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Kommandant sȇ Graf Traditional Geocache

Hidden : 5/17/2014
Difficulty:
2 out of 5
Terrain:
2 out of 5

Size: Size:   small (small)

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Geocache Description:

Kommandant sȇ Graf (Commnder's grave) is an obelisk where commander Barend Mattys van Heerdenfell after he was shot by fugitive Piet Matthyse.


 The incident had a tremendous impact on Soon van Wyk, who, despite the fact that he, not yet being the correspondent for "Die Burger", had his first report regarding the incident in 1946 reported on the front page of the newspaper. He was involved in the attempt to immortalise the incident. Soon van Wyk, with the help of Barend Streuders, later single handed erected the obelisk, in memory of Cpt. B.M. van Heerden at Soutkloof. Cpt. van Heeredn’s wife, daughter and son were present during the unveiling of the obelisk. The inscription reads "Kommandant B.M. van Heerden. Hy het sy lewe hier gegee in die uitvoering van sy pligte op 30 Dec 1946" (Commander BM van Heerden. He gave up his life in th execution of his duties on 30 Dec 1946). Soon van Wyk painted the trellis work around the obelisk annually till his retirement.

Piet Matthyse was a murder suspect who was being tracked by Cpt. B.M. van Heerden. He shot Cpt. van Heerden from a distance of approx. 100 meters. The place where Piet Matthyse was sitting when he fired the shot that killed Cpt. van Heerden has been piled with white painted rocks and is visible from Cpt. van Heerdens obelisk on the opposite side of the road.

Please do not climb over the fence looking for this cache, it is not placed at the grave site. When facing the grave follow the fence line to your right.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Haqre n juvgr dhnegm ebpx va n urffvna fnpx

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)