The Death March

In front of me is an elegant copy of a soldier’s diary. On the leatherbound cover, the gold print states: Dad’s Diary Second World War 1939-1945. This is Rudolph Jordaan’s account of his experiences during the Second World War. From its faded pages, a remarkable, pencil-written story emerges, put together by a soldier who survived the infamous Death March.

When war was declared on Germany in September 1939, Die Middellandse Regiment (DMR) concentrated its recruiting in the Karoo and Eastern Cape farming areas. The 23-year-old Jordaan volunteered in October of the same year and was allocated to C Company, DMR. On the