Wolraad Woltemade 2

Wolraad Woltemade was an early Hero of the Cape, who was born in Hesse-Schoumberg Germany at the beginning of the18th century (believed to have been around 1708) and emigrated to the Cape Colony (Present day South Africa) as an adult. He was employed by the Dutch East India Company as a dairyman.

One winter night in 1773, during a gale heavier than that usually experienced during the Cape winter storms, one of 5 ships anchored in Table Bay –  the ship Jonge Thomas – broke loose from its anchor and began drifting towards the rocky shore at Salt River.

The ship’s captain Barend Lameren had become extremely concerned for the 270 passengers aboard that included women and children, as well as valuable cargo from the East.  He ordered a cannon to be fired so that people on shore would be aware of the impending danger to both passengers and cargo.

When the ship hit the jagged rocks, it broke in half and passengers and crew were thrown into the stormy sea where many drowned attempting to swim ashore.

There were 30 soldiers on the shore warning people who wanted to help, not to attempt to go into the turbulent waters and the officials of the East India Company present were only intent on saving the precious cargo.

Then Wolraad Woltemade came past on horseback and immediately rode into the waves on his horse and came back with two men, he repeated this dangerous act 7 times and succeeded in rescuing 14 people until his last attempt, when he was overcome by the waves and drowned. Only 53 people survived that night, 14 of those rescued by Wolraad Woltemade

The Dutch East India Company honoured his memory by naming a ship Die Held Woltemade (The Hero Woltemade) and provided sufficiently for his wife and children. In 1939 The Union of South Africa King’s Medal for Bravery was instituted. The medal depicted the heroic act carried out by Wolraad Woltemade and in 1970 the highest decoration for bravery by a civilian was called the “Woltemade decoration for Bravery” and replaced in 1988 by the “Woltemade Cross for Bravery”

In modern times, several stations outside Cape Town have been named Woltemade and a statue by I. Mitford-Barbeton stands in the grounds of the South African Old Mutual Head Office in Pinelands, Cape Town.