From Cofimvaba, Cape Province. Reference: Roll of Honour document compiled by Kevin Jordan of Durban, 2023. William A. Martinson, September 2023