Short Eric Charles CAPT 1st SA horse MILITARY CROSS
LONDON GAZETTE 13.2.1917
For conspicuous gallantry in action. When a sudden attack caused disorder and the horses stampeded he, with the help of one man, promptly brought a machine -gun into action, thereby reassuring the men and enabling them to make good their position.
Eric Charles SHORT
Born 2 August 1891
Where Potchefstroom
When Married 20 September 1922
to Leonora Van Der MERWE
Died 16 February 1946
Where Potchefstroom C of E. 78
Leonora Van Der MERWE
Born 21 November 1898
Where Potchefstroom
Died Easter Monday, 1963
Where Potchefstroom
ERIC CHARLES SHORT (Great Grandson of JOSEPH SHORT settler, d1 Grandson of FRANCIS SHORT,
Son of CHARLES REUBEN SHORT)
Died 17th February, 1946, at his home in Lombard Street, Potchefstroom, of a heart attack. Married on 20th September, 1922, to NORA VAN DER MERWE, b. 21st November, 1898, in Potchefstroom, died on Easter Monday, 1963, at her farm Rusthof in the district of Potchefstroom. Eric worked for Jaggers in Johannesburg until the beginning of the First World War, and afterwards joined his father in Short Bros. in Potchefstroom, (Oliver had gone to the Cape). He also ran a garage there and served as mayor of the town. He served as Staff Captain in Dreyer's Commando in the 1914 Rebellion, in the West Transvaal Rifles in the South West African campaign, and as Captain and Adjutant to Lieutenant Colonel Visser in the 1st South African Horse in the East African campaign, during which he won the Military Cross and was mentioned in despatches. The citation for his Military Cross reads:
"For conspicuous gallantry in action. When a sudden attack caused disorder and the horses stampeded, he, with the help of one man, promptly brought a machine gun into action, thereby reassuring the men and enabling them to make good their position."
At the end of 1916 he got fever and was invalided home, later to go to England with the South African Brigade, where he was seconded to the British Army as a motor transport training officer. His wife Nora was the younger daughter of Johannes Erasmus van der Merwe, who was a member of the Volksraad in the first Transvaal Republic and interpreter to Cecil John Rhodes on the Diamond Fields. Once Rhodes gave up his bed to Mrs. van der Merwe and himself slept on the dining room table.
CHILDREN:
e1 ROBERT CHARLES SHORT, b. 17th February, 1925.
m. 16th April, 1955, in Cape Town,
to MARGERY EKSTEEN, b. 6th March, 1931,
(descended from the settler
Hezekiah Gardner).
A doctor who has practised in many countries, he now lives in Perth, Western Australia.
e2 JARRET JAN SHORT, b. 19th September, 1927.
Married by the Reverend Jack Adams at the Berea
Presbyterian Church, Durban, on 16th December,
1950, to PATRICIA ADELINE MARY GOWANS, b. 9th
November, 1928, in Durban, (descended from
settlers JOSEPH MILDENHALL and RICHARD HINTON).
Is a businessman in Johannesburg.
f1 AMANDA JEAN SHORT, b. 30th December, 1952, in Johannesburg.
d. 22nd July, 1971 of an acute respiratory
infection, in Bryanston.
f2 CHARLES ANDREW SHORT, b. 26th February, 1955,
in Johannesburg.