Page 105 - KBHA Bulletin 12

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Another ‘admirer’ of Dad’s was the South African cabinet at the time of the country
‘going off the Gold Standard’ and entering a period of financial instability. The minister

of Finance, the Hon. N.C. Havenga, had worked himself into a state of exhaustion. His
doctor approached the Cabinet and recommended that they persuade the Minister to do

Dad’s course. Fortunately it worked well. The Secretary of the Cabinet then said that

the Cabinet wished to give Dad a suitable recognition for his work for South African
health (particularly towards Mr. Havenga). Being of an adventurous nature Dad asked if

he could have the right to seek treasure from abandoned wrecks. The answer was “Yes”
in respect to all abandoned wrecks on the South African coast! Whilst no treasure was

ever recovered a lot of ‘romance’ arose from the searches and in particular that of the
“Birkenhead”.

Significant events in Tromp’s life

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Hendrik Cornelis Tromp van Diggelen was born on Dec 5 1885 to ‘Metie’ De Beer
and Staas Hubertus van Diggelen, born in Axel, Netherlands. S.H. was an attorney, a
part-time Lt Colonel and founder in 1894, of the Johannesburg Volunteer Corps a

cavalry squadron, and a mining magnate (for a while). S.H. being Dutch was tall. Metie

gave her baby son the affectionate nickname “Cottie”. He was born in Dewetsdorp.
When Metie was strongly convinced of the advantages of the Johannesburg mining

settlement the family trekked off in the spring of 1887.

In Johannesburg Cottie suffered from major pneumonia problems which led to him
being sent to a convalescent school, in Bowdon, England in November 1895. Whilst

Cottie had suffered S.H. had prospered. He quickly established his legal practice and

bought a house next door to Thomas Cullinan who later secured the biggest diamond
mine in the world, the Premier mine. S.H. had had it under option for two years and

then relinquished it as he and his brothers hadn’t found the cinnabar he was seeking.

This was despite the fact that his experienced prospecting brother, Henri, insisted there
must be diamonds on the site as he had found bort. You win some, you lose some.

However, he prospered in property speculation and mining property investments.