▁and ▁their ▁father ▁served ▁with ▁the ▁South ▁African ▁Forces ▁in ▁France ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁sever ely ▁shell ▁shock ed . ▁Both ▁children ▁attended ▁St . ▁Urs ula ' s ▁Con vent ▁Board ing ▁School ▁in ▁Kru gers dor p ▁from ▁ 1 9 1 5 ▁to ▁ 1 9 1 9 . ▁After ▁the ▁war ▁the ▁family ▁went ▁to ▁stay ▁with ▁relatives ▁who ▁were ▁far ming ▁in ▁Rh odes ia . ▁▁ ▁When ▁Du ▁To it ▁was ▁eigh teen , ▁she ▁moved ▁to ▁Johannes burg ▁where ▁she ▁began ▁to ▁work ▁with ▁trade ▁union ist ▁Johann a ▁Corn el ius . ▁She ▁was ▁assigned ▁a ▁text ile ▁factory ▁where ▁she ▁would ▁organ ize ▁workers ▁for ▁striking . ▁The ▁owner ▁of ▁the ▁factory ▁was ▁Jewish ▁and ▁appreciated ▁Du ▁To it ' s ▁" anti - rac ist ▁and ▁anti - N azi ▁sens ib ilities ." ▁During ▁a ▁text ile ▁worker ' s ▁strike ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 2 0 s , ▁she ▁was ▁arrested ▁and ▁was ▁f ined ▁" one ▁p ound ▁or ▁ 1 0 ▁days ▁labour ." ▁This ▁incident ▁made ▁her ▁more ▁committed ▁to ▁st riv ing ▁for ▁workers ' ▁rights . ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 6 ▁she ▁joined ▁the ▁South ▁African ▁Commun ist ▁Party ▁and ▁went ▁to ▁the ▁USS R ▁to ▁study , ▁returning ▁in ▁December ▁ 1 9 3 7 . ▁▁ ▁At ▁that ▁time , ▁she ▁married ▁Jan ▁van ▁Ro o yen ▁and ▁adopted ▁the ▁name ▁B ett ie ▁du ▁To it