VII.
1871–1881.—INDIA. AFGHAN WAR. SOUTH AFRICA. ZULU WAR. FIRST BOER WAR.
The overwhelming defeat of the French Armies by the German troops in the
momentous war of 1870–71 brought about vast changes in military Europe.
A system of compulsory service on the German model was introduced by all
the great nations of Europe—Great Britain excepted—and German drill,
German style of uniform, and German methods were generally adopted.
In England a strong wave of pro-German feeling swept over the British
Army, and military critics advocated the methodical system of the German
Army with its stern unbending discipline and exacting method of
machine-like _collectivism_, to the destruction of the elasticity and
rapidity of movement, with the self-reliance and initiative which makes
for _individualism_.
The spirit of the 60th stood out, and did much to counteract this
tendency, and to bring about the re-action.
[Sidenote: 1878–1880, AFGHAN WAR.]
In the autumn of 1878 the 2nd Battalion, commanded in the absence of
Lieutenant-Colonel J. J. Collins by Major Cromer Ashburnham, was
quartered at Meerut, and formed part of the 1st Brigade, 1st Division,
under _Lieutenant-General Sir Donald Stewart_, which, upon the outbreak
of the Afghan War, was directed upon Kandahar.
After a trying march of 440 miles (one day thirty miles across the
desert without a man falling out) Kandahar was occupied without
resistance on the 8th of January, 1879.
In the following September there was a rising of the Afghans at Kabul,
and the British envoy and his escort were massacred. An advance upon
Kabul, the necessary retort to such an outrage, was accordingly made by
two columns, and after severe fighting Kabul was occupied by
_Lieut.-General Sir Frederick Roberts_.[43]
[Sidenote: April 19th, 1880, AHMAD KHEL.]
On the 27th of March, 1880, _Sir Donald Stewart’s_ Division of 7250 men
was directed to leave Kandahar and march upon Kabul. On the 19th of
April the Afghan Army attacked the column on the march at AHMAD KHEL,
when, concealed in the khors and gorges of the hills, a large body of
Ghazies charged boldly upon the flank of the first line. Carrying all
before them, the issue for a time seemed doubtful, but the stubborn
courage of the British column won the day, and the formidable Ghazies
after suffering great loss, were totally defeated. The 2nd Battalion
then commanded by Collins, had the ill-fortune to be taking its turn of
rear and flank guard on this particular day, but, on hearing the firing,
at once hurried to the scene in time to bear a leading part in
retrieving the critical situation and aid in turning what at the onset
threatened to be a serious reverse into a decisive victory. G Company,
however, under Lieut. Davidson,[44] allotted to the permanent duty of
escort to _Sir Donald Stewart_, played a prominent part in meeting the
first sudden onslaught of the Ghazies, and did much to stem the rush
which at the moment seemed likely to be overwhelming. Continuing the
march, the Battalion was present at the surrender of Ghuznee, and at the
fight of Urzoo on the 23rd of April when the Afghans were again
defeated. The column finally reached Kabul on the 28th of the same
month, thus accomplishing a notable march. It had covered 320 miles in
thirty-five days over a hostile, difficult, and almost unknown country,
fought two general actions, and captured a fortress.
In July Ayub Khan defeated a British force at Maiwand, and besieged
_General Primrose_ in Kandahar. The Battalion, already distinguished for
its marching powers and steady discipline, was selected to form part of
the Relief Force of 10,000 men, which left Kabul under _Sir Frederick
Roberts_ on the 9th of August, and reached Kandahar on the 31st. This
march—by the same route as that of _Sir Donald Stewart_, but at the
hottest time of the year—was effected in twenty-four days, inclusive of
halts, giving an average of 13·3 miles per diem, or of 14·5 for the days
of actual marching.
[Sidenote: Aug. 21st, 1880, KANDAHAR.]
On the 21st of August _Sir Frederick Roberts_ had notified in the orders
of the day that the city of Kandahar was completely invested,
characteristically adding that he “hoped Ayub Khan would remain there.”
This wish was duly realised, for the Afghan leader was found in position
for battle, and on the following day, September the 1st, he was attacked
in front and flank, and completely routed; the whole of his guns and
camp (which had been left standing) were captured by the victorious
troops.
On the 8th of September the 2nd Battalion left Kandahar to take part in
the Mari Expedition, which lasted for two months and entailed much hard
marching; there was not, however, any fighting.
On the termination of the campaign the Commander-in-Chief in India
published the following General Order:
“The 2nd Battalion 60th Rifles has throughout the war maintained its
high reputation for efficiency. In the march from Kandahar to Kabul,
at Ahmad Khel, in the memorable march from Kabul to Kandahar, and
the subsequent expedition to the Mari country, the 60th Rifles were
remarkable for their discipline and marching powers. In the
operations above described the Regiment marched 1000 miles in 100
days. No light feat anywhere, but in such a country as Afghanistan
it is one well worthy of record in the annals of the British Army.”
On the 8th of September Lieutenant-Colonel J. J. Collins, who had
commanded the Battalion throughout the campaign, succumbed to fever
while on his way to India on sick leave.
In addition to the war medal, a special bronze star was given for the
march from Kabul to Kandahar. It is worthy of note that khaki was worn,
and that this was the first campaign in which the Regiment, since it had
become Rifles, had fought in any colour but green.
* * * * *
[Sidenote: 1879–1884, 3rd BATTALION.]
Special reference must here be made to the 3rd Battalion, whose good
fortune led it to take part in no less than four campaigns in six years,
and thus to justify a claim to being called “the fighting Battalion.”
Raised in 1855 in Ireland, this Battalion had been moved to Madras at
the close of the Mutiny in 1857, to Burma in 1862, back to Madras in
1865, and to Aden in 1871, and thence to England in 1872. It had not
unnaturally suffered much disadvantage from its long exile of fifteen
years in the East, unrelieved by the experience of active service. It
was, therefore, in a condition particularly to profit by the example of
Hawley and the 4th Battalion, which had begun to be generally felt, and
there can be no doubt that it derived at this period an immense benefit
in efficiency and interior economy, not only from the influence of
Hawley and his system, but also from the traditions and example of the
1st Battalion. Its new commanding officer, Pemberton,[45] and its second
in command, Northey,[46] had both been trained under Hawley, and many of
its captains and junior officers, as well as N.C.O.’s, had been promoted
or transferred from the 1st and 4th Battalions to the 3rd on its return
from India. These officers and men brought with them into the Battalion
the vigorous spirit of the Regiment, its flexible drill and tactics, its
ideals of rapidity and elasticity of movement, rendered possible by the
most careful attention to detail; its extreme steadiness in close
formations; and, above all, that assiduous care for the comfort and
well-being of the rank and file, which is its great feature. In
consequence, the rapidity and smartness of manœuvre, the strong
self-reliance and individuality of the Riflemen, and the excellent
feeling existing between officers and men were conspicuously the
attributes of the rejuvenated 3rd Battalion. The Battalion, therefore,
not only won for itself a great reputation as a fighting unit, but
conveyed later the same spirit to the Mounted Infantry, for the
inception and success of which its officers and Riflemen were largely
responsible.
[Sidenote: 1879, SOUTH AFRICA ZULU WAR.]
[Sidenote: April 2nd, 1879, GINGIHLOVO.]
Having been quartered for several years at Aldershot, where it gained
much credit, the Battalion was at Colchester in January, 1879, when it
received sudden orders to embark for South Africa in consequence of
the defeat of _Lord Chelmsford’s_ troops by Cetewayo, the Zulu King,
at the battle of Insandlwana. It landed at Durban, commanded by
Lieutenant-Colonel Leigh-Pemberton, and marched direct to the Tugela,
where, under _Lord Chelmsford_ himself, it formed part of the column
to relieve Fort Pierson. Leaving the Tugela on the 25th of March, it
took a distinguished part in the battle of Gingihlovo on the 2nd of
April, when the Zulu impis with a splendid gallantry charged up to the
muzzles of the men’s rifles, and severely tried the young soldiers of
whom the ranks were largely composed. After a short half hour’s hard
fighting the Zulu army reluctantly withdrew, leaving an immense number
of killed and wounded behind them. The casualties were light, but the
Battalion sustained a great loss in the death of Major and
Brevet-Lieutenant-Colonel Frank Northey, who was mortally wounded
early in the action.
In June the Battalion was engaged in the second advance to Ulundi under
_Sir Garnet Wolseley_; and in the subsequent pursuit and capture of
Cetewayo, which brought the Zulu War to a close, two companies of the
Battalion, under Captain Astley Terry,[47] had a prominent share.
[Sidenote: 1881, BOER WAR.]
[Sidenote: Jan. 28th, 1881, LAING’S NEK.]
The 3rd Battalion, under Lieutenant-Colonel Cromer Ashburnham,[48]
remained in South Africa, and was quartered at Pietermaritzburg, when in
January, 1881, the Boers, under Joubert, invaded Natal. _Major-General
Sir George Colley_, the High Commissioner and Commander-in-Chief, having
assembled at Newcastle a small force, which included the 3rd Battalion,
advanced and attacked the Boers on the 28th in position at Laing’s Nek.
The Battalion in part covered the left flank, and in part formed a
reserve to the assaulting column. The attack was repulsed with heavy
loss, and the Battalion covered the retreat, but did not lose many men.
On the 25th of January the 2nd Battalion arrived from India in a state
of the highest efficiency after its successful experience in the Afghan
War. Landing at Durban, it marched forthwith to join headquarters at
Newcastle, where it remained until the armistice in March.
[Sidenote: Feb. 8th, 1881, INGOGO FIGHT.]
The Boers, as a result of their victory at Laing’s Nek, made a desperate
effort to sever the communications between _Colley’s_ force at Mount
Prospect, and the advanced base at Newcastle. The General accordingly
took prompt steps to avert this catastrophe, and thus it came about that
on the 8th of February was fought on the Ingogo Heights an action as
glorious as any in the history of the 60th. _Colley_, with two 9–pounder
R.A. guns, thirty-eight men of the Mounted Infantry, and five companies
of the 3rd Battalion, under Ashburnham, marched early on the 8th from
Prospect upon Newcastle, crossed the Ingogo River, and, on ascending the
heights beyond, was attacked from all sides shortly before noon. The
British position was a plateau covered with short grass, rocks, and
boulders; whereas the kloofs and slopes occupied by the Boers were also
not only strewn with rocks, but overgrown with long grass, which being
three and four feet high afforded excellent cover. The troops, though
completely surrounded, maintained the fight for nearly seven hours,
until at last, in the gloom of approaching night and a heavy
thunderstorm, the fire ceased and the enemy sullenly withdrew.
The Battalion had lost five out of thirteen officers, and 119 out of 295
other ranks; of I Company only one officer and thirteen men were left,
but nowhere had the enemy gained ground. The survivors, without food or
water, and with ammunition running short, but with courage and
discipline still unshaken, then faced the last ordeal of that long day.
Little could be done for the wounded, except to collect and leave them
with the chaplain, the doctor, and a few other noncombatants; and then,
in drenching rain and darkness only broken by flashes of lightning, the
few remaining horses were hooked into the guns, and the little force
moved silently across the veldt to the river, which was in flood, and
had to be forded breast high. So slippery was the ground from the rain
that the horses could not draw the guns; this for the last few miles was
done by the Riflemen. At 8.30 a.m. the following morning Prospect Camp
was reached after a peculiarly strenuous test of the courage and
endurance of the troops.
“The conduct of all ranks throughout this trying day was admirable,”
wrote _Sir George Colley_ in his despatch.[49] “The comparatively
young soldiers of the 60th Rifles behaved with the steadiness and
coolness of veterans. At all times perfectly in hand, they held or
changed their ground as directed without hurry or confusion; though
under heavy fire, themselves fired steadily, husbanding their
ammunition, and at the end of the day, with sadly reduced numbers,
formed and moved off the ground with the most perfect steadiness and
order; and, finally, after eighteen hours of continuous fatigue,
readily and cheerfully attached themselves to the guns, and dragged
them up the long hill from the Ingogo, when the horses were unable
to do so.”
[Sidenote: Feb. 27th, 1881, MAJUBA.]
On the night of the 26th of February _Sir George Colley_ decided to
seize Majuba Hill by a night march—a hazardous undertaking which was
ably executed. The following day the Boers in three assaulting columns,
covered by the rifle fire of their largely superior force, carried the
mountain with splendid gallantry, and completely defeated the small
British force of 414 soldiers and sailors.
Two companies of the 3rd Battalion were posted upon the lower spurs of
the mountain, and with a third company sent out later with ammunition
they covered the retreat, but were only slightly engaged.
The brave and accomplished _Colley_—dauntless to the end—died a
soldier’s death upon the summit of the mountain, and deplorable indeed
was the loss in officers and men of the force engaged. A peace—insisted
upon by the British Government—brought this unhappy campaign to a close
little to the satisfaction of the troops concerned.
-----
Footnote 43:
Now Field-Marshal Earl Roberts, K.G., V.C., etc., whose only son,
Lieut. the Hon. Frederick Roberts, V.C., was killed at the battle of
Colenso, December 15th, 1899, when an officer of the Regiment, and
serving as A.D.C. to Sir Redvers Buller.
Footnote 44:
Now Colonel Sir Arthur Davidson, K.C.B., K.C.V.O., Equerry to H.M.
Queen Alexandra.
Footnote 45:
Now Major-General Sir Wykeham Leigh-Pemberton, K.C.B., Colonel
Commandant, 1906. Born 4th December, 1833.
Footnote 46:
Afterwards Lieut.-Colonel Northey, mortally wounded at the Battle of
Gingihlovo, Zulu War, April 2nd, 1879.
Footnote 47:
Now Major-General.
Footnote 48:
Now Major-General Sir Cromer Ashburnham, K.C.B., Colonel Commandant,
1907. Born 13th September, 1831. He succeeded Colonel Leigh-Pemberton,
and commanded the 3rd Battalion throughout three campaigns, namely,
Boer War, 1881; Egypt, 1882; Suakim, 1884, with conspicuous success,
and was popularly known among his men as the “Lion of the Ingogo.”
Footnote 49:
Despatch, Mount Prospect, February 12th, 1881, para. 20.
VIII.
1882–1885. EGYPT. TEL EL KEBIR, 1882. EL TEB, TAMAI, 1884.—NILE
EXPEDITION, 1884–85.—MOUNTED INFANTRY.
The 3rd Battalion, under Colonel Ashburnham, had been moved from South
Africa to Malta, when the outbreak of hostilities in Egypt caused it to
be despatched with the 38th Regiment to Cyprus and Alexandria in July,
1882.
[Sidenote: 1882, EGYPT.]
On the 18th of July, shortly after the bombardment of Alexandria, it
landed while the city was still in flames, and formed part of the
advanced force under _Major-General Sir Archibald Alison_. A portion of
the Battalion took part with the Mounted Infantry, on the 22nd of July,
in the first engagement of the campaign at Mallaha Junction, eight miles
from Alexandria, and again in the reconnaissance in force on the 5th
August near Ramleh.
On August the 18th, upon the arrival of _Sir Garnet Wolseley_, it
embarked for Ismailia, and took part in the actions of Tel-el-Mahuta on
the 25th, and Kassassin on the 9th of September, when the enemy, about
13,000 strong, was completely defeated.
[Sidenote: Sept. 13th, 1882, TEL-EL-KEBIR.]
The Battalion, temporarily commanded by Major Ogilvy,[50] formed part of
the 4th Brigade under Colonel Ashburnham, which had been organised for
the night march of the 12th–13th September and the assault of the lines
of Tel-el-Kebir at daylight. The Brigade forming the support of the
Highland Brigade closed up at the beginning of the battle as day began
to dawn, and gave a timely assistance in the assault of the enemy’s
lines. The Battalion in two lines pressed eagerly forward with its
accustomed dash, and entered the Egyptian works at about the centre of
the position, where Major Cramer, second in Command, was wounded, and
had his horse shot under him. After an ebb and flow of strenuous bayonet
fighting the enemy gave way on all sides, and, suffering great losses,
were broken and dispersed in headlong flight. Two days later Cairo was
captured, and the war ended, upon which the Battalion formed part of the
army of occupation.
[Sidenote: 1884, EL TEB, TAMAI.]
In February, 1884, the Battalion, under Ashburnham, was ordered to
Suakim, where it served in a Brigade under that distinguished Rifleman,
Major-General Sir Redvers Buller,[51] as part of _General Sir Gerald
Graham’s_ force. On the 29th of February it took part in the defeat of
the Dervishes at El Teb, and on the 13th of March it was present at the
critical battle of Tamai. The troops were in two squares, one under _Sir
Gerald Graham_, commanding the force, the other under Buller. _Graham’s_
square was broken, and in the confusion some of its men poured a volley
into Buller’s, causing one face to run in. Sir Redvers at once rode
outside the square, and, with great coolness, rallied his men. By
restoring the formation he undoubtedly staved off a terrible disaster,
for, had the square been really broken, nothing could have saved the
army. This action ended the Campaign.
[Sidenote: MOUNTED INFANTRY.]
The history of the 3rd Battalion at this period would not be complete
without reference to the introduction of Mounted Infantry into the
British Army. It may be fairly said that the creation of Mounted
Infantry, the establishment of a recognised system for its training, and
the development of its tactics, is largely the work of Officers and
Riflemen of the 60th, and in a very special degree of the 3rd Battalion.
The value of Mounted Infantry under modern conditions of war was
established by the phenomenal success of the relatively small force of
Mounted Infantry in Egypt in 1882. This corps, raised and organised by
an officer of the 60th,[52] owed much of its success to the officers and
men drawn from the 3rd Battalion who had similarly served in the Boer
war; its high reputation for individual gallantry and initiative was
universally acknowledged, and there was no engagement in the war, from
the preliminary skirmishes before Alexandria in July, until the capture,
by a _coup de main_, of the citadel of Cairo at mid-night of the
14th–15th September, in which the Mounted Infantry did not take a
distinguished share.[53]
[Sidenote: 1884–85, NILE EXPEDITION.]
At Cairo, early in 1884, the inception and scheme of organisation for
the Mounted Camel Regiments was also the work of an officer of the 60th
Rifles. The Mounted Infantry Camel Regiment in particular which rendered
such distinguished service with the Desert Column, under the late
_General Sir Herbert Stewart_, was raised and equipped by the same
officer, and was largely composed of officers and men of the 60th. Two
out of the four companies were commanded by officers of the 60th
(Fetherstonhaugh[54] and Berkeley Pigott,[55] both of whom had served
with the 3rd Battalion in South Africa), and six out of the sixteen
subaltern company officers were also Riflemen.[56]
In June, 1886, a comprehensive scheme for raising and training Mounted
Infantry in England was first proposed, before a public audience, by an
officer of the 60th, under the powerful wing of _Lord Wolseley_, and in
November of the same year Mounted Infantry were raised and trained under
Captain Lewis Butler at Shorncliffe from detachments of the 2nd
Battalion and other regiments, under the effective supervision of
_Colonel Sir Baker Russell_.[57]
When, in 1887, it was subsequently decided to form a regiment of Mounted
Infantry for service with the Cavalry Division, composed of detachments
from nearly all infantry battalions on home service, the command and
organisation was again given to an officer of the 60th, and, out of the
eight companies composing the original regiment, the 60th and Rifle
Brigade found two, or one-fourth of the whole corps. The Mounted
Infantry movement therefore may be said to owe its inception, and in a
large measure its success, to the officers of the 60th, and to their
riflemen.
The Mounted Infantry system thus begun was largely developed, so that
upon the outbreak of the South African war in 1899 there were many
thousands of officers and men throughout the infantry of the Army who
had been trained as Mounted Infantry. It has been rightly said[58] that
the ultimately successful issue of the late campaign was in a great
measure due to “the large number of Mounted Infantry officers previously
trained, and to the long work of preparation carried on before the war
by the Mounted Infantry enthusiasts.” If this is so, The King’s Royal
Rifle Corps may lay a fair claim to a goodly share of such an important
result.
-----
Footnote 50:
Afterwards Colonel and C.B.
Footnote 51:
Afterwards General Right Hon. Sir Redvers Buller, _vide_ p. 40 note.
Footnote 52:
Captain Hutton, now Lieut.-General Sir Edward Hutton, K.C.M.G., C.B.
Colonel Commandant, 1908. Born December 6th, 1848.
Footnote 53:
_Vide_ “Cool Courage,” an episode of the Egyptian War,
1882—_Regimental Chronicle_, 1908.
Footnote 54:
Now Major-General R. S. R. Fetherstonhaugh, C.B.
Footnote 55:
Afterwards Lieutenant-Colonel Berkeley Pigott, C.B., D.S.O., 21st
Lancers.
Footnote 56:
W. Pitcairn Campbell, P. S. Marling, A. Miles, R. L. Bower, and two
officers of The Rifle Brigade, namely, W. M. Sherston and Hon. H.
Hardinge.
Footnote 57:
Afterwards General Sir Baker Russell, G.C.B., K.C.M.G., etc., a
well-known Cavalry General and leader of men. Died November, 1911.
Footnote 58:
“_Times_” _History of the War_, Vol. II, p. 31.
IX.
1886–1898.—INDIAN FRONTIER. CHITRAL. MANIPUR. WRECK OF THE “WARREN
HASTINGS.”
[Sidenote: 1891, INDIAN FRONTIER.]
In March, 1891, the 1st Battalion, then recently arrived in India,
formed part of the 3rd Brigade, Hazara Field Force, and took part in the
operations on the Samana Range, where Colonel Cramer,[59] commanding the
Battalion, was severely wounded; and the command throughout the
remainder of the campaign devolved upon Major the Hon. Keith
Turnour.[60] The Battalion also took part in the expedition sent into
the Sheikhan country and Khanki Valley, and in the action at Mastaon.
[Sidenote: 1891, MANIPUR.]
During the same period the 4th Battalion, under command of
Lieutenant-Colonel R. Chalmer,[61] formed part of the successful Manipur
Expedition in April, and from December in the same year until May, 1892,
was continually employed with various columns in Burma and the Chin
Lushai country.
[Sidenote: 1895, CHITRAL.]
In September, 1892, the 1st Battalion took part in the Isazai
Expedition. In March, 1895, it again took the field under
Lieutenant-Colonel H. B. MacCall,[62] and formed part of the Chitral
Relief Force, serving with the leading brigade under Brigadier-General
A. A. Kinloch.[63] The Battalion highly distinguished itself in the
battle of the Malakand on the 3rd of April, and again in the action at
Khar on the following day, thereby adding CHITRAL to the honours of the
Regiment.
[Sidenote: Jan. 14th, 1897, WRECK OF THE “WARREN HASTINGS.”]
At the end of 1896 the 1st Battalion, under command of Lieut.-Colonel M.
C. B. Forestier-Walker, left India, and embarked on the Royal Indian
Marine Troopship, _Warren Hastings_. Leaving four companies at Cape
Town, the headquarters of the battalion and the remaining four companies
proceeded to the Mauritius, when the ship steaming at full speed on a
very dark night, struck upon the rocks off the Island of Reunion at 2.20
a.m. on the 14th January, 1897, and became a total wreck.[64]
The troops on board, in addition to the Headquarters and four companies
of the Rifles, consisted of four companies of the York and Lancaster
Regiment, and a small detachment of the Middlesex Regiment, which, with
women and children, numbered in all 995. They “at once fell in on the
main deck in perfect order until 4 a.m., when the (Naval) Commander
ordered their disembarkation to commence by rope ladders from the
bows.... At 4.20 a.m. the position of the vessel appeared so critical
that he at once ordered the disembarkation of the men to cease, and the
women, children, and sick to be passed out. This order was promptly
carried out; the men clung to the side as they stood (the ship lurching
and bumping heavily), and passed out the women and children through; no
man murmuring or moving from his post.”[65]
At 4.35 a.m., as the ship was in imminent danger of heeling over and
sinking, it became necessary to expedite the landing. Owing to the
“remarkable courage and exemplary discipline” displayed, the whole
ship’s company, except two natives, were safely passed on to the rocks
and saved. “Lieutenant-Colonel Forestier-Walker,[66] who was in command,
was the last soldier to leave the ship.”
“The Commander-in-Chief,”[67] ends the Special Army Order of March the
13th, 1897, by declaring that he “is proud of the behaviour of the
troops during this trying time. He regards it as a good example of the
advantages of subordination and strict discipline, for it was by that
alone, under God’s Providence, that heavy loss of life was prevented.”
The Regiment will always cherish the honoured memory of Colonel
Forestier-Walker and of their comrades, who were thus given the
opportunity of supplying one of the finest examples of high discipline,
which the annals of the British Army can show.
-----
Footnote 59:
Afterwards C.B.
Footnote 60:
Now Lieut.-Colonel the Hon. Keith Turnour-Fetherstonhaugh, of Up Park,
Petersfield.
Footnote 61:
Afterwards Colonel and C.B.
Footnote 62:
Now Brigadier-General and C.B.
Footnote 63:
Now Major-General and C.B.
Footnote 64:
_Vide Regimental Chronicle_, 1909, p. 60.
Footnote 65:
Special Army Order, March 13th, 1897.
Footnote 66:
Promoted Colonel for his conduct, and was selected for Staff
employment as Chief Staff Officer in Egypt, where he was accidentally
killed upon the 31st July, 1902.
Footnote 67:
Field-Marshal Viscount Wolseley.
X.
1899–1902.—SOUTH AFRICA. TALANA HILL. DEFENCE OF LADYSMITH. RELIEF OF
LADYSMITH. TRANSVAAL.
Note.—As the following section deals with contemporaneous events and
with members of the Regiment still serving, it has been considered
advisable to adopt a simple form of record of events by Battalions
and units, leaving to a future historian the compilation of a
complete narrative.
FIRST BATTALION.
[Sidenote: 1st BATTALION.]
When, on October the 7th, 1899, war was declared by President Kruger and
the Boer Government, the 1st Battalion, under the command of
Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Henry Gunning, was at Dundee, Natal, with the
exception of G Company, which was at Eshowe in Zululand, and there
remained until after the following March.
At Talana Hill (20th of October), the first battle of the war, the
Battalion greatly distinguished itself in the attack of the Boer
position, and took a leading part in the complete defeat of the
enemy.[68] Lieutenant-Colonel Gunning was killed leading the assault,
and out of seventeen officers present, five were killed and eight
wounded, together with many N.C.O.’s and Riflemen. Major W. Pitcairn
Campbell[69] thereupon assumed command.
Then came the retreat to Ladysmith by a forced march under peculiarly
trying circumstances, and on the 30th October took place the battle of
Lombard’s Kop, which, indecisive in its effect, led to the investment by
the Boer Army. The four months DEFENCE OF LADYSMITH was the result, the
chief battle being that of Waggon Hill on January the 6th, 1900.
Up to March, 1900, the Battalion lost eight officers and forty-three men
killed, eight officers and 180 men wounded, and eighty-one men who died
in hospital.
After the Relief of Ladysmith, on the 3rd of March, the Battalion joined
the 8th Brigade, 5th Division, and was with Buller’s advance into the
Transvaal, taking part in the passage of the Biggarsberg in May, the
attacks on Botha’s Pass and Alleman’s Nek (8th and 11th of June).
In August the Battalion assisted in the capture of Amersfoort and
Ermelo, and was present at the battle of Belfast (August the 27th), when
the armies under _Roberts_ and Buller first joined forces, taking part
in the attack on Bergendal.
It subsequently assisted in the occupation of Lydenburg (6th of
September), and at the fighting in the Mauchberg (9th of September), and
at Pilgrim’s Rest (27th of September). On October the 16th, 1900, the
Battalion returned to Middelburg, where it was continually engaged in
minor operations until July, 1901, when it proceeded to Cape Colony.
Here it built the seventy miles of blockhouses between De Aar and Orange
River, which it occupied till the end of the war in June, 1902.
SECOND BATTALION.
[Sidenote: 2nd BATTALION.]
The 2nd Battalion left India, and landed in Natal in October, 1899,
under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel G. Grimwood, and proceeded at
once to Ladysmith, taking part in the battles of Rietfontein (October
the 24th) and Lombard’s Kop, in which it fought alongside the 1st
Battalion. It served through the DEFENCE OF LADYSMITH, and greatly
distinguished itself in the famous fight on Waggon Hill of January the
6th.
Up to the 31st of March the Battalion lost five officers (including two
attached) and twenty-six men killed in action, seventy-five men wounded,
and 107 who died in hospital.
After the relief it was under the command of Major the Hon. E. J.
Montagu-Stuart-Wortley,[70] and, with the 1st Battalion, formed part of
the 8th Brigade, 5th Division until the 1st of August, 1900, when it
proceeded to Ceylon in charge of prisoners of war.
THIRD BATTALION.
[Sidenote: 3rd BATTALION.]
The 3rd Battalion, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Robert George
Buchanan-Riddell, left England in November, 1899, with the 4th Light
Infantry Brigade, under Major-General the _Hon. N. G. Lyttelton_, and
landed at Durban on the 30th. It took part in all the battles for the
RELIEF OF LADYSMITH, namely, Colenso (December the 15th), Spion Kop
(January the 24th), Vaal Krantz (5th–7th of February), and the fourteen
days continuous fighting from the 13th to the 27th of February,
including the actions at Cingolo, Monte Christo, Hlangwane, Hart’s Hill,
and the final battle of Pieter’s Hill, on February the 27th, Majuba Day.
The Battalion rightly cherishes with pride the names of Spion Kop, Vaal
Krantz, and Hart’s Hill. At Spion Kop[71] it captured by a bold and
vigorous stroke the famous Twin Peaks single-handed, rightly considered
one of the most notable feats of the war. Lieutenant-Colonel
Buchanan-Riddell was killed on the summit at the moment of victory while
leading his men, and Major R. Bewicke-Copley[72] thereupon assumed
command. At Vaal Krantz, after being engaged for twenty-four hours, the
Battalion highly distinguished itself in repulsing the Boer
counter-attack.[73] At Hart’s Hill four companies were prominent in the
desperate struggle during the night of the 22nd–23rd of February,
delivering two bayonet charges and losing over a third of their number
in killed and wounded.[74] Part of the Rifle Reserve Battalion was also
engaged in this fight. The Battalion lost during this portion of the
campaign three officers and forty-six men killed in action, eleven
officers and 195 men wounded, while fifty-nine men died in hospital, and
eight men were reported missing.
It is worthy of remark that the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Battalions met in the
streets of Ladysmith on 3rd of March, 1900, when Sir Redvers Buller
entered the town at the head of his army.
After the relief of Ladysmith, the 3rd Battalion with the Light Infantry
Brigade of the 2nd Division took part in the advance through Northern
Natal, in the passage of the Biggarsberg, and in the attacks on Botha
Pass and Alleman’s Nek, 8th–11th June. It entered Heidelberg at the end
of June, 1900, and from that date until the end of October it was
engaged in the neighbourhood of Standerton and Greylingstad protecting
the railway. In November, 1900, Lieutenant-Colonel Bewicke-Copley was
selected for command of a mobile column, which, till November the 19th,
included his own 3rd Battalion. The Battalion subsequently occupied a
line of blockhouses between Machadodorp and Dalmanutha, Eastern
Transvaal, till the end of the war.
FOURTH BATTALION.
[Sidenote: 4th BATTALION.]
The 4th Battalion was quartered at Cork during the earlier phases of the
war, and was engaged in training and sending out reinforcements to a
large extent of Mounted Infantry. It was not until December, 1901, that
the Battalion, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel E. W.
Herbert,[75] sailed to Africa. Landing at Durban, it proceeded to
Harrismith, O.R.C., where it constructed and occupied a line of
blockhouses running west, and remained there until the conclusion of
peace in June, 1902.
RIFLE RESERVE BATTALION.
[Sidenote: RIFLE RESERVE BATTALION.]
The Reserve Battalion, under the command of Major the Hon. E. J.
Montagu-Stuart-Wortley, was organised at Pieter-Maritzberg, and composed
of officers and reservists of The King’s Royal Rifle Corps and of The
Rifle Brigade, who were intended to re-inforce the battalions shut up in
Ladysmith. It joined the 11th Brigade at Chieveley, Natal, in January,
1900, and took part in the operations of the 13th to the 27th of
February, namely, Cingolo, Monte Christo, Hlangwane, Hart’s Hill, and
the final battle of Pieter’s Hill. After the Relief of Ladysmith this
improvised Battalion was broken up, and the officers and men of the
Regiment were distributed between 1st and 2nd Battalions.
NINTH BATTALION.
[Sidenote: 9th BATTALION (NORTH CORK MILITIA).]
This Militia Battalion of the Regiment, under the command of
Lieutenant-Colonel William Cooke-Collis,[76] volunteered for active
service, and, their services having been accepted, embarked for the seat
of war in January, 1900. Landing at Cape Town on February 1st,[77] it
proceeded at once to Naauwpoort, and took part in the operations round
Colesburg. Leaving Naauwpoort in March, the Battalion was employed
protecting the main line of communication and the reconstruction of the
railway through the Free State in rear of _Lord Roberts_’ army. It
eventually took charge of the line between Vereeniging and Honing
Spruit, where it remained for a year, during which its section of the
line was never once cut by the enemy; this successful result was in a
large measure due to the good work done by the company of Mounted
Infantry raised from the Battalion.
The Battalion returned home in August, 1901, and was disembodied.
-----
Footnote 68:
_Vide Official History of the War_, Vol. I, pp. 131–136.
Footnote 69:
Now Major-General, C.B., and lately A.D.C. to the King.
Footnote 70:
Now Brigadier-General, C.B., C.M.G., M.V.O., D.S.O.
Footnote 71:
_Vide Official History of the South African War_, Vol. I, pp. 398–9.
Footnote 72:
Now Brigadier-General and C.B.
Footnote 73:
_Vide_ “_Times_” _History of the South African War_, Vol. III, p. 324.
Footnote 74:
_Vide Official History of the South African War_, Vol. I, pp. 476–484.
Footnote 75:
Now Colonel, C.B.
Footnote 76:
Now Colonel, C.M.G., and A.D.C. to the King.
Footnote 77:
Two officers died on the voyage out.
THE MOUNTED INFANTRY OF THE KING’S ROYAL RIFLE CORPS.
Note.—The Mounted Infantry raised in the Regiment having played so
distinguished a part in the campaign, it has been considered
advisable for purposes of historical reference to record their
services by battalions. The establishment of a Mounted Infantry
Company was 5 officers and 142 other ranks, organised into four
sections.
[Sidenote: 1st BATT. M.I.]
A company was raised from the 1st Battalion in South Africa before the
war; it fought at Talana Hill (October the 20th, 1899), was in the
DEFENCE OF LADYSMITH, and later with Buller’s army until it arrived at
Lydenburg in October, 1900. After this it was continually engaged in the
Eastern Transvaal, until it joined the 25th Mounted Infantry in October,
1901 (_see below_). This Company lost twenty-five killed and
thirty-three wounded during the war.
[Sidenote: 2nd BATT. M.I.]
A Company was raised from the 2nd Battalion upon its arrival in Natal,
which was left outside Ladysmith, and, joining Buller’s army on the
Tugela, took part in the campaign for the RELIEF OF LADYSMITH with
_Dundonald’s_ Mounted Troops. After the relief this Company joined
_Gough’s_ Mounted Infantry, and accompanied Buller’s army up to
Lydenburg, being subsequently engaged in the Eastern Transvaal,
Zululand, and the Orange River Colony until the end of the war. The
wastage in personnel was such that only two officers and twenty-nine
others of the original company then remained, but the fact that twenty
per cent. of the original horses, received in October, 1899, were still
doing duty, constituted a notable record in horse management.
[Sidenote: 3rd BATT. M.I.]
The 3rd Battalion contributed one section to “The Rifles’ Company” of
the 1st M.I. (_Vide 4th Battalion M.I._).
A second section, formed in December, 1899, fought with _Dundonald’s_
mounted troops in the RELIEF OF LADYSMITH, subsequently joining
_Gough’s_ M.I. at Blood River Poort, where it was severely handled and
its commander, Mildmay, was killed. This section, in October, 1901, was
united with a third section raised in 1900, and joined the 25th M.I. in
October, 1901 (_see below_), when the strength was raised to a full
company.
[Sidenote: 4th BATT. M.I.]
The 4th Battalion contributed a section to “The Rifles’ Company,” under
Captain Dewar, which, together with the section of the 3rd Battalion,
and the two sections from the 3rd and 4th Battalions Rifle Brigade,
formed one of the four companies composing the celebrated 1st M.I.,
organised and trained at Aldershot under _Lieutenant-Colonel E. A. H.
Alderson_ before the war. The “Rifles Company” was temporarily detached,
and, landing at Port Elizabeth in November, 1899, joined the force under
_Major-General Sir William Gatacre_, which was defeated at Stormberg on
December the 12th, where it was mentioned for its gallant conduct in
covering the retreat. The Company was then attached to _French’s_
Cavalry Division, and was at the battle of Paardeburg, where Captain
Dewar was killed, and was also present at the surrender of Cronje on the
27th of February, Majuba Day. It then rejoined the 1st M.I.; and took
part in the battles of Poplar Grove and Driefontein, and the entry into
Bloemfontein (10th of March). It was at the surprise of Broadwood’s
Calvary Brigade at Sannah’s Post (31st of March), where it behaved with
conspicuous gallantry, and it was at the relief of Wepener, and in the
fighting near Thabanchu.
The 1st M.I. were then allotted to _Alderson’s_ Brigade with
Hutton’s[78] Mounted Troops, and took part in _Lord Roberts’_ advance
upon Pretoria on the 2nd May.
The Company, therefore, was present in the actions of Brandfort, Vet
River, Sand River, Kroonstadt, the Vaal River (27th of May), the battle
of Doornkop, near Johannesburg (28th–29th of May), the actions at
Kalkhoevel Defile, Six Mile Spruit (4th of June), and the entry into
Pretoria (5th of June). It was similarly engaged at the battle of
Diamond Hill (11th of June); in the fighting south-east of Pretoria and
at the action of Rietvlei (July the 16th); in the advance to and
operations round Middelburg; in the battle of Belfast (24th of August,
1900); and in the march east from Dalmanutha, including the assault of
the almost impregnable position of Kaapsche Hoop during the night of the
12th–13th of September.
From this time till the end of the war this Company was continually
marching and fighting in the Orange River Colony and Cape Colony,
pursuing De Wet, back again in the Transvaal, in countless forays and
skirmishes, in the saddle night and day. When peace was declared it was
at Vereeniging, whence it marched to Harrismith, and was absorbed into
the Rifle Battalion of M.I. formed at that place.
The 4th Battalion also sent out two complete companies from Cork early
in 1901, which were employed in the Transvaal, and subsequently joined
the 25th M.I. in October of that year (_see below_).
[Sidenote: 25th (THE KING’S ROYAL RIFLE CORPS) MOUNTED INFANTRY
BATTALION.]
On October the 18th, 1901, a complete Battalion of Mounted Infantry[79]
was formed from the Regiment—an unique distinction—and consisted of:—
No. 1 Company 1st Battalion.
No. 2 Company 4th Battalion.
No. 3 Company 3rd Battalion.
No. 4 Company 4th Battalion.
The Battalion was concentrated at Middelburg in the Transvaal, and was
placed under the command of Major C. L. E. Robertson-Eustace[80] until
January, 1902, when he was succeeded by Major W. S. Kays.[81]
The Battalion thus organised was composed of officers and riflemen who
had been in the field from the beginning of the war, and were therefore
tried and experienced soldiers. It joined _Benson’s_[82] column at
Middelburg, a column of which it was said that no Dutchman dared sleep
within thirty miles of its bivouac. The ceaseless activity and success
of _Benson_ eventually decided Louis Botha, the Boer Commander-in-Chief,
to make a determined attempt to destroy his force. To achieve this
purpose he collected nearly 2000 men, and by a skilful combination of
his troops attacked the column while on the march near Bakenlaagte upon
the 30th of October. By a rapid charge he overwhelmed the rear guard,
captured two guns, killed _Benson_, and surrounded the column, but was
eventually beaten off. The 25th M.I. fought with a stubborn courage, and
by their sturdy gallantry kept the Boers at bay and gloriously upheld
the traditions of the Regiment, losing in the action eleven men killed,
five officers and forty-five men wounded.
Thus—stoutly fought out on both sides by mounted troops of this especial
type—ended a fight which has been described as unique in the annals of
war.[83] The spirit of the Riflemen will best be understood from the
lips of one of the wounded in this gallant fight, who remarked that
“they were content if they had done their duty, and felt rewarded if
their Regiment thought well of them.”
The Mounted Infantry Battalion of the Regiment ended its short but
brilliant career by taking part in all the great “drives” in the E.
Transvaal and N.E. of the Orange Free State, and was finally at
Greylingstad when peace was declared on the 1st June, 1902.
RIFLE DEPOT.
[Sidenote: RIFLE DEPOT.]
The Depot, under the command of Colonel Horatio Mends, was at Gosport
throughout the war. A narrative of the work of the Regiment at this
strenuous period would not be complete without grateful reference to the
splendid service of administration, training, and equipment, so
devotedly performed by the Colonel Commandant, his Staff, and the
Company officers generally of the Rifle Depot.
The Adjutant was five times changed, but the Quarter-Master, Major
Riley,[84] remained constant to his difficult duties throughout the
whole of this trying ordeal.
It is stated that 4470 recruits joined the Depot, were trained, and
passed to the various Battalions, while many thousands of Reservists
were mobilized, equipped, clothed, and drafted for duty.
The work of discharge at the end of the war was not less severe, but
there is no record of failure or of breakdown, and the success of the
admirable system of administration was universally acknowledged.[85]
The Rifle Depot was moved back to Winchester on the 29th of March, 1903,
after nine years of exile at Gosport caused by the re-building of the
Barracks which had been destroyed by fire.
-----
Footnote 78:
_Vide_ note p. 52.
Footnote 79:
For a more complete account, _vide Regimental Chronicle_, 1902, p. 94.
Footnote 80:
Afterwards D.S.O. This promising officer died suddenly at Cairo,
October 4th, 1908.
Footnote 81:
Now Colonel.
Footnote 82:
Colonel G. E. Benson, R.A., a leader of much distinction and
initiative.
Footnote 83:
_Vide_ “_Times_” _History of the War_, Vol. V.
Footnote 84:
Major T. M. Riley. Died 28th February, 1908. _Vide Regimental
Chronicle_, 1907, p. 115.
Footnote 85:
_Vide Regimental Chronicle_, 1903, pp. 202–207.