simple. The men received 5s. a day. That meant that the pay
received through the South Australian Government and the pay
from the Imperial Government would together amount to 5s. a
day. Whatever amount the Imperial Government gave their
soldiers, members of the South Australian Contingent received
the same while on active service, and the balance paid to them
by the South Australian Government would bring the amount up to
5s. a day. They did not propose to send any money from the
Colony while the men were away, in order that, while fighting
side by side with the Imperial soldiers, they should not
receive more pay than their comrades. Their South Australian
pay would be left at home until their return. If the British
rate of pay were 1s. 4d., that arrangement would mean that 3s.
8d. per day would be due to them from the Colonial Government.
Before starting the men received one month's pay, amounting to
L7, which was considered sufficient to supply their immediate
wants, and see them over the voyage. On arrival at Port
Elizabeth they began to receive the same pay as the British
soldiers.
The officers of the second Contingent were: Captain J. Reade,
commanding; J. F. Humphries, senior subaltern; G. H. Lynch,
second subaltern; F. M. Rowell, third subaltern; G. J. Restall
Walter, junior subaltern; W. J. Press, warrant officer, in
charge of the "Colt" automatic machine-gun; William De Passy,
warrant officer.
The first Contingent of infantry was afterwards turned into
mounted infantry. The second Contingent was composed of
cavalry, and one machine-gun section. The Australian Horse was
drilled on exactly the same lines as British cavalry, and was,
in fact, under the instruction of British cavalrymen. The men
were either members of volunteer corps, or volunteered on the
outbreak of the war from all parts of the Colony.
When the news of British reverses reached the Colony, the
patriotic fervour of which the despatch of the first Contingent
was a practical proof, was once more fanned into flame. The
desire for Australian representation on the field of battle
again translated itself into action, and the intimation that
not only would further assistance be welcomed but that it was
really wanted met with ready response. No lack of volunteers
troubled the authorities, for numerous offers to serve were
received from all parts of the colony, from persons of all
classes and all ages. Among the youngest of those volunteering
was Allan O'Halloran Wright, who was but fourteen years of age,
who accompanied the Contingent as trumpeter. He is
exceptionally well developed, and considerably taller than many
of the rank and file. Among others was Sergeant Hanley, who was
in the thick of the fight at Majuba Hill. He served with the
92nd Gordon Highlanders in the Afghan War, and received two
decorations, including medal with the Kabul, Kandahar, and
Charasia bars, and a star for the historical march from Kabul
to Kandahar. He, with others, was mentioned in despatches for
his conduct in defending Lord Roberts from an attack of the
Ghilzais. He fought in twenty-seven engagements in Afghanistan,
and was the youngest man in the regiment. He stood side by side
with "Fighting Mac," who was then a lance-corporal, and
promoted to a commission for his distinguished services. After
the Afghan War he went to India, and though he had completed
seven years service, and need have done no more, he volunteered
for service with the 92nd Highlanders in South Africa. After
the miserable experiences of Majuba he went to South Australia,
where he served for nine years with the permanent force. He
acted as warder in the Yatala prison till, hearing of the war,
he instantly volunteered.
On the 28th of October the Contingent dined at Government
House, and after the meal the men were received in the great
hall and thus eloquently addressed by Lord Tennyson: "Men of
the South Australian Contingent of the British army in South
Africa--I am proud of being your Commander-in-Chief because of
your splendid patriotism, your alacrity in obeying the summons
of the old country, your self-sacrifice in leaving your
comfortable homes to fight for the United Empire, to maintain
the Queen's position in South Africa, and to rescue the
down-trodden Uitlanders from the political and social serfdom
imposed on them by the Boers. When I was at home in 1897 I saw
some of you in the Jubilee procession, and you were
vociferously cheered by the millions of people in the streets.
Why did they cheer you? Because they felt that you were our
kith and kin, and that you were not only taking part in a
triumphal procession in honour of the Queen, but that you were
pledging yourselves that, if the needful occasion should arise,
you would fight for our Queen and for our Empire. Your action
now, and the action of all Australasia and of Canada, will make
the nations of the earth hesitate before they strike at our
Empire in the future, seeing our Imperial loyalty, our Imperial
solidarity, our Imperial unity, our Imperial strength. I
believe from my experience as your Governor that there is no
man throughout South Australia who would not stand up in time
of stress in defence of the Queen, the Empire, and the Union
Jack. You are a gallant and stalwart body of men, and we
rejoice in your soldierly appearance and your loyal enthusiasm.
We feel sure that you will do your duty nobly, and return
covered with honour and renown. Remember, my men, that
obedience to discipline, and patience in enduring hardship, and
promptitude in the performance of your military duties are the
first steps towards the making of a victorious army. You are to
be joined in South Africa to highly organised battalions of
troops, some of the best in the world, commanded by highly
trained and scientific officers. Obey these officers and your
own implicitly, from the corporal to the Commander-in-Chief,
whether on the field or in garrison, or wherever you are; and I
need not tell you that, if you keep your eyes and ears open,
you will learn a great deal that will be useful to you in the
future. May Australia never be visited by war! If this ever
happens, the British fleet will protect Australia in the first
line of defence, but you must have an efficiently trained army
as a second line of defence. Knowing this, the Federal
Government of the future will, I am confident, put Australia in
a proper state of military preparedness; and that is one of the
reasons why I glory in our Federal Commonwealth to be. Remember
always, my friends, that you are the guardians of a magnificent
heritage, of a country of which you are justly proud, and that
the experience which you Australians will gain in South Africa
will not only enable you to fight, if necessary, for this
country, but will also enable you to teach your
comrades-in-arms, who are obliged to stay at home, something of
the needful requirements of modern warfare. I know the General
who is to lead you, Sir Redvers Buller. He is married to a
cousin of my wife's, and I can tell you that a finer soldier
could not be met with. The motto he would wish to be given you
would be: 'Obedience and cheerful courage on service are an
army's strength.' I am glad to have allowed--though it is
personally a loss to myself--my A.D.C., Captain Lascelles, to
accompany you, with special leave from the War Office at home.
As you are aware, in him you have a thoroughly experienced and
capable officer, and, like Captain Howland and your other
officers, he is fond of you and devoted to your welfare. If I
had to command a British army, I should know that, when you
have had a little more military experience, with your pluck,
your good marksmanship, and your loyalty, the standard of the
Queen could well be intrusted to the keeping of the Australian
Contingent. It is my duty as well as my pleasure to tell you
that, on behalf of the British people, Her Majesty's Government
have sent me two telegrams appreciative of the enthusiastic
patriotism of yourselves, of the Ministry, and of South
Australia. It is also my duty as well as my pleasure to read
you the kindly and gracious message from the Queen, which has
moved us all very deeply: 'Her Majesty the Queen desires to
thank the people of her Colonies in Australia for the striking
manifestation of loyalty and patriotism in their voluntary
offer to send troops to co-operate with Her Majesty's Imperial
forces in maintaining her position and the rights of British
subjects in South Africa. She wishes the troops God-speed and a
safe return.' The Boers have forced war upon us and have
invaded our territory. You are going to fight for the cause of
British freedom, for the honour of Great Britain, for the
honour of Australia. In the name, then, of our beloved Queen,
of Great Britain, and of South Australia, I bid you farewell,
and I wish you, after your work is accomplished, a safe and
happy home-coming."
On the 26th of January the second South Australian Contingent
started for the Transvaal amid scenes of great enthusiasm. The
Governor, Lord Tennyson, again made an inspiriting speech and
wished them God-speed.
WEST AUSTRALIA
West Australia sent with the same energy of patriotism two
Contingents amounting to 230 officers and men, with offers of
more if required. The officers were: Capt. R. Moor, R.A.; Capt.
H. S. Pilkington, late 21st Hussars; Major M'Williams, Medical
Officer; Lieut. J. Campbell; Lieut. H. F. Darling; Lieut. F. W.
M. Parker.
TASMANIA
The Tasmanian Government were not behind the other Colonies of
Australia in their desire to show their loyalty and patriotism
by offering troops for Imperial service. There was, of course,
some difference of opinion regarding the policy of going to
fight at all, as the following cutting from a local journal
will show: "In Tasmania, as elsewhere, there is a certain
number, not many, of the crawling tribe, who always find that
their country is in the wrong, and are never so happy as when
they can hold up some foe as a model of virtue in contrast with
the brutal Briton. It is curious to find those who call
themselves friends of the working-classes indulging in this
vein of oratory, but it is common to all the Colonies, and may
be said to account for the little influence that the party has
on general affairs. We have had here, of course, the inevitable
Catholic priest who has denounced the British, for he always
appears when Great Britain has any serious work to do, just as
there is the usual meeting of Irish in New York. In Hobart the
Catholic priests spoke feeling and appropriate words about the
departure of the Contingent, but on the West Coast one Father
Murphy went on the rampage in the good old style, and proceeded
to denounce the country under the Government of which he lives,
and which is liberal enough to allow him to say such things
with impunity. I wonder whether these folk ever think about
what would happen to them if they talked in the same strain in
France, Germany, or even in the United States. It does not
matter to Great Britain what these discontented ones say, but
they might learn from the liberty they use the value of the
freedom which they enjoy. On the whole, the people of Tasmania,
while they deeply regret that war should be necessary, are
fully alive to the value of a united empire, and are keenly
anxious that she may vindicate her position in South Africa,
and finally get rid of the Boer incubus which has weighed upon
the country ever since the Gladstone Ministry adopted the
policy of scuttle and palaver."
This quotation shows the drift of popular sentiment, and in the
end loyalty everywhere prevailed, and some splendid fellows
volunteered to go to the front. These were not "raw material,"
but intelligent, handy soldiers, accustomed to the rough and
tumble of bush life, and ready to provide for emergencies.
Their commander, Captain Cameron, had seen some service, and
took part in the famous march to Kandahar.
The first Contingent, sent in the _Medic_, consisted of eighty
men, of which the officers were: Capt. C. St. Clair Cameron,
Erandale, commanding (who was afterwards a prisoner in
Pretoria); Lieut. W. Brown; Lieut. F. B. Heritage; Lieut. G. E.
Reid, 1st Regt., Hobart. Of the privates the following were
subsequently taken prisoners to Pretoria: M. H. Swan, V. J.
Peers, A. Button. J. H. Whitelaw, also a private, who has
distinguished himself by gallantry in the field and by saving a
comrade's life at the imminent risk of his own, will probably
receive the V.C.
The second Contingent, which consisted of forty-five men, was
under the command of Sergt. J. Stagg, of Deloraine.
Both Contingents were composed almost entirely of gentlemen.
Tasmania also contributed 100 men to the Imperial Australian
Corps which was raised at Mr. J. Chamberlain's suggestion from
all the Australasian Colonies. The volunteering of the
Tasmanian contingent to join hands with Canada, Australia, and
New Zealand, and shoulder to shoulder to support the "flag of
old renown" in South Africa, gave origin to the following lines
written by a Tasmanian poet:--
"War? We would rather peace; but, Mother, if fight we must,
There be none of your sons on whom you can lean with a surer trust;
Bone of your bone are we, and in death would be dust of your dust!"
THE BUSHMEN'S CORPS
There was immense excitement over the formation of the Imperial
Bushmen or Roughriders' Corps. It consisted of over 2000
mounted men, selected from those experienced in riding and
looking after stock in country in its natural rough state,
unbroken by cultivation, fences or roads. In the first
instance, New Zealand made an offer to provide 500 such men,
after which--as more were required--Australia was asked to
raise a further 2000, the Imperial Government bearing the cost
of forwarding them to the seat of war, and maintaining and
paying them there. Four thousand applications from Victoria and
2000 from Adelaide were received. The citizens of Rockhampton
immediately offered to provide and equip twenty-five Bushmen.
New South Wales was represented by a Contingent of 500 men, and
Queensland decided to join with the other Colonies in
organising this smart and serviceable corps, whose value was
estimated as equal to twice the number of infantry.
The movement was a most popular one, and gifts of horses were
sent in from every direction. The public subscribed liberally,
Captain Bridges alone giving L1000 towards the expenses of the
Victorian Bushmen.
The officers selected for the New South Wales Bushmen were
Lieut.-Colonel Airey in command, Major Onslow, three captains
and fourteen subalterns. The movement was so popular and
subscriptions so liberal, that it was decided that 100 men
should be sent from South Australia instead of the fifty
originally proposed. Colonel Williams, of the New South Wales
Contingent, was appointed principal medical officer for all
the Australian Contingents serving in South Africa. The
departure of the Bushmen on the 17th of January was a
magnificent climax to the many magnificent demonstrations of
patriotism which had been evidenced throughout the Colonies.
INDIA'S CONTINGENTS
Between the Australasian and Canadian Colonies and the
Volunteer Contingent from India there is a certain difference
which it is necessary to recognise. In the Colonies, the
movement to help the Mother Country in her need, though
prompted and encouraged by popular enthusiasm, patriotism, and
donations from private and public resources, was suggested,
voiced, and supported by the respective Governments, the
Premiers of which acted very prominently in the enterprise,
whereas in India, the offer of military assistance was a
spontaneous impulse springing from individual patriotism and
carried out by private enterprise. India, being a Crown Colony,
could display her loyalty in no other way. Her position was
somewhat similar to the Home Establishment, and her regular
British troops were under orders for South Africa in exactly
the same way as were the Home forces. Nevertheless, India was
not backward in independent demonstrations of loyalty. English
officers from various native corps, who, in ordinary
circumstances, could serve only in their respective Indian
Contingents, now came forward and volunteered for active
service in aid of the Imperial cause in South Africa. The "men"
volunteered from all directions. Dapper young Calcutta
merchants, sporting tea-planters from Assam, gallant
indigo-planters, and dashing roughriders from Bombay, Assam,
Bengal, Cawnpore, Mysore, and all manner of districts unknown
even by name to the Little Englander sent in their appeal, and
pressed to be allowed to play their part in the defence of the
Empire; and thus the smart regiments known as Lumsden's Horse,
the Railway Contingent, and the Ceylon Mounted Contingent came
to be recruited.
Colonel Lumsden, lately Commandant of the Assam Valley Light
Horse, generously assisted both financially and personally in
raising and equipping the force, and quantities of Calcutta men
offered their services, their expenses being guaranteed by the
firms employing them. Gifts and subscriptions poured in. Lord
Curzon, the Viceroy, headed the subscription-list by a handsome
contribution, and so generous was the response of all India,
that about L30,000 was collected in connection with the
Transvaal war, including the equipment of volunteers.
The native princes offered troops and horses, and loyally
expressed themselves towards the Queen Empress. The troops were
declined, it being understood that the war was between white
men alone. Their offers of horses were, however, accepted.
Nevertheless, the generosity of the princes was not to be
denied, and several among them, the Maharajah of Bikanir, the
Maharajah of Durbhanga, and the Nawab of Moorshedabad,
subscribed liberally to the expenses of Lumsden's Horse,
offering at the same time their best wishes for the success of
the Contingent and the complete triumph of the British arms in
South Africa.
The Nizam of Hyderabad, whose State is as large as France, and
whose relations with the sovereign have always been most
cordial, assisted handsomely, saying at the same time, with
true Oriental grace, that his troops, his purse, and his own
sword were at the service of the Queen. The Maharajah of
Tanjore contributed 5000 rupees, while his son furnished a
complete set of X-ray apparatus. The Nawab of Bhavnagar State
presented fifty fully equipped Arab horses to the force, and
quantities of other prominent Nawabs displayed corresponding
liberality. The Maharanee of Bettiah generously presented to
each volunteer from her district a horse, and Khwajah Mahomed
Khan forwarded from Mardan (on the Punjab frontier) the sum of
2000 rupees as an expression of loyalty, with his best wishes
for the success of Lumsden's Horse. As an instance of the
excitement and martial feeling in regard to the Indian
Transvaal Contingent, it may be noted that the instant the
scheme was proposed, two-thirds of the Light Horse of Behar
volunteered for service, promising to provide everything except
means of transport. They formed part of Lumsden's Horse, who
were all men under forty years of age, many of them of
independent means, with horses of their own.
The following is the list of officers who were appointed to
Colonel Lumsden's Corps:--
Lieut.-Colonel Dugald McT. Lumsden, Assam Valley Light Horse
Volunteers, to be Commandant, with the temporary rank of
Lieut.-Colonel in the army; Lieut.-Colonel Eden Showers, late
Commandant Surma Valley Light Horse Volunteers, to be second in
command, with the temporary rank of Major in the army; Captain
J. H. B. Beresford, Indian Staff Corps, to be Company
Commander. To be Captains, with the temporary rank of Captain
in the army: Major Henry Chamney, Surma Valley Light Horse
Volunteers; Captain Francis Clifford, Coorg and Mysore
Volunteer Rifles; Second Lieutenant Bernard W. Holmes, East
India Railway Volunteer Rifles; Second Lieutenant John B.
Rutherford, Behar Light Horse Volunteers. To be Lieutenants,
with the temporary rank of Lieutenant in the army: Lieutenant
Charles L. Sidey, Surma Valley Light Horse Volunteers; Herbert
O. Pugh, gent.; George A. Nevill, gent.; Charles E. Crane,
gent. Captain Louis H. Noblett, the Royal Irish Rifles, to be a
Company Commander; Captain Neville C. Taylor, Indian Staff
Corps, to be Adjutant; Surgeon-Captain Samuel A Powell, M.D.,
Surma Valley Light Horse Volunteers, to be Medical Officer,
with the temporary rank of Captain; William Stevenson, gent.,
to be Veterinary Officer, with the temporary rank of Veterinary
Lieutenant.
The Government provided free passages, and the railway
authorities gave free passes. With the force went Mrs. C. W.
Park and Mrs. M. C. Curry, wives of Lieut.-Colonel C. W. Park
and Major M. C. Curry, of the 1st Devonshire Regiment, to
assist in the hospitals in Natal. This regiment, it may be
remembered, was with Sir George White, and had four officers
severely wounded in its first battle, Elandslaagte, and was
shut up in Ladysmith for over four months. Lumsden's Horse
sailed from India on February 6, much envied by all who had not
the good fortune to be of their number.
[Illustration: GENERAL BRABANT, C.M.G.
After Photo by S. B. Barnard, Cape Town.]
Ceylon was not behind India in patriotic enthusiasm, though its
powers were more limited. Great demonstrations of loyalty
prevailed everywhere in the island, and volunteers were eager
to be enrolled. Out of the numbers applying 125 men were picked
out and 5 officers. The force was armed with Lee-Metford
magazine rifles, 500 rounds of ammunition, and were nearly all
mounted on trained horses. Captain Rutherford, Royal Dublin
Fusiliers, was in command, and Captain Anderson, Royal
Artillery, was second in command. Captain Toogood (Warwickshire
Regiment) also accompanied the force.
The planters and merchants of Ceylon presented upwards of
30,000 lbs. of tea to be delivered free to the troops in South
Africa, to be shipped with the Contingent, and many private
individuals were equally generous. The Legislative Council
unanimously agreed that all expenses connected with the
equipment, arming, transport, and, when necessary, mounting of
the Ceylon Contingent, should be borne by the Colony. This
liberal decision was acknowledged by Mr. Chamberlain in the
following terms:--
MR. CHAMBERLAIN TO GOVERNOR THE RIGHT HON.
SIR J. WEST RIDGEWAY.
"Your telegrams of January 9 and January 10. Her Majesty's
Government congratulate Ceylon on completion of Contingent,
which they accept with much pleasure, and highly appreciate
patriotic and generous action of Legislative Council."
The Ceylon Mounted Contingent sailed on February 2 for active
service in South Africa, amid the prayers and good wishes of a
huge concourse of people.
In addition to the above contingents from India and Ceylon, the
Indian Government sent the guns and equipment for three
field-batteries of 15-pounders, and also three corps of native
transport drivers and muleteers--about 400 in all--under
British officers.
THE SOUTH AFRICAN VOLUNTEERS[6]
CAPE COLONY
It has been said that the whole course of the campaign might
have been changed had the Cape Colony forces been utilised
sufficiently early. If the Cape Ministry had begun at once by
employing the splendid Colonial forces at its disposal, not for
purposes of defiance, but of defence, the tale of raid and
rebellion, which has been as harassing as the tale of war,
would never have been told. But as it is useless to talk of the
_might have been_, or of things done or left undone by the Cape
Ministry, we must proceed to consider the services of the Cape
Colonial Force, of the ten thousand volunteers, when they were
eventually allowed to come into action. Of the splendid troops
in Mafeking and Kimberley the Colony must ever be proud, for on
them fell the weight of showing what worthy offshoots of the
bold and the brave the sun of South Africa has reared. These
men, recruited for the most part from Cape Town, Port
Elizabeth, East London, Queenstown, Grahamstown, and Kimberley,
consisted largely of past and present Cape Colony Volunteers.
They were bone of our bone, and when the hour of stress arrived
they proved themselves as such. They were immensely proud to be
included in the term British, and right royally they acted up
to the higher interpretation of that term. Though they have
borne years of insult and suffered in innumerable ways for
their fealty and devotion to the Mother Country, they rushed to
arms joyfully in the hope that Great Britain would reassert
herself, annex the whole of South Africa, and administer it
under one Government. They longed to be quit of Dutch intrigue.
They pined for a strong rule, one that would be free of the
vacillations that had kept them on tenter-hooks for years, and
prevented their living in a sense of security enjoyed by other
freeborn British subjects. By these loyal fellows the towns of
Mafeking and Kimberley were practically defended. In those
places there were very few Imperial troops, and little could
have been accomplished without the aptness and grit of the
Colonials. The reason why they appeared to be neglected is not
far to seek. No man is a prophet in his own country, and to
this trite fact may be attributed the want of instant
appreciation accorded to the Cape Colonial Volunteers who so
spontaneously and with genuine zeal responded to the call of
duty. While we made much of the Colonials from over the
seas--the "Visiting Colonials" as they are called--we failed to
see that at our elbows were the very men who would leap forward
at a word and check the onward career of the enemy and put a
stop to his annexations while our troops in England were
getting into shape. But later we jumped at them. Then the Cape
Colonists began to be vastly appreciated, and to receive the
highest encomiums from all who had the good fortune to serve
with them.
The following is a table of some of the prominent Colonial
forces of Cape Colony, 1900:--
----------------------+-------------+------------------------+----------------
|ESTABLISHMENT| EFFECTIVE TO DATE |
+-----+-------+--------+--------+------+
CORPS |All | | |N.C.O.'s| |
|Ranks|Horses |Officers|and Men |Horses|OFFICERS
----------------------+-----+-------+--------+--------+------+----------------
IRREGULARS RAISED | | | | | |
BEFORE WAR | | | | | |
| | | | | |
Rhodesian Regiment | ... | | ... | ... | ... | ...
Protectorate Regiment}| | | | | |{Col. Baden-
}| 650 | ... | ... | ... | ... |{Powell, 5th
Kimberley Regiment }| | | | | |{Dragoon Guards
Diamond Fields Horse | 100 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ...
Bechuanaland Rifles | 100 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ...
| | | | | |
IRREGULARS RAISED | | | | | |
SINCE WAR | | | | | |
| | | | | |
Rimington's Guides | 212 | 220 | ... | ... | ... |{Lieut.-Col.
| | | | | |{Hon. J. Byng,
1st S.A.L. Horse | 599 | 580 | ... | ... | ... |{10th Hussars
| | | | | |{Capt. Villiers,
Roberts's Horse | 599 | 580 | ... | ... | ... |{Royal Horse
| | | | | |{Guards
Kitchener's Horse | 599 | 580 | 41 | 617 | 586 | ...
1st Brabant's Light | | | | | |
Horse | 599 | 580 | ... | ... | ... | ...
2nd Brabant's Light | | | | | |
Horse | 599 | 580 | ... | ... | ... | ...
Gatacre's Scouts | 50 | 50 | ... | ... | ... | ...
Montmorency's Cavalry | | | | | |
Division Scouts | 100 | 100 | ... | ... | ... | ...
6th Cavalry Division | | | | | |
Scouts | 25 | 25 | ... | ... | ... | ...
Chief in Command's | | | | | |
Body Guard | 50 | 50 | ... | ... | ... | ...
| | | | | |
LOCAL DEFENCE CORPS | | | | | |
Nesbitt's Mounted | | | | | |
Local Defence Corps | 400 | 400 | ... | ... | ... | ...
Bayley's Mounted | | | | | |
Local Defence Corps | 500 | 500 | ... | ... | ... | ...
Orpen's Horse | 300 | 300 | ... | ... | ... | ...
Railway Pioneer | | | | | |
Regiment |1008 | 8 | 34 | 959 | 15 | ...
| | | | | |
VOLUNTEERS | | | | | |
| | | | | |
P.A.O. Cape Artillery | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ...
Diamond Fields | | | | | |
Artillery | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ...
Cape Garrison | | | | | |
Artillery | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ...
----------------------+-----+-------+--------+--------+------+----------------
[[Transcriber's note: The following text was written vertically
in a column of the table above. It has been rendered here for
ease of display.
REMARKS: These numbers have been increased within the last few
months by recruiting, Kitchener's Horse showing an increase of
about 50. The figures, therefore, are only approximately
correct]]
STRENGTH OF VOLUNTEER CORPS ON ACTIVE SERVICE
Prince Alfred's Own Cape Artillery--officers, 5; other ranks,
117; total, 122. Diamond Fields Artillery--officers, 4; other
ranks, 119; total, 123. Cape Garrison Artillery--officers, 18;
other ranks, 431; total, 449. Duke of Edinburgh's Own Volunteer
Rifles--officers, 31; other ranks, 1027; total, 1058. Cape Town
Highlanders--officers, 12; other ranks, 392; total, 404. Prince
Alfred's Volunteer Guard--officers, 21; other ranks, 494;
total, 515. First City Volunteers--officers, 22; other ranks,
556; total, 578. Kaffrarian Rifles (Colonel Cuming)--officers,
31; other ranks, 672; total, 703. Queenstown Rifle
Volunteers--officers, 18; other ranks, 299; total, 317.
Frontier Mounted Rifles--officers, 10; other ranks, 131; total,
141. Uitenhage Volunteer Rifles--officers, 16; other ranks,
396; total, 412. Komgha Mounted Rifles--officers, 5; other
ranks, 41; total, 46. Stellenbosch Mounted Infantry--officers,
1; other ranks, 31; total, 32. Kimberley Regiment--officers,
25; other ranks, 541; total, 566. Bechuanaland
Rifles--officers, 5; other ranks, 61; total, 66. A Company Cape
Medical Staff Corps--officers, 2; other ranks, 55; total, 57. B
Company Cape Medical Staff Corps--officers, 3; other ranks, 71;
total, 74. C Company Cape Medical Staff Corps--officers, 0;
other ranks, 13; total, 13. Transkei Mounted Rifles--officers,
5; other ranks, 66; total, 71. No. 1 Xalanga Border Mounted
Rifle Club--officers, 4; other ranks, 40; total, 44. No. 19
Tembuland Mounted Rifle Club--officers, 2; other ranks, 21;
total, 23. No. 23 Nqamakwe Mounted Rifle Club--officers, 1;
other ranks, 21; total, 22. No. 25 Engcobo Mounted Rifle
Club--officers, 1; other ranks, 28; total, 29. No. 29 Tsomo
Mounted Rifle Club--officers, 1; other ranks, 29; total, 30.
[Illustration: SOUTH AFRICAN SCOUT. FULL EQUIPMENT.]
To prove his appreciation of the devotion and military prowess
of the Cape colonists Lord Roberts, on his arrival in South
Africa, decided on raising a Colonial Division. The official
intimation of the formation of this division was contained in
the following announcement:--
"The Commander-in-Chief, recognising the value of the services
rendered by the Colonial troops, has authorised the formation
of a division. Colonel Brabant, M.L.A., C.M.G., has been given
the local and temporary rank of a Brigadier-General, and will
be in command. Brabant's Horse, with several other irregular
corps and mounted contingents, limited in number, from the
infantry volunteer regiments, will form the first portion of
this force, and its first object will be to drive the enemy
out of the Colony, and to co-operate with the Imperial troops.
It has been decided to raise a further 1500 mounted irregulars,
so as to give all Colonials and men with Colonial experience a
chance of joining this division. Men who enrol in this Mounted
Irregular Corps, and who cannot afford to go on a long
campaign, will be allowed to register their names for service
in the Colony only, but any portion of such registered men can
volunteer to take part in any further advance that may be
ordered beyond the Orange River. To raise this latter force
recruiting stations will be open in all parts of the Colony,
and it is proposed to elect officers from Colonial gentlemen or
those with Colonial experience."
As may be imagined, there was great jubilation among the
thousands of martial spirits at the Cape, who for long had been
fretting at enforced inactivity.
Some very interesting particulars regarding raising of some of
the Colonial Corps were elicited from Mr. W. Hosken, who was
chairman of the Uitlander Council and the Chamber of Commerce
at Johannesburg. He said: "I was chairman of the committee
which obtained permission from the Government to raise
Thorneycroft's and Bethune's Corps of mounted infantry and the
Imperial Light Horse, and all raised in Natal and mainly from
refugee Uitlanders from Johannesburg. From the Imperial
officers with whom I was brought into contact I received every
consideration and the greatest cordiality. But again it should
be remembered that we got the permission only after pressure
had been brought to bear by public meetings at Durban and
Maritzburg, and in other ways. The response was most
gratifying. Only when the Boers were threatening to advance on
Maritzburg were we allowed to form the Imperial Light Horse.
Intimation of the permission was given on the Friday. By the
following Wednesday we were able to report that 1300 men had
offered for service, and that the medical examination would be
at once begun. Thorneycroft's Corps was the first to take the
field, and was actually fighting within six weeks from the date
of its enrolment. The testimony from Boer sources as to the
value of these regiments has been most gratifying. In one
verbal statement by a Boer commandant they were described as
'evidently skilled sharpshooters.' Then there are the Natal
Volunteers, recruited in very much the same way as your
Volunteers at home, clerks and artisans from the towns, with
the mounted companies from the country districts. They took the
field possibly with some misgivings as to their capacity, just
as the Volunteers here might do; but they have proved
themselves equal to any military duty that is imposed on them.
The soldiers of the regular army recognise them as worthy
comrades, and the greatest cordiality exists between the
regular and volunteer forces. Later on there was formed also in
Natal a body of Colonial scouts--750 strong--recruited from
local men who knew the country. Those who wished to serve
together were placed in the same squad. Every section of
twenty-five men elects its own leader, and every four sections
its commander. They have already proved their efficiency in
service with Sir Redvers Buller's army. Then there is the corps
of ambulance bearers. When General Buller was making
arrangements for the attack on Colenso last month he asked for
1200 white bearers. On the first day the notice was posted in
Durban 900 men volunteered. Far more than the required number
offered, and a selection was made of those who were considered
the most fitted for the duty. These men did excellent work,
bringing out the wounded under fire during that disastrous day
at Colenso. Three were killed and several wounded, and every
one of the corps behaved splendidly."
In regard to the apparent neglect of the Volunteers at the
Cape, he went on to say: "The delay in recruiting irregulars
at the Cape was not in the least due to the unwillingness of
the Uitlanders there or of the British residents. It was the
result of political considerations which were then thought to
be of sufficient weight by well-advised men on the spot. The
delay caused a great deal of heart-burning among hundreds who
were only too keen to take up arms; and it is only quite
recently that permission has been given to form irregular corps
and to accept the services of the Cape Volunteers already in
existence, who were eager to serve. Directly the permission was
given men flocked to the standard, and you have now Rimington's
Guides, the South African Light Horse, and the Cape Volunteers,
who have all promptly proceeded to the front. Another most
useful body is now being recruited both in Natal and in Cape
Colony--I mean the Railway Pioneer Corps. It is being officered
by the most eminent of the mining engineers of Johannesburg,
and the rank and file are made up of skilled mechanics, who are
specially qualified for the particular duties they will have to
perform. They will be armed in the ordinary way, drilled as an
engineer corps, and will be expected to do the ordinary work of
the military engineer."
The Imperial Light Horse, formed by Majors Sampson and Karri
Davies, was largely composed of Australians. Many Johannesburg
people joined it, most of them "all-round sportsmen, capital
shots, and keen riders." They joined on the principle of not
allowing the Mother Country to fight their battles for them
while they had a right arm with which to assert themselves.
The Cape Mounted Police, 1000 strong, who were also sent on
active service at the commencement of the war, were invaluable.
They were remarkable, not alone for gallantry, but efficiency.
When Captain de Montmorency's Scouts were cut off near
Labuschagnes Nek by some 800 Boers, Captain Golsworthy on the
last day of the year came to the rescue with a party of the
Cape Mounted Police, and put the enemy to flight.
Early in 1900, the Rhodesian Field Force, under the command of
Lieut.-General Sir Frederick Carrington, was organised to
operate in Northern Rhodesia, and stop any trekking of members
of the Free State or Transvaal or rebels of Cape Colony into
Rhodesian territory.
The officers were:--Major C. D. Learoyd, Royal Engineers; Major
A. V. Jenner, D.S.O., Rifle Brigade; Major C. L. Josling, Royal
Army Medical Corps; Major G. A. R. Carew, 7th Hussars; Captain
E. Peach, Indian Staff Corps; Captain R. G. Partridge, Army
Ordnance Department; Captain W. E. Lawrence, South Wales
Borderers; Second Lieutenant C. S. Rome, 11th Hussars; Second
Lieutenant C. H. Dillon, Rifle Brigade; Paymaster G. J. C.
Whittington, Hon. Colonel; Lieutenant Pemberton; Major P.
Dalton, late 3rd V.B. Royal Fusiliers; Major C. D. Guise, 3rd
Gloucester Regiment; Brevet-Major P. Moir Byres, 1st Dragoon
Guards; Captain C. W. Kennard, 3rd Gordon Highlanders; Second
Lieutenant W. H. Longden, 4th East Surrey Regiment; Chaplain
Rev. F. P. Moreton, M.A.; Lieutenant R. Laing, surgeon;
Lieutenant E. A. Parsons, surgeon; Lieutenant H. Cardin,
surgeon; Lieutenant F. F. Bond, surgeon; Lieutenant G. H.
Collard, surgeon; Lieutenant F. R. Pullin, surgeon; Lieutenant
H. D. Buss, surgeon; Colonel H. C. Wood, late 10th Hussars;
Lieut.-Colonel J. Leslie, 5th Royal Irish Fusiliers;
Lieutenant-Colonel B. G. Booth, late Scots Guards; Major J. W.
Traill, late 4th Cheshire; Captain R. Gray, C.M.G., late 6th
Dragoons; Captain E. C. P. Curzon, late 18th Hussars; Captain
F. C. P. Curzon, Royal Irish Rifles; Captain H. F. F. Fisher,
Army Service Corps; Veterinary-Captain H. T. W. Mann;
Lieutenant J. K. Rashleigh, late Artillery Militia; Lieutenant
F. J. Lawrence, late English Militia; Lieutenant C. A.
Burgoyne, 3rd Dragoon Guards; Lieutenant A. Wormald, surgeon;
Major E. J. Tickell, D.S.O., 14th Hussars; Captain J. Ponsonby,
Coldstream Guards; Captain Pereira, Coldstream Guards; Captain
H. J. Haddock, Royal Welsh Fusiliers; Captain R. K. Arbuthnot,
Royal Irish Regiment; Lieutenant W. D. P. Watson, late Scots
Greys; Major G. Wright, R.G.A.; Major A. Paris, R.M.A.; Captain
and Hon. Major G. E. Giles, late R.A. In all, forty-four
officers.
NATAL
The following is a list of the names and numbers of the local
forces which the colony of Natal has put into the field: Natal
Naval Volunteers, 150; Natal Carabineers (Colonel Royston,
since dead), 465; Natal Mounted Rifles, 200; Border Mounted
Rifles, 270; Umvoti Mounted Rifles (Major Leuchars), 130; Natal
Field Artillery, 120; Natal Royal Rifles, 145; Durban Light
Infantry, 400; Medical Staff, 7; Veterinary, 3; Staff, 19;
Natal Mounted Police (Europeans) at Ladysmith and other
portions of the Colony (Colonel Dartnell), 649; Thorneycroft's
Mounted Infantry (Colonel Thorneycroft, Royal Scots Fusiliers,
D.A.A.G.), 500; Bethune's Mounted Infantry (Lieut.-Colonel
Bethune, 16th Lancers, Colonel Addison second in command), 500;
Imperial Light Infantry (Colonel Nash), 1000; Imperial Light
Horse (Colonel Scott Chisholm, killed 21st November 1899), 500;
Colonial Scouts (Colonel Edwards, Captain Sydney Osborne), 500;
Ambulance Bearers (1st section), 1000; Ambulance Bearers (2nd
section), 600. Total, 7158.
The South African Light Horse is mentioned among the Cape
Colonial troops, though it has done notable work in Natal. The
second and third regiments of the corps became respectively
Roberts's and Kitchener's Horse. In the district of Kaffraria
half the available men were embodied, men belonging to the Duke
of Edinburgh's Own Volunteer Rifles--one of the corps of
"regulars" belonging to Cape Colony.
The South African Light Horse was started on the 12th of
November. By order of Sir Redvers Buller a recruiting office
was opened in Cape Town, whereupon the place was instantly
invaded. Patriotic fervour ran high, and every one desired to
take a share in showing forth the might of Great Britain. The
officers, Major Byng (10th Hussars, with temporary rank of
colonel) and Captain Villiers (R.H.G., with temporary rank of
major), set themselves manfully to hurry the work of
organisation. In no time men were picked--fine riders and fine
shots--mounted and equipped. Saddlery, tents, harness,
ammunition--all were gathered together with startling celerity.
Among the troopers were British-born subjects, Uitlanders,
Colonials, Americans, farmers, seamen, &c. The officers hailed
from many regiments--the 10th Hussars, Royal Horse Guards, Life
Guards, 11th Hussars, 20th Hussars, Gordon Highlanders,
Yeomanry, Militia--all manner of men of distinction and wealth
and breeding uniting together in a common brotherhood for a
common cause.
The following is a list of the officers: Colonel Byng, 10th
Hussars, commanding; Major Villiers, Royal Horse Guards, second
in command; Captain Fraser, 1st Life Guards, adjutant; Captain
French, late L.G., Maxims; Captain Harden, Transport; Captain
Murray; Captain Anderson; Captain Hull, paymaster; Vet.-Captain
Walker; Vet.-Lieutenant Steele; Chaplain Rev. G. Eales.
Squadron Leaders--Captain Balfour, late 11th Hussars; Major
(Bimbash) Stewart, Gordon Highlanders; Captain Kirkwood;
Captain Gatacre; Captain Renton; Captain Whittaker; Captain
Child; Captain Allgood. Lieutenants Milne, Tucker, Brown,
Jobling, De Rougemont, Tarbutt, Davis, Bathurst, Shepherd;
Second Lieutenants Warren, Carlton Smith, Hamilton, Cock,
Leith, Welstead, Robinson, Oates, Johnson, Vignelles, Vaughan,
Carlisle, Marsden, Overbeck, Newman, Penrose, Kuhlman, Horne,
Cloete, Walker-Leigh, Hon. de Saumarez, Thorold, Kitson,
Vaghan.
Three squadrons under Captain Byng proceeded to the front to
Natal, where they immediately distinguished themselves, while
the remainder of the regiment went to the western border, and
there took a full share of incessant work.
The Natal Mounted Police under Colonel Dartnell, "a genius,
planner, and guide," did wonderful deeds in relation to the
defence of Ladysmith and during the trying actions which
preceded it. The gallant colonel, who has been described in
action as being "as good as a brigade," placed his own horse at
the disposal of General Symons, who was wounded, and saw him
safely off the field at Glencoe.
The Natal Carabineers served splendidly both within and without
Ladysmith, some of the force, under Lord Dundonald, being the
first to relieve the town. Their fighting qualities are well
known, and it is unnecessary to do more than quote the words of
General Hunter, who said, "I never wish to serve with better
men."
First-rate work has been done by the Frontier Mounted Rifles, a
well-trained and excellently-equipped body of men, all in the
prime of life, and drawn from the eastern border towns of the
Cape Colony. They held a position of continual danger, being
encamped nearest the enemy. Being born and bred among the
kopjes which afforded the Boers such cosy hiding-places, they
were acquainted with every nook and corner, and could find
their way about them both in daylight and dark. This force,
with the Cape Police, helped to keep General Gatacre informed
regarding the seething mass of disloyalty that surrounded him.
It was difficult to choose between the honest hostility of the
Free Staters and the crafty antagonism of the rebel Dutchmen,
who had joined the enemy almost to a man. These were known to
be in active collusion with the foe, assisting them by spying,
blowing up culverts, wrecking railway lines, and generally
assisting in the development of the plots to sweep British rule
from the soil of Africa. Loyal British subjects had much to
suffer at the hands of these people, who spent their time
carrying off and destroying furniture and valuables, smashing
windows and doors, and damaging all property other than their
own that they could lay hands on, and with these duplicit
ruffians the British troops unaided by Colonials could never
have been even. Besides the valuable services of the Frontier
Mounted Rifles and the Cape Police, General Gatacre had under
him four other regiments of Cape Colonials, who were all trying
to outrival each other in nobility, pluck, and usefulness. Of
many other regiments pages might be written, but space does not
permit. In regard to the Imperial Light Horse, one sentence
expressed by Sir George White speaks volumes. He said it was
composed of the finest fighting material that he had ever had
under his command.
THE IMPERIAL YEOMANRY
Early in the days of war Lord Lonsdale offered to take out to
South Africa 200 men of the Westmoreland and Cumberland
Yeomanry, of which he is colonel, and to fully equip and clothe
them. Lord Harris and his regiment, the East Kent Mounted
Rifles, also were among the first to volunteer for the front,
and before that the Middlesex Yeomanry (the Duke of
Cambridge's Hussars) made a hurried application to go to the
Transvaal, which impetuosity of loyalty was met by the War
Office with courteous refusal. At that time the need for light
cavalry in South Africa seemed scarcely to have dawned on the
authorities. It was true that October mists and November fogs
had enveloped London, and that no one between Downing Street
and the Mansion House could see an inch before his nose, and it
was equally true that by the time these mists had cleared away
there was only one question, namely, "How many men could be
sent abroad out of the 10,000 who constituted the Yeomanry
Cavalry?"
Then, in December, the following announcement, with regulations
to be observed in the organisation of a Contingent of Yeomanry
and Volunteers, was published:--
YEOMANRY.--1. Her Majesty's Government have decided to raise
for service in South Africa a mounted infantry force, to be
named "The Imperial Yeomanry." 2. The force will be recruited
from the Yeomanry, but Volunteers and civilians who may possess
the requisite qualifications (as given below) will be specially
enrolled in the Yeomanry for this purpose. 3. The force will be
organised in companies of 115 rank and file, five officers
being allotted to each company, viz., one captain and four
subalterns, preference being given to Yeomanry officers. 4. The
term of enlistment for officers and men will be for one year,
or for not less than the period of the war. 5. The officers and
men will bring their own horses, clothing, saddlery, and
accoutrements. Arms and ammunition, camp equipment, and
regimental transport will be provided by Government. 6. The men
will be dressed in Norfolk jackets, of woollen material of
neutral colour, breeches and gaiters, lace boots, and felt
hats. Strict uniformity of pattern will not be insisted upon.
7. The pay will be at cavalry rates, with a capitation grant
for horses, clothing, saddles, and accoutrements. All ranks
will receive rations from date of joining. Gratuities and
allowances will be those laid down in special army order of May
10, 1899. 8. Applications for enrolment should be addressed to
colonels commanding Yeomanry regiments, or to General Officers
commanding districts, to whom instructions will be immediately
issued.
_Qualifications._--(_a_) Candidates must be from twenty to
thirty-five years of age and of good character. (_b_)
Volunteers or civilian candidates must satisfy the colonel of
the regiment through which they enlist that they are good
riders and marksmen, according to Yeomanry standard. (_c_) The
standard of physique to be that for cavalry of the line.
VOLUNTEERS.--Her Majesty's Government have decided to accept
offers of service in South Africa from the Volunteers. A
carefully selected company of 110 rank and file, officered by
one captain and three subalterns, will be raised (one for each
British line battalion serving in, or about to proceed to,
South Africa) from the Volunteer battalions of the territorial
regiment. These Volunteer companies will, as a general rule,
take the place in the line battalion of its company, serving as
mounted infantry. The Volunteer battalions from which a company
is accepted will form and maintain a waiting company in reserve
at home. The selection of men from the Volunteer battalions for
service with the line battalion in the field, will devolve on
the commanding officers of Volunteer battalions. The terms of
enlistment for officers and men will be for one year, or for
not less than the period of the war. Full instructions for the
information of all concerned will be issued with the least
possible delay through General Officers commanding districts.
[Illustration: LONDON'S RESPONSE--THE CITY IMPERIAL VOLUNTEERS
CROSSING WESTMINSTER BRIDGE.
Drawing by Allan Stewart.]
A committee was formed to assist in organising the Yeomanry
force, among which were the following notable persons:
Colonel Lord Chesham, Colonel A. G. Lucas, Colonel Viscount
Valentia, Colonel the Right Hon. W. H. Long, M. P. Colonel the
Earl of Lonsdale consented to assist the committee in the
obtaining of horses. The following Acting Staff Officers were
nominated to assist Colonel Lord Chesham: Captain the Hon. W.
Bagot (late Scots Guards), Captain L. Sandwith (8th Hussars),
Adjutant of the 2nd Yeomanry Brigade.
In a short, an almost incredibly short, space of time numerous
battalions were in readiness, and a strong contingent from
Ireland was raised, composed mainly of hunting men. The
Under-Secretary for War wrote to correct the impression which
prevailed in some quarters that the raising of funds by private
subscriptions for the Volunteers and Imperial Yeomanry going to
South Africa was promoted by Government in order to do work
which ought to be done with Government money. He pointed out
that the Government was bearing the whole cost of those forces,
providing them directly with their pay, food, and arms, and,
through their regiments, with clothing and equipments. But the
Government allowance for these things was calculated on the
regular army scale, and the public subscription would be
serviceable in the way of making better provision in those
directions for the local Volunteers and Yeomanry, of locally
overcoming certain difficulties of organisation, and of
decentralising a great deal of contracting for horses, saddles,
clothing, &c. Why, they argued, should the man who volunteers
his service in the field bear also all the cost of making
himself efficient, and all the cost entailed by his absence
from his trade or profession? Surely those who could not
volunteer for the front will be glad to assist him, or his
corps in this case, as they have assisted him or his corps in
time of peace for forty years? Quantities of men of independent
means throughout the country, a great many of whom were
acquainted with each other, were ready and anxious to form a
corps of the Imperial Yeomanry, messing and fighting together,
and enduring the hardships and dangers of the trooper in
emulation of the regular service man; and to this body of men
the corps specially appealed. Though at first some 5000 men
were called for, it was evident that 10,000 could have been
recruited if needed. The magnificent example set by thousands
of young men in humble stations of life, who left home and good
employment courageously to serve their country, acted as a
powerful incentive to their more fortunate brethren of means
and leisure, and it was astonishing to find how readily all the
members of the "upper ten" sacrificed themselves rather than be
"out of it." Eventually the Duke of Cambridge's Own, the
Special Corps, went to Africa, paying their own expenses. In
this corps every trooper, equally with every other member of
the Imperial Yeomanry, was entitled to a grant of L65 on
joining, but all other expenses were defrayed by themselves,
and even the pay received during the campaign was devoted to
swell the Imperial War Fund for the widows and orphans of
soldiers who had fallen in action. The cost of equipment of
each recruit amounted to L170. The special purpose of the
scheme was to attract men of social standing and education, and
enable groups of friends to serve together in the same unit at
the front. Among those who were enrolled was Lord Elphinstone;
Mr. Geoffrey Malcolm Gathorne-Hardy, grandson of the Earl of
Cranbrook; Captain Shaw; the Hon. Aubrey N. Molyneux Herbert
(brother of the Earl of Carnarvon); the Hon. A. Hill-Trevor.
Lord Lovat engaged himself actively in raising a corps of
Highland gillies. In addition to the Government grant,
magnificent contributions poured in for the full equipment of
the corps. Lord Loch worked energetically in organising the
South African Contingent of the Imperial Yeomanry. These
troops were formed only of men who had South African
experience, and had seen service there.
The following is a list of the various battalions:--
1st Battalion (Colonel Challoner)--1st and 2nd Co. Royal
Wiltshire Yeomanry; 4th Co. Glamorganshire Detachment; 3rd Co.
Gloucestershire Yeomanry. 2nd Battalion (Colonel Burke)--32nd
Co. Lancashire Hussars; 21st and 22nd Co. Cheshire Yeomanry;
5th Co. Warwickshire Yeomanry. 3rd Battalion (Colonel
Younghusband)--9th Co. Yorkshire Hussars; 11th Co. Yorkshire
Dragoons; 12th Co. South Notts; 10th Co. Notts (Sherwood
Rangers). 4th Battalion (Colonel Blair)--7th Co. Leicestershire
Yeomanry; 8th Co. Derbyshire Yeomanry; 6th Co. Staffordshire
Yeomanry; 28th Co. Bedfordshire Detachment. 5th Battalion
(Colonel Meyrick)--14th and 15th Co. Northumberland; 13th Co.
Shropshire; 16th Co. Worcestershire. 6th Battalion (Colonel
Burn)--17th Co. Ayrshire Yeomanry; 18th Co. Lanarkshire
Yeomanry; 19th Co. Lothian and Berwickshire; 20th Co. Fife
Light Horse. 7th Battalion (Colonel Helyar)--27th Co. Royal 1st
Devon, Royal North Devon; 48th Co. North Somerset; 25th Co.
West Somerset; 26th Co. Dorsetshire. 8th Battalion (Colonel
Crawley)--23rd Co. Duke of Lancaster's Own; 51st and 52nd Co.
Mr. Paget's Corps; 24th Co. Westmoreland and Cumberland. 9th
Battalion (Colonel Howard)--29th Co. Denbighshire; 30th Co.
Pembrokeshire; 31st and 49th Co. Montgomeryshire. 10th
Battalion (Colonel Lord Chesham)--37th and 38th Co.
Buckinghamshire; 39th Co. Berkshire; 40th Co. Oxfordshire, 11th
Battalion (Colonel Wilson)--42nd Co. Hertfordshire; 43rd and
44th Co. Suffolk; 41st Co. Hampshire Carabineers. 12th
Battalion (Colonel Mitford)--34th and 35th Co. Middlesex; 33rd
Co. Royal East Kent; 36th Co. West Kent. 13th Battalion--54th
and 56th Co. Irish (Belfast) Companies; 45th Co. Irish (Dublin)
Company; 47th Co. Lord Donoughmore's Corps (Duke of Cambridge's
Own). 14th Battalion (Lieut.-Colonel Brookfield)--55th Co.
Northumberland; 53rd Co. Royal East Kent; 50th Co. Hampshire;
62nd Co. Middlesex. 15th Battalion (Lieut.-Colonel
Sandwith)--56th and 57th Co. Bucks; 58th Co. Berks; 59th Co.
Oxford. 16th Battalion (Lieut.-Colonel Ridley)--63rd Co. Wilts;
64th Co. Cheshire; 65th Co. Suffolk; 66th Co. York. 17th
Battalion (Lieut.-Colonel Moore ?)--60th Co. North Irish,
Belfast; 61st Co. South Irish, Dublin. 18th Battalion--67th,
70th, and 71st Co. Sharpshooters. 19th Battalion
(Lieut.-Colonel Rodney ?)--69th Co. Sussex; 68th Co. Paget's
Corps; 72nd Co. Rough Riders; 73rd Co. Paget's Corps.
Each battalion consisted of four companies of 116 each.
Colonel Viscount Downe, who was serving on Lord Roberts's staff
in South Africa, was elected to command a brigade of the
Imperial Yeomanry, and Lieutenant the Hon. R. F. Molyneux,
Royal Horse Guards, was selected as his aide-de-camp.
Lord Dunraven's Battalion of Sharpshooters embarked for Africa
to join the Rhodesian Force on the 6th of April. It was
composed of four companies. The 67th, under the command of
Captain Crum (late 52nd Regiment), was accompanied by
Lieutenants Langford, Jones, Curley, and Dyke. The 75th,
commanded by Major Warden (late Middlesex Regiment), was
accompanied by Lieutenants Gabbett, Power, Warde, and
Bosanquet. The 70th Company, comprising the Scottish Unit under
Colonel Hill (late 12th Lancers), was accompanied by
Lieutenants Clark, Torrance, Hotchkiss, and Andrews. The
remaining company was commanded by Sir Savile Crossley.
The Earl of Dunraven, the founder of the corps, went to South
Africa as Supernumerary Captain on the Battalion Staff.
THE CITY IMPERIAL VOLUNTEERS
The announcement that the Government had decided to send to
South Africa a force of Volunteers, was received with general
delight by our civilian soldiers throughout the country. Here
was a chance--a chance never before offered to earn distinction
in the field; and here was an opportunity--most seasonable and
appropriate, for the expression of public opinion, and for the
display, the universal and effervescent patriotism that had
found little chance of outlet in the prosaic walks of everyday
life. The official intimation came as a surprise, and surprise
in a few moments developed into unrestrained joy. The proposal
to employ "a strong contingent of carefully selected
Volunteers" was no sooner published than the War Office was
besieged with applicants all eager to know what chance of being
included in the great military movement might be available. A
few weeks before the opening of Parliament Colonel Sir Howard
Vincent volunteered "marksmen" for service in South Africa, and
other colonels of Volunteer regiments followed suit. General
Trotter (commanding the Home District) expressed a belief that
the employment of Volunteers in the present crisis would
demonstrate for all who should care to profit by the lesson the
magnificent reserve force of civilian soldiers possessed by our
nation, a force utterly ignored by Continental nations. This
force was practically a force of picked men, selected marksmen
who, unlike the "Regulars," were all first-rate shots, and fit
to cope with the skilled sharpshooters of the Boers. The
marksmanship of many of the London corps of Volunteers has for
many years been phenomenal, and it was said that in one company
of the 13th Middlesex there were no less than sixty-three
first-class shots out of eighty. Finally, it was decided that
the "C.I.V.'s," as they were called, should consist of 1400,
and both corps sailed towards the end of January. Prior to
their departure the Freedom of the City was conferred upon the
officers of the regiment at the Guildhall, and later an
impressive farewell service was held at St. Paul's Cathedral.
Their departure through London was somewhat difficult, owing to
the dense and enthusiastic multitude that thronged the streets
to see the last of them.
[Illustration: 12-1/2-POUNDER QUICK-FIRING FIELD-GUN--CITY OF
LONDON FIELD BATTERY.
(By permission of Messrs. Vickers, Sons & Maxim, and the
publishers of the _Engineer_.)]
The Lord Mayor, Mr. Newton (now Sir A. J. Newton, Bart.), who
was the moving spirit in the organisation of the corps, gave an
excellent account of the splendid work that had been
accomplished and of the prompt equipment and despatch of the
regiment. This report concisely and modestly describes the
enormous undertaking, though it does not sufficiently enlarge
on the keen personal interest and magnificent services rendered
by the prime mover in the great scheme. The Lord Mayor said:
"From the moment when the Commander-in-Chief did me the honour
of placing in my hands, as Chief Magistrate of the City of
London, the organisation of a regiment of thoroughly qualified
Volunteers for service in South Africa, I have been profoundly
impressed with the responsibility of the trust, and the
importance of every promise made on behalf of the Corporation
and City of London being fulfilled in its integrity. The
original promise was 1000 Metropolitan Volunteers, all
recommended by their commanding officers, all between twenty
and thirty-five years, all bachelors, and that at least 250
should be mounted. That was on the 20th of December (1899), and
now, on the 3rd of February (1900), the City of London, with
the approval of the military authorities, has completely
equipped and despatched to the seat of war upwards of 1550
selected Volunteers, of whom 500 men and 17 officers are
already in Cape Town--all approved by the General Officer
commanding the Home District. Of these, 400 are mounted
infantry, having their saddlery with them, and their horses
ready at the Cape. Four small Maxim guns, with 200,000 rounds
of ammunition, have also been shipped. A highly trained battery
of field artillery, mainly provided by the Honourable Artillery
Company, through the zealous co-operation of the Earl of
Denbigh, composed of 140 men and officers, left the Royal
Albert Docks by the steamship _Montfort_. This section took
with it four 12-1/2-pounder quick-firing guns and ample
ammunition, together with their full complement of 110 horses,
purchased here, as they must be of a stouter type than the Cape
horses. The City has also--which was not originally
intended--provided the entire camp and tent equipment for the
whole force when it leaves Cape Town, and, at the request of
the authorities, done a good deal in the direction of land
transport, without interfering with the responsibility of the
Headquarters Staff in South Africa in respect of maintenance of
the corps. The regiment constitutes a part of her Majesty's
regular army. The officers and men are soldiers, and remain so
during the campaign. The time has been very brief, but there
has been neither hurry nor confusion, and the explanation of
the successful results may be fairly summed up as follows: As
soon as Lord Wolseley accepted my offer, made on behalf of the
Corporation and City, I was in the position of an autocrat in
this business, and the power of the purse was promptly placed
at my disposal--in the first instance by the Corporation with
its grant of L25,000, by the City Livery Companies, the large
shipowners, bankers, merchants, the Honourable Artillery
Companies, its members, and the citizens generally. The
Metropolitan Volunteer commanding officers vied with each other
as to who could send the most men, do the most work, and be the
most useful. The result is that, with the exception of a few
staff officers from the regular army, the officers of the City
Imperial Volunteers are gentlemen engaged in civil pursuits,
but who have spent years in efficiently performing their
duties. The non-commissioned officers are most carefully picked
from the vast band of qualified men holding the same or higher
rank in their own Volunteer regiments, and every man of the
rank and file has been expressly recommended by his commanding
officer for the particular duty allotted to him. Several
committees have dealt with sea and land transport, equipment,
saddlery, and finance, and Volunteer commanding officers have
served on all these. A committee of the Honourable Artillery
Company and the battery officers arranged the details of their
own equipment without coming to the Mansion House for anything
but the inevitable cheque. The selection of Colonel Mackinnon,
A.A.G., Home District, as commandant was a very fortunate one
for all concerned. Major-General Turner, C.B., R.A., has been
constant in his attendance at the Mansion House, and always at
hand when technical assistance was required. Major Freemantle
and Lieutenant Grantham have been indefatigable, while my son
as hon. secretary to, and Mr. A. D. Watson, a member of, the
Equipment Committee, have gone to Cape Town as the connecting
link for a short time between the regiment and its
headquarters--the Mansion House. Colonel C. G. Boxall, C.B., on
whose initiative I took up this work, has thoroughly and
loyally fulfilled in every sense his promise to me to see this
business completed, for which his admittedly great technical
knowledge and his indomitable zeal in the Volunteer cause so
eminently fit him. Mr. Abe Bailey, D.L. of the City, who from
the first placed his services at my disposal, is acting as
honorary agent of the regiment at Cape Town. He purchased over
four hundred horses, and arranged for their being put in
training and ready for the arrival of the first contingent,
besides rendering other and invaluable aid. Several City firms
have furnished contingents of their expert employees, whose
services at the Guildhall in the preparation and distribution
of "kits" have been of great assistance. The payment of
accounts is now progressing, and at the first opportunity an
audited statement of receipts and expenditure will be
presented. In conclusion, I would state that the whole force
has gone to the front with no burning desire for glory, but
with a determination to do its duty, and with an intense
loyalty and devotion to their beloved Sovereign."
ROLL OF THE CITY OF LONDON IMPERIAL VOLUNTEERS.
Officers.--Infantry--Colonel, Earl of Albemarle; second in
command, Lieutenant-Colonel A. G. Pawle; Adjutant, Captain the
Hon. J. R. Bailey. A Company--Captain A. Reid; Lieutenant F. R.
Jeffrey; Lieutenant E. D. Townroe. B Company--Captain C. W.
Berkeley; Lieutenant B. W. Garnett; Lieutenant J. W. Cohen. C
Company--Captain C. Matthey; Lieutenant the Hon. S. McDonnell,
C.B.; Lieutenant E. Treffry. D Company--Captain F. J. Cousens;
Lieutenant J. H. Smith; Lieutenant F. R. Burnside. E
Company--Captain R. B. Shipley; Lieutenant W. J. P. Benson;
Lieutenant F. B. Marsh. F Company--Captain W. Edis; Lieutenant
P. F. Brown; Lieutenant S. H. Hole. G Company--Captain A. A.
Howell; Lieutenant C. P. Grindle; Lieutenant P. Croft. H
Company--Captain C. A. Mortimer; Lieutenant W. B. I. Alt;
Lieutenant B. C. Green. Quartermaster, Captain S. Firth.
Medical Officer, Surgeon-Captain E. St. V. Ryan. Staff--Colonel
W. H. Mackinnon; Lieutenant E. H. Trotter; Transport Captain J.
E. H. Orr; Paymaster Captain Triggs (late A. P. D.); Medical
Officer, Surgeon-Captain R. R. Sleman; Veterinary Officer, W.
S. Mulvey. Battery--Major G. McMicking; Captain E. C. Budworth;
Lieutenant A. C. Lowe; Lieutenant H. Bayley; Lieutenant J. F.
Duncan; Surgeon, Captain A. Thorne. Mounted Infantry--Colonel
H. C. Cholmondeley; Adjutant Captain E. Bell; Quartermaster J.
Ridler. Machine-Gun Section--Lieutenant E. V. Wellby. No. 1
Company--Captain J. W. Reid; Lieutenant G. Berry; Lieutenant W.
H. Brailey; Lieutenant B. Moeller; Lieutenant C. H. W. Wilson.
No. 2 Company--Captain J. F. Waterlow; Lieutenant A. Bailey;
Lieutenant E. G. Concanon; Lieutenant A. H. Henderson;
Lieutenant E. A. Manisty.
FOOTNOTES:
[6] For much valuable information I am indebted to the editor of the
_South African Volunteer Gazette_.