BATTLE HONOURS FOR SOUTH AFRICA, 1899-1902
Modder River--Defence of Ladysmith--Defence of Kimberley--Relief
of Kimberley--Paardeburg--Relief of Ladysmith--Medals granted
for the campaign--Decorations won regimentally--Casualties by
regiments.
SOUTH AFRICA, 1899-1902.
This battle honour is borne on the colours and appointments of
practically every infantry regiment in the army, in the cavalry the
only regiments which were so unfortunate as not to participate in
the campaign being the 4th Dragoon Guards, the 4th, 11th, and 15th
Hussars, which were in India, and the 21st Lancers, which were at
home. The following long list of regiments shows those which are
authorized to bear this honour:
1st Life Guards.
2nd Life Guards.
Royal Horse Guards.
King's Dragoon Guards.
Queen's Bays.
3rd Dragoon Guards.
5th Dragoon Guards.
Carabiniers.
7th Dragoon Guards.
Royal Dragoons.
Scots Greys.
3rd Hussars.
5th Lancers.
Inniskillings.
7th Hussars.
8th Hussars.
9th Lancers.
10th Hussars.
12th Lancers.
13th Hussars.
14th Hussars.
16th Lancers.
17th Lancers.
18th Hussars.
19th Hussars.
20th Hussars.
Grenadier Guards.
Coldstream Guards.
Scots Guards.
Royal Scots.
Queen's.
Buffs.
King's Own.
Northumberland Fusiliers.
Royal Warwicks.
Royal Fusiliers.
King's Liverpools.
Norfolks.
Lincolns.
Devons.
Suffolks.
Somerset Light Infantry.
West Yorks.
East Yorks.
Bedfordshire.
Leicesters.
Royal Irish.
Yorkshire.
Lancashire Fusiliers.
Royal Scots Fusiliers.
Cheshire.
Royal Welsh Fusiliers.
South Wales Borderers.
K.O. Scottish Borderers.
Scottish Rifles.
Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.
Gloucesters.
Worcesters.
East Lancashire.
East Surrey.
Cornwall Light Infantry.
West Riding.
Border.
Royal Sussex.
Hampshires.
South Staffords.
Dorsets.
East Lancashires.
Welsh.
Black Watch.
Oxford Light Infantry.
Essex.
Derbyshire.
Loyal North Lancashire.
Northamptons.
Royal Berkshires.
Royal West Kent.
K.O. Yorkshire L.I.
Shropshire L.I.
Middlesex.
King's Royal Rifles.
Wiltshire.
North Staffords.
York and Lancaster.
Durham L.I.
Highland L.I.
Seaforth Highlanders.
Gordon Highlanders.
Cameron Highlanders.
Royal Irish Rifles.
Royal Irish Fusiliers.
Connaught Rangers.
Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.
Leinster.
Royal Munster Fusiliers.
Royal Dublin Fusiliers.
Rifle Brigade.
YEOMANRY REGIMENTS.
Ayrshire.
Berks.
Buckinghamshire.
Cheshire.
Denbighshire.
Derbyshire.
1st Royal Devon.
Royal North Devon.
Dorset.
Essex.
Fife.
Gloucestershire.
Hampshire.
Herts.
Royal East Kent.
West Kent.
Lanarkshire.
Royal Lanarkshire.
Lancashire Hussars.
Duke of Lancaster's.
Leicestershire.
City of London.
1st County of London.
2nd County of London.
3rd County of London.
Lothian and Border Horse.
Lovat's Scouts.
Montgomeryshire.
Northumberland.
Nottingham Rangers.
South Nottingham Hussars.
Oxford.
Pembroke.
Scottish Horse.
Shropshire.
North Somerset.
West Somerset.
Suffolk.
Warwickshire.
Westmorland and Cumberland.
Worcestershire.
Yorkshire Dragoons.
Yorkshire Hussars.
MILITIA REGIMENTS.
3rd Royal Scots.
3rd Queen's (West Surrey).
3rd Buffs.
3rd King's Own (Lancaster).
3rd Royal Warwicks.
4th Royal Warwicks.
5th Royal Fusiliers.
4th King's Liverpool.
3rd Norfolks.
4th Norfolks.
3rd Lincolns.
4th West Yorkshire.
3rd East Yorkshire.
4th Bedfords.
3rd Leicester.
3rd Yorkshire.
3rd Lancashire Fusiliers.
4th Lancashire Fusiliers.
3rd Cheshire.
3rd South Wales Borderers.
3rd Scottish Borderers.
3rd Scottish Rifles.
4th Scottish Rifles.
6th Worcester.
3rd East Lancashire.
3rd East Surrey.
3rd West Riding.
3rd Royal Sussex.
3rd South Stafford.
3rd South Lancashire.
3rd Welsh.
3rd Essex.
4th Derbyshire.
3rd Loyal North Lancashire.
3rd Northampton.
5th Middlesex.
6th Middlesex.
3rd Manchester.
4th Manchester.
3rd North Stafford.
3rd York and Lancaster.
3rd Durham L.I.
3rd Highland L.I.
5th Royal Irish Rifles.
3rd Argyll Highlanders.
4th Argyll Highlanders.
4th Royal Munster Fusiliers.
4th Royal Dublin Fusiliers.
5th Royal Dublin Fusiliers.
5th Rifle Brigade.
ST. HELENA.
One militia battalion was deputed to carry out the thankless but
onerous task of guarding the Boer prisoners at this island, and so
it comes about that the distinction "St. Helena" is borne on the
colours of the 3rd Battalion of the Wiltshire Regiment.
MEDALS GRANTED FOR THE WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA.
Two medals were given for this campaign--the one with the head of
Queen Victoria, to which a number of clasps were appended; the
other with the head of His Majesty King Edward VII., to which were
attached two clasps--"South Africa, 1901," and "South Africa, 1902."
The following were the clasps issued with the medal known as the
Queen's Medal.
BATTLE CLASPS.
1. "Talana," for the action on October 20, 1899.
2. "Elandslaagte," for the action on October 21, 1899.
3. "Belmont," for the action on November 23, 1899.
4. "Modder River," for the action on November 28, 1899.
5. "Tugela Heights," for a series of engagements fought by Sir
Redvers Buller in his first endeavours to force his way into
Ladysmith in February, 1900.
6. "Relief of Kimberley," on February 15, 1900.
7. "Relief of Ladysmith," February 26, 1900.
8. "Paardeburg," for the action fought between February 27 and
28, 1900.
9. "Driefontein," for the action on March 10, 1900.
10. "Wepener," for the defence of that position between April 5
and 25, 1900.
11. "Johannesburg," for the operations leading to the seizure of
that city, ending on May 31, 1900.
12. "Laing's Nek," for the operations by Sir Redvers Buller's
army, ending June 12, 1900.
13. "Diamond Hill," for the action at that place on June 12, 1900.
14. "Witterburgen," for the operations in that district at the
end of July, 1900.
15. "Belfast," for the defence of that position on January 7,
1900.
There were clasps given inscribed:
16. "Defence of Kimberley."
17. "Defence of Ladysmith."
18. "Defence of Mafeking."
Clasps were also issued bearing only the names of the various
Colonies to those troops which had not been engaged in any of the
above-mentioned engagements; these Colony clasps were in number:
19. "Cape Colony."
20. "Natal."
21. "Orange River Colony."
22. "Rhodesia."
23. "Transvaal."
And there were also two date clasps inscribed:
24. "South Africa, 1901."
25. "South Africa, 1902."
BATTLE HONOURS FOR THE CAMPAIGN.
Whilst medals and clasps were distributed with a free hand, a
different policy was enacted with reference to the names that
were inscribed on the colours and appointments of the regiments
which took part in the campaign. Only six battle honours were
authorized for the two and a half years' fighting--"South Africa"
(with a date indicating the period that the corps remained in the
country), "Modder River," "Defence of Kimberley,"[30] "Relief of
Kimberley," "Defence of Ladysmith," "Relief of Ladysmith," and
"Paardeburg"--and no regiment obtained more than four of these
battle honours. Few were able to add more than two honours for the
campaign.
The relations between the British Government and the Boers had
never been marked by any cordiality. Their hostility was not
confined to ourselves. They had rebelled against the Dutch East
India Company prior to our conquest of the Cape of Good Hope, and
from the earliest days of the Dutch settlement there had been
constant friction between the Boers and the natives. It is not
my province to enter into the causes of the war, or whether it
might have been avoided, suffice to say that on October 9, 1899,
an ultimatum was handed to our Agent in Pretoria, couched in such
terms as to render hostilities inevitable. On the 12th the first
shot was fired, and England embarked on a campaign of far greater
magnitude than any in which we had ever been engaged. Our forces
were all too weak to cope with the situation, and they were widely
scattered.
The Boers from the outset assumed the offensive, whilst we, owing
to our numerical inferiority, were compelled to act strictly on
the defensive until the arrival of reinforcements, which were
already on the way from England. Within a very few days of the
outbreak of hostilities it became apparent that we had, as usual,
grievously underrated the strength of our opponents. Sir George
White, with the bulk of the troops in South Africa, was shut up in
Ladysmith, where he made a gallant defence. Colonel Kekewich, with
a half-battalion of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment and some
artillery, kept the flag flying at Kimberley, the headquarters of
the diamond-fields; whilst Colonel Baden-Powell, with irregular
troops only, earned a world-wide reputation for his brilliant
defence of Mafeking. Not content with enveloping our forces in
this way, the Boers carried on a series of daring raids into
Cape Colony. In this they were to a great extent assisted by the
disloyal conduct of many of the Dutch Colonials, who were actively
hostile to our cause.
In justice to the General Officers who were in command during the
earlier and less successful stages of the war, a brief description
of the military resources of the Empire is desirable. As Lord
Salisbury, the Prime Minister, had stated in the House of Lords
that no Indian troops would be employed, I may eliminate the
magnificent fighting material that we possess in our Indian army.
Approximately we had the following forces to draw on from our
fellow-subjects beyond the seas, who at once let it be known that
they looked on the quarrels of the Mother Country as their own, and
that they were ready to place at the disposal of the War Office the
manhood of their peoples. Our resources may be thus summarized:
Regular troops in the United Kingdom 108,000
" " in India 68,000
" " in other garrisons 30,000
" " in South Africa 22,000
Army Reserve in the United Kingdom 83,000
------- 311,000
Auxiliary forces in the United Kingdom 344,000
" " in Canada 33,000
" " in Australia 29,000
" " in New Zealand 7,700
" " in Tasmania 2,000
------- 415,700
Total 726,700
Of this grand total of upwards of 700,000 men it was clear that
large numbers would never be available. India could only be denuded
of a small portion of the British garrison, and of the auxiliary
forces in the United Kingdom a very large proportion were by no
means fit to take their places in the field; yet before the war was
brought to a close the troops actually sent to the front were not
far short of 400,000 men. Of these were despatched:
From the United Kingdom and the Mediterranean 338,000
From India 19,500
From our Dominions beyond the seas 30,000
For transport purposes and to supply the wastage in our mounted
troops 470,000 horses and 150,000 mules and donkeys were purchased;
for the conveyance of the troops and animals to the seat of war no
fewer than 1,057 ships were taken up, and 1,374,000 tons of stores
were from first to last shipped to South Africa. Unfortunately,
all this energy was delayed until after the actual declaration of
war. So far back as the month of June the Commander-in-Chief had
unsuccessfully applied for permission to mobilize an army corps on
Salisbury Plain and to convert the existing transport waggons to
mule draught. It was not until October 8 that the order for the
mobilization was sanctioned, and the first reinforcements did not
leave the country until the third week in that month, war having
been declared on the 11th.[31]
Our forces at the outset of hostilities were scattered necessarily
over a wide area. The frontiers of the two Republics ran
conterminously with our own for a distance of 1,000 miles. To
defend this with 22,000 men was a manifest impossibility. Sir
Forestier Walker, who was in command in Cape Colony, determined to
hold the most important positions on that long line of frontier;
whilst Sir George White in Natal, against his better judgment,
deferred to the views of the Governor of Natal, and divided his
forces, thus paving the way to defeat.
In addition to Kimberley, Sir Forestier Walker had weak detachments
guarding the principal railway junctions of De Aar, Nauwpoort,
and Stormberg. White had a brigade, under Sir Penn Symons, at
Dundee, in the North of Natal; the remainder of his force was at
Ladysmith. On October 20 the Dundee column fought an action at
Talana, and the following day White's troops, under General French,
defeated the Boers at Elandslaagte; but the arrival of strong Boer
reinforcements and the death of Penn Symons compelled the retreat
of the Dundee brigade, and on the 30th White suffered a severe
check at Lombard's Kop. It was now clear that the army in South
Africa was powerless until the arrival of reinforcements from
home, and these, late in the day as it was, were being hurried
forward as fast as circumstances would permit. The Viceroy of India
had been requested to despatch with all haste a cavalry brigade,
one of infantry, and three batteries of artillery. Some of these,
as well as the battalion from the Mauritius, were already in South
Africa, and battalions from Malta, Cyprus, and Egypt were _en
route_. The army corps asked for in June was now despatched, with
Sir Redvers Buller to hold the chief command in South Africa. It
was composed as follows:
First Division: Lieutenant-General Lord Methuen.
Guards' Brigade--Brig.-Gen. Paget: 3rd Battalion Grenadiers, 1st
Battalion Coldstream, 2nd Battalion Coldstream, 1st Battalion
Scots Guards.
Second Brigade--Brig.-Gen. Hildyard: 2nd Battalion Queen's, 2nd
Battalion Devons, 2nd Battalion West Yorks, 2nd Battalion East
Surrey.
One squadron 1st Life Guards and three batteries Field Artillery.
Second Division: Lieutenant-General Clery.
Highland Brigade--Brig.-Gen. Wauchope: 2nd Battalion Royal
Highlanders, 1st Battalion Highland Light Infantry, 2nd Battalion
Seaforths, 1st Battalion Argylls.
Fourth Brigade--Major-Gen. Lyttelton: 2nd Battalion Scottish
Rifles, 3rd Battalion King's Royal Rifles, 1st Battalion Durham
Light Infantry, 1st Battalion Rifle Brigade.
One squadron Royal Horse Guards and three batteries Field
Artillery.
Third Division: Lieutenant-General Gatacre.
Fifth Brigade--Brig.-Gen. Hart: 1st Battalion Inniskilling
Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion Royal Irish Rifles, 1st Battalion
Connaught Rangers, 1st Battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers.
Sixth Brigade--Brig.-Gen. Barton: 2nd Battalion Royal Fusiliers,
2nd Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers, 1st Battalion Royal Welsh
Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers.
One squadron 2nd Life Guards and three batteries Field Artillery.
Cavalry Division: Lieutenant-General French.
First Brigade: Carabiniers, 10th Hussars, 12th Lancers, one
battery Royal Horse Artillery.
Second Brigade: Royal Dragoons, Scots Greys, Inniskilling
Dragoons, one battery Royal Horse Artillery.
Lines of Communication: 2nd Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers,
2nd Battalion Somerset Light Infantry, 2nd Battalion Cornwall
Light Infantry, 1st Battalion Welsh Regiment, 2nd Battalion
Northamptons, 2nd K.O. Yorkshire Light Infantry, 2nd Battalion
Shropshire Light Infantry, 1st Battalion Gordons, Highland Light
Infantry.
Until the arrival of these reinforcements we were holding on to
our own frontiers with but 15,000 men in Natal, 10,000 in the Cape
Colony, and some 1,500 in Rhodesia, inclusive of colonial forces.
Opposed to us the Boers had at the least 53,000 men. Of these,
it was estimated that 23,000 men were before White in Ladysmith,
7,500 had been despatched against Baden-Powell in Mafeking, a
slightly larger force was enveloping Kekewich in Kimberley, and the
remainder were being mobilized for the defence of the two Republics.
The original plan of campaign decided on before the departure of
Sir Redvers Buller from England was to invade the Republics from
the south with the army corps, the composition of which I have just
given, whilst making such diversions as might be possible from
Natal. On Buller's arrival all this had to be changed. The relief
of Ladysmith was now the primary object of our Commander-in-Chief,
all question of an invasion of the Republics being for the present
out of the question. So soon as the reinforcements commenced to
arrive, Methuen, with the Brigade of Guards, was pushed up to
relieve Kimberley; the Second, Fifth, and Sixth Brigades were at
once directed to Natal, where Buller quickly followed. To replace
the Second Brigade in the First Division a Ninth Brigade, made
up from regiments intended for the line of communications, was
formed, and Wauchope's brigade of the Second Division advanced to
the support of Methuen, and to strengthen our hold on the line
of railway. Generals French and Gatacre were entrusted with the
command of the railway running parallel with the frontiers of
the Republics, and were stationed respectively at Nauwpoort and
Stormberg, whilst Wauchope was posted at De Aar.
Buller expressed himself optimistic as to the relief of Kimberley,
which was closely invested by the Boers, and by the middle of
November Methuen commenced his advance. His force consisted of the
Brigade of Guards, the Ninth Brigade (1st Loyal North Lancashire,
2nd King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, 1st Northumberland
Fusiliers, and 2nd Northamptons), the 9th Lancers, three squadrons
of mounted infantry, three field batteries, a naval brigade 360
strong, with four long 12-pounder quick-firers, and the New South
Wales Lancers. On October 23 he defeated the Boers at Belmont, his
casualties being 3 officers and 51 men killed, 23 officers and 220
men wounded. On the 25th he fought a second successful action at
Enslin, losing 3 officers and 15 men killed, 6 officers and 137
men wounded; and on October 28 he again defeated the Boers on the
Riet River. The action, however, is officially known as that of the
Modder River.
MODDER RIVER, NOVEMBER 28, 1899.
This battle honour is borne on the colours and appointments of the
following regiments:
9th Lancers.
Grenadier Guards.
Coldstream Guards.
Scots Guards.
Northumberland Fusiliers.
Northamptons.
K.O. Yorkshire L.I.
Highland Light Infantry
Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.
It commemorates the third of the three successful actions fought
by Lord Methuen in the early stage of the South African War in his
attempt to relieve Kimberley. A clasp, inscribed "Modder River,"
was given for this engagement, in which the casualties were as
follows:
CASUALTIES AT THE ACTION ON THE MODDER RIVER.
+----------------+-----------+-----------+
| |_Officers._| _Men._ |
| _Corps or_ +-----+-----+-----+-----+
| _Regiments._ | K. | W. | K. | W. |
+----------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+
|9th Lancers | - | - | - | 1 |
|Royal Artillery | - | 4 | 3 | 22 |
|Naval Brigade | - | - | - | - |
|Grenadier Gds. | - | 3 | 8 | 40 |
|Coldstream Gds. | 2 | 1 | 10 | 77 |
|Scots Guards | - | 2 | 10 | 37 |
|N'umberland F. | - | - | 11 | 34 |
|Loyal N. Lancs | - | 1 | 3 | 16 |
|Northamptons | - | - | - | - |
|K.O. Yorks L.I. | 1 | 3 | 8 | 46 |
|Highland L.I. | - | - | - | - |
|Argyll Highl. | - | 2 | 15 | 95 |
+----------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+
The Boer forces covering the Siege of Kimberley were under
the command of General Cronje, and he, falling back after his
third reverse at the Modder River, took up a strong position at
Magersfontein, entrenching his whole front for a distance of nine
miles. To hasten the relief of Kimberley, Wauchope was now pushed
up to reinforce Methuen, and on December 11 that General attacked
Cronje, but met with a most serious reverse, losing 22 officers
and 188 men killed, 46 officers and 629 men wounded, the bulk of
the casualties falling on the Highland Brigade, which also lost
its gallant leader, Wauchope, the second of his name to fall at
the head of English troops in an unsuccessful action, for Andrew
Wauchope's uncle fell at Rosetta in our little-remembered, but
unfortunate, expedition to Egypt in 1807.
In the meantime Buller had proceeded to Durban, and was concerting
his plans for the relief of Ladysmith. He had at his disposal
18,000 men and thirty field guns, besides a naval brigade with
fourteen long-range quick-firers. On December 15 he made his first
effort, and was badly defeated at Colenso, losing, in addition to 7
officers and 136 men killed, 47 officers and 709 men wounded, and
ten guns. The superior mobility of the Boers, and the fact that
White had with him four regiments of cavalry shut up in Ladysmith,
induced Buller to make the most earnest representations for a large
force of mounted reinforcements, and the War Office responded to
the call by mobilizing three more divisions, and taking steps to
raise a force of 4,000 Yeomanry.
These repeated disasters had aroused the nation--temporarily, at
any rate--to a proper sense of its responsibilities, and all ranks
and all classes responded to the call for volunteers. The veteran
Field-Marshal Lord Roberts, who had served his apprenticeship at
the Siege of Delhi just two-and-forty years before, accepted the
chief command, and at once embarked for the seat of war. On his
arrival the situation was no clearer. Methuen, with the First
Division, lay immobile twelve miles south of Kimberley, with a
Boer army strongly entrenched in his front; Gatacre, at Stormberg,
had met with a serious reverse; Sir George White was closely
besieged in Ladysmith; and Buller was gathering together his forces
for a second attempt to carry the strong position before him. Lord
Roberts landed in South Africa on January 10, and his first care
was to organize his transport, so as to have all in readiness for
an advance so soon as the reinforcements now on the seas should
arrive. As his Chief of the Staff he had Lord Kitchener, fresh from
his successful campaign in Egypt, where he had shown himself a
master in the matter of organization.
It was not until the commencement of February that the
Field-Marshal felt himself able to move. His plan of campaign was
first the relief of Kimberley with the Cavalry Division, under
French, then an advance on the capital of the Orange Free State.
This advance, he felt sure, would relieve the pressure in Natal,
and so enable Buller to join hands with Ladysmith. Approximately,
Lord Roberts had now in the Cape Colony 52,000 men, and in Natal
40,000, of whom some 9,000 or 10,000 were shut up in Ladysmith.
Even now he felt that he would need heavy reinforcements to meet
the wastage of war, and he requested that 8,000 Imperial Yeomanry
and thirty battalions of Militia might be despatched to the seat of
war as soon as they could be mobilized. Then, and not till then,
did Lord Roberts feel justified in his advance. His transport was
in an effective condition, and he had received assurance from home
that the reinforcements asked for would be sent without delay. On
February 6 he left Cape Town for the front, and on the 15th French
set forth for the relief of Kimberley.
The troops actually at Lord Roberts's disposal at this period
consisted of four divisions of infantry and one of cavalry. The
composition of the Cavalry Division is given on p. 422; that of the
four infantry divisions was as follows:
First Division: Lieutenant-General Lord Methuen.
Brigade of Guards--Major-General Paget: 3rd Battalion Grenadier
Guards, 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards, 2nd Battalion Coldstream
Guards, 1st Battalion Scots Guards.
Ninth Brigade--Brigadier-General Pole-Carew: 1st Battalion
Northumberland Fusiliers, half a battalion of the North
Lancashire, 2nd Battalion Northamptons, 2nd Battalion King's Own
Yorkshire Light Infantry.
Sixth Division: Lieutenant-General Sir Kelly-Kenny.
Thirteenth Brigade--Major-General C. E. Knox: 2nd Battalion
Buffs, 2nd Battalion Gloucesters, 1st Battalion West Ridings, 1st
Battalion Oxford Light Infantry.
Eighteenth Brigade--Brigadier-General T. E. Stephenson: 2nd
Battalion Royal Warwicks, 1st Battalion Yorkshire Regiment, 1st
Battalion Essex, 1st Battalion Wiltshires. Three field batteries
and two naval 12-pounders.
Seventh Division: Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Tucker.
Fourteenth Brigade--Major-General Chermside: 2nd Battalion
Norfolks, 2nd Battalion Lincolns, 1st Battalion King's Own
Scottish Borderers, 2nd Battalion Hampshires.
Fifteenth Brigade--Brigadier-General Wavell: 2nd Battalion
Cheshires, 1st Battalion East Lancashire, 2nd Battalion South
Wales Borderers, 2nd Battalion North Staffords. Three field
batteries.
Ninth Division: Lieutenant-General Sir H. Colville, K.C.B.
Highland Brigade--Brigadier-General MacDonald: 2nd Battalion
Black Watch, 1st Battalion Highland Light Infantry, 2nd Battalion
Seaforth Highlanders, 1st Battalion Argyll and Sutherland
Highlanders.
Nineteenth Brigade--Brigadier-General Smith-Dorrien: 2nd
Battalion Cornwall Light Infantry, 2nd Battalion Shropshire
Light Infantry, 1st Battalion Gordon Highlanders, Royal Canadian
Infantry. Three field batteries and one of 5-inch howitzer.
At Sterkstrom, General Gatacre had the remains of the Third
Division, consisting of the 1st Royal Scots, 2nd Northumberland
Fusiliers, 1st Derbyshire, 2nd Royal Berkshire, 2nd Royal
Irish Rifles, and a Militia battalion--the 3rd Durham Light
Infantry--with three field batteries and a couple of naval guns.
At Nauwpoort, General Clements had the 2nd Bedfords, 1st Royal
Irish, 2nd Worcester, 2nd Wiltshire, a Militia battalion--the 4th
Derbyshire--with one horse and three field batteries.
The Second Division was with Sir George White in Ladysmith, and
comprised a cavalry brigade, consisting of the 5th Dragoon Guards,
5th Lancers, 18th and 19th Hussars.
Seventh Brigade--Brigadier-General Ian Hamilton: 1st Battalion
Manchesters, 2nd Battalion Gordons, 1st Battalion Royal Irish
Fusiliers: and 2nd Battalion Rifle Brigade.
Eighth Brigade--Brigadier-General F. Howard: 1st Leicesters, 2nd
Battalion King's Royal Rifles, 1st Battalion King's Liverpools,
and a company of the Rifle Brigade.
White also had the following divisional troops, brigaded under
Brigadier-General Knox: 1st Devons, 1st Gloucester, and 1st King's
Royal Rifles. There were also six field, one mountain battery,
two 6-inch howitzers, and a naval brigade of 280 men, with five
long-range quick-firing guns.
Sir Redvers Buller at the time of Lord Roberts's arrival had
upwards of 30,000 men, thus detailed:
Second Division: General Lyttelton.
Second Brigade--Brigadier-General Hildyard: 2nd Battalion
Queen's, 2nd Battalion Devons, 2nd Battalion West Yorks, and 2nd
Battalion East Surrey.
Fourth Brigade--Brigadier-General Norcott: 2nd Battalion Scottish
Rifles, 3rd Battalion King's Royal Rifles, 1st Battalion Durham
Light Infantry, and 1st Battalion Rifle Brigade, with three field
batteries.
Fifth Division: Sir Charles Warren.
Tenth Brigade--Major-General Coke: 2nd Battalion Somerset Light
Infantry, 2nd Battalion Dorset, 2nd Battalion Middlesex.
Eleventh Brigade--Brigadier-General A. S. Wynne: 1st Battalion
King's Own, 1st Battalion East Lancashire, and the Rifle reserve
battalion, with three batteries of field artillery.
Third Division: Clery.
Fifth Brigade--Major-General Hart: 1st Battalion Inniskilling
Fusiliers, 1st Battalion Border Regiment, 1st Battalion Connaught
Rangers, 2nd Battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers.
Sixth Brigade--Major-General Barton: 2nd Battalion Royal
Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers, 1st Battalion
Royal Welsh Fusiliers, and 2nd Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers,
with three field batteries.
Buller's cavalry consisted of the Royal Dragoons, 13th Hussars, and
a large number of colonial troops, who were of the most effective
service. He also had a naval brigade of 400 men, with a number of
4·7 and 12-pounder long-range guns.
Such was the position of the army commanded by Lord Roberts when,
on February 12, General French was sent forward with the Cavalry
Division (Kelly-Kenny, with the Sixth Division, following in
support) for the relief of Kimberley.
RELIEF OF KIMBERLEY, FEBRUARY 15, 1900.
This battle honour has been conferred on the following regiments:
1st Life Guards.
2nd Life Guards.
Royal Horse Guards.
Carabiniers.
Scots Greys.
9th Lancers.
10th Hussars.
12th Lancers.
16th Lancers.
Buffs.
Yorkshire.
Gloucesters.
West Riding.
Welsh.
Oxford Light Infantry.
Essex.
There were many reasons why the Boers should have made great
endeavours to seize this town. Cecil Rhodes, their arch-enemy,
was shut up in the place, and the garrison was certainly none too
large for the task confided to its commander. Lord Methuen had
been checked by two serious reverses in his advance on Kimberley,
and his division now lay a few miles to the south of the town,
with the Boer army under Cronje facing him. Lord Roberts pushed up
the Sixth Division, under General Kelly-Kenny, to Randam, hard by
the Modder River. The Sixth was followed by the Seventh Division,
under General Tucker; and the Seventh by the Ninth, under Sir Henry
Colville. The Cavalry Division, under Lieutenant-General French,
was also moved westwards towards the line of railway leading
up from the Cape to Kimberley. With this division Lord Roberts
intended to effect the relief of the Diamond City.
French's division was composed of three brigades of cavalry, with a
strong force of mounted infantry, and was brigaded as follows:
First Brigade--Brigadier-General Porter: The Scots Greys, the
Carabiniers, one squadron each of the Inniskillings, 14th
Hussars, and New South Wales Horse, and three batteries of Royal
Horse Artillery.
Second Brigade--Brigadier-General Broadwood: Composite regiment
of Household Cavalry, 10th Hussars, 12th Lancers, and three
batteries of Royal Horse Artillery.
Third Brigade--Brigadier-General Gordon: 9th and 16th Lancers,
with two batteries of Royal Horse Artillery.
Mounted Infantry Division--Colonel Alderson: Three battalions
of mounted infantry, Roberts's Horse, Kitchener's Horse, the
Queensland and New Zealand Mounted Infantry.
In the very early morning of February 12 French left the line of
railway, and, bearing to the eastward, crossed the Riet River
between Cronje's camp and the capital. He was followed by the Sixth
(Kelly-Kenny's) Division. Sweeping round through Watervaal and
Klip's Drift, French found the Boers astride his road. They were
not in great strength, and he made no attempt to bandy words with
them. The road to his objective lay between two hills, on which
the enemy were posted, and French, mindful of the urgency of his
mission, determined to ignore the enemy, and, putting his men at
the gallop, he forced his way past the Boers with astonishingly
little loss. His way was now clear, and, pushing ahead as fast as
the condition of his horses would allow, he swept round to the
north of the town, and at 6 p.m. had effected the task before him.
Leaving Colonel Porter in command, French now retraced his steps,
in order to take a part in the impending attack on the position
held by General Cronje near Paardeburg.
CASUALTIES DURING FRENCH'S RELIEF OF KIMBERLEY.
+----------------+-----------+-----------+
| |_Officers._| _Men._ |
| _Regiments._ +-----+-----+-----+-----+
| | K. | W. | K. | W. |
+----------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+
|Scots Greys | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
|Inniskillings | - | 1 | - | 2 |
|9th Lancers | - | 3 | 1 | 17 |
|10th Hussars | - | - | - | 1 |
|Buffs | - | 1 | - | 4 |
|Yorkshires | - | - | - | - |
|Gloucesters | - | 1 | 2 | 8 |
|Cornwall L.I. | - | - | - | 3 |
|12th Lancers | - | - | - | 1 |
|14th Hussars | - | - | - | 1 |
|16th Lancers | 1 | 1 | 3 | 18 |
|R.H. Artillery | 1 | 3 | - | 24 |
|West Riding | - | - | - | 19 |
|Hampshires | - | - | 1 | 1 |
|Oxford L.I. | - | 1 | 11 | 38 |
|Roberts's Horse | - | 1 | - | 5 |
-----------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+
PAARDEBURG, FEBRUARY 18 TO 27, 1900.
This battle honour was conferred on the following regiments
for the operation which resulted in the surrender of the Boer
Commander-in-Chief in the war in the Transvaal:
1st Life Guards.
2nd Life Guards.
Royal Horse Guards.
Carabiniers.
Scots Greys.
9th Lancers.
10th Hussars.
12th Lancers.
16th Lancers.
Buffs.
Norfolks.
Lincolns.
Yorkshires.
K.O. Scot. Borderers.
Gloucesters.
Cornwall L.I.
West Riding.
Hampshires.
Welsh.
Black Watch.
Oxford L.I.
Essex.
Shropshire L.I.
Seaforth Highlanders.
Gordon Highlanders.
Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.
By the brilliant relief of Kimberley Lord Roberts had scored the
first real success of the campaign, and had opened the way for
an advance on the capital of the Boer Republics. General Cronje
realized this, and, breaking up his camp on the Modder River,
commenced a hurried retreat towards Bloemfontein. But Lord Roberts
was already practically athwart his path. French, returning from
Kimberley, threw himself across the head of Cronje's army, and
General Kelly-Kenny, with the Sixth Division, clung to his rear.
The Seventh and Ninth Divisions were now closing up, and Lord
Roberts was free to assault the strong position which Cronje had
taken up at Paardeburg.
Despite the large force at the disposal of the Commander-in-Chief,
the operation was none too simple. Cronje had with him a large
number of women and children, and, from motives of humanity, Lord
Roberts was averse to resorting to the usual methods of war. Our
first attack on the Boer position at Paardeburg was met in the
most gallant manner, our losses being very heavy. Little by little
we neared the Boer defences, our troops actually sapping up to
the cleverly-devised works; but it was not until February 27 that
General Cronje decided to surrender.
The road was now open for an advance on Bloemfontein, the capital
of the Orange Free State, and as soon as Lord Roberts had filled
up his convoys with provisions he recommenced his forward march,
and on March 12 the Field-Marshal hoisted the British flag in
Bloemfontein.
[Illustration: THE COLOURS OF THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY
REGIMENT, 1902.
(Formerly the Tangier Regiment.)
To face page 424.]
CASUALTIES DURING THE OPERATIONS AT PAARDEBURG, FEBRUARY 18 TO 27,
1900.
+------------------------+-----------+-----------+
| |_Officers._| _Men._ |
| _Regiments._ +-----+-----+-----+-----+
| | K. | W. | K. | W. |
+------------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+
|1st Life Guards | - | - | - | - |
|2nd Life Guards | - | - | - | 5 |
|Roy. H. Guards | - | - | - | 4 |
|Carabiniers | - | - | - | 1 |
|Scots Greys | - | - | - | 2 |
|9th Lancers | - | 1 | - | 5 |
|10th Hussars | - | - | 2 | 10 |
|12th Lancers | - | - | - | 1 |
|16th Lancers | - | - | - | 1 |
|Royal Artillery | - | - | 3 | 21 |
|Roy. Canadian | 1 | 3 | 34 | 90 |
|Buffs | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 |
|Norfolks | 1 | 1 | - | - |
|Lincolns | - | 2 | 2 | 18 |
|Yorkshire | 1 | 7 | 49 | 103 |
|K.O. Scottish Borderers | - | 1 | - | 15 |
|Gloucesters | - | 1 | 5 | 19 |
|Cornwall Light Infantry | 3 | 4 | 25 | 56 |
|West Ridings | 1 | 2 | 22 | 104 |
|Hampshire | - | - | 1 | 4 |
|Welsh | 1 | 5 | 18 | 63 |
|Black Watch | 1 | 3 | 19 | 79 |
|Oxford L.I. | 3 | 4 | 6 | 30 |
|Essex | - | 3 | 15 | 47 |
|K.O. Shrop. L.I. | - | 4 | 8 | 35 |
|Seaforth Highl. | 2 | 6 | 45 | 103 |
|Gordon Highl. | - | 2 | 3 | 15 |
|Argyll Highl. | 1 | 6 | 19 | 66 |
+------------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+
RELIEF OF LADYSMITH.[32]
I have already alluded to the reverse that Buller met with at
Colenso on December 15. On January 24 a second attempt by Sir
Redvers Buller met with no better success, our losses amounting
to 1,700 killed and wounded. The advance of Lord Roberts to
the eastward had the effect that the experienced Field-Marshal
anticipated. The pressure in Natal was lessened, and on the day
that Cronje surrendered to Lord Roberts Buller's mounted brigade
entered Ladysmith, after a series of well-fought actions, in which,
if our men upheld the traditions of the British army, the Boers
showed themselves gallant foemen.
CASUALTIES AT THE RELIEF OF LADYSMITH.
+-----------------------------+-----------+-----------+
| |_Officers._| _Men._ |
| _Regiments._ +-----+-----+-----+-----+
| | K. | W. | K. | W. |
+-----------------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+
|Royal Dragoons | - | - | 2 | 6 |
|13th Hussars | - | - | - | - |
|Royal Artillery | 3 | 10 | 18 | 98 |
|Roy. Engineers | - | - | - | - |
|Queen's West Surrey | 3 | 10 | 30 | 245 |
|K.O. Lancs | 3 | 4 | 107 | 225 |
|Royal Fusiliers | - | - | 5 | 69 |
|King's Liverpl. | - | - | - | - |
|Devons | - | 7 | 16 | 189 |
|Somerset L.I. | 3 | 1 | 16 | 63 |
|West Yorkshire | 2 | 5 | 27 | 173 |
|Lancashire Fus. | 6 | 12 | 85 | 247 |
|Royal Welsh Fusiliers | 2 | 2 | 10 | 54 |
|Scottish Rifles | 6 | 10 | 49 | 102 |
|Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers | 5 | 14 | 98 | 248 |
|East Surrey | 1 | 6 | 27 | 176 |
|Border | 1 | 6 | 14 | 20 |
|Dorsets | - | 1 | 3 | 27 |
|South Lancs | 2 | 4 | 26 | 121 |
|Middlesex | - | - | 20 | 71 |
|K. Roy. Rifles | 3 | 9 | 47 | 143 |
|York and Lanc. | - | 4 | 13 | 137 |
|Durham L.I. | 2 | 6 | 20 | 118 |
|Roy. Irish Fus. | - | - | 14 | 88 |
|Connaught R. | - | 7 | 56 | 177 |
|R. Dublin Fus. | 5 | 12 | 89 | 348 |
|Rifle Brigade | - | 12 | 30 | 151 |
+-----------------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+
THE DEFENCE OF LADYSMITH,[33] OCTOBER 29, 1899, TO FEBRUARY 27,
1900.
The actual siege of Ladysmith commenced when Sir George White met
with the reverse at Lombards' Kop on October 30, and lasted for
four months. With the large force at his disposal there was but
small chance of the place being carried by assault, but there was
always the possibility of its being compelled to surrender by
famine. Fortunately, in White we had a commander whose reputation
for personal bravery was proverbial, and he had with him senior
officers whose names were almost as well known for their gallantry.
In his garrison were seasoned regiments of old soldiers who had but
recently arrived from India. The Boers had experienced the metal of
White's men at Talana and at Elandslaagte, and cared little to come
again to close quarters with them.
During that long siege of four months the Boers made but one
attempt to attack the place. This action, known as Cæsar's Camp
(January 6), was one of the hardest-fought actions of the war, our
losses amounting to 18 officers and 158 men killed, 29 officers
and 221 men wounded, whereas the total casualties for the rest of
the siege only reached the total of 6 officers and 62 men killed,
33 officers and 262 men wounded. The losses by sickness were
not unusually heavy. That they were not heavier was due to the
cheerful face put on the situation by the brave commander and the
self-devotion of the officers of the Royal Army Medical Corps,
who, as ever, showed themselves as careless of their own lives as
they were tenderly careful of those of the men committed to their
charge.[34]
CASUALTIES AT THE DEFENCE OF LADYSMITH.
+-------------------+-----------+-----------+
| |_Officers._| _Men._ |
| _Regiments._ +-----+-----+-----+-----+
| | K. | W. | K. | W. |
+-------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+
|5th Dragoon Guards | - | 4 | 1 | 9 |
|5th Lancers | 1 | 7 | 2 | 14 |
|18th Hussars | - | 1 | 9 | 19 |
|19th Hussars | - | - | 6 | 16 |
|Royal Artillery | - | - | - | - |
|Roy. Engineers | 2 | 1 | 7 | 7 |
|Devons | 3 | 4 | 25 | 50 |
|Leicesters | 2 | 1 | 5 | 26 |
|Gloucesters | - | - | 8 | 9 |
|K. Roy. Rifles | 3 | - | 42 | 58 |
|Manchesters | 1 | 10 | 49 | 90 |
|Gordon Highl. | 2 | 3 | 16 | 25 |
|Rifle Brigade | 2 | 9 | 32 | 43 |
+-------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+
With the surrender of Cronje's army, the relief of Ladysmith, and
the entry of our army into Bloemfontein, it was hoped that the back
of the enemy was broken. The war, however, dragged on for close on
two years, the principal incidents being the relief of Mafeking by
Brigadier-General Mahon on May 15, the occupation of Johannesburg
by Lord Roberts on the 31st of the same month, and the entry into
Pretoria, the capital of the Transvaal, on June 5. The Boers
showed marvellous powers of recuperation, and many hard actions
were fought ere they were subdued. In the month of October the
aged President Kruger deserted his fellow-countrymen, and embarked
for Europe, and on the 25th of that month Lord Roberts formally
proclaimed the annexation of the two Republics to the Empire,
and in the following month Lord Roberts handed over the command
to General Lord Kitchener. Then we entered on a long period of
guerilla warfare, for which our troops were little prepared. More
reinforcements were called for, and by the close of the year 30,000
men were sent out to South Africa. It was not until the month of
March, 1902, that the Boer commanders consented to treat, although
the hopelessness of the struggle must have been long apparent to
the meanest understanding, and on May 31, 1902, the conditions
of surrender were signed. Never was an enemy treated with more
consideration.
The war in the Transvaal was noteworthy in many ways. It is true
that in the campaign in Egypt a small body of Canadian Voyageurs
had volunteered for service up the Nile, and that the Government
of New South Wales had despatched a contingent to our assistance
at Suakin in 1885; but during the war in South Africa contingents
were despatched from all our dominions beyond the seas. Canada,
Australia, India, New Zealand, and Tasmania all had their forces
in the field; whilst in the regiments of Yeomanry were to be found
men drawn from all ranks of society and from all parts of our
Empire--from the islands of the West Indies to Hong-Kong. Then,
again, it was the first occasion in which men from our Volunteer
corps had been permitted to strengthen the ranks of their line
battalions, and the first in which the Yeomanry and Militia had
been pushed forward into the fighting-line. There were two great
lessons taught by the war--the one that our military organization
was not adapted to modern warfare, and the second that the Mother
Country could count on the warm-hearted support of her children
beyond the seas.
DECORATIONS FOR THE WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA, 1899-1902.
+-------------------------+----+----+----+-----+-----+
| _Regiments._ |V.C.|C.B.| D.S.O. |
| | | C.M.G. D.C.M.|[35]
+-------------------------+----+----+----+-----+-----+
|1st Life Guards | - | 1 | - | 3 | 3 |
|2nd Life Guards | - | 1 | - | 4 | 2 |
|Roy. H. Guards | - | 1 | - | 4 | 2 |
|K. Drag. Guards | - | 1 | - | 2 | 1 |
|Queen's Bays | - | - | - | - | 1 |
|3rd Drag. Gds. | - | - | - | 3 | 1 |
|5th Drag. Gds. | 1 | 2 | - | 2 | 6 |
|Carabiniers | - | 2 | - | 5 | 6 |
|7th Drag. Gds. | - | - | - | 3 | 5 |
|Royal Dragoons | - | 2 | - | 2 | 6 |
|Scots Greys | - | - | - | 4 | 5 |
|3rd Hussars | - | - | - | 1 | 1 |
|5th Lancers | 1 | - | - | 3 | 5 |
|Inniskill. Drag. | - | 1 | - | 2 | 7 |
|7th Hussars | - | 3 | - | 6 | 1 |
|8th Hussars | - | 3 | - | 1 | 4 |
|9th Lancers | - | 1 | - | 6 | 10 |
|10th Hussars | 2 | 1 | - | 2 | 5 |
|11th Hussars | - | - | - | - | - |
|12th Lancers | - | 2 | - | 6 | 6 |
|13th Hussars | - | 1 | - | 4 | 5 |
|14th Hussars | 1 | - | - | 2 | 5 |
|16th Lancers | - | - | - | 4 | 6 |
|17th Lancers | - | - | - | 3 | 3 |
|18th Hussars | 1 | 1 | - | 6 | 10 |
|19th Hussars | - | 1 | - | 3 | 8 |
|Royal Artillery | 9 | 27 | 11 | 95 | 261 |
|Roy. Engineers | 1 | 8 | 5 | 35 | 76 |
|Grenadier Gds. | - | 4 | - | 9 | 16 |
|Coldstream Gds. | - | 4 | - | 13 | 19 |
|Scots Guards | - | 2 | - | 7 | 19 |
|Royal Scots | - | - | - | 10 | 16 |
|Queen's | - | 1 | 1 | 10 | 17 |
|Buffs | - | 2 | - | 10 | 16 |
|King's Own | - | 1 | - | 10 | 11 |
|N'umberland F. | - | 2 | - | 8 | 31 |
|Royal Warwicks | - | - | - | 6 | 13 |
|Royal Fusiliers | 1 | 1 | - | 6 | 13 |
|K. Liverpool | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 11 |
|Norfolks | - | 1 | - | 10 | 16 |
|Lincolns | - | 1 | - | 2 | 15 |
|Devons | 1 | 2 | - | 11 | 32 |
|Suffolks | - | 1 | - | 5 | 12 |
|Somerset L.I. | - | 1 | - | 3 | 11 |
|West Yorks | 2 | 1 | - | 8 | 15 |
|East Yorks | - | 1 | - | 5 | 10 |
|Bedfords | - | - | - | 6 | 9 |
|Leicesters | - | - | 1 | 3 | 8 |
|Royal Irish | - | 1 | - | 6 | 12 |
|Yorkshire | 1 | 1 | - | 5 | 17 |
|Lancs Fusiliers | - | - | - | 8 | 21 |
|Roy. Scots Fus. | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 10 |
|Cheshires | - | 2 | - | 2 | 11 |
|Roy. Welsh Fus. | - | 1 | - | 8 | 17 |
|S. Wales Bord. | 1 | 1 | - | 4 | 11 |
|K.O. Scot. Bord. | 1 | 1 | - | 7 | 13 |
|Scottish Rifles | - | - | - | 3 | 15 |
|Inniskilling Fus. | - | - | - | 5 | 13 |
|Gloucesters | - | 1 | - | 5 | 12 |
|Worcester | - | 2 | - | 10 | 21 |
|E. Lancashire | - | 1 | - | 8 | 10 |
|East Surrey | 1 | 1 | - | 9 | 12 |
|Cornwall L.I. | 1 | - | - | 3 | 11 |
|West Ridings | 1 | 1 | - | 5 | 13 |
|Border | - | 1 | - | 6 | 10 |
|Royal Sussex | - | 1 | - | 6 | 15 |
|Hampshire | - | 1 | - | 3 | 11 |
|South Staffords | - | 1 | 1 | 4 | 8 |
|Dorsets | - | 1 | - | 5 | 14 |
|S. Lancashire | - | 1 | - | 5 | 6 |
|Welsh | - | 2 | - | 6 | 12 |
|Roy. Highl. | - | 2 | - | 8 | 13 |
|Oxford L.I. | - | 1 | - | 7 | 13 |
|Essex | 1 | 3 | - | 8 | 13 |
|Derbyshire | 2 | 2 | - | 6 | 20 |
|Loy. N. Lancs | - | 2 | 1 | 8 | 15 |
|Northamptons | - | 1 | - | 5 | 8 |
|Royal Berkshire | 1 | 1 | - | 7 | 14 |
|Royal W. Kent | - | 3 | - | 2 | 9 |
|K.O. Yorks L.I. | 1 | 1 | - | 5 | 15 |
|Shropshire L.I. | - | 1 | - | 7 | 8 |
|Middlesex | - | 2 | - | 6 | 10 |
|K. Royal Rifles | 2 | 2 | 1 | 21 | 38 |
|Wiltshire | - | 1 | - | 3 | 9 |
|Manchesters | 2 | 1 | - | 14 | 23 |
|N. Staffords | - | - | - | 5 | 8 |
|York and Lanc. | - | 2 | - | 3 | 8 |
|Durham L.I. | - | 3 | - | 9 | 16 |
|Highland L.I. | 1 | 1 | - | 5 | 9 |
|Seaforth Highl. | - | 2 | - | 3 | 14 |
|Gordon Highl. | 6 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 32 |
|Cameron Highl. | 1 | 2 | - | 5 | 13 |
|Roy. Irish Rifles | - | 1 | - | 4 | 15 |
|Roy. Irish Fus. | - | 1 | - | 4 | 9 |
|Argyll Highl. | - | 2 | 1 | 5 | 10 |
|Connaught R. | - | 2 | - | 4 | 12 |
|Leinster | - | 1 | - | 3 | 6 |
|R. Munster Fus. | - | 2 | - | 5 | 14 |
|Roy. Dublin F. | - | 2 | - | 10 | 18 |
|Rifle Brigade | 2 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 35 |
|Army Med. C. | 5 | 12 | 27 | 27 | 38 |
|Army Service C. | - | 7 | - | 9 | 3 |
+-------------------------+----+----+----+-----+-----+
+-------------------------+----+----+----+-----+-----+
| MILITIA BATTALIONS. |
+-------------------------+----+----+----+-----+-----+
|Royal Scots | - | 1 | - | 2 | 3 |
|Queen's W. Sur. | - | - | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|East Kent | - | 1 | - | 1 | 3 |
|K.O. R. Lancs | - | - | 1 | 4 | 7 |
|Roy. Warwicks | - | 1 | - | 1 | 3 |
|Norfolk | - | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
|Devon | - | - | 1 | - | - |
|Somerset L.I. | - | - | 1 | - | 3 |
|West York | - | - | - | 2 | 3 |
|Bedford | - | 1 | - | 3 | 3 |
|Leicesters | - | - | - | 1 | - |
|Yorkshire | - | - | 1 | 1 | 3 |
|Lancashire F. | - | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
|Cheshire | - | - | - | 3 | 3 |
|S. Wales Bord. | - | - | 1 | 1 | 3 |
|Scottish Bord. | - | - | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|Scottish Rifles | - | 1 | - | 2 | 3 |
|Worcesters | - | - | - | - | 1 |
|East Lancs | - | - | 1 | 1 | 3 |
|East Surrey | - | - | 1 | - | - |
|West Riding | - | 1 | - | 1 | 3 |
|Royal Sussex | - | 1 | - | - | 1 |
|South Staffords | - | - | - | 1 | 4 |
|South Lancs | - | - | - | 2 | 2 |
|Welsh | - | 1 | - | 2 | 3 |
|Oxford L.I. | - | - | - | 1 | - |
|Derbyshire | - | - | - | 2 | 2 |
|Loy. N. Lancs | - | - | - | 1 | 1 |
|Middlesex | - | - | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|K. Roy. Rifles | - | - | 1 | 1 | 2 |
|Manchester | - | - | - | - | 1 |
|North Stafford | - | - | 1 | 1 | 2 |
|Durham L.I. | - | - | 1 | 1 | 2 |
|Roy. Irish R. | - | 1 | - | 1 | 1 |
|Argyll and Sutherland H. | - | 1 | - | 1 | 2 |
|Leinster | - | - | 2 | 3 | 3 |
|R. Munster Fus. | - | - | 1 | - | 2 |
|Roy. Dublin F. | - | - | - | 2 | 3 |
|Antrim Artill. | - | - | 1 | - | 1 |
|Donegal Artill. | - | - | - | - | 1 |
|Londonderry A. | - | - | - | - | 1 |
+-------------------------+----+----+----+-----+-----+
|City Imp. Vol. | - | 2 | 1 | 5 | 17 |
|Engineer Vol. | - | 1 | - | - | 4 |
|Lovat's Scouts | - | 1 | - | 2 | 4 |
|Imperial Yeom. | 1 | 10 | 1 | 96 | 113 |
|Elswick Art. V. | - | - | - | 2 | 1 |
|Scottish Horse | 1 | 1 | - | 3 | 6 |
+-------------------------+----+----+----+-----+-----+
+-------------------------+----+----+----+-----+-----+
| CONTINGENTS FROM OUR DOMINIONS BEYOND THE SEAS. |
+-------------------------+----+----+----+-----+-----+
|Canadian troops | 4 | 5 | 6 | 19 | 18 |
|New South Wales | - | 7 | 1 | 23 | 15 |
|New Zealand | 1 | 5 | 2 | 10 | 11 |
|Queensland | - | 6 | 1 | 8 | 11 |
|South Australia | - | 3 | 1 | 9 | 10 |
|Tasmania | 2 | 3 | - | 4 | 4 |
|Victoria | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 6 |
|West Australia | 1 | 2 | - | 6 | 8 |
|South Africa | 10 | 12 | 34 | 125 | 191 |
|Lumsden's Horse (India) | - | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
+-------------------------+----+----+----+-----+-----+
TOTAL CASUALTIES DURING THE WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA, 1899-1902.
+-------------------------+-----------+-----------+
| |_Officers._| _Men._ |
| _Regiments._ +-----+-----+-----+-----+
| | K. | W. | K. | W. |
+-------------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+
|1st Life Guards | - | - | 2 | 9 |
|2nd Life Guards | 1 | 1 | 3 | 14 |
|Roy. H. Guards | 2 | 1 | 19 | 15 |
|1st K.D. Gds. | 4 | 8 | 9 | 30 |
|Queen's Bays | 3 | 5 | 23 | 51 |
|3rd Drag. Gds. | 1 | 2 | 5 | 15 |
|5th Drag. Gds. | - | 5 | 9 | 27 |
|Carabiniers | 5 | 4 | 25 | 57 |
|7th Drag. Gds. | 3 | 8 | 21 | 57 |
|1st Roy. Drag. | 2 | 2 | 10 | 27 |
|Scots Greys | 6 | 6 | 34 | 103 |
|3rd Hussars | 1 | - | 4 | 10 |
|5th Lancers | 1 | 9 | 19 | 74 |
|Inniskillings | 5 | 12 | 37 | 79 |
|7th Hussars | - | 3 | 2 | 3 |
|8th Hussars | 3 | 8 | 13 | 42 |
|9th Lancers | 5 | 15 | 40 | 130 |
|10th Hussars | 4 | 8 | 61 | 57 |
|12th Lancers | 3 | 8 | 25 | 79 |
|13th Hussars | - | 4 | 17 | 45 |
|14th Hussars | 1 | 1 | 23 | 30 |
|16th Lancers | 7 | 12 | 29 | 95 |
|17th Lancers | 7 | 9 | 58 | 100 |
|18th Hussars | 3 | 10 | 37 | 85 |
|19th Hussars | 1 | 2 | 25 | 70 |
|20th Hussars | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
|Royal Artillery | 30 | 96 | 178 | 807 |
|Roy. Engineers | 4 | 16 | 27 | 65 |
|2nd Gren. Gds. | 2 | 7 | 40 | 132 |
|3rd Gren. Gds. | 5 | 11 | 53 | 183 |
|1st Coldst. Gds. | - | 8 | 27 | 99 |
|2nd Coldst. Gds. | 5 | 5 | 29 | 108 |
|1st Scots Gds. | - | 6 | 33 | 75 |
|2nd Scots Gds. | 1 | 5 | 15 | 55 |
|1st Royal Scots | 2 | 4 | 17 | 32 |
|2nd Queen's | 4 | 12 | 38 | 294 |
|2nd Buffs | 4 | 11 | 61 | 184 |
|2nd King's Own | 13 | 12 | 128 | 249 |
|1st N'umberland Fusiliers| 9 | 15 | 85 | 189 |
|2nd N'umberland Fusiliers| 3 | 6 | 37 | 103 |
|2nd Roy. Warw. | 1 | 5 | 11 | 44 |
|3rd Roy. Warw. | - | 2 | 10 | 25 |
|2nd Roy. Fus. | 4 | 4 | 17 | 92 |
|1st K. L'pools | 1 | 2 | 50 | 190 |
|2nd Norfolks | 4 | 5 | 11 | 39 |
|2nd Lincolns | 1 | 8 | 34 | 68 |
|1st Devons | 5 | 10 | 36 | 92 |
|2nd Devons | - | 9 | 36 | 203 |
|1st Suffolks | 6 | 7 | 36 | 103 |
|2nd Somer. L.I. | 8 | 4 | 21 | 78 |
|2nd W. Yorks | 5 | 15 | 74 | 251 |
|2nd E. Yorks | 2 | 3 | 9 | 55 |
|2nd Bedfords | 5 | 4 | 20 | 65 |
|1st Leicesters | 2 | 4 | 15 | 71 |
|1st Royal Irish | 5 | 8 | 39 | 87 |
|1st Yorkshire | 1 | 10 | 73 | 132 |
|2nd Lancs Fus. | 6 | 17 | 110 | 266 |
|2nd R. Scots F. | 5 | 12 | 54 | 145 |
|2nd Cheshires | 1 | 1 | 5 | 53 |
|1st R. Welsh F. | 5 | 17 | 67 | 187 |
|2nd S. Wales B. | 2 | 4 | 32 | 94 |
|1st K.O.S.B | 7 | 5 | 45 | 90 |
|27th Innis. Fus. | 10 | 17 | 119 | 261 |
|28th Gloucesters | 1 | 9 | 65 | 107 |
|29th Worcesters | - | 4 | 12 | 33 |
|30th E. Lancs | 1 | 1 | 19 | 39 |
|33rd W. Ridings | 3 | 13 | 55 | 188 |
|34th Border | 2 | 9 | 27 | 199 |
|35th R. Sussex | 2 | 7 | 31 | 94 |
|36th Worcesters | 4 | 4 | 38 | 88 |
|38th S. Staffords | 4 | 4 | 16 | 56 |
|40th S. Lancs. | 4 | 4 | 45 | 130 |
|41st Welsh | 5 | 12 | 67 | 187 |
|42nd B. Watch | - | - | 5 | 2 |
|43rd Oxf. L.I. | 3 | 8 | 29 | 96 |
|44th Essex | 2 | 7 | 51 | 170 |
|45th Derbys | 2 | 13 | 57 | 137 |
|46th Corn. L.I. | 4 | 6 | 32 | 49 |
|47th Loyal N. Lancashire | 4 | 8 | 27 | 107 |
|51st K.O.Y.L.I. | 1 | 5 | - | 4 |
|54th Dorsets | - | 3 | 24 | 92 |
|56th Essex | - | 4 | 3 | 15 |
|58th N'amptons | - | 6 | 8 | 32 |
|1st K.R.R. | 11 | 11 | 72 | 234 |
|2nd K.R.R. | 4 | 4 | 29 | 78 |
|3rd K.R.R. | 6 | 14 | 61 | 216 |
|4th K.R.R. | 3 | 8 | 9 | 39 |
|61st Glouc. | 1 | 4 | 27 | 91 |
|63rd Manch. | 5 | 16 | 75 | 145 |
|65th York & Lancaster | 1 | 5 | 30 | 162 |
|66th R. Brk. | 1 | 5 | 23 | 93 |
|67th Hamp. | 3 | 4 | 50 | 60 |
|68th Durh. L.I. | 4 | 8 | 38 | 147 |
|70th E. Sur. | 1 | 10 | 50 | 206 |
|71st H.L.I. | 4 | 9 | 30 | 161 |
|73rd Royal Highl. | 12 | 17 | 119 | 347 |
|75th Gordon Highl. | 8 | 16 | 50 | 181 |
|77th Middl. | 5 | 6 | 47 | 76 |
|78th Ross. B. | 10 | 23 | 122 | 276 |
|79th Camer. Highl. | 4 | 8 | 22 | 65 |
|85th Shrop. L.I. | - | 12 | 44 | 105 |
|86th Royal Irish R. | 3 | 11 | 31 | 106 |
|87th Royal Irish Fus. | 2 | 11 | 40 | 96 |
|88th Con. R. | - | 16 | 58 | 242 |
|89th Royal Irish Fus. | 4 | 9 | 36 | 148 |
|90th Scottish Rifles | 10 | 10 | 56 | 134 |
|91st Argyll Highl. | 4 | 14 | 85 | 208 |
|92nd Gords. | 9 | 14 | 65 | 173 |
|94th Con. R. | - | 16 | 58 | 252 |
|95th Derby | 1 | 3 | 12 | 33 |
|96th Manch. | 2 | 4 | 7 | 19 |
|97th Royal W. Kent | 2 | 1 | 18 | 46 |
|98th N. Staf. | 1 | 1 | 9 | 1 |
|99th Wiltsh. | 2 | 6 | 33 | 79 |
|100th Roy. Canadns. | 1 | 2 | 9 | 39 |
|101st Royal Munsters | 5 | 3 | 19 | 74 |
|102nd Royal Dublins | 2 | 5 | 78 | 124 |
|103rd Royal Dublins | 5 | 19 | 63 | 281 |
|104th Roy. Munsters | - | - | 2 | 2 |
|105th K.O. York. L.I. | 6 | 11 | 56 | 151 |
|108th Inniskilling F. | 1 | - | 3 | 5 |
|109th Leins. | - | 1 | - | 9 |
|Rifle Brig. (1st Batt.) | 6 | 16 | 48 | 291 |
|Rifle Brig. (2nd Batt.) | 8 | 14 | 75 | 165 |
|Rifle Brig. (4th Batt.) | - | 2 | 5 | 30 |
|R.A.M.C. | 7 | 23 | - | - |
|C.I.V.'s | 1 | 1 | 10 | 51 |
|Imp. Yeom. | 67 | 131 | 470 |1,236|
|Militia | 15 | 34 | 160 | 368 |
|Volunteers | 2 | 12 | 29 | 117 |
|Gen. Staff | 11 | 30 | - | - |
|Australian contingts. | 29 | 77 | 222 | 658 |
|Canadian contingts. | 7 | 23 | 87 | 255 |
|New Zealand cont. | 7 | 26 | 78 | 176 |
|S. African contingt. | 119 | 328 |1,354|3,005|
+-------------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+
Total casualties, including all departmental corps, killed, died
of wounds, or wounded in action, irrespective of those who died
from disease: Officers, 701 killed, 1,668 wounded; men, 7,091
killed, 19,143 wounded.