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GIFT OF 
 JANE KoSATHER 
 
4L 
 
 A ( K 
 
THE 
 H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFBICA 
 
THE H.A.C. 
 IN SOUTH AFRICA 
 
 A RECORD OF THE SERVICES RENDERED IN THE 
 
 SOUTH AFRICAN WAR BY MEMBERS OF THE 
 
 HONOURABLE ARTILLERY COMPANY 
 
 EDITED BY 
 
 BASIL WILLIAMS 
 
 AND 
 
 ERSKINE CHILDERS 
 
 WITH A MAP 
 
 LONDON 
 SMITH, ELDER, & CO., 15 WATERLOO PLACE 
 
 1903 
 
 [All rights reserved] 
 
■y]' r 
 
TO 
 
 HIS MAJESTY THE KING 
 
 CAPTAIN-GENERAL AND COLONEL OF THE HONOURABLE 
 ARTILLERY COMPANY 
 
 THIS VOLUME IS, BY GRACIOUS PEEMISSION, 
 
 EESPECTFULLY DEDICATED 
 
 334099 
 
NOTE 
 
 In compiling this volume the Editoes have 
 received assistance from many quarters. Their 
 best thanks are due to the Earl of Denbigh and 
 Desmond, Lieutenant-Colonel commanding the 
 Honourable Artillery Company, for advice and 
 help on many occasions ; to Major Duncum, until 
 recently the Major commanding B Battery, for 
 valuable assistance in connection with the Ap- 
 pendix ; to Captains Teeffey, Nesham, and 
 O'Connell, and to Mr. Moedin and many others 
 who kindly supplied information ; and to Sergeant- 
 Ma j or Mayhew, of the Headquarters Staff. 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 I. INTRODUCTOEY 
 
 II. THE CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS . 
 
 THE BATTERY 
 
 m. FOKMATION OF THE BATTERY 
 
 IV. THE TRAINING IN BARRACKS AND THE 
 
 VOYAGE OUT .... 
 
 V. ON THE LINES OF COMMUNICATION 
 VI. KROONSTAD TO LINDLEY 
 
 VII. LINDLEY TO BETHLEHEM ... 
 
 VIII. BETHLEHEM TO FOURIESBURG — FOUEIES- 
 
 BUEG TO PRETORIA 
 
 IX. THE NORTHERN TRANSVAAL 
 
 X. MOUNTED INFANTRY DETACHMENT . 
 
 XI. INFANTRY DETACHMENT 
 
 XII. MISCELLANEOUS SERVICES — CONCLUDING 
 SUMMARY 
 
 XIII. A REVIEW OF THE REGIMENT'S WORK 
 
 PAGE 
 1 
 
 8 
 
 22 
 31 
 
 40 
 59 
 
 80 
 104 
 
 125 
 
 140 
 
 157 
 
 178 
 
 APPENDIX 
 
 ALPHABETICAL LIST OF MEMBERS OF THE H.A.C. 
 WHO SERVED IN SOUTH AFRICA . . . 
 
 201 
 
 MAP OF THE TRANSVAAL AND ORANGE RIVER 
 
 COLONY. ..... To face page 2Z4: 
 
THE 
 
 H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 CHAPTEE I 
 
 INTRODUCTORY 
 
 This book is intended to be an accurate, and as 
 far as possible a complete, record of the part taken 
 in the South African War by the Honourable 
 Artillery Company. To explain its scope more 
 particularly a few general remarks are necessary. 
 
 From first to last and in various capacities 193 
 members of the Eegiment served in South Africa 
 — a number V7hich may assuredly be regarded 
 with just and abiding pride. The work done by 
 these 193 men falls under two main heads. 
 
 First come the quota contributed to the City 
 Imperial Volunteers, a composite regiment con- 
 
 B 
 
2 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFKICA 
 
 sisting of all three arms and representing a large 
 number of Metropolitan Volunteer Corps. To 
 them we sent 154 men : twenty -six for the 
 Infantry, thirty for the Mounted Infantry, and 
 ninety-eight for the Field Battery. (These 
 figures, it must be noted, include supplementary 
 drafts despatched in the summer of 1900.) As to 
 the Field Battery, we need scarcely say that it 
 may be regarded as a complete unit supplied 
 by the H.A.C, which created and organised it, 
 of&cered it, and provided two-thirds of its total 
 strength. 
 
 Under the second head come sixty members 
 of the Company who served in the Imperial 
 Yeomanry, in the Regular forces, and in various 
 other Corps, during a period which covers the 
 whole of the War. 
 
 Twenty-one of this number belong also to the 
 first class, having previously been in the C.I.V., 
 and afterwards continued their service in other 
 capacities. The remaining thirty-nine, when 
 added to the 154 of the first class, make up the 
 grand total of 193. 
 
INTEODUCTORY 3 
 
 It will be seen, therefore, that to chronicle the 
 doings of the H.A.C. with a due regard to propor- 
 tion is no easy matter. Man for man and Corps 
 for Corps there are no comparisons to be made. 
 Each of our men in his own sphere was upholding 
 the honour of the Eegiment. But to describe the 
 operations in which every individual took part 
 would be to write the history of the War, for 
 there is scarcely a corner of the vast area of 
 hostilities to which one member or another did 
 not penetrate. This applies especially to the 
 second or miscellaneous class, but it applies also 
 to the first, for the three arms of the C.I.V., 
 though administratively parts of a whole, were 
 never in fact united under one command in the 
 field. For practical purposes their histories are 
 distinct. As to two of them moreover, namely 
 the Infantry and the Mounted Infantry, the con- 
 tingents contributed by the H.A.C, although the 
 maximum, be it noted, that were allowed under 
 the rules of formation, were not large enough 
 fractions respectively to justify a very detailed 
 narrative of the operations in which they shared. 
 
 B 2 
 
4 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFRICA 
 
 Such a narrative belongs more properly to a 
 history of the C.I.V. as such. 
 
 Now the course taken by the Editors is as 
 follows. The bulk of the book must necessarily 
 be devoted to the Battery, which, being mostly 
 composed of H.A.C. men, has a history of a 
 peculiar and exclusive interest for the H.A.C. 
 Framed on a smaller scale, there will be chapters 
 about the Infantry and Mounted Infantry detach- 
 ments. And then the services of the miscel- 
 laneous class will be briefly reviewed. 
 
 Lastly, there is an Appendix, consisting of a 
 complete alphabetical list of all members of the 
 H.A.C. who served in South Africa, and so 
 arranged that it can be seen at a glance what the 
 service of each man was, with any special circum- 
 stances about him that are worthy of note. It is 
 hoped that this Appendix will prove one of the 
 most useful parts of the book. 
 
 As was implied in the opening lines, the 
 character of the book is historical, with the ex- 
 ception of one chapter. The Editors do not con- 
 ceive it to be within their province to undertake 
 
INTRODUCTOEY 5 
 
 excursions into general criticism, whether of our 
 Volunteer system as tested by war, or of the mul- 
 titude of special matters — questions of mobilisa- 
 tion, equipment, conduct and handling in the field 
 — which touch the efficiency of troops, Kegular 
 or otherwise. The exception is a chapter contri- 
 buted by the Adjutant, Major Budworth, review- 
 ing the work of the Eegiment, and epitomising 
 the lessons to be learnt from it. Here will be 
 found compressed everything in the nature of 
 criticism. It will be granted that such a review 
 is imperatively needed, and no one will dispute 
 the authority and value of it, coming from such a 
 source. 
 
THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 CHAPTEK II 
 
 THE CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS 
 
 As everybody knows, the story begins in the 
 latter part of December 1899, at that dark 
 and critical time when, without any sign of 
 panic, it was clearly realised that our Eegular 
 Forces were inadequate for the prosecution of 
 the war. There was a call, promptly responded 
 to, for Volunteers, and the Imperial Yeomanry 
 and the City Imperial Volunteers were created. 
 
 In the first instance, the H.A.C, which, as is 
 well known, stands on a wholly different footing 
 from other Auxiliary corps, was anxious to send out 
 independent contingents of its own, and on the 
 day before the first official call was issued from 
 the War Office Lord Denbigh, the Colonel, issued 
 a circular to members of the Company, in order 
 to find out how many could be counted upon if 
 
THE CALL FOE VOLUNTEEES 7 
 
 their services were required. Eeplies in the 
 affirmative were niimerons enough to justify him 
 in making a definite offer to the War Office to 
 provide a company of Infantry and a battery of 
 Horse Artillery. The battery was declined by 
 the authorities on the ground that there was 
 enough Kegular Artillery at their disposal, and, 
 instead of a complete company of Infantry, it was 
 preferred that the H.A.C. should send its quotum of 
 forty men to the Infantry and Mounted Infantry 
 of the C.I. v., the formation of which had just 
 been announced. 
 
 Steps were at once taken to carry out this 
 latter decision, and within a day or two the forty 
 asked for were chosen. In point of fact, they 
 were forty-four — namely, two officers, one civil 
 surgeon, and forty-one N.C.O.'s and men, and 
 thenceforward they became an integral part of 
 the C.I.V. The Mounted Infantry embarked on 
 the ' Briton ' on January 15, the Infantry on the 
 * Ariosto ' on January 20 ; and their further 
 history is related in Chapters X. and XI. But here 
 for the present we must leave them. 
 
8 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 CHAPTEE III 
 
 FOKMATION OF THE BATTERY 
 
 The answer of the War Office as to the Artillery 
 seemed at the time final. But (most happily for 
 us in this case) finality is not one of that body's 
 strongest points. An announcement having ap- 
 peared in the ' Times ' two or three days later 
 that the Elswick Volunteer Battery had been 
 accepted for service, immediate advantage was 
 taken of this symptom of a change of policy, and 
 fresh inquiries and proposals were made. The 
 result was the acceptance of a four-gun Field 
 Battery, to be horsed by the Government. 
 
 On the day following this welcome decision 
 there came a proposal from the Lord Mayor's 
 Committee to incorporate the Battery in the C.I.V., 
 which, by the addition of Artillery, would thus 
 complete its threefold composition. The offer 
 
FOEMATION OF THE BATTEEY 9 
 
 was agreed to, and the Battery, though the H.A.C. 
 was still entirely responsible for raising it, and 
 for recruiting, equipping, and clothing the men, 
 became from that time technically a branch of the 
 C.I.V., enjoyed the privileges of that corps, and 
 shared in the funds subscribed for it. At the 
 same time the Lord Mayor offered to arm the 
 Battery with four 12i-pr. quick-firing guns, which 
 it was found that Messrs. Vickers, Sons & Maxim 
 had on hand. The War Office at first demurred, 
 expressing a decided preference for the Service 
 15-pr. gun, with which the H.A.C. was already 
 armed ; not from any doubts as to the excellence 
 of the 12^-pr. gun, which, it was admitted, was 
 superiorin some details to the 15-pr., but from a 
 fear that trouble might arise out of the necessity 
 for a special type of ammunition for this one 
 Battery. Permission, however, was eventually 
 given, on the understanding that special and 
 ' extra provision was to be made for the transport 
 and supply of ammunition in the field. 
 
 The enrolment of the Battery was promptly 
 initiated. At the time the Artillery Division of 
 
10 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 the H.A.C. numbered about 180, a majority of 
 whom volunteered, and a large proportion of these 
 were accepted and sworn in. But it must not be 
 supposed that recruiting was confined to the 
 Artillery Division. Several men from the 
 Infantry Battalion were anxious to serve and 
 were enrolled, so that the whole Kegiment was 
 represented, to the number of 84. From this 
 number all the combatant Officers of the Battery, 
 all the Sergeants (except the two Staff Sergeants), 
 and all the Corporals were selected. The total 
 initial strength, with additions from other sources, 
 was ultimately 131, and if these figures be borne 
 in mind, together with the fact that of the reinforc- 
 ing draft of 17 men 14 came from the H.A.C, 
 it will be granted that it is perfectly fair and 
 correct to describe the outcome as an H.A.C. 
 Battery. 
 
 Of the original 131 men, the balance of 47 were 
 chosen principally from Volunteer Corps, by special 
 sanction of the War Office. The 1st Sussex Volun- 
 teer Artillery contributed eight, the 1st City of 
 London Volunteer Artillery five, the 2nd and 3rd 
 
FORMATION OF THE BATTERY 11 
 
 Middlesex Volunteer Artillery three each, and 
 various other Corps sent one or two representatives. 
 There were also five old K.A. men. A difficulty — 
 one inseparable from Auxiliary Artillery — was the 
 scarcity of artificers ; but eventually a retired 
 Collar-maker Sergeant from Woolwich Dockyard 
 and a retired Farrier-sergeant from the Arsenal 
 were engaged ; and the rank of Wheeler-sergeant 
 was given to a member of the 3rd Kent Volunteer 
 Artillery who joined us from the Eoyal Carriage 
 Department of the Arsenal. Major McMicking 
 was given the command of the Battery, and the 
 Captain was Captain (now Major) Bud worth, who 
 was then and is still the Adjutant of the H.A.C. 
 A full nominal roll appears at the end of the 
 chapter. So much for the guns and personnel. 
 
 There remain the questions of funds and 
 general equipment, which for convenience are 
 taken together. 
 
 The cost of the Battery was defrayed partly 
 by the Government and partly from the Lord 
 Mayor's Fund for the C.I.V., and to a certain 
 extent from private generosity. The harness 
 
12 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFKICA 
 
 taken was the existing H.A=C. harness, as 
 originally supplied by the Government, who now 
 undertook to alter it to the rapid-release system, 
 and also to make up some small deficiencies. 
 They also converted four of our existing 
 ammunition waggons into v/aggons capable of 
 taking fixed ammunition ; and they further paid 
 for many of the mobilisation stores and for the 
 horses, 45Z. being allowed per horse. Before 
 the intentions of the "War Office in this respect 
 were known many private members offered to 
 provide horses, and Mr. W. E. Clarke promised 
 to supply a complete gun-team. It was un- 
 necessary, of course, to accept this munificent 
 offer. Among many individual gifts. Colonel 
 Stohwasser presented all the blankets, leggings, 
 and picketing gear. All other expenses were 
 borne by the Lord Mayor's Fund, to which, by the 
 way, the Court of Assistants of the H.A.C. 
 had officially contributed 1,000Z., and members of 
 the Company, subscribing independently, another 
 1,500^ The four guns, together with 3,200 rounds 
 of ammunition, and one Vickers-Maxim waggon, 
 
FOEMATION OF THE BATTEEY 13 
 
 and the clothing and equipment of the men, were 
 the principal items so provided for. Another was 
 a supplementary payment for horses, over and 
 above the 4:51. per horse given by the War Office. 
 This amounted to 91. per horse, or, roughly, 1,000^. 
 for the whole complement of 114, since they cost 
 on an average 54Z. apiece. 
 
 As soon as an understanding on these matters 
 was reached the purchase of material and horses 
 was energetically proceeded with. The quality of 
 the horses was, needless to say, of paramount 
 importance. That of ours was excellent, thanks 
 to the care and judgment of Major McMicking, 
 who selected the majority of them. To establish 
 this, in a word, by the best test of all, it is only 
 necessary to point to the result — namely, that at 
 the end of our campaigning, out of the original 
 number of 114, we handed over to the Eemount 
 authorities at Pretoria between 80 and 90 of 
 the original animals, in good condition ; and 
 wounds accounted for several of the rest. It must 
 be admitted, however, that this good result was 
 partly due to the length of our stay on the line of 
 
14 THE H.A.O. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 communications ; a stay long enough to thoroughly 
 acclimatise the horses. Nearly all of them were 
 taken from London omnibus companies and 
 jobmasters, and a point was made of choosing 
 only strong short-legged animals, very few ex- 
 ceeding 15.3 in height. "^ 
 
 In the matter of material, various members of 
 the H.A.C. were of the greatest possible assistance 
 in obtaining goods of the best quality and at whole- 
 sale prices. Buck-waggons of South African type 
 were contracted for in Bristol, mule-harness 
 in Bermondsey, forge and artificers' tools in 
 Birmingham; whilst orders for clothing and 
 various stores and details of equipment were 
 placed in many different quarters. Thanks 
 to the zeal displayed, all the goods were 
 delivered to date, and in good time for em- 
 barkation. 
 
 The total sum contributed by the War Office 
 was 17,000^., of which 5,100Z. was paid for horses 
 and the remainder for altering four H.A.C. 
 waggons so as to hold fixed ammunition, for an 
 
FOEMATION OF THE BATTERY 
 
 15 
 
 additional supply of ammunition, for buck- 
 waggons, and for mule-harness. 
 
 The C.I.V, Committee, among other items, paid 
 8,000/. for the guns, the one waggon, and the 3,200 
 rounds of ammunition ; and 1,000Z. for horses. 
 
 NOMINAL EOLL OF THE BATTEKY 
 
 Officers 
 
 Rank 
 
 Name 
 
 
 Corps of origia 
 
 Major . 
 
 . G. McMicking . 
 
 . H.A.C. 
 
 Captain . 
 
 . C. E. Budworth, Adj. 
 
 . H.A.C. and R.F.A. 
 
 Lieutenant 
 
 . A. C. Lowe . 
 
 . H.A.C 
 
 »> • 
 
 . H. Bayley . 
 
 
 • J) 
 
 >» 
 
 . J. F. Duncan 
 
 
 >> 
 
 Surgeon-Captain 
 
 . A. Thorne . 
 
 
 2nd Midd. Arty. Vol. 
 
 Vet. Surg. Lieut. 
 
 . E. Morgan . 
 
 
 
 
 N.C.O.'s AND Men 
 
 
 
 A. Sub-division 
 
 
 Sergeant 
 
 . W. Dixon . 
 
 . H.A.C. 
 
 Coll.-Maker Sergt. 
 
 . K. W. Goodwin 
 
 • 
 
 . LateR.H.A. 
 
 Corporal 
 
 . H. W. T. Elam 
 
 
 . H.A.C. 
 
 Bombardier . 
 
 . R. L. Nelson 
 
 
 . LateR.H.A. 
 
 Bombardier . 
 
 . G. W. Gutridge . 
 
 
 H.A.C. 
 
 J) 
 
 . C. Wright . 
 
 
 >> 
 
 Shoeing- Smith 
 
 . M. B. Milne 
 
 
 )> 
 
 Trumpeter 
 
 . G. E. Mager 
 
 
 >j 
 
 Gunner . 
 
 . C. W. Geddes . 
 
 
 1st Lanark Arty. Vol. 
 
 ») 
 
 . W. S. Herbert . 
 
 
 H.A.C. 
 
16 
 
 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFRICA 
 
 NOMINAL EOLL OF THE BATTEHY— continued. 
 
 N.C.O.'s AND Men 
 
 
 
 A. Sub-division 
 
 Rank 
 
 Name 
 
 Corps of origin 
 
 Gunner . 
 
 . J. 0. Whittome . 
 
 . H.A.C. 
 
 >> 
 
 . W. Tetley Jones . 
 
 • )) 
 
 
 
 . J. P. F. Symes . 
 
 . Late H.A.C. 
 
 
 
 . C. J. Allen . 
 
 . H.A.C. 
 
 
 
 . D. Martin . 
 
 . 1st Sussex Arty. Vol. 
 
 
 
 . A. Kaisbeck 
 
 5> 
 
 
 
 . S. A. Keell . 
 
 . 7th Midd. R. Vol. 
 
 
 
 . J. F. O'Kegan . 
 
 . Late R.G.A. 
 
 
 
 . F. J. Clatworthy . 
 
 . 3rd Midd. Arty. Vol. 
 
 
 
 . G. W. Lea . 
 
 . 1st City of London 
 
 
 
 Arty. Vol. 
 
 Driver (Acting 
 
 Bom- 
 
 
 bardier) 
 
 . E. Chambers 
 
 . H.A.C. 
 
 Driver . 
 
 . E. M. A. Clough . 
 
 )) 
 
 5> 
 
 . E. R. Walton . 
 
 n 
 
 5> 
 
 . A. J. Mordin 
 
 )> 
 
 >> 
 
 . W. Baker . 
 
 »? 
 
 J> 
 
 . G. H. M. Vine . 
 
 . Late 3rd Midd. Arty. 
 Vol. 
 
 5» 
 
 . F. K. Vigor 
 
 . H.A.C. 
 
 >> 
 
 . H. M'Dougall . 
 
 • )) 
 
 S» ♦ 
 
 . A. Hanks . 
 
 . 1st City of London 
 Arty. Vol. 
 
 »> 
 
 . G. Hoare . 
 
 . H.A.C. 
 
 >> 
 
 . H. Savage . 
 
 . 1st Sussex Arty. Vol. 
 
 »> 
 
 . G. 0. Kitchie 
 
 . H.A.C. 
 
 >» 
 
 . H. Mackney 
 
 . 1st Sussex Arty. Vol. 
 
 >> • 
 
 . J. Sullivan . 
 
 . Late 1st Royal Dra- 
 
 
 
 
 goon Guards 
 
FOEMATION OF THE BATTERY 
 
 17 
 
 NOMINAL ROLL OF THE BA.TTE'RY—contimied. 
 N.C.O.'s AND Men 
 
 
 
 B. Sub-dwision 
 
 Rank 
 
 Name 
 
 Corps of origin 
 
 Sergeant-Major . G. E. Pilbrow 
 
 . R.H.A. 
 
 Sergeant 
 
 . P. S. Taylor 
 
 . H.A.C. 
 
 Farrier-Sergeant . J. Hammond 
 
 . Late R.H.A. 
 
 Corporal 
 
 . H. Attneave 
 
 . H.A.C. 
 
 Bombardier 
 
 . H. S. Law . 
 
 . 12th Midd. R. Vol. 
 
 Bombardier 
 
 . F. G. Valentine 
 
 . 1st Sussex Arty. Vol. 
 
 . j» 
 
 . C. J. Chapman 
 
 . 3rd Kent Arty. Vol. 
 
 Gunner . 
 
 . G. C. J. Brady 
 
 . H.A.C. 
 
 >> 
 
 
 . A. H. Shearman 
 
 . Late R.M.A. 
 
 >> 
 
 
 . A. F. Herbert 
 
 . H.A.C. 
 
 » 
 
 
 . L. M. Murdock 
 
 >> 
 
 >i 
 
 
 . W. Sawle . 
 
 . 1st Sussex Arty. Vol. 
 
 >> ' 
 
 
 . W. F. PaUes 
 
 . H.A.C. 
 
 >» 
 
 
 . D. Flanigan 
 
 . Late R.F.A. 
 
 >» 
 
 
 . F. C. Hepburn 
 
 . H.A.C. 
 
 j> 
 
 
 . W. G. Mumford 
 
 • )> 
 
 >> ■ 
 
 
 . C. de V. Bates 
 
 • j> 
 
 Driver (Acting 
 
 Bom- 
 
 
 bardier) 
 
 . W. H. Gutmann 
 
 ■ • n 
 
 Driver . 
 
 . J. A. Dobree 
 
 >» 
 
 ») 
 
 
 . A. S. Joseph 
 
 • )> 
 
 >> 
 
 
 . R. H. Whitehead 
 
 »> 
 
 j> 
 
 
 . E. J. Cooper Smi 
 
 th . „ 
 
 >» 
 
 
 . R. J. Hutchinson 
 
 . 12th Midd. R. Vol. 
 
 >» 
 
 
 . R. Burgess . 
 
 >» 
 
 >» 
 
 
 . E. J. Page . 
 
 . H.A.C. 
 
 n 
 
 
 . H. Blackhn 
 
 J) 
 
 u 
 
 
 . F. C. Whitehead 
 
 • )) 
 
 Shoeing-Smit] 
 
 1 . C. Baker 
 
 • 3rd Batt Suff. Reg. 
 
 Wheeler . 
 
 . H. W. Prendergas 
 
 3t . H.A.C. 
 
 
 
 
 C 
 
18 
 
 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 NOMINAL KOLL OF THE B^.TT'E'RY— continued. 
 N.C.O.'s AND Men 
 
 
 C. Sub-division 
 
 
 Rank 
 
 Name 
 
 Corps of origin 
 
 Sergeant 
 
 . F. Abraham 
 
 . H.A.C. 
 
 Pay- Sergeant 
 
 . G. R. Barnett Smith 
 
 
 Corporal 
 
 . H. B. Clifford . 
 
 
 Bombardier 
 
 . W.O. Gridley . 
 
 
 Br. Shoeing-Smith . T. B. Goodall . • 
 
 
 Br. Collar-Maker . J. C. Kendall 
 
 
 Bombardier 
 
 . G. Lorimer . 
 
 
 Gunner . 
 
 . T. P. H. Armstrong 
 
 . 2nd Midd. Arty. Vol. 
 
 »> • 
 
 . P. H. Tacey 
 
 1st Sussex Arty, Vol. 
 
 >> 
 
 . J. J. Bailey 
 
 Queen's Westminst'rs 
 
 »» 
 
 . S. W. Sulman . 
 
 H.A.C. 
 
 »» 
 
 . H. L. Robinson . 
 
 »> 
 
 >j 
 
 . B. D. W. Archer 
 
 j> 
 
 »i • 
 
 . J. S. Dyson 
 
 1st City of London 
 Vol. Arty. 
 
 >> • ' 
 
 . D. Belmont 
 
 Queen's Westminst'rs 
 
 >> • 
 
 . C. A. Tebay 
 
 3rd Midd. Arty. Vol. 
 
 j> 
 
 . W. A. Shultz . 
 
 >» 
 
 Driver (Acting 
 
 Bom- 
 
 
 hardier) 
 
 . T. M. Brown 
 
 H.A.C. 
 
 »> 
 
 . H. H. Ward 
 
 
 Driver . 
 
 . L. B. Major 
 
 
 ») 
 
 . W. 0. Walker . 
 
 
 >> • 
 
 . E. S. Halford . 
 
 
 » • 
 
 . J. W. Chambers . 
 
 
 » 
 
 . R. H. Glover 
 
 
 >» 
 
 . A. C. Standen 
 
 
 »» 
 
 . A. Wensley 
 
 . 1st Tower Hamlets 
 Engineer Vol. 
 
 «« • 
 
 . P. F. Lucas 
 
 . H.A.C. 
 
FORMATION OF THE BATTERY 
 
 19 
 
 NOMINAL ROLL OF THE BATTEHY— continued. 
 
 N.C.O.'s AND Men 
 
 
 D. Sub-division 
 
 
 Rank 
 
 Name 
 
 Corps of origin 
 
 Q.-M.-Sergeant 
 
 P. Oakley . 
 
 . R.F.A. 
 
 Sergeant 
 
 A. E. Wood 
 
 . H.A.C. 
 
 Wheeler-Sergeant . 
 
 W. Difford . 
 
 . 3rd Kent Arty. Vol. 
 
 Corporal 
 
 G. W. Osborn . 
 
 . H.A.C. 
 
 Bombardier . 
 
 H. W. Dollar . 
 
 >> 
 
 >! 
 
 H. P. Applebee . 
 
 >> 
 
 Acting Bombardier 
 
 L. Walter . 
 
 >» 
 
 Shoeing- Smith 
 
 R. W. Stephenson 
 
 n 
 
 Trumpeter 
 
 H. H. Sawyer 
 
 »5 
 
 Gunner . 
 
 W. Murrell . 
 
 . 1st Sussex Arty. Vol. 
 
 >» • • • 
 
 W. A. Rich . 
 
 . 2nd Wilts Cychsts 
 
 »j • • • 
 
 E. Charleton 
 
 . Late R.H.A. 
 
 j> • • • 
 
 G. Lemmens 
 
 . H.A.C. 
 
 »> • • • 
 
 A. F. B. WiUiams 
 
 • >j 
 
 >i • • • 
 
 A. F. Vigor . 
 
 • >» 
 
 »> • • • 
 
 A. J. M. Brown . 
 
 5> 
 
 »> • • • 
 
 W. H. Holt . 
 
 J> 
 
 >j • • • 
 
 W. D. Singer 
 
 . 1st City of Lond. Arty 
 Vol. 
 
 j» • ♦ < 
 
 W. Faizey . 
 
 . Late R.H.A. 
 
 >» 
 
 A. J. Riggs . 
 
 . H.A.C. 
 
 »» 
 
 . C. L. Duncan 
 
 )> 
 
 » 
 
 . S. J. Unwin 
 
 . 1st City of Lond. Arty 
 Vol. 
 
 5> • • 
 
 . H. W. Leacock . 
 
 » 
 
 Driver (Acting Bom 
 
 - 
 
 
 hardier) 
 
 . A. A. Wink . 
 
 . H.A.C. 
 
 Driver . 
 
 . H. B. Ramsey . 
 
 >» 
 
 »» 
 
 . G. W. Colmer . 
 
 j> 
 
 c 2 
 
20 
 
 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 NOMINAL ROLL OF THE BATTEHY—contiiiued. 
 
 Driver 
 
 
 Rank 
 
 N.C.O.'S AND 
 
 Men 
 
 
 D. Sub-division 
 
 
 Name 
 
 
 Corps of origin 
 
 . J. S. Hills . 
 
 • 
 
 . H.A.C. 
 
 . W. A. Scantlebury 
 
 • »> 
 
 . D. D. Storer 
 
 
 • >» 
 
 . R. E. Childers 
 
 
 j> 
 
 . G. W. Butler 
 
 
 
 . H. M. Perkins 
 
 
 H.A.C. 
 
 . J. Landsberg 
 
 
 JJ 
 
 . L. W. Cohen 
 
 
 )f 
 
 THE DEAFT 
 
 On August 12 the new draft sent out from 
 England to supply vacancies caused by illness 
 joined the Battery. They came out under the 
 charge of Bombardier Chillingworth. 
 
 The draft were assigned to the sub-divisions as 
 follows : 
 
 
 A. Sub -division 
 
 
 Bank 
 
 Name 
 
 Oorps of origin 
 
 Gunner . 
 
 . H. C. Cowan 
 
 . 3rd Midd. Arty. Vol. 
 
 >) • • 
 
 . S. J. Askew 
 
 >j 
 
 Driver . 
 
 . J. Oppenheim 
 
 . H.A.C. 
 
 >> 
 
 . N. D. Forbes 
 
 • »« 
 
FOBMATION OF THE BATTERY 
 
 21 
 
 THE DBA.FT— continued. 
 
 Bank 
 Gunner . 
 Driver . 
 
 tf 
 
 Gunner . 
 
 » • 
 Driver . 
 
 Bombardier 
 Gunner 
 
 Driver 
 
 B. Sub-division 
 
 
 Name 
 
 Corps of origin 
 
 E. J. Douglas 
 
 . 3rd Midd. Arty. Vol 
 
 B. Williams 
 
 . H.A.C. 
 
 . J. G. Houghton . 
 
 >i 
 
 C. Sub-division 
 
 
 . M. P. Webster . 
 
 . H.A.C. 
 
 . H. G. Trapp 
 
 • »> 
 
 . E. W. Bradshaw . 
 
 • »> 
 
 . E. H. Tremearne 
 
 • >> 
 
 D. Sub-division 
 
 
 . G. Chillingworth 
 
 . H.A.C. 
 
 . T. J. Hamp 
 
 »> 
 
 . A. M. Cooper 
 
 >> 
 
 . C. H. Bradshaw . 
 
 • >> 
 
 . H. V. Eamsey . 
 
 55 
 
 . W. J. Holm 
 
 55 
 
22 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFRICA 
 
 CHAPTEE IV 
 
 THE TEAINING IN BAREACKS AND THE 
 
 VOYAGE OUT 
 
 January — February, 1900 
 
 On January 9 the men enrolled were assembled 
 in St. John's Wood Barracks for three weeks'* 
 preliminary training. Who, of those who made 
 it, will forget that sudden plunge from civilian 
 ease to rigorous and sordid labour ? Of all the 
 contrasts life presents there is probably none so 
 sharp and chilling, and none so stimulating, if 
 the men have grit and ardour. We had our fair 
 share of both, and needed every ounce of it, for 
 there was an immense amount to learn, and none 
 too long a time in which to learn it. Nobody 
 familiar with the subject will question that, or 
 point in depreciation to the fact that our other 
 detachments were able to embark a fortnight 
 
BAEKACKS AND THE VOYAGE 23 
 
 before us. Artillery is a highly specialised 
 branch of the military art, and under the present 
 conditions of life and work in a great city, it is 
 flatly impossible for an Auxiliary battery, be the 
 evening drills, odd field days, and annual camp 
 ever so well attended, to reach such a pitch of 
 efficiency as to be fit to take the field without 
 some weeks of prior training. We were a 
 heterogeneous body, and had to shake down into 
 coherence. We had a new gun, involving a new 
 gun drill. Our riding and driving were far from 
 perfect ; and few of us had the requisite experience 
 of those essential matters, the care of horses and 
 harness. Happily we were stiffened by a strong 
 leaven of old hands, N.C.O.'s and men, who fell 
 into their duties easily, and gave an example to the 
 weaker brethren. Marching drills and gun drills 
 began at once, and in a day or two, when the horses 
 began to arrive, riding drills and the business of 
 ' stables,' three times daily. Concurrently with 
 all this, we had to carry on the ordinary routine 
 of barrack life, providing our own guards, stable- 
 pickets, orderlies, postmen, etc., and doing our 
 
24 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFRICA 
 
 own cooking, scullery work, coal heaving, window 
 cleaning, and charing. Most of us also — how 
 incongruous it all seems now ! — had more or less 
 important business matters or family affairs to 
 arrange before starting on this distant enter- 
 prise, so that fragments of leisure — a Sunday 
 out or an evening free — had to be schemed or 
 bargained for amid the stress of work. It was a 
 crowded, careless time, and nothing in it was 
 stranger than the complete effacement of that 
 painful anxiety about the progress of the war 
 which most of us had felt before enlistment, in 
 common with the whole nation at that trying 
 time. 
 
 Driving drills, we should say, were never at- 
 tempted ; for it was only towards the end of our 
 stay in barracks that the number of horses was 
 complete, and their branding and final distribution 
 among the sub-divisions and individuals effected. 
 Then it was that the novice in horse-tending 
 entered on his full responsibilities. One of the 
 Editors, if he may be forgiven a personal touch, 
 vividly remembers the moment when he was first 
 
BARRACKS AND THE VOYAGE 25 
 
 confronted with the pair allotted to him. One of 
 them was of a meek and colourless disposition, 
 save for the trait of ungovernable greed. The 
 other — a sour and sullen roan — was introduced as 
 follows by the callous Gallio who allotted him : 
 ' He can't be groomed and he can't be ridden, and 
 you've got to drive him in the water-cart ' ; the 
 merits of which terse address the Editor began to 
 appreciate at evening stables, when, in bringing 
 him his food, with many tactful blandishments, he 
 was received with a pretty specimen of a remark- 
 able screwing cow-kick, for which he afterwards 
 became infamous, and which only prolonged study 
 and experience enabled his groom to avoid. 
 A propos of that humble vehicle, the water-cart, 
 it should be explained that hitherto the intention 
 was that we should horse some of our own 
 auxiliary carriages, such as the forge-waggon, 
 reserve-ammunition waggon, etc. The idea was 
 abandoned, however ; and in South Africa every- 
 thing in the nature of transport was drawn by 
 mules, and driven by natives. And, as it turned 
 out, there were none too many drivers, with a due 
 
26 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFRICA 
 
 allowance of spare men, for the four guns and five 
 ammunition waggons. 
 
 Meanwhile, uniforms were fitted, kit gradually 
 served out, and the thousand and one details of 
 mobilisation attended to. Few of us probably 
 realise the enormous amount of labour that the 
 completeness of our personal equipment, harness 
 and stores, entailed on Lord Denbigh, the Adjutant 
 and others. At length, everything was ready ; all 
 heavy material, including the guns themselves, had 
 been packed and sent down to the Albert Docks, 
 whence our ship the ' Montfort ' was to sail ; and, 
 on the evening of February 2, all that remained 
 was for the men and horses to follow. Helpful 
 to the last, the H.A.C. comrades we were leaving 
 behind assisted us in many ways on that busy 
 and memorable night, which remains in the 
 memory as a medley of riotous merry-making 
 and feverish activity. They kept our guards and 
 pickets, aided us to pack our kits and persons, 
 and finally satisfied the extreme demands of 
 friendship by helping us to ride the horses to the 
 Docks — a really noble service, seeing that it meant 
 
BAEEACKS AND THE VOYAGE 27 
 
 no proud progress through acclaiming crowds, 
 but an obscure night-march of thirteen miles in a 
 driving snow-storm. At 2 a.m. on the 3rd we 
 filed silently out into the slushy streets from 
 under the dim lamps of the barrack gateway, 
 threaded the deserted highways of London from 
 West to East, slipped and splashed down the 
 interminable vistas of the Commercial Koad and 
 the Dock roads, and in the first ghastly dawn 
 clattered, sodden, frozen, and muddy, into the 
 sheds which bordered the * Montfort's ' berth. 
 Early as it came in our career, this march, made 
 by unseasoned men on strange horses, and ending 
 without a hitch or casualty, was a real test of 
 steadiness and discipline. ' Unpleasant, but of 
 course nothing to what is coming,' was our 
 stoical thought, even though we hummed instinc- 
 tively the music of ' Die zwei Grenadieren ' 
 between chattering teeth ; but, as a matter of 
 fact, it was many months before any hardship 
 befell us in the least similar to this one. 
 
 For an ordinary private soldier, life on a 
 horse-carrying transport, during a slow tropical 
 
28 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFRICA 
 
 voyage, would be pronounced by the dispassionate 
 critic as the most wretched of all lots. That 
 only shows how little he knows about human 
 nature. He forgets that the keenest pleasures 
 are those that are paid for the dearest, that all 
 happiness is relative, and that its essence is 
 contrast. Such, at any rate, was the philosophy 
 wrung by the Editors from the three toilsome 
 weeks that followed our departure from the 
 dismal, sleet-swept quays of the Albert Docks. 
 It was toil well and wisely spent, for the horses 
 — which, of course, were the objects of nearly all 
 of it — were landed in consequence in good con- 
 dition, with a loss of only four. No doubt we 
 * groused ' over the measures enforced to gain this 
 end — the daily round of exercise and stall-cleaning ; 
 the tread-mill trampings over iron decks in the 
 steaming bowels of the ship ; the Augean 
 squalors of ' mucking-out ' in the tropics, and 
 the giddy descents into Tartarean gloom after 
 forage from the hold. But ' grousing ' is a 
 valued privilege of all soldiers, and at heart we 
 did not grudge the labour, severe and repulsive 
 
BAREACKS AND THE VOYAGE 29 
 
 though much of it was. Indeed, we were 
 as merry a ship as you could wish. We 
 shared it with the Oxfordshire Yeomanry and 
 the Irish Hospital, and made firm friends with 
 both these Corps, holding joint concerts, athletic 
 sports, and other amusements. By the fortune 
 of war, we drifted apart from the Oxfordshire 
 Yeomanry at the very outset, and never met 
 them again, though we retained, as a pledge of 
 their good will, a little four-footed recruit, in 
 the shape of a monkey, obtained at Las Palmas, 
 and solemnly presented on board, which followed 
 all our fortunes thereafter, survived unscathed, 
 and is now to be seen in the Zoo. The Irish 
 Hospital we met again both at Bloemfontein 
 and Pretoria, as many of our sick men have good 
 cause to remember, having always received the 
 utmost care and kindness from Dr. Stoker and 
 his staff, in one of the best of the several very 
 good volunteer hospitals which took part in the 
 war. 
 
 All of us were inoculated for enteric fever 
 during the voyage. It was a painful and irksome 
 
30 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 operation, and, admittedly, at the time, of doubtful 
 efficacy ; but it was cheerfully undergone, and, 
 from a layman's point of view, appears to have 
 been justified by results. 
 
 The thing which gave us most concern during 
 this voyage was the fear — ridiculous as it seems 
 now — that the war would be over before we had 
 time to engage in it. A passing vessel signalled 
 to us that Kimberley was relieved, and the day 
 after we arrived in port, Paardeberg was blazoned 
 abroad. The tide had indeed turned ; but there 
 was plenty of time for us before it came to the 
 flood. 
 
31 
 
 CHAPTEK V 
 
 ON THE LINES OF COMMUNICATION 
 
 March — June, 1900 
 
 The Battery landed at Capetown on February 28, 
 and spent a fortnight there, encamped at Green 
 Point, a torrid expanse of sand bordering the sea — 
 a very arduous fortnight for every one concerned. 
 Three days of it were spent principally in dis- 
 embarking and unpacking the guns and ammuni- 
 tion, the former having been shipped — with an 
 excess of caution perhaps; — in packing-cases. 
 
 As soon as our material was in order we began 
 regular drills, and found ourselves very rough at 
 first, though not rougher than was to be expected 
 from a battery of such miscellaneous composition, 
 with horses new to the work. Naturally, it was 
 in driving that we were most backward, the 
 gunners having already made substantial progress 
 
32 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 in the use of the new gun at St. John's Wood. It 
 will be convenient here to say a few words about 
 our guns, noting the principal features which dis- 
 tinguished them from the fifteen-pounder then in 
 use in the regular Field Artillery. 
 
 The gun is officially described as the ' 12J- 
 pounder B.L. Q.F.' It is fitted with hydraulic 
 buffers which take the recoil and automatically 
 bring back the gun to the firing position, without 
 any appreciable shifting of the carriage. The 
 breech action is remarkably simple ; one motion, 
 of one hand only, is needed to open and close, 
 instead of two hands and three motions as with 
 the fifteen-pounder. The tangent sight is worked 
 by a wheel, and need not be removed when the gun 
 is fired. There is a traversing gear on the carriage 
 as well as an elevating gear ; so that traversing by 
 hand-spike is needless. Fixed ammunition is used, 
 and the Krupp fuzes for shrapnel are very simply 
 contrived, and require no safety pins. All these im- 
 provements were admirable, and tended to rapidity 
 of fire and simplicity of handling, while the range 
 also (they are sighted to 6,000 yards) was greater 
 
ON THE LINES OF COMMUNICATION 33 
 
 than that of the service gun. Also, though we 
 never lacked men, the gun could in fact be worked 
 by fewer than the service gun, five being ample, 
 and two, in an emergency, being sufficient. The 
 chief defects noticed were the weight of the trail 
 and the form of the carriers, which, when loaded 
 with four rounds, were too heavy, and, being of 
 thin steel, too liable to dints which were difficult to 
 repair. Wicker carriers, holding three rounds, 
 would meet this objection. But these were trifles. 
 The main difficulty which beset us was the mere 
 fact that we had a different gun from the standard 
 type, involving a special type of ammunition for 
 our sole use. This no doubt was rather a serious 
 matter, and may have been one of the reasons for 
 our long detention on the lines of communication. 
 In the field, we could never draw on the regular 
 ammunition columns, but had to rely on depots of 
 our own up the line, from which by difficult and 
 often tardy methods we managed to replenish 
 such reserves as we carried in our buck-waggons. 
 Concurrently with our field training the work 
 of obtaining transport was pushed forward, and 
 
 D 
 
34 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 eighty-four mules were secured, with eighteen 
 Cape boys to drive and look after them. A few 
 remounts were also obtained, giving us our first 
 experience of the notorious Argentine pony. We 
 say nothing against the aristocrats of that breed, 
 but the rank and file were some of the most 
 stupid, soulless, and vicious little monsters that 
 ever vexed a soldier's soul. 
 
 As to our next destination, after many baseless 
 reports had run their course, we were finally 
 ordered to move to Stellenbosch, thirty miles up 
 country, there to await further instructions. A 
 two days' march brought us to that beautiful but 
 ill-omened spot, afterwards to become a by-word 
 for inactivity. Then we spent a week perched on 
 an arid hill, working hard at our drills, our harness, 
 and our horses, and tormented by conflicting 
 rumours, which were crystallised into fact on 
 February 20. The Battery was to be divided into 
 two, and posted at two points on the line of com- 
 munication in Cape Colony — at Piquetberg Koad 
 and Matjesfontein respectively. It was disappoint- 
 ing news, but there it was, and we made the best 
 
ON THE LINES OF COMMUNICATION 35 
 
 of it ; said our farewells, entrained in two separate 
 sections on successive nights, and spent two un- 
 eventful and bloodless months in that wearisome 
 if necessary duty of * guarding the line.' That 
 was how it turned out. At the time, however, it 
 seemed quite probable that we should have active 
 work to do, for the districts we were posted in 
 were seething with covert treason, and others 
 further north of us with open rebellion. A large 
 concerted plan was in the air to sweep the latter 
 rebels southward to the mountains and drive them 
 to surrender there, but it proved to be either not 
 necessary or not feasible, for it was never carried 
 out. 
 
 The right section, then, under Major McMick- 
 ing, with Lieutenants Lowe and Duncan, Surgeon- 
 Captain Thome, and Veterinary Lieutenant 
 Morgan, proceeded to Matjesfontein, a dreary little 
 station 170 miles from Capetown in the heart of 
 the great Karroo. It was healthy, but in every 
 other respect a most trying and repellent spot to 
 be quartered in, the country around desolate to 
 the last degree, and its boulder-strewn kopjes and 
 
 D 2 
 
36 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFKICA 
 
 valleys exceedingly difficult for artillery. There 
 was no bathing to be got. 
 
 The left section, under Captain Budworth, with 
 Lieutenant Bayley, were more happily situated 
 at Piquetberg Eoad, another station on the same 
 line, but ninety miles further south ; an important 
 strategic point, covering as it does the southern 
 outlet of the Tulbagh Pass, where the railway 
 crosses the mountains referred to above. They 
 were encamped with a number of other troops, 
 whose various units were constantly shifting, close 
 to the outlying spurs of the range, on ground 
 which sloped down to a spacious scrub-clothed 
 valley. For South Africa, the place was a 
 Paradise. There were frequent dust-storms, it 
 is true, and occasional deluges of rain ; but the 
 country was easy, though not too easy, for artillery. 
 Bathing, that precious solace for a soldier's dusty 
 and laborious work, was always at hand in the 
 Little Berg Kiver, a mile away ; and in every 
 direction there were beautiful and well-watered 
 places, to give variety, interest, and amusement 
 to the route marches which were constantly 
 
ON THE LINES OF COMMUNICATION 37 
 
 practised, together with all the other phases of 
 training. 
 
 So established, both sections made rapid pro- 
 gress in efficiency. In saying above that we were 
 * disappointed ' at being placed on the lines of 
 communication, it was not for a moment implied 
 that we could have done without a period of pro- 
 bation, before being sent to take our place in the 
 fighting line at the front. We did need a proba- 
 tion ; but, on the other hand, we can justly and 
 without a shade of arrogance say that the period 
 enforced on us was, from whatever cause, exces- 
 sive, and that we reached the standard which 
 afterwards carried us successfully through our 
 campaign long before we were called upon to 
 fight. The point cannot be laboured, for it is the 
 business of every soldier, whoever he may be, to 
 sink his ambitions and do what he is told ; it is 
 only one, and not by any means the least, of his 
 trials, to sit inactive (even though he be doing 
 useful service, as we of course were) while others are 
 passing him to the front. It is better, therefore, 
 to be content with recording that we stood the 
 
38 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 trial well, and, when we eventually had our chance, 
 took it briskly, with unimpaired strength and un- 
 shaken spirits. 
 
 Like the fruit of Tantalus, our longed-for 
 chance was constantly receding. Hopes were 
 raised, and blighted again, in April, and it was not 
 till May 20 that definite orders came for us to go 
 to Kroonstad. Full of zest and excitement, we 
 entrained and travelled slowly for three days 
 down the line, at last entering the field of war and 
 seeing in hospital trains, entrenched stations, 
 ruined bridges, burnt trucks, and innumerable 
 dead horses, symbols of the progress of our arms. 
 
 But we got no further than Bloemfontein. 
 Our exasperation may be imagined when, after 
 many hours stationary in a siding, we were 
 detrained, and, after a frosty bivouac near the 
 station, marched off to the fever-stricken camp 
 outside the city, where 10,000 men were resting 
 — and rotting. 
 
 Here we stopped a month, during which 
 Pretoria fell, the Free State was formally annexed, 
 and to us, in our ignorance of the true conditions 
 
ON THE LINES OF COMMUNICATION 39 
 
 prevailing, it seemed that the war was practically 
 over, and our enlistment for service in it an 
 ignominious fiasco. The one gleam of hope 
 centred round the name ' de Wet,' a name then 
 beginning to be very widely and unpleasantly 
 known. 
 
 Meanwhile we made the best of our time, 
 drilling as a complete Battery, for both sections 
 were now reunited under one command. But 
 enteric was rife at this then notorious camp, and 
 we naturally took our share of it, with the 
 resulting depression of spirits. Kumours of a 
 move were continually being falsified, and when, 
 on the afternoon of June 20, a sudden order came 
 to break up camp and go to Kroonstad the same 
 night, not many of us, even then, were very 
 sanguine as to the issue. 
 
 Marching out at midnight, we spent the 
 whole night in entraining our guns, horses, mules, 
 waggons, and harness, and at sunrise on the 21st, 
 in a biting frost, screwed our persons into any odd 
 crannies left over in the coal-trucks that formed 
 our train, and so started. 
 
40 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFKICA 
 
 CHAPTEK VI 
 
 KEOONSTAD TO LINDLEY 
 June 21-27, 1900 
 
 The general situation was this. Lord Koberts, in 
 pursuing his triumphant way to the capital of the 
 Transvaal, had left behind him, and especially on 
 his right rear, that is to say, in the south-eastern 
 part of the Orange Eiver Colony, large forces of 
 unconquered Boers, their principal leader the 
 famous Christian de Wet whose exploits had 
 already caused us vast trouble, and were to cause 
 an infinity more. Lindley, which was garrisoned 
 by some troops under Lieut. -General Arthur Paget, 
 was now closely invested by de Wet, and suffering 
 repeated attacks. Even at Kroonstad, the 
 principal British depot between Bloemfontein 
 and Pretoria, our soldiers scarcely held more than 
 the ground they stood on. For de Wet in person 
 
KROONSTAD TO LINDLEY 41 
 
 rarely stayed long in any one spot, but was for 
 ever swooping down on vulnerable points with a 
 selected band, and decamping when he had done 
 all the mischief he could. It was to one of these 
 raids (and ' More power to the raider ! ' was, we 
 regret to say, our selfish comment at the time ! ) 
 that we owed our introduction to the real business 
 of war, for, on June 22, news was brought to 
 Kroonstad that he had cut the line at Honing- 
 spruit, a few miles to the north, and was making a 
 determined attack on the small garrison station 
 there. When this news arrived the Battery was 
 shivering in its coal-trucks in a siding of 
 Kroonstad station, where we had spent the night 
 of the 21st after a long and tedious day's travel. 
 Our original destination was, we believe, to have 
 been Pretoria ; but the result of the news was an 
 order to detrain and march at once to Honingspruit 
 to help succour the garrison. 
 
 It was a time of novelties, pleasant and un- 
 pleasant, solemn and humorous ; and among the 
 last class might be numbered our first taste of 
 Staff methods in an emergency where time was 
 
42 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 vital. For two hours, while Honingspruit was 
 fighting for bare life, we were pelted by a rain 
 of conflicting orders, each countermanding its 
 predecessor, and each involving some inherent 
 absurdity which killed it and called up another. 
 Nobody appeared to know how many guns were 
 wanted, or how (whether by train or road) they 
 were to be got to the scene of action. As the 
 said scene was the naked plain, with no vestige of 
 a platform, you would have thought that question, 
 at least, was tolerably simple. At one time it 
 seemed likely that we should be asked to make 
 our maiden effort either without horses or without 
 harness, or — most formidable contingency of all — 
 without guns ! The Editors well remember the 
 resigned stupor they sank into after doing and 
 undoing the same job several times over, and 
 thinking dimly all the while ' This is war.' 
 
 In the end, the right section, with two guns, 
 under the Major, was sent off to Honingspruit, 
 where it is scarcely necessary to say that they ar- 
 rived too late to be of any use, beyond completing the 
 determination of the Boers to abandon their attack 
 
KEOONSTAD TO LIMDLEY 43 
 
 in the face of the reinforcements which had already 
 begun to muster. As it was, they had done a 
 quantity of mischief, and caused us grave loss in 
 men. 
 
 The left section, under Captain Budworth, to- 
 gether with a squadron of Lancers, and other 
 troops, followed in support, to watch the country 
 to the east of the line, and spent the day posted 
 on a commanding eminence, and without firing 
 a shot. It was proposed to leave the guns in- 
 definitely on this eminence, in the hope that the 
 sight of them might frighten away the Boers ; 
 but fortunately the officer in command of the 
 force proved open to argument, and, towards 
 nightfall, the guns were withdrawn, to the great 
 relief of every one concerned, for the top of the 
 hill was bestrewn with dead horses, so that a 
 change of air was very welcome. 
 
 On the whole, it was not a satisfactory day ; 
 but, after all, the great thing was that we had won 
 our freedom from standing camps, were at large 
 on the field of war, and available for other enter- 
 prises. Bitterly cold as the nights were at this 
 
44 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 season (the depth of winter), probably every man 
 of us, as he rolled himself in his blanket that night, 
 at a bivouac near the town, praised heaven that no 
 tent stood over him, that hard service biscuit (and 
 none too much of it) had supplanted inglorious 
 bread, and that reveilles in the dark small hours, 
 severe marching, and sharp fighting were to be 
 his lot for the future. 
 
 An enterprise offered itself on the very next 
 day (June 23), for the authorities determined to 
 send a relief column to General Paget at Lindley, 
 with supplies, of which he was in urgent need, 
 and reinforcements, to enable him to break down 
 the investment and take the field. The Battery 
 was to form part of the column, whose other 
 constituents were 400 Bushmen, four companies 
 of the Yorkshire Light Infantry, the Militia 
 Battalion of the Buffs, the Middlesex Imperial 
 Yeomanry, and two guns of the 17th Field 
 Battery — the whole under the command of Colonel 
 Brookfield, M.P. Protected by this escort, there 
 was an immense convoy of supply waggons drawn 
 by mules and bullocks, besides several traction 
 
KEOONSTAD TO LINDLEY 45 
 
 engines with trucks attached, which, from their 
 asthmatic immobility at bad drifts, proved to be 
 an unmitigated nuisance. 
 
 The left section was to proceed with the 
 column at once ; the right, which was still some 
 distance away, was to follow as rapidly as it could, 
 and join the camp at nightfall. 
 
 We started at 2 p.m., at the outset fording the 
 Valsch Kiver and mounting a precipitous drift 
 from it. At the top of this we issued upon that 
 rolling, buff-coloured expanse of withered grass, 
 v/ith its pink undertone, which was to be our 
 hunting-ground for many weeks. Checks were 
 frequent, and the column only did six miles before 
 forming camp for the night. Everything had 
 been new and strange : the lean and ragged foot 
 soldiers who marched alongside of us, toughened, 
 stained, and biases after months of service ; the 
 turmoil of encampment in the dark, with the 
 shrill yells of black drivers, and the hustle and 
 crush of crowding waggons ; the twinkle of 
 hosts of camp-fires, and the hot glow of a distant 
 veldt-fire; and, finally, the ghostly ride of two 
 
46 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 miles to water the horses, at a pond whose precise 
 position nobody knew — a silent, mysterious ride, 
 for it was hostile country, and Providence only 
 knew where de Wet and his prowling bands 
 might be. One thing only was sure, that he 
 would make a vigorous effort to stop this column 
 and thwart the release of Lindley's garrison. 
 
 Reveille was at 3 a.m. on the next day, and we 
 found what it was to have hastily to harness-up 
 with icy fingers and stiff frames, in pitch dark, 
 with only a bare minute (and, if you were late, not 
 even that) to swallow a mess-tin of hot weak 
 coffee, before you hooked in yoar team and 
 mounted. How singular it was, too, to be riding 
 later on in the morning under a genuinely hot 
 sun, while the tinkle of ice still sounded from 
 within your frozen water-bottle ! 
 
 Sixteen miles we did that day, with a long 
 halt at mid-day in deference to the habits of the 
 trek-ox, whose pensive progress over level ground, 
 sullen obstinacy at critical spruits, and acute 
 sensitiveness as to the hours of his meals, make 
 up one of the many difficult problems of warfare 
 
KKOONSTAD TO LINDLEY 47 
 
 in a country such as this. Boer scouts had been 
 seen, but no attack was made. 
 
 The next day also was uneventful, but on 
 June 26 — a red-letter day in all our memories — the 
 Battery, after all those months of disheartening 
 suspense, was at last put to the test. It was 
 half-past 7 a.m., and after two hours' march- 
 ing, we had halted on the crest of a hill overlook- 
 ing a spruit, and were listening curiously to a 
 rippling, crackling sound that broke the still air 
 on our left front. We were all in our cloaks, for 
 it was very cold ; but the Adjutant now came 
 down the column of route, and, with jubilation in 
 his face, recommended us to roll them on our 
 saddles, as we might not soon get another chance. 
 The situation was clear enough to anybody. 
 The crest we were standing on curved away to 
 the left front at about the same level, and then 
 rose to and ended in an abrupt kopje directly 
 commanding the road by which the convoy had 
 to pass, and occupied by Boers whom it was 
 essential to dislodge before any progress could be 
 made. Mounted troops were sent round to take 
 
48 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 them in the rear, and the Battery was ordered to 
 engage them in front. Apparently, we could 
 easily have done this from the sheltered crest 
 where we then were, but the Brigadier thought 
 otherwise, and we certainly were in no mood to 
 dispute his wisdom, when he ordered us into the 
 open plain below, there to come into action. 
 ' Walk, March ! ' — ' Trot ! ' — and down we went 
 into the most villainous gully, splashed through a 
 stream, galloped up a steep and crumbling bank, 
 formed line on the level, and trotted methodically 
 into action. As soon as we topped the bank, our 
 baptism of fire began — a fairly heavy rifie-fire, 
 knocking up those uncanny-looking dust-spots all 
 round us, and causing slight casualties among 
 men and horses. But the advance was perfectly 
 orderly ; the guns were unlimbered smartly, the 
 teams and waggons withdrawn to the rear, and 
 without the least delay the range of the hostile 
 kopje was found, and shrapnel rained accurately 
 on its crest and reverse slopes. 
 
 It was the first occasion during the three and a 
 half centuries of its existence that the H.A.C. had 
 
KEOONSTAD TO LINDLEY 49 
 
 fired a shot on foreign soil, and on a matter of 
 such burning interest to us who love our Corps 
 and are keenly jealous of its honour, it would 
 be easy unconsciously to exaggerate. But all 
 present, including the Brigadier, who gave us 
 hearty praise, know that we are not doing any- 
 thing of the sort. It was a day to be proud of. 
 We kept up the fire for an hour and ten 
 minutes, expending 225 rounds, and by that time 
 the Boers were silenced and had abandoned the 
 kopje, so permitting the convoy to resume its 
 advance in perfect security. As in all our fighting, 
 we were wonderfully lucky; for though our position 
 offered not a stock or stone of shelter, we had only 
 two men. Gunner O'Eegan and Driver Clough, 
 wounded, and four horses hit. 
 
 It is known now that de Wet himself was 
 not present either at this action or at that on the 
 morrow. He states in his book that he was too 
 much occupied at Lindley to be able to lead the 
 resistance to our column — a resistance which he 
 had intended to be more resolute and effective 
 than it actually was. 
 
 E 
 
50 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 For all that, it was resolute enough to put us 
 in no little jeopardy. For the rest of this day 
 there was only some long-range, desultory fighting; 
 but on the next (June 27) we were hard put to it 
 to cover the remaining miles to Lindley. Yet 
 cover them we must, then and there, if we were 
 to save the garrison, who were hard pressed at the 
 moment, and unable to spare a single man to 
 meet and assist our column. But for the convoy 
 the matter would have been comparatively simple 
 — a quick, running fight, audaciously conducted, 
 would have settled the matter for good or ill ; but 
 the slow-moving, sinuous convoy, one of the most 
 unwieldy things in the wide world, precluded any 
 such course. The Boers knew this, too, and had 
 chosen a spot to withstand us about seven miles 
 on from our bivouac of the previous night, where 
 one of those ugly spruits, that were becoming 
 familiar, crossed the road and spelt delay and 
 confusion for the ox-waggons. Above it, on our 
 side, was a ridge which sloped down to the bed of 
 the stream in two enormous undulations, like 
 steps in a staircase. Beyond it were kopjes and 
 
KEOONSTAD TO LINDLEY 51 
 
 rising ground. The enemy were posted at various 
 points to the front and on both flanks of this 
 position ; and a big Creuzot gun of theirs com- 
 manded the approach to the spruit. 
 
 As soon as their position disclosed itself, our 
 right section, which had been part of the 
 advance-guard, was sent on to the first of these 
 undulations, or steps, where, in the list of new 
 emotions, it obtained that of shell-fire from the 
 Creuzot gun. Happily for us, Boer shells, though 
 often aimed with uncomfortable accuracy, were 
 rarely of good workmanship, only bursting on 
 impact, and so doing little damage. The left 
 section, which that day was with the rear-guard, 
 was also hastily summoned to the same spot, and 
 reached it after three miles' continuous trotting, 
 mostly up-hill, past the whole convoy. 
 
 There was now a short time of hesitation, for, 
 while shells were falling thick and fast in our 
 neighbourhood, we found that we could not 
 nearly reach the source of them with our own 
 light guns. Our right section, therefore, and the 
 two guns of the 17th Field Battery, were sent 
 
 E 2 
 
52 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFKICA 
 
 forward by the Brigadier to engage the enemy's 
 artillery at a nearer range, while it was decided 
 at the same time to take the opportunity of 
 immediately throwing the convoy across the 
 spruit, and the left section was detailed to act 
 as rear-guard for this operation and cover the 
 transit with its guns. 
 
 To follow the fortunes of the right section 
 first. They had a hard tussle with the Creuzot, 
 and eventually silenced it ; but not the Boer rifle- 
 men who swarmed on the front. Against these 
 they repeatedly came into action, and so gave 
 support to our own Bushmen and Yeomanry who 
 were engaged in clearing the left flank. Finally 
 they joined the van of the convoy, which was 
 beginning to uncoil its cumbersome length ahead, 
 having practically crossed the spruit, and safely 
 reached Lindley at the head of it before dark. 
 
 As it turned out, the left section, under 
 Captain Budworth, who were still posted on the 
 undulation that we spoke of, had the chief post of 
 danger. The Creuzot gun, only temporarily 
 silenced, had shifted its position, and now, in 
 
KEOONSTAD TO LINDLEY 53 
 
 company with a second of the same caHbre, 
 opened fire on the convoy and rear-guard. Twice 
 the Captain shifted the section to more command- 
 ing points and tried to reach them, but in vain. 
 The Boer riflemen also, only beaten off for the 
 time, closed in on all sides round the same 
 quarter. Meanwhile the convoy wound its inter- 
 minable length, with the most maddening slow- 
 ness, across the spruit. Another circumstance 
 tended to confuse the situation. The cordon of 
 Boers, in closing in, fired the veldt, and the flames, 
 driven by a favouring wind, licked their way up 
 to our very guns and horses, while the whole 
 atmosphere became murky with smoke, through 
 which the sun appeared as a dull crimson ball, 
 as in a November fog in London. There was a 
 certain lack of intelligent direction too, for the 
 Brigadier, assuming prematurely that the convoy 
 was safe, had galloped off to the head of it with a 
 cheery ' Au revoir till dinner at Lindley,' and was 
 now near that longed-for haven. The infantry 
 who were helping to hold the extreme rear began 
 filtering back with breathless stories of myriads 
 
54 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 of Boers about to pour over the ridge above us, 
 whereupon our guns were turned in that direc- 
 tion, but with scant hope of making any im- 
 pression, even with case-shot, on an open line of 
 skirmishers. In fact things looked really bad, 
 and without some coolness and nerve would have 
 ended badly. But Captain Budworth, then as 
 always, was equal to the occasion, and the convoy 
 did in the fulness of time ramble and scramble 
 over the spruit. As the last waggons entered it 
 the guns were ordered to cross also, and con- 
 tinue their covering tactics from the other side. 
 Some of us can see now that pandemonium of 
 yelling Kaffirs, plunging cattle, blaspheming 
 transport officers, and panting traction-engines, 
 through which we forced our road, and so climbed 
 out of that accursed spruit, under its pall of lurid 
 smoke. 
 
 The most critical moments were still to come, 
 for an exceedingly difficult bit of ground flanked 
 the farther side of the spruit, and the convoy, 
 while scaling this, was highly vulnerable, having, 
 besides, left some wreckage in the shape of broken- 
 
KROONSTAD TO LINDLEY 55 
 
 down waggons and exhausted traction-engines in 
 the bed of the gully itself. The enemy, who, to tell 
 the truth, had never been as adventurous as they 
 might have been, gained hardihood, and gradually 
 drew their cordon tighter, till they enveloped us 
 at nearly every point of the compass. There was 
 only one thing to be done : to show a cool and 
 determined front till darkness fell ; and that was 
 done. The Bushmen held a steep declivity, 
 which overhung the spruit on the left, with 
 gallantry and tenacity ; we ourselves, from further 
 back, fired over their heads and towards the rear 
 at a target which, from the nature of the ground, 
 we could only roughly conjecture at. The York- 
 shire Light Infantry tackled the right (not with- 
 out difficulties, for they left a company straying 
 about there all night). And so, minute after 
 minute was gained, till day melted into twilight 
 and twilight thickened to night, and the convoy, 
 safely extricated, was well on its forward way. 
 Not till then did we ourselves limber up and 
 follow, dead tired, both man and beast. There 
 were still eight miles to Lindley — atrocious miles, 
 
56 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 too — over rocky heights and hollows, and many an 
 awkward donga ; but we were unmolested, and 
 reached our haven at nine o'clock, were dumped 
 down in a waste field, chucked off our harness 
 (most kindly helped by some men of the 38th 
 Field Battery), and slept like logs. 
 
 We call this action Paardeplatz, whether 
 correctly or not it cannot be said with certainty. 
 It was a good example of those small affairs which 
 are never heard of unless they end * regrettably,' 
 but which are thrilling enough to those engaged 
 in them, and which may have far-reaching conse- 
 quences. If our column had been rushed or even 
 seriously delayed, Lindlej^ might easily have fallen, 
 and a disaster of some magnitude incurred. 
 
 It should be recorded that the Brigadier 
 sought out Captain Bud worth on the following 
 day, and congratulated him warmly on the be- 
 haviour of the artillery of the rear-guard. 
 
 Our first little enterprise was thus happily 
 achieved, and its results for us were excellent, for 
 it gave us confidence in ourselves and our officers, 
 and showed that our long detention on the lines 
 
KEOONSTAD TO LINDLEY 57 
 
 of communication had at any rate made us sound 
 and efficient. 
 
 Whether it was due to over-elation or not, 
 the Editors cannot say ; but the fact remains that 
 on the following day astonished Lindley woke to 
 find a new and flaming piece of red and blue 
 bunting floating in its midst. It is understood 
 that the General himself instantly sent an indig- 
 nant inquiry as to the meaning of this dangerous 
 phenomenon, which was calculated to draw fire 
 not only on his troops but on his own head- 
 quarters, which w^ere uncomfortably close at 
 hand ; and was told that it was the flag of the 
 H.A.C. who had come to his rescue over-night. 
 Our colours, we regret to record, had to be 
 incontinently struck ! 
 
 At Lindley we spent four fairly peaceful days, 
 broken once, for the left section, by an excursion 
 which deserves a word, because it imposed a fresh 
 test of discipline and smartness. The section was 
 sent out to help in escorting the empty convoy 
 and some batches of sick and wounded back to 
 Kroonstad over the same road. We did a 
 
68 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 rapid day's march, of seventeen miles or so, 
 and bivouacked in the evening ; but at 11.30 p.m. 
 V7ere abruptly roused and ordered back at once 
 to Lindley. The order was so sudden and 
 unexpected that in our ignorance we thought some 
 critical emergency had arisen, and that on us alone 
 hung the fate of Lindley ! In point of fact, it was 
 only a natural impatience on General Paget's 
 part to have his forces complete again before 
 beginning a concerted movement southwards ; 
 but the test spoken of was none the less useful, 
 for though we were scarcely awake, and the night 
 was black, the teams were harnessed and on the 
 homeward road in a time that would have done 
 credit to a regular battery, while those now 
 odiously familiar ridges and drifts were traversed 
 without a hitch, and with all possible speed. 
 
59 
 
 CHAPTER VII 
 
 LINDLEY TO BETHLEHEM 
 July 2-5, 1900 
 
 The Battery was now definitely attached to 
 General Paget's (the 20th) Brigade, and remained 
 with it to the last. Captain Budworth was 
 appointed Adjutant of the Brigade Artillery, and 
 in that capacity was employed considerably with 
 the C.R.A. and the 38th Field Battery, and, con- 
 sequently, less than hitherto with ourselves. 
 
 With the reinforcements he had now received, 
 General Paget was ready to take the offensive, 
 and accordingly planned with General Clements 
 a joint sweeping movement towards Bethlehem. 
 This w^as begun on July 2, when we moved out 
 of forlorn little Lindley (the victim of more 
 bloody and abrupt vicissitudes than any town in 
 the field of war), and marched south-eastwards. 
 
60 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 over hilly country, in company with a battalion 
 of the Eoyal Munster Fusiliers, ever afterwards 
 our close and constant comrades in campaigning 
 (bless their honest brogues and genial fun !), with 
 the Yorkshire Light Infantry, too, and about 
 800 mounted troops, Bushmen, Yeomanry, etc., 
 and finally the 38th Field Battery, with whom 
 we were also long and intimately associated. 
 
 Of the march to Bethlehem as a whole, it may 
 be briefly said that the enemy under General Chris- 
 tian de Wet fell back steadily before the Brigade, 
 disputing the ground as they went in a series of rear- 
 guard actions, one of which — that on the second day 
 — was serious, and the others less so or trivial. 
 
 On the first day there was no lack of interest 
 and excitement in isolated incidents. The right 
 section, engaged on the right front, together with 
 a company of Munsters, had just dislodged some 
 Boers from a kopje, and were advancing further, 
 when they suddenly found themselves enfiladed 
 by a sharp fire from their old friend (or a mate 
 of his) the big Creuzot gun, which had hitherto 
 been silent in coy obscurity. Being on a wholly 
 
LINDLEY TO BETHLEHEM 61 
 
 unsheltered plateau at the time, there, was 
 nothing for it but to gallop back then and there, 
 and an exciting gallop it was, with shells pitching 
 fast and accurately at their heels. No damage 
 was done, however, and they were soon in such 
 safety that the Sergeant-major was able to gather 
 in two trembling Boers as prisoners of war. 
 
 The left section, marching with Paget's centre 
 and main body, engaged this same Creuzot gun 
 again, as soon as it was unmasked. In its way it 
 was a remarkable little duel, for Lieutenant Bayley, 
 who was in charge of the section, picked up the 
 range, which was 4,200 yards, in three shots, and 
 in a few more caused the withdrawal of the gun. 
 His layers must have made excellent practice, for 
 on the following day, when the kopje was occupied, 
 fragments of our shells were found in the gun- 
 epaulement itself. 
 
 Another small episode was an adventure of 
 Captain Budworth's. He was attached to the 
 left wing (of mounted men) which was detailed 
 that day to turn the Boers' right. Towards the 
 end of the day he was ordered off with a few 
 
62 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFKICA 
 
 mounted men to help in extricating a telegraph 
 cart from a morass where it was badly bogged. 
 During the operation, and while the predicament 
 was at its worst, a band of Boers arrived, and 
 opened fire. Covered by Captain Budworth's 
 party, however, Lieutenant Sherard, K.E., and a 
 couple of men, by literally and figuratively putting 
 their shoulders to the wheel, succeeded in saving 
 the cart, with the loss of one horse only, and a 
 couple of minor casualties. 
 
 The second day of the march must be treated 
 in greater detail. In some respects it was the 
 most memorable day in our campaign, and in one 
 respect it was, we believe, unique in the whole 
 history of the war. 
 
 De Wet in his book calls the scene of the 
 action Elandsfontein ; we have always called it 
 Barkin Kop, and that name is adhered to here. 
 The greatest pains have been taken to arrive at 
 the exact truth as to what occurred, and the 
 following account may be received as absolutely 
 trustworthy. We lay stress on this, because, un- 
 happily, an erroneous version has appeared in a 
 recently published history of wide circulation. 
 
LINDLEY TO BETHLEHEM 63 
 
 Action of Barkin Kop, July 3, 1900. 
 
 Before daylight, on a cloudy, stormy-looking 
 morning, the Brigade resumed its advance, and 
 after an hour's marching was divided into tv^o. 
 
 The main body, consisting of infantry and one 
 section (the left) of our Battery, and led by the 
 General in person, moved straight to its front, but 
 shortly after starting, the guns, with an escort of 
 Munsters, were sent up a kopje on the right flank, 
 where they had a long duel with some hostile 
 artillery. Here we leave them for the present. 
 
 The remainder of the Brigade, consisting of 
 800 mounted troops (Yeomanry, Australians, and 
 other details), 38th Field Battery (4 guns), and 
 the right section of our own Battery, was detached 
 to make a wide turning movement on the left. 
 This force was commanded by Lieut. -Colonel 
 Brookfield ; the artillery included in it was 
 under the orders of Major Oldfield of the 38th 
 Field Battery. 
 
 The force advanced slowly under a desultory 
 rifle fire, which was silenced after a time by a few 
 
64 
 
 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFRICA 
 
LINDLEY TO BETHLEHEM 65 
 
 rounds from the guns. About half-past nine, the 
 enemy began shell-fire ; and thus disclosed their 
 main position. This was on a line running at 
 right angles to our line of advance, marked in 
 the centre by a small kopje (a) and terminating 
 on the right (that is, on our right) in a big hill 
 called Barkin Kop. Three Boer guns were 
 located — two in kraals on high ground to the left, 
 and one on kopje (a). 
 
 There was a pause to reconnoitre, and Major 
 Oldfield galloped forward and chose ground — a 
 ridge parallel to the enemy's position — where his 
 artillery could come into action. All six guns 
 advanced to this ridge, and, in doing so, came 
 under an accurate shrapnel fire. A long duel 
 ensued, with the result that the enemy were prac- 
 tically silenced, though by no means disabled, for 
 whenever our fire slackened, theirs spurted spas- 
 modically up again. At last, however, parties 
 of Boers were seen to be retiring, and accordingly 
 it was decided to push forward a mounted force to 
 turn their right flank. The two H.A.C. guns 
 were detailed to support the movement, and for 
 
 F 
 
66 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 this purpose were withdrawn behind the crest of 
 the ridge in readiness to move out. But the pro- 
 jected movement fell through, from causes that 
 need not be gone into, and in the end the H.A.C. 
 guns were brought into action on the ridge again, 
 but in a new position, while two of the 38th Bat- 
 tery guns were shifted to the place we had origin- 
 ally occupied. 
 
 The artillery was now disposed in three sec- 
 tions of two guns each, in the positions marked 
 on the plan, the two H.A.C. guns, under Major 
 McMicking, on the left ; two guns of the 38th 
 Battery, in charge of Captain Pitzgerald, in 
 the centre, about 130 yards distant from ours ; 
 and two guns of the same Battery, in charge of 
 Lieut. Belcher, on the right, at a further dis- 
 tance of about 80 yards. The latter section was 
 on the edge of a mealie field, and beyond, on 
 their right front, was a considerable stretch of 
 * dead ' ground. 
 
 It is to be noted that these three positions 
 were divided from one another by slightly rising 
 ground, so that each section was invisible to the 
 
LINDLEY TO BETHLEHEM 67 
 
 others. As for the H.A.C. guns, Major McMick- 
 ing had them carefully run up by hand to the 
 exact spot selected ; and so skilfully were they 
 thus concealed, that the Boer artillery failed 
 properly to locate them for the rest of the day. 
 
 The troops in support were disposed as 
 follows : 
 
 On the left of the H.A.C. guns was a small 
 detachment of troops, with a look-out post on an 
 eminence to their front. The rising ground 
 between the H.A.C. guns and Captain Fitzgerald's 
 section was held by Australians, and an escort 
 composed of Yeomanry and Prince Alfred's Guards 
 was posted on the right front of Lieut. Belcher's 
 section, but was afterwards unfortunately with- 
 drawn, by orders of the O.C.R.A., to the right rear. 
 The main body of the Yeomanry were in extended 
 order further to the right. 
 
 The weather throughout the day was dismal, 
 with a high cold wind, and, frequently, drenching 
 showers of rain. 
 
 At about half -past twelve the enemy increased 
 their shell-fire, unmasking two fresh guns, one on 
 
 v2 
 
68 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 kopje (a), the other on Barkin Kop. The latter 
 partly enfiladed our position, but on the whole 
 the fire, though heavy, was doing little damage ; 
 so little that Major Oldfield presently ordered the 
 gunners of his Battery to cease fire, and to lie 
 down near their guns ; his reasons being that his 
 ammunition was running low and that it was best 
 to wait until General Paget, with the rest of the 
 Brigade, should make his presence felt on the 
 right. 
 
 There can be no doubt that this cessation of 
 fire gave the impression to the enemy that these 
 four guns (which they could probably see) had 
 been temporarily abandoned. In any case, they 
 redoubled their own shell-fire, and also threw 
 out skirmishers against our left, in resisting 
 whom, among other casualties. Major Eose, of 
 the Australians, was badly wounded. This 
 was probably in the nature of a diversion, to 
 cover a serious movement which, with extra- 
 ordinary suddenness and secrecy, was launched 
 against our right. It was heralded (at about 
 3.15) by a sharp burst of rifle-fire, at the first 
 
LINDLEY TO BETHLEHEM 69 
 
 sound of which Major Oldfield and Captain 
 Budworth hurried up to the crest of the ridge, 
 and found that a detachment of Boers, 
 numbering about a hundred, had stolen up the 
 dead ground ahead, through the meaHe fields, and 
 were now within fifty yards of Lieut. Belcher's 
 section, into whose gunners they were pouring a 
 rapid and deadly fire. 
 
 Major Oldfield, almost immediately, fell 
 mortally wounded, and in such agony that 
 Captain Budworth, after attempting to remove 
 him, had to desist. Turning to obtain assistance, 
 he saw that the detachment on the left of the 
 H.A.C. guns, and also the Australians who had 
 been holding the rise between our own and Captain 
 Fitzgerald's guns, had retired. It will be re- 
 membered that the Yeomanry escort on the 
 right flank had previously been withdrawn some 
 distance to the rear (otherwise this dashing 
 raid could never have been effected unobserved, 
 if, indeed, it could have been attempted at all). 
 The whole ridge, therefore, with its six unlimbered 
 guns, was now left at the mercy of the Boers. 
 
70 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 Behind it was a wide stretch of open ground, 
 and if the enemy carried the crest and com- 
 manded this, nothing could hinder a terrible 
 disaster like that of Sauna's Post. 
 
 Captain Budworth managed to reach his 
 pony, and galloped back at once to call upon 
 the Australians to return. That he succeeded 
 in bringing them back, and promptly too, re- 
 flects the highest credit on him, and also, be it 
 added, on the men he had to deal with. "Who 
 ordered their retirement it is impossible to 
 ascertain ; but it is just to say that when called 
 upon to come back again, they did so willingly ; 
 and it is common knowledge that it requires 
 more courage, both moral and physical, for 
 troops in retreat to rally and face fire, than to 
 sit tight and suffer it from the first. 
 
 But meanwhile terrible mischief was being 
 done on the ridge. 
 
 When the surprise occurred, Lieut. Belcher's 
 gunners were lying down, but on the alarm 
 instantly ran to their guns, and were ordered 
 to fire case, the last resource of artillery when 
 
LINDLEY TO BETHLEHEM 71 
 
 attacked at close quarters. One round only could 
 be fired, and then the Boers were on them. 
 Lieut. Belcher was shot dead, and all his gunners 
 were either killed, wounded, or captured. 
 
 Captain Fitzgerald's section, eighty yards fur- 
 ther to the left, had a little more time, and were 
 ordered promptly to limber up. One gun was 
 safely removed to the left rear, thanks to the cool- 
 ness of the No. 1, Sergeant Adams ; the other 
 gun-team, in coming up to hook in to the limber, 
 was driven in error too much towards the right, 
 and, in the few seconds so lost, all the drivers and 
 horses were shot, and Captain Fitzgerald was 
 severely wounded in an endeavour to extricate the 
 wounded horses. All the gunners too were killed 
 or wounded. The Boers were thus in actual 
 possession of three out of four of the 38th Battery 
 guns. 
 
 Fortunately, instead of pressing forwards at 
 once towards the remaining 38th gun, and, over 
 the intervening rise, to the H.A.C. guns, which 
 were completely at their mercy, they delayed to 
 secure their prisoners and to attempt the removal 
 
72 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 of the already captured guns. This delay gave 
 time for help to arrive. The Australians, with 
 Captain Budworth at their head, soon appeared 
 on the scene again, were met with a hot fire, but 
 pushed forward with such determination that the 
 Boers abandoned the guns and made off, covered 
 in their retreat by a renewal of shell-fire. 
 
 The H.A.C, guns on the left, hidden by their 
 fold of ground, were not actually affected by the 
 sudden raid we have described; but until the 
 Australians returned, they also were left without 
 a single protecting rifle, while they had at the 
 same time to meet an emergency of their own, 
 an attack on the left flank in support of the 
 frontal raid ; and to meet it without assistance 
 too, for the detachment on their left, unlike the 
 Australians, were very slow in returning. At one 
 time, accordingly, the two guns were firing trail to 
 trail, one at the Boers on their left, and one 
 towards the right, over the heads of the disabled 
 38th. Under these difficult and perilous circum- 
 stances perfect steadiness prevailed. 
 
 As will be understood, however, the period of 
 
LINDLEY TO BETHLEHEM 73 
 
 imminent danger did not last long. It was over 
 from the moment that, owing to the Australian 
 fire, the Boers left the disabled guns and retreated. 
 Shell-fire broke out again, but Lieut. Belcher's 
 limbers were able to drive up and quietly remove 
 their two guns. One of Captain Fitzgerald's had 
 already been safely taken away, as was related 
 above. The other, having lost its team and 
 drivers, could not at first be moved, but two 
 Yeomanry officers succeeded in hooking a pair of 
 wounded horses into it, and were trying to get it 
 away, when a H.A.C. limber appeared on the 
 scene with fresh horses and men, and drove it out 
 of action. All four of the 38th Battery guns were 
 thus brought gradually round to support the left, 
 and one of them, it should be recorded, was served 
 by H.A.C. drivers. (For drivers to serve a gun 
 was probably an unprecedented circumstance.) 
 The mounted troops, including the Yeomanry on 
 the right, took their places in the line, the 
 welcome sound of General Paget's guns was heard 
 on the right, and all seemed ripe for an energetic 
 advance to follow up the enemy's repulse. 
 
74 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFRICA 
 
 A bold and skilful handling of the mounted 
 troops would have had excellent chances of 
 success ; hut doubtless the whole force was a little 
 dazed by what had happened, and the advance 
 when made was hesitating and ineffectual. 
 
 Another distraction was caused by some dis- 
 quieting news from the main body, which had 
 met with an ambush and required assistance. 
 Let us now revert to their side of the field, and in 
 doing so follow the fortunes of the left section of 
 our Battery. 
 
 We left them in action under Lieut. Bayley 
 on a steep kopje to the right of the main 
 body. The guns opposed to them were long-range 
 Krupps, and the problem before Lieut. Bayley 
 was to reach these at a range of 7,000 yards. 
 It was solved, after some delay, by sinking the 
 trails and using aiming posts, but not before a 
 number of wonderfully accurate shots had dropped 
 unpleasantly close to our limbers and waggons, 
 though, bursting on impact and on rain-sodden 
 ground, they did us no hurt. The hostile fire 
 slowly slackened and ceased, but it could scarcely 
 
LINDLEY TO BETHLEHEM 75 
 
 have been in deference to our own efforts, which, 
 at such a range, must have been inconclusive at 
 the best. Probably the Boer guns preferred to 
 concentrate their energies on the unlucky 38th. 
 We ceased fire, too, and there was a long wait in 
 the rain, while we cooked little messes on cow- 
 dung fires, and thought the fighting was over for 
 the day. But at two o'clock orders came for us to 
 descend into the plain, and support the Infantry 
 in a general attack on the main Boer position, 
 which was an extension of the same series of hills 
 as that described above, and was flanked on our 
 left by Barkin Kop. We advanced in a succession 
 of short rashes, through barbed wire fences, over 
 hollows and streams and heavy mealie fields, firing 
 a few shots, and hurrying on again, the enemy's 
 skirmishers falling back uninterruptedly. Blinding 
 sheets of rain fell during this advance, which led 
 us ultimately to the foot of the kopje. ' Up it,' 
 was the order, and a very nasty ascent it was, 
 especially with tired horses. The slope, naturally 
 steep, was strewn with loose boulders, and, near 
 the top, seamed with sangars built for defence, and 
 
76 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFKICA 
 
 by no means easy for guns to pass. One of the 
 limbers was overturned, but the accident was soon 
 repaired, and the section fired from the summit 
 at the dispersing enemy, under the direction of 
 General Paget in person. 
 
 It was now about five; the last Boer dis- 
 appeared from view in the direction of Bethlehem ; 
 Clements's Brigade was known to be pressing them 
 on the far right, and for the second time it looked 
 as though fighting was over for the day. The 
 guns descended, flanked by the Infantry, into a 
 broad undulating valley. About 600 yards to our 
 front ran a low ridge, which, happily, struck 
 Lieut. Bayley as suspicious in appearance. 
 He halted his guns therefore, and sent forward 
 ground-scouts to inspect it. It was well that he 
 did so, for when these men had advanced a certain 
 distance there was a furious outbreak of Mausers 
 from the right front, whence the ridge curved 
 backwards parallel to the line of march. The 
 Infantry, who were in close order at the time (for 
 every one of us thought we were merely march- 
 ing into camp), spread out and scattered in all 
 
LINDLEY TO BETHLEHEM 77 
 
 directions. Lieut . Bayley had gone off at the moment 
 to look at the camping ground, and Sergeant Wood 
 was in temporary charge of the guns. Without 
 waiting for orders, he promptly ordered ' action 
 front,' and in a minute or two shrapnel were 
 dropping accurately and rapidly on the ridge where 
 the ambush had been made. The General now 
 came up again, directed our fire, and forcibly per- 
 suaded the Infantry to lie down and give us a fair 
 field. The affair was over in ten minutes ; and, all 
 things considered, it was a narrow shave. If 
 Lieut. Bayley had not reconnoitred the ground 
 (a duty which, needless to say, did not strictly 
 belong to him) the ambush would have come to 
 light later, and far more disastrously ; and but for 
 the coolness and decision of Sergeant Wood, it 
 might have had very humiliating consequences as 
 it was. The mounted wing of the Brigade now 
 joined us, and at twilight camp was at last formed 
 after this eventful day ; and our sections reunited 
 and exchanged their experiences. There was a 
 bitter frost that night, trying to men in sopping 
 clothes ; there was gloom too, over the sad mishap 
 
78 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 to our fellow battery; but, on the other hand, a 
 convoy had just arrived from Kroonstad with 
 parcels and letters from England, and consoled by 
 this we made the best of things. 
 
 A word more about the attack on the six 
 guns. De Wet, in his account of it, says the party 
 numbered 100 men, and was led by Commandant 
 Michal Prinsloo ; but in this case there is strong 
 reason for thinking that he purposely suppresses 
 the name of his brother, who, at a later date, 
 greatly to his anger, turned ' hands-upper.' 
 Certainly Boer prisoners declared that it was Piet 
 de Wet who led the charge. In praising the 
 gallantry of the attack, he adds that the Boers were 
 only compelled to retire by the advent of a ' large 
 force ' from the rear, before there had been time 
 to bring up teams to remove the guns. The error 
 is excusable ; but, as a matter of fact, the force 
 of Australians that beat them off was very small, 
 though they could scarcely have known this. That 
 teams were actually on the way to remove the 
 captured guns is, we believe, the truth. In any 
 case, one cannot leave the subject without a word 
 
LINDLEY TO BETHLEHEM 79 
 
 of admiration for such a plucky exploit ; unique, 
 too, so far as we are aware, in the history of the 
 war, as was hinted early in the chapter. Artillery 
 has been rushed and captured by various means at 
 other times ; but we know of no other case where a 
 small party of men on foot attacked and seized 
 guns in action in the open. 
 
 As for the British side, it would be invidious 
 to discuss the errors of the day. They were 
 typical, in a sense, of the errors of the war ; and it 
 is enough to say that they were amply redeemed. 
 
80 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFRICA 
 
 CHAPTEK VIII 
 
 BETHLEHEM TO FOUEIESBUKG — FOUEIESBURG 
 
 TO PRETORIA 
 
 July 5 — August 10 
 
 As the result of this action the 38th Battery, 
 besides a large number of men, had lost all their 
 officers by death or wounds ; and, accordingly, 
 Captain Budworth took temporary command of 
 them, with Lieutenant Duncan, also of our 
 Battery, under him ; while Major McMicking 
 was for the time C.K.A. of Paget's Brigade. The 
 last two days of the march may be briefly disposed 
 of. The enemy made no stand of any con- 
 sequence at all, and our work was confined to the 
 perfunctory shelling of a few ridges. 
 
 On the evening of July 5 we encamped in a 
 hollow three miles from Bethlehem. In the 
 rosy dusk there towered ahead of us the conical 
 
BETHLEHEM TO FOUEIESBURG 81 
 
 peak of Wolhuter's Kop, thrust up from a serrated 
 range of downs. Behind and below that lay 
 invisible Bethlehem, and, beyond again, more hills, 
 leading up to the craggy plum-coloured line of the 
 great Drakensberg range. 
 
 At Bethlehem, de Wet stood at bay ; sending 
 a contemptuous refusal to the British demand for 
 the surrender of the town, and adding that the 
 blood of the women and children in it would be 
 on our heads. He had, indeed, good reason for 
 his firm attitude, for Bethlehem is an important 
 centre, both strategically and otherwise ; and its 
 natural defences are so strong that it took the 
 united brigades of Generals Clements and Paget 
 two days of hard fighting to win it. 
 
 Early on the next morning (July 6) we had 
 sauce to our breakfast in the shape of shells — 
 shrapnel bursting neatly over the camp, but too 
 high to be dangerous or even to blunt our 
 appetites ; none the less a very pointed challenge 
 to the General to come and do his worst. It is 
 difficult, in the limited space at our command, 
 to describe the two days' battle of Bethlehem 
 
 G 
 
82 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFKICA 
 
 accurately ; but we hope to give a clear general 
 view of what happened, and at the same time to 
 follow the doings of our Battery in particular. 
 The town, as was said, lies in a hollow, sur- 
 rounded on all sides by hills. Now, the eastern 
 and northern sides may be ignored for the 
 present purpose. The attack was from the west 
 and south (for at the close of our march from 
 Lindley we had glanced aside from our true 
 course), and it is the western and southern 
 defences only that need concern the reader. 
 Immediately to the south of the town rises the 
 conical Wolhuter's Kop, most conspicuous of all 
 the heights ; immediately to the west stands 
 another kopje of less eminence, which, as we are 
 ignorant of its name, we will call A. Kadiating 
 westwards from these stretch a series of ridges of 
 more or less marked contour, all of which were 
 suitable for defence as outer works for the 
 innermost strongholds, Kopje A and Wolhuter's 
 Kop. The outermost was the one behind which 
 we were now encamped, and over whose crest de 
 Wet was wishing us the top of the morning with 
 
BETHLEHEM TO FOUEIESBURG 83 
 
 complimentary shrapnel. He had guns posted at 
 various places, and the whole position was freely- 
 entrenched. In the attack on it, roughly speaking, 
 Paget's Brigade tackled the right and Clements's 
 Brigade the left. 
 
 For ourselves the day began by an order to 
 the right section to mount the ridge ahead of us 
 and draw the fire of the Boer guns until Clements's 
 5-inch lyddite artillery could come into action and 
 take up the task with greater efficacy. Lieut. 
 Lowe, who was in charge of the section, did what 
 he was told with judgment and promptitude, bat 
 the range was too great to admit of effective 
 practice, and he merely kept the Boer gunners 
 amused till the great cow-guns ' Weary Willie ' and 
 * Tired Tim ' relieved him. He then rejoined 
 the other section, and the united Battery, under 
 Major McMicking, spent the day in working 
 slowly up the right flank, covering the advance of 
 the Munsters and Yeomanry, and repeatedly 
 coming into action ; but without any great results, 
 for the hostile guns were hard to locate. We had to 
 put up with some harmless shell-fire, but not till 
 
 G 2 
 
84 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 the end of the day with any rifle-fire to speak of. 
 Then, in supporting a spirited assault by the 
 Munsters on a strongly-held ridge, we came 
 under a long-range fire, in which Bombardier 
 Applebee was wounded in the knee by a soft-nosed 
 bullet, and was afterwards invalided home. The 
 Munsters paid dearly for their success with thirty 
 casualties. 
 
 A good deal of ground had been won, at con- 
 siderable cost, during the day, but the inner and 
 strongest of the enemy's defences were still un- 
 touched. 
 
 The second day, July 7, was far more effective. 
 The first decisive step was the capture, by storm, 
 of Kopje A by Clements's Koyal Irish and Paget's 
 Yorkshire Light Infantry. The effect of this was 
 to give the Battery a golden chance, of a sort that 
 rarely occurs. The Boer riflemen, when dislodged 
 from Kopje A, galloped in full retreat towards 
 Wolhuter's Kop, across the open valley which 
 separates the two hills, thus presenting a fine 
 moving target to our guns, which happened to be 
 stationed within view of the scene. Long as the 
 
BETHLEHEM TO FOUEIESBUEG 85 
 
 range was (4,600 yards) for so sudden a call, our 
 gunners made good practice among the flying 
 groups of horsemen, and so disorganised the 
 retreat that the Boers had to abandon a British 
 15-pounder gun, which had been captured by 
 them months ago at Stormberg, in Cape Colony. 
 
 Wolhuter's Kop now became the main citadel 
 of resistance, and impregnable enough its en- 
 trenched crags looked. Lyddite shells, raising 
 clouds of orange dust, were rained upon it for 
 hours to prepare the way for its ultimate assault 
 by Clements' s Koyal Irish. De Wet (who is very 
 chary of praising his burghers) recounts that it 
 was principally held by Voetg angers — that is to 
 say, men who had lost their horses from exhaustion 
 or wounds and who had to fight on foot ; and he 
 warmly applauds the stubborn pluck with which 
 they faced that deadly rain — an eulogy which all 
 who witnessed it must echo. They sat tight and 
 fired imperturbably, not only from the central 
 eminence, but from lower outlying ridges which 
 had, perforce, to be wrested from them before the 
 Kop could be stormed. The attack of these ridges 
 
86 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFRICA 
 
 was entrusted to Paget's troops — namely, the 
 Munsters, the Yeomanry, and his two field 
 batteries (the 38th and our own). Of the two, 
 the 38th, under Captain Budworth, was ahead, 
 and had the lion's share of the work. It is 
 worthy of mention that at one time he was 
 ordered to advance his guns some distance ahead 
 of the Infantry to a ridge which was thought to 
 have been vacated by the enemy. He was prudent 
 enough before carrying out the order to recon- 
 noitre the ground ahead of him in person, and 
 was rewarded by coming upon a party of Boers 
 who had concealed themselves in a mealie field, 
 well in front of their main position, and who 
 received him with volleys at short range. He 
 owed his life to a good horse, galloped back, and 
 thoroughly searched the ground with shell before 
 advancing his battery in the firing-line. 
 
 To be brief, the lower ridges were carried 
 without much difficulty, and Wolhuter's Kop, 
 weakened at last by incessant pounding, was 
 successfully and most gallantly stormed by the 
 Eoyal Irish ; the enemy evacuated the last of his 
 
BETHLEHEM TO FOUEIESBUEG 87 
 
 positions, and at four o'clock the town, which 
 had not received a single shell, lay at our mercy 
 below. Already an immense train of Boer 
 waggons could be seen in the distance, wending 
 its way in full retreat for Retief 's Nek. 
 
 In his despatches describing the two days' 
 battle General Paget alluded to the 'rapid and 
 accurate fire ' of the 38th and H.A.C. Batteries ; 
 and the same General, at a dinner given in his 
 honour at the H.A.C. headquarters on his return 
 home from South Africa, presented the regiment 
 with a Boer flag captured on this occasion. 
 
 In one sense it was but a Pyrrhic victory, hot 
 though the fighting had been. De Wet declares 
 that he could have held out longer, and was only 
 prevailed upon to retreat by the approach of 
 General Hunter from the Transvaal with a large 
 accession of force. However that may be, it 
 must be admitted that his retreat was orderly, 
 and that he saved all his transport, not to men- 
 tion the Free State Government, which rather 
 nebulous entity was then travelling in his train. 
 As usual, we had no cavalry to follow up our 
 
88 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 success by harassing the retreat and cutting up 
 the unwieldy convoys that were now creeping 
 into safety behind the mountains. Hunter's 
 troops arrived too late to be of any service in that 
 respect, though they were to be the nucleus of a 
 new and important scheme. Bethlehem was 
 ours, but stripped to destitution of war-like stores 
 and supplies ; and, moreover, isolated towns in 
 the field of war (witness Lindley) had an un- 
 comfortable way of being reoccupied as soon as 
 they were left. If the truth were known, the 
 most important feature of the Battle of Beth- 
 lehem was the increased depression it instilled 
 among the burghers, a depression destined to 
 bear sinister fruit in vacillation and timidity 
 when the new British scheme was translated 
 into action. 
 
 They had retreated to the number of 8,000 
 behind the Koodebergen range, into an extensive 
 basin of fertile country, elongated in shape, and 
 shut in at nearly every point by impassable 
 mountains. This singular region is only acces- 
 sible at five places where defiles or ' neks ' pierce 
 
BETHLEHEM TO FOURIESBUEG 89 
 
 the screen. All these neks were Thermopylses, in 
 their way, and fitted for obstinate defence. On 
 the other hand, if they were once forced, the 
 interior, from a secure refuge, became a deadly 
 trap. De Wet relates that the Boers now held a 
 council of war, at which he urged the various 
 leaders not to sacrifice their freedom of action nor 
 risk a gigantic disaster by remaining in this 
 potential trap ; and he adds that his view was 
 ostensibly adopted by all present, but that, when 
 the time came for leaving the Koodebergen, he 
 alone, with a fraction of the Boer army, acted on 
 the resolution and escaped in time. The rest, 
 under General Prinsloo, lost heart at the last 
 moment and remained behind. This was precisely 
 what we wanted, for the British scheme, conceived, 
 we believe, by General Ian Hamilton, but carried 
 ^ into effect (owing to an accident to that officer) 
 by General Hunter, was to surround the Koode- 
 bergen with overwhelming numbers of troops, to 
 force the neks and drive the Boer army to 
 surrender. 
 
 To this end, Bethlehem now became the centre 
 
90 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFKICA 
 
 of concentration for many different brigades 
 — Generals Hunter, McDonald, and Broadwood 
 adding their forces to those of Clements and 
 Paget ; while these were only a part of the whole 
 body concerned, for Bruce Hamilton was to close 
 in from the south-west, and Eundle and Boyes 
 from far away on the Basuto border. 
 
 To provision this concourse of columns, num- 
 bering about 25,000 men all told, was a gigantic 
 task, requiring time. Bethlehem itself was eighty- 
 one miles from a railway, and convoys to it had 
 to cross unsettled country. Indeed, there was a 
 serious shortage of food for men and horses for 
 several days after the battle. It is impossible to 
 say that there was unnecessary delay ; but it is 
 exasperating, nevertheless, to think that had our 
 own column started one day sooner we should 
 have been in time to offer effectual resistance to 
 de Wet in his escape from the trap. 
 
 To return to the Battery. 
 
 We spent a week at Bethlehem, posted, cheek 
 by jowl with the faithful Munsters, on the top of 
 a hill overlooking a great valley. Forage was 
 
BETHLEHEM TO FOUEIESBUEG 91 
 
 short, food was short ; and the time was generally 
 dull (if hungry men can ever be said to be dull ! ). 
 I should say that this shortage of food was only a 
 matter of proportion, for like most troops operating 
 in these regions we had never yet had the full 
 biscuit ration (without mentioning other details), 
 and rarely obtained it afterwards. On the other 
 hand, fresh meat began to be more plentiful, thanks 
 to the immense flocks of sheep and cattle con- 
 stantly being captured. 
 
 On July 15 came the welcome order to march, 
 and, with Paget's Brigade, we moved out southward 
 with a huge empty convoy, which was destined 
 to bring back supplies from Senekal for Hunter. 
 The 38th Battery, I should mention, had now been 
 given officers of its own. Our road lay parallel 
 to the mountains behind which the Boers were 
 gathered. Nothing happened during the first 
 day's march, which led us over a tract of veldt 
 devastated by fire, and black as far as the eye 
 could see. But in the evening scouts reported 
 that a Boer force was in laager eight miles further 
 on. Broadwood's cavalry brigade was at once 
 
92 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFKICA 
 
 sent for from Bethlehem and arrived next day 
 (July 16), when the march was resumed. 
 
 It now became clear that the Boer force was 
 de Wet's, and that it had escaped from the 
 Eoodebergen by Slabbert's Nek, twelve miles on 
 our left — one of the five defiles alluded to 
 above. So certain were our authorities that the 
 Boers intended to await us in their fastness en 
 masse, that this nek was not even watched ; and 
 Clements with his whole brigade had passed the 
 mouth of it three days before, on his way to get 
 stores at Senekal. We were now just too late. 
 De Wet's transport and main body was well 
 away to the west, and the fighting of to-day, 
 severe though it was, was only one of those 
 rear-guard actions, delivered to gain time, in 
 which he was a past master. 
 
 We call the scene of it Bultfontein, from a 
 large farm in the neighbourhood. 
 
 De Wet's rear-guard was posted strongly on 
 a rocky flat-topped kopje, sloping to mealie 
 fields. We say * posted strongly,' but all that was 
 apparent at the time was a number of riflemen 
 
BETHLEHEM TO FOUEIESBUEG 93 
 
 in these mealie fields, who sent bullets whistling 
 among our column, while we waited for orders. 
 Several men were hit before it was settled that 
 Broadwood's cavalry should endeavour to turn 
 the left flank, and take the Boers in rear, while 
 Paget's Brigade made a frontal attack. A small 
 force, including the 38th Battery, was also de- 
 tached to watch the mountains at our back. 
 
 Both sections of our Battery, and some 
 pom-poms also, were brought into action against 
 the kopje at 4,000 yards, fired for fifty minutes, 
 and reduced the Boer riflemen to silence, and, 
 indeed, to invisibility, for not a soul was to be 
 seen on the position, or a sound heard from it. 
 A general advance took place therefore ; our 
 sections being respectively on the right and left 
 of the line, with 700 mounted men and some 
 infantry and pom-poms between them. The 
 ground was perfectly open. When the line was 
 about 3,000 yards from the kopje two concealed 
 guns suddenly opened fire from the top, and two 
 shells fell into the middle of the Mounted 
 Infantry, emptying seven saddles. At the same 
 
94 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 time a third gun on the extreme right began to 
 enj&lade our whole hne. De Wet, in fact, had 
 been playing an old game of his, that of ' Will you 
 walk into my parlour ? ' ; and in we walked with 
 charming innocence. 
 
 The surprise was so unexpected, and the 
 target presented by our line so substantial, that 
 some little confusion arose before the mounted 
 troops could retire into safety ; for of course they 
 were impotent where they were. Meanwhile our 
 guns were promptly unlimbered and turned on 
 the kopje, the sections closing up to a distance of 
 300 yards from one another. There followed a 
 period during which we underwent the hottest 
 shell-fire we ever experienced. Of course we 
 were in the bare open, and offered a good mark ; 
 but, even so, the Boer practice was excellent, their 
 shells dropping in among the guns in front, and 
 the limbers and waggons in the rear, while some 
 fine sporting shots were made at waggons and 
 teams on the move, in the course of bringing up 
 ammunition. That we only had one man wounded 
 (Gunner Brady) was due, as usual, to the enemy's 
 
BETHLEHEM TO FOUEIESBURG 95 
 
 bad ammunition ; the shells only bursting on 
 the ground with a destructive radius of barely 
 a yard or two. But making full allowance for 
 that, we had, it must be admitted, extraordinary 
 luck. 
 
 Besides being a most hazardous contest for us, 
 it was an absurdly unequal one, for the Boer guns 
 were admirably masked behind the rocky contours 
 of the hill, and probably none of us pretend that 
 we ever exactly located them. It is doubtful 
 whether the General ever intended us to come 
 into action where we did and engage in this 
 quixotic duel ; but, however that may be, for an 
 hour and a quarter we pounded doggedly away, 
 and suffered hairbreadth escapes. 
 
 It was a strange scene, lonely and almost un- 
 canny to look back upon. The day was dark, the 
 short brown grass was burning in all directions 
 lambent tongues of flame licking across the valley 
 leaving behind them smouldering black tracks. A 
 scanty escort of our staunch Munsters lay smok- 
 ing and dozing behind some pretence of shelter 
 which a slight undulation afforded. Otherwise 
 
96 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 not a soul was to be seen, Boer or Briton, any- 
 where, and only the yelp of the opposing guns 
 was heard. 
 
 At the end of an hour and a quarter definite 
 orders came to retire, and it is noteworthy that 
 the limbering-up and hooking-in was done with 
 absolute steadiness, under conditions which were 
 the worst we had yet experienced. 
 
 Eetiring about 1,400 yards, we began a still 
 more futile bombardment, but not for long, for 
 dark came on, and the whole brigade was gathered 
 into camp. The Cavalry had made no impression 
 on the left flank, and de Wet's force of 2,600 
 men (according to his own figures) escaped intact. 
 
 There was now a pause of another week, while 
 the plans for surrounding the Boer army were 
 being matured. The bulk of the Brigade, includ- 
 ing our left section, under Major McMicking, 
 spent it at Bultfontein, but a force was detached 
 to march on to Winburg with the empty convoy, 
 to fill it with stores and return. With this force 
 went our right section, under Lieutenant Lowe, 
 only rejoining us a fortnight later, when the great 
 
BETHLEHEM TO FOUEIESBUEG 97 
 
 coup had been successfully delivered ; so that they 
 saw no more fighting in the Orange Kiver Colony. 
 
 Allowing for de Wet's withdrawal, there still 
 were left e5,000 Boers behind the mountains. The 
 various defiles to be forced were now finally 
 allotted to the different generals. Hunter was to 
 take Ketief 's Nek ; Bruce Hamilton, Naauwport 
 Nek and the Golden Gate; Bundle and Boyes, 
 Commando Nek ; and Clements and Paget, Slab- 
 bert's Nek. 
 
 During the week of waiting, Slabbert's Nek 
 was watched carefully by our Brigade, and all was 
 held in readiness for instant departure should a 
 sign of a sortie be seen. The 38th Battery and 
 our own section took it in turns on alternate days 
 to have our teams harnessed and ready to march. 
 On July 22 a reconnaissance in force was made 
 towards the Nek to make sure no Boers were slip- 
 ping out, and on the 23rd the Brigade definitely 
 set out to assault the Nek, in conjunction with 
 Clements. 
 
 There had been a diluvial rain-storm all night, 
 so that few of us had had any sleep and all of us a 
 
 H 
 
98 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 thorough drenching. Shivering, but merry, we 
 waited two hours at the rendezvous for the 
 mounted troops, whose horses had mostly stam- 
 peded in the night, and then marched over a roll- 
 ing plain to the mouth of the Nek, which is just 
 an abrupt gap in the mountains, flanked on each 
 side by towering bastions of rock. These had 
 been elaborately entrenched, while heavy guns, 
 protected by strong earthworks, were posted in 
 the space between, and pom-poms were ensconced 
 among the lower rocks on the left. The position 
 looked tremendously strong; but, on the other 
 hand, we had overwhelmingly superior artillery, 
 Clements's 5-inch lyddite pieces adding their 
 weight to the field guns ; we had infantry whom 
 sangars and rocks had failed to daunt on many 
 another bloody day : and, lastly, we could count 
 on hesitation in the Boers, who had Eetief's Nek 
 away behind them, thundered at already by 
 Hunter and the Highland Brigade. 
 
 Nothing decisive occurred to-day. There was 
 little scope for finesse ; it was just a hard persis- 
 tent workaday fight, the infantry attacking the 
 
BETHLEHEM TO FOUEIESBURG 99 
 
 entrenched heights, and the artillery covering 
 sangars and gun-redoubts alike with shrapnel 
 and lyddite. For a time the fire of the Boer guns 
 was accurate and troublesome, big shells and 
 pom-pom shells falling among the limbers, led 
 horses, etc., in rear of the ridge from which our 
 artillery fired. One, falling close to our waggon- 
 teams, killed six horses, and wounded the Yeoman 
 holding them. By some ' artful dodging,' how- 
 ever, the danger was evaded, and the only 
 casualty was again among the unlucky 38th 
 Battery — Captain Kelly, who had recently joined 
 them, being severely wounded. 
 
 The Boer guns were never silenced ; but in 
 the late evening the Koyal Irish gained a valuable 
 footing (at the cost of 40 men) on a spur of the 
 right-hand bastion, and retained it all night. It 
 was long after dark before the rattle of musketry, 
 which had been ceaseless all day, slowly guttered 
 out. 
 
 But the defence had in reality been more 
 weakened than we knew. All night the Boer 
 laagers behind the Nek were breaking up, and 
 
 H 2 
 
100 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 their transport getting into motion in case of a 
 reverse. Early on the next day (July 24) the Boyal 
 Irish, in their own magnificent style, stormed the 
 trenches which were the key to the position on 
 the right, and thence enfiladed the rest. The 
 Wiltshire Eegiment backed them up manfully ; 
 the lyddite guns, placed in new epaulements built 
 in the night, put the Boer artillery to final rout, 
 and the whole force marched into the captured 
 Nek. 
 
 Here there was an unfortunate delay, in order 
 to wait for Hunter, who had had a severe struggle 
 to force Eetief's Nek. He joined us on the next 
 day, and the three united columns moved south- 
 ward down the valley, pushing the Boers before 
 them deeper and deeper into the trap. 
 
 To eyes wearied with monotonous tracts of 
 bleak and blackened veldt this rich and beautiful 
 valley, dotted with thriving farms, and teeming 
 with flocks and herds, was a wonderful change and 
 relief. In sharp contrast to its smiling contours 
 were its grim barriers of rock. On both sides the 
 hills were precipitous, here and there assuming 
 

 "' 1', ". ', ' ^ ' 
 
 BETHLEHEM TO FOURIESBUEG 101 
 
 grotesque shapes, with monstrous humps and 
 excrescences ; but on the east side and the 
 southern end they rose to a tumbled riot of peaks, 
 tipped at their summits with snow. The pleasure, 
 be it added, was not only aesthetic, for the thriving 
 farms referred to were some of them deserted, and 
 provided a store of the most amazingly fat poultry 
 as a change of diet. On the first evening a luscious 
 row of geese, turkeys, and hens, the fruit of a 
 foray by our mounted gunners, was laid out in 
 the lines and impartially divided by the Adjutant. 
 The same night an aide-de-camp of General Paget 
 bitterly complained to one of our officers that 
 some unknown ruffians had had the audacity to 
 loot the poultry-yard of a very loyal and well- 
 disposed farmer, at whose residence the General 
 had taken up his abode. The officer, though he 
 had shrewd suspicions as to the identity of the said 
 * ruffians,' was, needless to say, indignantly sympa- 
 thetic. And, after all, there is reason to think 
 that it was principally the nakedness of the 
 General's larder that caused the storm, and not 
 the alleged loyalty of the farmer ! 
 
102 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 The end was very near now. Every one of 
 the neks had been forced, and the British cordon 
 was slowly tightened till the Boer army was 
 hemmed in — not inextricably, for Olivier and 1,500 
 men broke out at the very last ; but completely 
 enough to conquer the spirit of the majority. 
 Fouriesburg was occupied on the 26th, and on 
 the 29th General Prinsloo asked for an armistice. 
 It was refused, and thereupon 4,150 Boers laid 
 down their arms. This was the largest capture 
 of Boers made during the war, exceeding by fifty 
 the number taken at Paardeberg. Our guns were 
 left to garrison Fouriesburg, and were not present 
 at the final day's fighting — which, however, was 
 not at all serious — nor at the actual scene of sur- 
 render, much to our disappointment. 
 
 At Fouriesburg a great camp was formed for 
 the concentration of the prisoners of war, with a 
 view to their despatch to the railway. Paget's 
 Brigade was deputed to escort a batch of 2,000 to 
 Winburg, and accordingly, on August 3, we started 
 back on the same road. To many of us it was 
 very interesting to come in contact with these 
 
BETHLEHEM TO FOURIESBUEG 103 
 
 prisoners, and verify the common report among 
 our soldiers at the front, and especially those who 
 had themselves been prisoners, that the Boer, 
 when you knev/ him, was a very good sort. A 
 curious throng they were — old, middle-aged, and 
 ridiculously young — each with a gay blanket and 
 a little bag of possessions, each mounted on a 
 little mouse of a pony, and each leading another 
 one, and sometimes tivo (a most suggestive hint 
 to us in our struggle for a ' mobility ' which we 
 never properly attained in the whole course of 
 the war), and all addicted to thunderous hymn- 
 singing in the evening when the column had 
 camped. 
 
 On the 4th we turned our backs on the 
 * happy valley,' picking up our right section at 
 Slabbert's Nek, and marching together again 
 south-westwards. On August 9 we were at 
 Winburg, after a great deal of tedious, sultry 
 marching, and on the 10th, in a veritable blizzard 
 of dust, we gained Smalldeel, a station on the 
 main line, and thence took train for Pretoria. 
 
104 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFRICA 
 
 CHAPTEK IX 
 
 THE NOETHEEN TEANSVAAL 
 August 10 — September 28 
 
 Paget's Brigade had been ordered to the Trans- 
 vaal, the General having been appointed to the 
 command of the military district extending from 
 Pretoria due north to Pietersburg. The Battery 
 was, it is believed, to have been drafted into some 
 other brigade, but, owing to the General's personal 
 intervention, and to our own immense satisfaction, 
 we were retained under his command. He had 
 our confidence, and he let us repeatedly know that 
 we had his. He had won our affection too, and 
 those two things together mean an infinity in war. 
 For the rest, after our hard campaigning, we 
 were tough, fit, and cheerful, if somewhat ragged 
 and unkempt, like every one else. We were, 
 however, about twenty men short of our full 
 
THE NOETHEEN TEANSVAAL 105 
 
 complement, through wounds and sickness, and 
 it was gratifying, therefore, to receive at Small- 
 deel the draft of fresh men sent out from England, 
 whose names are given on pages 20 and 21. 
 
 Very pale and clean they looked beside our 
 seasoned selves ; but the African sun and the rude 
 veldt life soon made us all alike. 
 
 An accumulation of mails reached us here from 
 Bloemfontein, and were a great solace during the 
 two days' journey in open trucks to Pretoria. It 
 should be mentioned here that we had become 
 adepts in entraining and detraining the Battery, 
 and in the care of horses during a railway journey. 
 The latter duty is no easy one, when no proper 
 horse-boxes are available, and closed vans have 
 to be used. To climb into one of these by a 
 little window to put on nose-bags is an experience 
 not easily forgotten by the adventurous driver who 
 is told off for it. It means a struggle for existence 
 among a reeking crush of hungry animals, with 
 the risk of a nasty kick or stamp, and the cer- 
 tainty of semi-asphyxiation. 
 
 At Pretoria, on the 15th, we were inspected 
 
106 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 by Lord Roberts at headquarters. A nice question 
 arose as to whether, with a due regard to pubHc 
 propriety, this function could possibly take place 
 by daylight, owing to the condition of the men's 
 breeches. This was decided to be false prudery, 
 however ; and in the fierce light of a mid-day sun, 
 rags and all, we unblushingly marched past the 
 Commander-in-Chief. Then we went out of the 
 city to a camping ground, which long usage had 
 made as tainted and unhealthy as many of those 
 at Bloemfontein. Happily we had only one night 
 of it, for by the afternoon of the next day the Bri- 
 gade had collected, and we started north, roughly 
 following the line of the Pretoria-Pietersburg 
 Railway. 
 
 To understand the operations that were 
 beginning, it must be explained that Lord 
 Roberts was just now launching his great move- 
 ment against the east, towards Middelburg and 
 Komati Poort — a movement co-operated in by 
 Buller from Natal and the south, and ending 
 in large captures of men and material on the 
 Portuguese frontier. General Paget's role was 
 
THE NORTHEEN TEANSVAAL 107 
 
 to make a diversion to the north, in order to cover 
 the grand advance, and hold in check two sub- 
 stantial forces under Generals Grobler and Erasmus, 
 who were using Pietersburg, an important town 
 130 miles from Pretoria, as their base. Incident- 
 ally, he was to clear the whole country to the north, 
 burning farms, collecting cattle, and generally 
 harrying the enemy. But he was not to court 
 serious engagements. Lord Roberts not wishing 
 to risk the possibility of a reverse on this side, 
 which would compel him to detach reinforcements 
 from his main army. It was this need for caution 
 that, had we known it, was the cause of a good 
 deal of seemingly meaningless trekking in the near 
 future. 
 
 It all seems natural enough now, but to us 
 who had had no news of the outside world for 
 seven weeks, and had not yet begun to realise 
 what a protracted period of guerilla warfare 
 was before the British Army, it seemed strange 
 that the very outskirts of the captured capital, 
 not to mention the outlying districts, should be 
 infested with organised bodies of Boers. Yet so 
 
108 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 it was ; for the very evening we marched out we 
 had a pitiable story from a picket, of horses stolen 
 in the night, and on the succeeding days we were 
 in constant touch with the enemy. 
 
 On the first night (August 16) we had a fore- 
 taste of hardships to come in the non-arrival of 
 the transport waggons, which had stuck in a 
 spruit, and the necessity of going to bed without 
 food or blankets. The lack of blankets was not 
 so serious a matter as it would have been in 
 the Orange Eiver Colony, for a decisive 
 change of climate had accompanied our trans- 
 ference to the Transvaal. The nights were still 
 cold, but not with the stringent frosts we had 
 been accustomed to, and the days were now often 
 oppressively hot. The weather remained con- 
 sistently fine till the end. A much more alarming 
 hitch was that by some oversight we had attached 
 ourselves to the wrong column ; but this error 
 was corrected the next morning by a backward 
 march to Paget 's column, in company with which 
 we passed through the range of hills encircling 
 Pretoria, by way of a defile called Wonderboom 
 
THE NOETHEEN TEANSVAAL 109 
 
 Poort, where there was a girth-deep river to ford. 
 Here we entered the southern fringe of the ' bush- 
 veldt,' a strange region of long yellow grass, low 
 scrub, and woods of varying extent and density ; 
 a parched, waterless country at this season, a^nd, 
 from its natural features, extremely difficult to 
 manoeuvre in. 
 
 For six weeks from now we performed the 
 most labyrinthine wanderings — marching and 
 counter-marching — sometimes by day, sometimes, 
 in response to a sudden alarm, by night ; generally 
 without a glimmering of the end aimed at, and 
 never with a good stand-up fight like those we 
 had had in the Orange Eiver Colony. Every one 
 in the army had some such period to put up with, 
 and we were no worse off than many thousands of 
 others at that very time. None the less, it was a 
 very tiresome, as well as a very toilsome business ; 
 and one thing it strongly suggests is that, as far 
 as is prudently possible, every individual in a 
 force should be given an intelligent notion of 
 what he is doing, and why. Much apparently 
 aimless exertion then is proved to have its signifi- 
 
110 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 cance and value ; and spirits are proportionately 
 higher. 
 
 Ten miles out from the Poort we had a brush 
 with the enemy, who fired on us, from several 
 miles away, with a great 40-pounder gun of 
 position. Its huge lumbering projectiles, dropping 
 about with deafening explosions in our close 
 neighbourhood, were very disconcerting ; but cover 
 behind a steep kopje was found, and they soon 
 hurtled harmlessly overhead. One of our sections 
 came into action, but the range was hopeless. 
 There was some desultory skirmishing to the 
 front, and a party of guileless Yeomanry, who 
 found a deserted farm and improved the occasion 
 by dining there, were surrounded and captured. 
 
 On the 19th, feeling our way slowly forward, 
 we arrived at Waterval, and saw the great 
 barbed-wire cage in which some thousands of 
 British prisoners were kept by the Boers. It 
 stands close to a moderately deep river, where 
 the Battery enjoyed the first bathe it had had 
 since leaving Bloemfontein. 
 
 For the next four days (till August 24) we 
 
THE NOETHERN TRANSVAAL 111 
 
 marched by way of Pienaar's Eiver Station (two 
 
 gutted houses and a blown -up railway-bridge) to 
 
 Warmbad, which is seventy miles from Pretoria. 
 
 On the way there were several little skirmishes 
 
 with harassing parties of the enemy, and constant 
 
 vigilance was needed owing to the thick thorny 
 
 scrub through which we had to advance. Some 
 
 Yeomanry were wounded, and we once or twice 
 
 fired a few shells at retreating Boers, but there 
 
 was no serious resistance. It was in country 
 
 like this that the care our officers had taken in 
 
 training ground-scouts bore its full fruit, though 
 
 it had often before, and notably in the ambush 
 
 episode at Barkin Kop, had excellent results. 
 
 The topic deserves a special word, because 
 
 probably more attention was given to this minor 
 
 branch of artillery training than is usual in 
 
 batteries. Five men were permanently told off 
 
 for the duty, and others were occasionally pressed 
 
 into the service as well. These men, besides 
 
 having to forage, find watering-places, and so on, 
 
 were accustomed to help in the choice of positions 
 
 for action, to observe the front during action, to 
 
112 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 ride ahead on the inarch, giving warning of 
 obstacles and pointing out the shortest and 
 easiest way, and, lastly, in progress like this, 
 through dense cover, to keep touch with the 
 escort, and generally act as eyes for that vulner- 
 able and delicate machine, a battery of artillery. 
 Theoretically, most of this latter duty belongs to 
 the mounted troops ; but it is infinitely wiser and 
 safer to supplement this by spontaneous work from 
 within the battery. 
 
 On the way we were joined by Baden-Powell 
 and his mounted column, which pushed on ahead 
 of us to Nylstrom, a village on a range of hills 
 some distance north of Warmbad. 
 
 This, it is believed, was in excess of Lord 
 Eoberts's intentions, and was accountable for 
 some spasmodic marching and counter-marching 
 on our part, to support threatened communica- 
 tions. The 22nd was a day typical of this 
 period : reveille at three a.m., bivouac at one 
 o'clock after a long march ; off again at three in 
 the afternoon in response to a sudden call; an 
 advance of a few hundred yards, and then a two 
 
THE NOETHBRN TEANSVAAL 113 
 
 hours' expectant halt ; then a return to camp ; 
 and at 10.30 p.m. another sudden alarm and a 
 night march till 3.30 a.m., leading to nothing. 
 
 Another night march brought us, on the 
 morning of the 25th, to "Warmbad, a curious 
 little settlement built round some hot springs in 
 the middle of the bush, and consisting of a long 
 row of tin bath-houses, an hotel, and a station. 
 After a few days here, we were attached to a 
 flying column under Colonel (now General) 
 Plumer, and after doubling back to Pienaar's 
 Eiver, struck off twenty-five miles to the east of 
 the hne to Eland's Eiver, where the Ehodesians 
 and Australians who were with us made a smart 
 capture of a Boer laager, with quantities of rifles, 
 stores and cattle, and some fifty prisoners. 
 
 In the midst of this small triumph, came a 
 message from General Paget to hurry back to 
 Warmbad, where he was being besieged by 
 Grobler with a number of big guns brought from 
 Pietersburg. Back we hastened (September 3), 
 covering the forty-five miles in thirty hours, took 
 our share in the defence for two days, but on the 
 
 I 
 
114 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 evening of the second (September 6) were de- 
 spatched on another expedition, under Colonel 
 Hickman, which led us for the fourth time over 
 the road to Pienaar's Eiver, and again by night 
 and with elaborate precautions for secrecy and 
 silence. This time we went further up the line 
 to Haman's Kraal, where the right section was 
 detached to march direct to Waterval, and the 
 left diverged to the west with Colonel Hickman, 
 reaching Zoutpan, and then circling back to 
 Waterval. It was well that the Boers were not 
 present in force during this excursion, for, owing 
 to the density of the bush, at one time the 
 column's various units were rather astray, the 
 Colonel's whereabouts was unknown, and our 
 own escort lost us for an hour. The expedition, 
 as far as could be seen, had no results. 
 
 From Waterval, on the 12th, we started off 
 on another flying raid, this time under General 
 Paget himself, who had, by orders of Lord Koberts, 
 evacuated Warmbad, then his extreme northern 
 outpost. (By a singular comedy of errors, Grobler 
 had on his side also decided to raise the siege, 
 
THE NOETHERN TEANSVAAL 115 
 
 with the strange result that Boers and British 
 withdrew their forces on the same night, both 
 using infinite care to conceal their retirement by 
 enjoining silence and forbidding lights.) 
 
 The present trek was westward to Hebron and 
 the Crocodile Eiver, and was more successful than 
 the last, for cattle were captured, farms burnt, and 
 prisoners taken. We returned with our booty to 
 Waterval on the 18th, and spent two days there, 
 while rumours of a return home, which had been 
 in the air for some time, grew more definite. 
 
 Before they came true, however, there was one 
 more arduous trek before us, to the east, by way 
 of a change, where Erasmus, another Boer General 
 afoot in these regions, was thought to be striking 
 away with a view to cutting Lord Eoberts's com- 
 munications with Komati Poort. It was now 
 arranged that Plumer, from Pienaar's Eiver, 
 should fall upon him from the north, and that 
 Paget, from Waterval, should cut off his retreat 
 on the south. 
 
 We began (Sept. 21) with the usual silent night 
 march, for the affair was to be a surprise, and 
 
 i2 
 
116 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFKICA 
 
 followed it by another trek on the next day lasting 
 from three a.m. to three p.m., one of the hardest 
 and hottest days we ever went through. An amus- 
 ing incident occurred after we had camped, for scouts 
 came galloping in to say that a force with guns was 
 approaching on the left, and had fired on them. 
 We turned out our guns instantly, all agog, tired 
 as we were, to strike a blow at the elusive enemy 
 after these weeks of abortive meanderings. Alas, 
 for our hopes ! The force sighted turned out to 
 be Plumer's, which had made its junction with us 
 a day too soon, and had, it appeared, also taken 
 us for Boers, and had sent forward its guns, the 
 Canadian Artillery, with deadly intent. Happily 
 the mutual misunderstanding was dissipated blood- 
 lessly. 
 
 Proceeding in company, the columns collected 
 vast quantities of cattle and sheep, but did not 
 come into touch with Erasmus till they reached 
 Sybrand's Kraal, a wonderfully rich and picturesque 
 little spot, with streams and waving corn and 
 blooming orchards — a delicious oasis in the arid 
 bush. Here General Paget opened negotiations 
 
THE NOETHEEN TEANSVAAL 117 
 
 with Erasmus for a surrender of the latter's force, 
 in view of the flight of Kruger and the general 
 collapse of the Boer arms. Erasmus replied that 
 he could not accept the British view of the situa- 
 tion, and would like an interview with Botha, his 
 Commander-in-Chief. This was granted, and he 
 and General Paget left for Pretoria, while a sort 
 of partial armistice was arranged. 
 
 It was now, at midnight on September 26, that 
 the Battery received orders to go back to Pretoria, 
 and thence home, with the whole of the C.I.V. 
 Starting on the morning of the 27th, we marched 
 the thirty miles to Waterval almost without 
 stopping, and on the 28th were drawn up to 
 take farewell of General Paget, who had returned 
 that far from Pretoria. He addressed us as 
 follows : 
 
 ' Major McMicking, Officers, Non-commis- 
 sioned Officers, and Men : 
 
 * Lord Koberts has decided to send you home, 
 and I have come to say good-bye and to express 
 my regret at having to part with you. We have 
 been together now for some months, and have 
 
118 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 had rough times, but in its many engagements 
 your Battery has always done its work well. 
 Before my promotion I commanded a battalion, 
 and I know what a heart-breaking thing it is to 
 lead gallant fellows up a strong position unsup- 
 ported by artillery ; and I made up my mind 
 that, if ever I had a separate command, I would 
 never advance infantry without an artillery 
 support. I was fortunate enough to have your 
 Battery with me, and it is very gratifying to know 
 that everything we attempted has been successful. 
 Owing to the excellent practice made by your 
 guns, you have the satisfaction of knowing that 
 you have been the cause of great saving of lives 
 to the Infantry, and, at times, the Cavalry. I 
 am sorry to lose you ; and I shall miss you very 
 much. There is more hard work to be done, and 
 you cannot realise what it is to me to lose a body of 
 men whom I knew I could always rely upon. There 
 are many episodes, some of which will remain a 
 lasting memory to me. One in particular I 
 might refer to, when, two days after leaving 
 
THE NOKTHEEN TEANSVAAL 119 
 
 Lindley, two companies of Minister Fusiliers 
 came unexpectedly under h^avy rifle-fire at short 
 range ; ^ your guns coming smartly into action dis- 
 persed the enemy with a few well-directed shrapnel. 
 It was one of the smartest pieces of work I have 
 ever seen. On another occasion, outside Bethle- 
 hem (I forget the name of the place), in a 
 rear-guard action with de Wet, you advanced 
 under a heavy cross-fire of shrapnel, and ren- 
 dered splendid service by silencing two guns and 
 smashing a third. On that day not a single 
 life was lost on our side. On still another 
 occasion, outside Bethlehem, under heavy shell- 
 fire from five guns in a strong position, the steadi- 
 ness with which your guns were served would 
 have done credit to the finest troops in the 
 Empire. There are other incidents that I might 
 mention, but these three occur to me specially at 
 the moment. You are returning home to receive 
 a hearty welcome, which you undoubtedly deserve ; 
 and I hope you will sometimes think of me, as I 
 
 * The ambush affair at Barkin Kop, July 3. 
 
120 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFRICA 
 
 certainly shall of you ; and now you can tell your 
 friends what I think of you. I wish you a safe 
 and a pleasant voyage. Good-bye.' 
 
 That address made us very proud, and deepened 
 the regret with which we parted from the speaker. 
 We cheered him with all our might, and then 
 went on our way to Pretoria, where we joined the 
 camp of the C.I.V. Infantry and Mounted Infantry, 
 so that, at the eleventh hour, and for the first time, 
 the three branches of the C.I.V. regiment were 
 united under one command. General Paget went 
 back to his Brigade for the same sort of weary but 
 necessary work which was to last for a year and a 
 half longer before the two provinces were finally 
 conquered and peace declared. 
 
 We had only just enough of it to know how 
 intensely weary it was, and how lucky we were to 
 be quit of it. Nobody dreamed at the time that 
 it would last so long, and indeed there was a general 
 feeling abroad, strengthened by the over-sanguine 
 estimates of those in authority, that the end was 
 near, and that it was merely a question of which 
 troops should be recalled first. In any case it 
 
THE NOETHEEN TEANSVAAL 121 
 
 would be affectation to say that we were not 
 heartily glad to be going home, though we became 
 more sceptical as to the imminence of peace as we 
 travelled down the 1,000 miles of line to Capetown, 
 and saw entrenched stations and heard ceaseless 
 rumours of war. But w^e never heard a whisper 
 of envy at our good fortune from the various 
 troops we passed, sick as they were of the war. 
 All of us have felt since that we might well have 
 stayed longer to share their labour, and that we 
 received more than our due share of the honour 
 and glory. 
 
 The whole Eegiment embarked on the 
 ' Aurania ' on October 7 and landed in England 
 on the 29th. What a magnificent welcome it 
 received from the great City which sent it forth, 
 is fresh in the memories of all. 
 
 Of members of the H.A.C. in the Battery : 
 
 Major McMiching was mentioned in despatches, 
 made a Companion of the Order of St. Michael 
 and St. George, and was granted the honorary 
 rank of Major in the Army. 
 
122 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 Captaiii Budworth was mentioned in despatches, 
 and received the Brevet of Major. 
 
 Lieutenant Lowe was mentioned in despatches, 
 made a Companion of the D.S.O., and was 
 granted the honorary rank of Lieutenant in 
 the Army. 
 
 Lieutenant Bayleij was mentioned in despatches 
 and granted the honorary rank of Lieutenant 
 in the Army. 
 
 Lieute7iant Duncan was mentioned in despatches 
 and granted the honorary rank of Lieutenant 
 in the Army. 
 
 Sergeants Dixon, Taylor, and Wood were men- 
 tioned in despatches and received the Distin- 
 guished Conduct Medal. 
 
 Sergeant Abraham, Bombardier Chambers, and 
 Driver Ward were mentioned in despatches. 
 
 The following afterwards obtained Commis- 
 sions in Regular Regiments : 
 
 Corporal Elam (Lieut, in 68th Batt. B.F.A.). 
 Gunner Trapp (Lieut. Royal Irish Regiment). 
 Driver McDougall (Lieut. 3rd Hussars). 
 
y as Lieutenants. 
 
 THE NOKTHERN TEANSVAAL 123 
 
 Driver Tremearne ^ (Lieut. 5th Batt. Eoyal War- 
 wickshire Regiment). 
 
 The following afterwards served, with Com- 
 missions, in the Imperial Yeomanry : 
 
 Corporal Clifford, as Captain. 
 Sergeant Wood \ 
 
 Gunner Lorimer 
 Driver J. W. Chambers 
 
 „ Storer 
 
 „ Ward ^ 
 
 ,, McDougall ^ 
 
 Gunner W. S. Herbert afterwards served as a 
 Lieutenant in Marshall's Horse. 
 
 The following served afterwards, without Com- 
 missions, in the Imperial Yeomanry : 
 
 Driver Mordin, as Sergeant. 
 Driver H. V. Bamsey, as Trooper. 
 
 Eight men were invalided home. 
 
 Gunner Dyson (1st City of Lon. Vol. Art.) died 
 in hospital at Pretoria, October 1900. 
 
 * Died of enteric on April 14, 1902. 
 
 ' Killed in action on February 5, 1902. 
 
 3 Transferred afterwards to the 3rd Hussars. 
 
124 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEIGA 
 
 For further individual details see Chapter XII. 
 and the Appendix. 
 
 The following is an extract from the official 
 risume of the evidence given by Major-General 
 A. H. Paget, before the War Commission, on 
 February 25, 1903 : 
 
 * General Paget stated his views as to the 
 shooting and marching capacity, and the horse- 
 manship and horsemastership of the troops, and 
 referred to the high standard of the C.I.V. 
 Battery.' 
 
125 
 
 CHAPTEK X 
 
 MOUNTED INFANTRY DETACHMENT 
 
 The Honourable Artillery Company originally 
 contributed twenty-four members (the full number 
 allowed) to the C.I.V. Mounted Infantry. Koughly 
 speaking, that was one fourteenth of the total 
 strength of this Corps, which numbered 350, under 
 the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Cholmondeley. 
 The names and ranks of the H.A.C. men were 
 as follows : 
 
 Lieutenant B. Moeller 
 Sergeant G. J. O'Connell 
 
 „ A. S. Loder 
 Corporal P. C. Cooper 
 
 „ G. F. T. Humane 
 Lance-Gorporal G. St. J. Lohh 
 
»> 
 
 >) 
 
 )) 
 
 f> 
 
 if 
 
 if 
 
 126 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 Private C. E. B. Betteley 
 A. E. Briggs 
 S. H. Byron 
 
 A. S. Glare 
 G. A. Cohen 
 
 B. Corfield 
 E. A, Dyer 
 
 „ G. 0. Greenwell (Commissioned later as 
 
 Lieutenant) 
 „ F. G. Hazell 
 
 J. E. Humphreys 
 
 B. A. M. Lewis 
 A. H. Moeller 
 
 C. F. Nesham (Commissioned later as 
 Lieutenant) 
 
 „ C. F. Osmond 
 
 „ H. W. Perkins (promoted to be Lance- 
 
 Corporal) 
 „ G. E. F. Pollard 
 „ G. D. Bobbins 
 „ T. H. Toynbee 
 
 J) 
 
 >> 
 
 )) 
 
 j> 
 
MOUNTED INFANTRY DETACHMENT 127 
 
 Braft 
 
 The following H.A.C. men were in the rein- 
 forcing Draft which embarked for South Africa 
 on the ' Ulstermore ' on July 12, 1900 : 
 
 Private B. Bassett 
 
 E. N. Carr 
 A. G. Colville 
 
 F. Fowler 
 A. B. Badenhurg 
 A. B. M or com 
 
 The Corps was divided into two companies of 
 four sections each, and our men formed the right 
 half of No. 1 Section (Lieutenant Moeller's) of 
 No. 1 Company. 
 
 In reading the following description it should be 
 remembered that the C.I.V. Mounted Infantry very 
 rarely acted in its entirety as a complete unit in 
 South Africa. Like all other corps it was frequently 
 split up and its various fractions sent out with 
 different columns. It would be out of place in a 
 record of this character to describe the whole 
 
128 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFRICA 
 
 work done by the Corps. That may be found fully 
 and admirably described by Messrs. Guillum Scott 
 and Geoffrey McDowell in their book on the work 
 of the C.I.V. Mounted Infantry. As soon as the 
 Corps reaches the front, we content ourselves with 
 following the fortunes of that portion of it in which 
 the H.A.C. contingent was included. 
 
 The Mounted Infantry were sworn in on 
 January 4, embarked on the * Briton ' on the 
 13th, and, after a rapid voyage, landed at Capetown 
 on the 29th. Here they were sent to Green Point 
 Camp to be equipped with horses and saddlery, and 
 to complete the details of mobilisation. Much 
 to the delight of the men, they were told by Lord 
 Eoberts that they would be sent straight to the 
 front as soon as they were ready. And so it 
 happened that in the remarkably short time of ten 
 days, six sections out of eight found themselves 
 entraining for the north. This would have been 
 altogether impossible had they brought English 
 horses with them, but was feasible with the 
 seasoned native horses which were supplied to 
 them. But, even so, it was admittedly an experi- 
 
MOUNTED INFANTKY DETACHMENT 129 
 
 ment, for, besides being a composite body, drawn 
 from about forty different Volunteer battalions, 
 they had had practically no training in mounted 
 work, the ten days being fully occupied by the 
 multifarious fatigues entailed by arrival and the 
 process of equipment. Still, there was the op- 
 portunity, and officers and men snatched ardently 
 at it. 
 
 Starting on February 8, with a hearty send- 
 off from the citizens of Capetown, they detrained 
 at Enslin (of bloody memory), and were there 
 brought into the scheme of Lord Koberts's 
 general advance. The period was that of the 
 preliminary movements designed to cut off 
 Cronje's retreat to Bloemfontein, and leading to 
 his surrender at Paardeberg. 
 
 The first work of the Mounted Infantry was to 
 act as scouts for General Colvile's 9th Division. 
 Advancing with this division, they were at Eam- 
 dam on February 13, at Riet River on the 14th, 
 and at Klip River on the 15th. There, half an 
 hour after off-saddling, they were ordered to detach 
 a hundred men, of whom the H.A.C. contingent 
 
 E 
 
130 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 formed part, to act as scouts for General Wa veil's 
 (the 15th) Brigade in a movement on Jacobsdal. 
 This was their baptism of fire, and they took it 
 well. The position was vigorously attacked and 
 carried, Lance-Corporal Lobb, of the H.A.C, 
 being the first man in the town. Private 
 Nesham, of the H.A.C, was wounded in the 
 arm, and was hors de combat for six weeks. 
 Lord Eoberts telegraphed to England in refer- 
 ence to this engagement : ' The City of London 
 Imperial Volunteers came under fire for first time 
 yesterday under Colonel Cholmondeley at Jacobs- 
 dal, and behaved most gallantly.' 
 
 After two days' rest the Mounted Infantry went 
 on to Paardeberg, and found the bombardment of 
 Cronje's laager just beginning. Their work was 
 confined to finding pickets and supplying orderlies 
 for a variety of duties. Many of our own men 
 acted as telegraph orderlies to Lord Koberts, and 
 as such obtained a good view of the proceedings 
 which preceded the surrender. It was a time of 
 great hardship, for rain was incessant and rations 
 were short, owing to the capture of a large British 
 
MOUNTED INFANTEY DETACHMENT 131 
 
 convoy at Eiet Kiver, in the rear. On the night 
 of the 26th our men were on picket-duty 
 round the beleaguered army, and on the 27th, 
 when Cronje surrendered, they were told off to 
 take part in escorting the prisoners to Modder 
 Eiver Station, Lieutenant Moeller and another 
 officer being in especial charge of certain promi- 
 nent Boer leaders. 
 
 This mission performed, they rejoined the 
 general advance at Osfontein, near Paardeberg, 
 on March 4, arriving in camp in the midst of the 
 worst rain-storm yet experienced. 
 
 Acting as escort to a brigade division of 
 artillery, they left Osfontein on March 7 for the 
 movement on Bloemfontein, shared in the heavy 
 action of Poplar's Grove and in the less serious 
 one of Driefontein, and, after some exhausting 
 marches in continuously wet weather, arrived at 
 Bloemfontein on March 14. Here they spent a 
 fortnight on Brand's Kop, a hill near the town, 
 resting from their labours ; but, unfortunately, also 
 suffering from the enteric, which was now begin- 
 ning to make such havoc in Lord Eoberts's forces. 
 
 e2 
 
132 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFRICA 
 
 On March 28 they marched out with Wavell's 
 Brigade for the general attack on the Boer posi- 
 tion at Karee Kloof, and shared in the hot en- 
 gagement that took place there before the enemy- 
 were dislodged. 
 
 There was now a long but by no means an 
 idle halt, while preparations for the advance to 
 Pretoria were being made. The Corps, owing to 
 sickness, was very short of men, and those who 
 were sound and well were on constant outpost 
 and patrol duty, for the country teemed with 
 small parties of Boers. Nesham, who had been 
 hit at Jacobsdal, rejoined the section here. 
 
 The great advance (it is well to remind the 
 reader), when at last begun, was triple in cha- 
 racter, the main body moving straight forward by 
 Kroonstad for the north, and two strong wings 
 clearing the country on either side to right and 
 left. No. 2 Company of the C.I.V. Mounted 
 Infantry was attached to the right or eastern 
 wing ; No. 1 Company, including our ow^n men, 
 to the central or main body, which left Karee 
 Kloof on May 3, being still attached to Wavell's 
 
MOUNTED INFANTEY DETACHMENT 133 
 
 Brigade (the 15th) as part of General Tucker's 
 (the 7th) Division. 
 
 In the northward march they acted, alter- 
 nately with the other mounted troops of the 
 Division, as advance, flank, or rear guard. On the 
 first day they happened to be advance guard, and 
 after moving over a troublesome country, thick 
 with mimosa bush, fell in with the enemy near 
 Brandfort, and were allotted that unpleasant task 
 of ' drawing fire.' Two men (of the London Kifle 
 Brigade) were killed by shrapnel before the end 
 was effected. After some sharp fighting the 
 enemy retired, however, and the British bivouacked 
 at Zuurfontein. 
 
 On May 5, after a day's rest, there was 
 another action at Vet Kiver, and four days later a 
 third at Zand Kiver, where the company was 
 employed on the right flank. 
 
 Kroonstad was reached on May 12. It had 
 been evacuated by the Boers, and more than a 
 week was spent there before the advance was 
 resumed on the 21st. Thenceforward little 
 resistance was met with, even at the Vaal Kiver 
 
134 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 where it had been expected, but which was crossed 
 without opposition on the 27th by way of Viljoen's 
 Drift. Klip Eiver was passed, and Germiston 
 occupied on the 29th, the Company camping near 
 the Simmer and Jack Mine. Our men were 
 among the first troops to enter Johannesburg, 
 which formally capitulated on May 31st ; but they 
 did not reach Pretoria till June 5th, the first 
 place of any importance which they had not 
 entered in the vanguard of Eoberts's advance. 
 
 They spent a fortnight at Pretoria encamped 
 on the race-course, and principally occupied in 
 guarding the vast collection of remounts which 
 were collected from neighbouring farmers at this 
 period. Greenwell was now given a commission 
 m the C.I.V. battalion. 
 
 Just at this period the Mounted Infantry were 
 frequently split up into detachments and given 
 different work. Some of the H.A.C. men, for 
 instance, were sent out to Diamond Hill, and, 
 though arriving too late for the actual battle, 
 received the clasp for it as being within the 
 prescribed area. 
 
MOUNTED INFANTRY DETACHMENT 135 
 
 Again, when the time came to leave Pretoria, 
 Lieutenant Moeller and the bulk of the H.A.C. 
 men, after being refitted with horses and clothing, 
 started south again, on June 19, with the 21st 
 Brigade, under General Bruce Hamilton, to take 
 part in a sweeping movement through the eastern 
 part of the two colonies, and finally to join in 
 that same big concerted operation which was de- 
 scribed in recounting the adventures of the Battery, 
 and which culminated in the surrender of Prinsloo. 
 Let us first follow the movements of this detach- 
 ment of our men. 
 
 General Hunter was in supreme command, 
 having taken it over from General Ian Hamilton, 
 who had broken his collar-bone. Among his 
 troops was the C.I.V. Infantry Battalion, and in 
 it of course another contingent of H.A.C. men. 
 Heidelburg, Villiersdorp, Frankfort, Keitz, and 
 Bethlehem were successively reached without any 
 serious opposition. (At Frankfort, it should be 
 mentioned. Lieutenant Moeller left the corps 
 to be attached to Colonel Bainbridge's Mounted 
 Infantry. And at the same place the C.I.V. 
 
136 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 Infantry Battalion was detached from the force 
 and sent to garrison Heilbron.) 
 
 At Bethlehem they entered the investing ring 
 of troops that were to surround Prinsloo, and to 
 Bruce Hamilton, their General, were allotted 
 Naauwport Nek and the Golden Gate as the 
 defiles to be closed or forced. On July 21st Spitz 
 Kop, at the mouth of the nek, was stormed, and 
 a junction afterwards effected with General 
 McDonald's Brigade. The united brigades then 
 tackled the nek, meeting with stubborn and pro- 
 longed resistance, but eventually carried it, and 
 were able to work round to the Golden Gate in 
 time to block that exit to the retreating enemy. 
 All the neks had now been forced, and the sur- 
 render took place, as described in Chapter VIII. ; 
 the H.A.C. contingent, unlike the Battery, being 
 present at the final scenes, which were very 
 impressive. Like the Battery, they were next 
 sent off to Winburg to act as escort to the 
 prisoners on the journey back to the railway, and 
 have equally vivid recollections of the blinding 
 sandstorms encountered on that journey, which 
 
MOUNTED INFANTEY DETACHMENT 137 
 
 ended at Smalldeel on August 13th. Here the 
 Draft from England met them, included in which 
 were the H.A.C. men whose names were given on 
 page 127. 
 
 They were now sent to Pretoria by train, and 
 encamped outside the town for six weeks, during 
 which they were employed on various sorts of 
 picket and patrol work, until October 3rd, when 
 the whole of the C.I.Y. turned southwards for 
 home. 
 
 To revert now to those of our men who did 
 not take part in these latter operations under 
 General Hunter. From Pretoria, in the latter 
 part of June, they were sent among a party of 
 details of No. 1 Company to Kroonstad, where 
 they drew remounts and were attached to Colonel 
 Hickman's flying column. At the beginning of 
 July they trekked to Ventersburg, and then back 
 by a forced march to Kroonstad, where they were 
 entrained for Pretoria, and arrived on July 10, 
 to be sent out at once to the west to Nitral's Nek, 
 where a force of Lincolns and Scots Greys had 
 been cut up and captured. Their column was 
 
y 
 
 138 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 too late to retrieve the situation, and their next 
 expedition was northwards to Haman's Kraal 
 and Waterval, on the Pietersburg line, and back 
 to Pretoria by way of Silverton. Here they were 
 split up, some going to Irene and some to Com- 
 mando Nek (MagaliesburgEange), and it was not 
 till August 18 that they finally returned to Pre- 
 toria and joined the general camp of the C.I.V. 
 Mounted Infantry, remaining there till the end. 
 Nesham, meanwhile (who was one of this party), 
 received a Commission in the C.I.V. Battalion. 
 
 Lieutenant Moeller was twice mentioned in de- 
 spatches, afterwards serving with a Commission 
 in the Second Battalion Middlesex Regiment. 
 He died of wounds received in action at 
 Holland, near Standerton, on December 23, 
 1901. 
 
 Lieutenant Nesliam was mentioned in despatches 
 and given the honorary rank of Lieutenant in 
 the Army. He afterwards served as a Captain 
 in the Imperial Yeomanry. 
 
MOUNTED INFANTRY DETACHMENT 139 
 
 Lieutenant Gi^eenwell received the honorary rank 
 of Lieutenant in the Army, and afterwards 
 obtained a Commission in the Third Battahon 
 Durham Light Infantry. He was mentioned 
 in despatches. 
 
 Sergeant O'Gonnell afterwards served as Captain 
 in the Imperial Yeomanry, and received the 
 honorary rank of Captain in the Army. 
 
 Lance-Gorporal P. G. Gooper was mentioned in 
 despatches. 
 
 afterwards served as Lieu- 
 tenants in the Imperial 
 Yeomanry. Lieutenant 
 Bobbins was killed in 
 action at Standerton no 
 August 22, 1901. 
 
 Private Dyer 
 Private Bobbins 
 
 For further individual details, see Chapter XIL, 
 and the Appendix. 
 
140 
 
 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 CHAPTEE XI 
 
 INFANTET DETACHMENT 
 
 The names of the men originally contributed to 
 the C.I.V. Infantry Battalion were as follows : 
 
 Lieutenant E. Treffry 
 Colour -Sergeant B. Palmer 
 Civil Surgeon E. L. M. Busby 
 Bugler S. V. Hunt 
 Private G. J. H. Broivn 
 
 C. J. Brymer 
 J. C. Dale 
 B. S. Hutching s 
 G. B. Jackson 
 S. H Little 
 
 D. B. Morford 
 A. B. Page 
 J. W. Portch 
 
INFANTEY DETACHMENT 141 
 
 Private E. A. J. Seccombe 
 „ F. W. Shorter 
 
 >> 
 
 >> 
 
 B. G. Shorter 
 A. G. Simpson 
 „ H. P. B. Taylor 
 „ L. E. Wilton 
 A. L. Wood 
 
 »y 
 
 Draft 
 
 The following H.xA.C. men were in the rein- 
 forcing Draft which embarked for South Africa on 
 July 12, 1900, on the ' Ulstermore ' : 
 
 Private E. K. Brown 
 „ S. C. Jones 
 „ E. A. McKechnie 
 
 C. H. Paine 
 
 L. H. Busby 
 „ B. A. Woolner 
 
 Lieutenant Treffry was in charge of the left 
 half of C Company, and the rest of the H.A.C. 
 men formed part of No. 4 Section of that half 
 company. 
 
 >> 
 
 >5 
 
142 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 The same preliminary caution applies here as 
 it did with the Mounted Infantry. Fractions of 
 the Battalion were frequently separated and doing 
 different work ; but, unless it is otherwise stated, 
 account is only taken in this narrative of the 
 doings of our own men. 
 
 They left England on January 20, 1900, landed 
 at Capetown on February 16, and four days after- 
 wards were despatched by train (with the whole 
 Battalion, under Colonel MacKinnon) to Orange 
 Kiver, for a spell of work on the lines of com- 
 munication. C Company was sent thence to 
 Wittiputs, seven miles south of Belmont, and the 
 half company with which we are concerned was 
 posted at Fincham Farm for five weeks. Our 
 men thus took no part in the fighting at Prieska, 
 where some of the Battalion were engaged ; but 
 their position was no sinecure, for the country 
 round was only nominally conquered, and was full 
 of open disaffection. Kebel farms had to be 
 watched, patrols regularly sent out by both night 
 and day, and constant watchfulness sustained. 
 The work was hard, but on the whole seems to 
 
INFANTEY DETACHMENT 143 
 
 have been very enjoyable. It came to an end on 
 March 30, with an order for the Battahon, 
 whose various companies had been much scat- 
 tered, to concentrate once more at Orange Eiver 
 and proceed by train to the front. There was a 
 delay, however, of ten days at Naauwport, which 
 were spent in practising battalion drill, field firing, 
 and route marching ; and of three more at 
 Springfontein. Here marching began in earnest, 
 eight continuous days of it ; till they reached 
 Bloemfontein on April 23, and obtained a glimpse 
 of their mounted infantry comrades who had 
 recently come in from their Paardeberg campaign. 
 
 Two days later, after a well-earned rest, the 
 whole Battalion marched to Glen and were now 
 literally at the * front,' and in presence of the 
 enemy. On the first night eight H.A.C. men, 
 under Corporal Taylor, formed the southernmost 
 outpost. 
 
 This was the period when Lord Eoberts was 
 gathering himself for the advance to Pretoria. 
 In that advance, it will be remembered that part of 
 the Mounted Infantry of the C.I.V. accompanied 
 
144 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 the central or main body. The Infantry, in- 
 cluding our own men, now joined the right wing 
 and were incorporated in the 21st (General 
 Bruce Hamilton's) Brigade. There were three 
 days at Glen, and then the Brigade marched away 
 to the east, taking up Broadwood's cavalry on the 
 way. On the 30th they were at Schanskraal, and 
 on May 1, near Jacobsrust, came in contact with 
 the enemy, and joined Ian Hamilton's force, 
 which had already had two days' fighting. 
 
 Here our men were under fire for the first 
 time — a long-range rifle-fire — and behaved steadily 
 and well. They marched the long distance of 
 eighteen miles that day, and at the end of it were 
 on outpost duty for the night, during which they 
 captured a spy. The nights had begun to be very 
 cold, with heavy dews. 
 
 Their Brigade now became part of Ian Hamil- 
 ton's Division, and began to march north on May 3, 
 pushing the Boers before them. On the fourth 
 there was a fight at Welkom, in which our men 
 had their first experience of a hot shell-fire, lying 
 down in a mealie field while the artillery duel 
 
INFANTEY DETACHMENT 145 
 
 raged. They afterwards attacked the Boer 
 position, but found it evacuated by the time they 
 arrived. The day, v^hich included sixteen miles' 
 marching, was a very trying one, but was borne 
 admirably. 
 
 The 5th took them to Winburg, and the 6th to 
 a camping-ground ten miles north of it, where they 
 stayed two days. From here Lieutenant Treffry 
 had to be sent back to Winburg, sick with 
 dysenter}^ The rest of our men were present at 
 the fight at Zand Eiver, whither they marched on 
 the 9th and 10th, and found the Boers in force. 
 On the 10th they were afoot for thirteen hours, 
 marching and fighting. On the 12th, after two 
 more arduous days, they joined the main army 
 again at Kroonstad. Here Lieutenant Treffry re- 
 joined his company, having in his zeal utilised 
 every possible means of conveyance, riding in a 
 railway-trolley pushed by Kaffirs from "Winburg 
 to Smalldeel, and in a Cape cart thence to 
 Kroonstad. 
 
 On May 15, Ian Hamilton's Division again 
 started off east to clear the right flank, and in 
 
 L 
 
146 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 three days arrived at Lindley without opposition, 
 taking the same road that the Battery travelled by 
 in its opening trek a month later. The last day's 
 march was a very heavy one, and was topped — for 
 the H.A.C. section, among others — with outpost 
 duty. It should be mentioned that very strong 
 outposts were habitually used in this Boer-ridden 
 region, involving a heavy tax on the infantry, and 
 accordingly on our men, who, from all accounts, 
 rarely got more than one night in three to them- 
 selves. This particular one was exceptionally 
 lively, for prowling Boers managed to get inside 
 the line of pickets, and gave a good deal of 
 trouble. 
 
 The next stage was a three days' march (May 
 20-22) to Heilbron, with no very serious opposi- 
 tion, but under a very severe strain from lack of 
 food, owing to the slowness of the convoy. The 
 second day, of eighteen miles' hard tramping, was 
 done on a cup of coffee at starting. The enemy, 
 after a slight demonstration, deserted Heilbron, 
 and the Division marched through it and on to 
 Spitz Kop on the 23rd. On the 25th, the C.I.V. 
 
INFANTRY DETACHMENT 147 
 
 Battalion was part of the rear-guard, which was 
 attacked by 800 Boers. C Company was deployed 
 with another to support the Sussex Kegiment, but 
 the enemy lost heart when our guns opened, and 
 drew off. On the same evening Vredefort Road 
 (on the railway) was reached, and Lord Eoberts's 
 main army rejoined for the second time. 
 
 The Division now crossed over and took its 
 place on the left flank instead of the right, passed 
 the Vaal by wading on the 26th, and rapidly marched 
 due north towards Johannesburg for three un- 
 eventful days. On the 29th, just beyond Doom 
 Kop, and at the close of a long day's march, the 
 Boers at last made a vigorous stand, and afforded 
 the C.I.V. Battalion the best chance they had yet 
 had of showing their mettle. 
 
 The instructions given to Colonel MacKinnon 
 were, briefly, to advance in attack formation to- 
 wards the north-west, engaging the enemy where- 
 ever they resisted. The country was open and 
 undulating for the most part, but was dotted with 
 several kopjes, two of which, on the right and left 
 of the line of advance, were strongly held by the 
 
 l2 
 
148 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 Boers with field guns, pom-poms, and riflemen. 
 As soon as the Battalion was extended in the open 
 it came under a heavy shell and rifle fire ; but it 
 accomplished its work with admirable steadiness, 
 taking every advantage of cover, yet pushing on 
 resolutely, and in the end storming both kopjes 
 and driving the Boers from the whole position 
 after four hours' continuous fighting. The H.A.C. 
 men were on the extreme left flank during the whole 
 day, and consequently had the farthest distance to 
 travel, in addition to the item of fighting. They 
 must have covered at least twenty miles in the 
 day, for General MacKinnon (in his ' Diary of the 
 C.I.V.') gives eighteen miles as the general distance 
 traversed by the Battalion, apart altogether from 
 the fight. Their company reached the camping 
 ground last of all, and again it was their turn to 
 do outpost duty at night. It should be mentioned 
 that in the course of the day they were fired on 
 from the farm where Jameson and the ' raiders ' 
 surrendered. The casualties for the Battalion 
 were one officer and eleven men wounded ; none 
 of them H.A.C. men. 
 
INFANTEY DETACHMENT 149 
 
 On the next day there was a short march to 
 Florida, where messages of congratulation from 
 General Ian Hamilton and Lord Roberts were read 
 to the Battalion on parade. Here is an extract 
 from the official despatch on the action, written 
 by General Smith-Dorrien, who commanded the 
 infantry : 
 
 * The features of the day were the attacks of 
 the Gordon Highlanders and the C.I.V. That 
 of the C.I.V. convinced me that this corps, at 
 any rate, of our volunteers, is as skilled as the 
 most skilful of our regulars at skirmishing.' 
 
 The advance on Pretoria was then begun, 
 Johannesburg being only skirted, not entered. 
 On June 5 the capital of the Transvaal was 
 reached, and in the afternoon the Battalion 
 marched past Lord Boberts. Since leaving 
 Springfontein they had covered 523 miles in 
 forty marching days, a most remarkable per- 
 formance, which was highly praised by the 
 Commander-in-Chief. 
 
 Rest was urgently needed, but unhappily it 
 could not be given them. South to Irene on 
 
150 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 June 6, north-east to Garsfontein on the 8th, 
 then west to Donker Hoek on the 11th, where 
 the Boers were found in force. There was a 
 long day's skirmishing, in which the enemy 
 slowly retired to their main position on Diamond 
 Hill. Among other casualties, one of the 
 H.A.C. men, Lance-Corporal Little, was severely 
 wounded. 
 
 On the next day there was fought the im- 
 portant battle of Diamond Hill, leading to the 
 final retreat of the main Boer forces eastward 
 towards Komati Poort. The formidable position 
 that had to be stormed — three miles of rocky 
 and precipitous kopjes — the deadly fire that swept 
 the approaches to it, and the gallant conduct of 
 the British troops, including the C.I.V. who were 
 acting on the centre — these are matters well 
 known to the public. It is only necessary to 
 say that our men were in the supporting line 
 during the first half of the day, but joined the 
 front firing-line later, when it was finally 
 strengthened for the assault. They were lucky 
 in having no casualties, those of the whole 
 
INFANTEY DETACHMENT 151 
 
 Battalion numbering nineteen, two killed and 
 seventeen wounded. 
 
 The neighbourhood of Pretoria having been 
 cleared of the enemy, Ian Hamilton's Division was 
 ordered back to Pretoria, and arrived on June 16 ; 
 but again no real rest was given them, for, on the 
 19th, they began another long march (the same 
 that our men in the Mounted Infantry engaged in) 
 southward to the Vaal, by way of Kietfontein, 
 Springs, and Heidelberg ; the last place being 
 evacuated by the Boers, after a little sniping and 
 skirmishing, on June 23. Here General Ian Ham- 
 ilton broke his collar-bone, and General Hunter 
 took command of the Division. The march was 
 resumed on the 27th, the Vaal crossed near 
 Villiersdorp, and Frankfort reached on July 1. 
 
 A force, including our men, was now detached 
 (July 4) to escort a convoy to Heilbron, under the 
 command of Colonel MacKinnon himself. It was 
 a delicate and dangerous undertaking, for the 
 country swarmed with Boers who unceasingly 
 harassed the escort and the long cumbrous 
 convoy ; but it was successfully accomplished in 
 
152 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 two days, twenty-one miles being covered on the 
 second. 
 
 The almost unremitting exertions of the last 
 two and a half months had reduced the C.I.V. to 
 rags, footsoreness, and general exhaustion. Barely 
 half the strength was fit for duty, and several of 
 our own men had been left behind sick. It was 
 decided, none too soon, therefore, that they should 
 remain to recuperate at Heilbron, acting as 
 garrison ; and during the three weeks' rest that 
 ensued they made rapid recovery. Our men were 
 on outpost at Kaffir Kraal for the whole period. 
 Meanwhile, Prinsloo was being surrounded on the 
 Basuto Border, and de Wet had escaped from the 
 great trap, as described in Chapter VIII., and, 
 moving rapidly and audaciously among a host of 
 enemies, had cut the line and captured a train 
 near his favourite Honingspruit, and was now re- 
 ported to be moving north towards Heilbron. 
 The district round was becoming more and more 
 infested with roving bands of Boers, and, on 
 July 23, the order was given to evacuate Heilbron 
 and remove the garrison to Krugersdorp. The 
 
INFANTEY DETACHMENT 153 
 
 transference by train (under very great difficulties) 
 took three days. 
 
 On July 28, the Battalion was ordered to join 
 General Smith-Dorrien at Bank, twenty miles to 
 the south-west. This it did, and then marched 
 on with the whole force to Frederickstad (July 31) 
 and bivouacked on some rising ground. 
 
 At 7.30 on the next morning (August 1) two 
 Boers, under the white flag, were ushered in to 
 Colonel MacKinnon (as he relates), and demanded 
 the immediate surrender of his force. They were 
 politely referred to headquarters, and shortly after- 
 wards a fierce Boer attack was made on the camp, 
 which had been partly surrounded during the 
 darkness. Fortunately, the approach of the Boers 
 was discovered in time — and discovered, it is 
 pleasant to record, by H.A.C. men, who were on 
 outpost duty that night, and reported suspicious 
 signs to Lieutenant Treffry when he visited the 
 sentries on his round. But for this the camp might 
 have been completely surrounded, and serious dis- 
 aster suffered ; for the Battalion's bivouac was at 
 some little distance from the rest of the force. As it 
 
154 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 was, there was a very sharp little fight, in which 
 two men were killed, and four wounded, before 
 the Boers were beaten off. 
 
 A week was spent here on very short rations, 
 and in the presence of the enemy. De Wet, 
 meanwhile, was steadily trekking north with 
 various pursuers at his heels, had crossed the Vaal 
 and was moving on the Gatsrand Hills. The 
 C.I.V.'s (under Smith-Dorrien as before) were 
 now sent to assist in trying to cut him off, and 
 marched away to Welverdiend by night with 
 great secrecy, on August 8. Here part of them 
 were detached on a separate mission, but the rest, 
 including C Company, marched, on the 12th, to 
 Kietvlei, and, on the 13th, twenty-five solid miles 
 to Zwartkop, in order to draw near to Lord 
 Methuen, who was fighting and chasing de Wet. 
 There followed two more days of sixteen miles 
 apiece, and then it was announced at Leeuwfon- 
 tein (on the 15th) that de Wet had escaped once 
 more, this time through Oliphant's Nek into the 
 Magaliesburg mountains. 
 
 However, other work was promptly found for 
 
INFANTKY DETACHMENT 155 
 
 our men, who, on the next day, were despatched to 
 Brakfontein to reheve Colonel Hore. This officer 
 had been for ten days invested on a kopje with 
 five hundred men (Ehodesians and Australians), 
 and had kept at bay two thousand Boers with 
 three guns by sheer bluff and indomitable pluck. 
 His besiegers decamped when our force appeared, 
 and the position where this magnificent defence 
 was made could be examined. 
 
 Two marches, on the 17th and 18th, brought 
 the force to Eustenburg in the Magaliesburg 
 mountains, and thence to Hoedspruit and 
 Wolhuter's Kop (not to be confused with the 
 Bethlehem hill of the same name). Sudden 
 orders now came for Colonel MacKinnon to take 
 half the whole force back to Pretoria, and, on 
 August 23, our men re-entered the capital for 
 the third and last time, having completed just 
 1,000 miles of marching since leaving Spring- 
 fontein in April. They were reviewed by Lord 
 Boberts, and then established at Arcadia Camp, 
 their headquarters for the next six weeks, in the 
 course of which parts of the Battalion were 
 
156 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFKICA 
 
 engaged on various errands and duties at different 
 times. The H.A.C. men, with the rest of C 
 Company, were, on September 6, sent out to 
 Daspoort range, about three miles outside the 
 town, to do outpost duty, and remained there until 
 the whole of the C.I.V. started homewards on 
 October 3. 
 
 Lieutenant Treffry was granted the honorary rank 
 of Lieutenant in the Army, afterwards served 
 as Captain in the Imperial Yeomanry, and was 
 severely wounded at Bethel, May 1901. 
 
 Private Little afterwards obtained a Commission 
 in the Second Battalion Connaught Kangers. 
 
 Colour -Sergeant Palmer was mentioned in de- 
 spatches. 
 
 Private Hutchiiigs died of enteric on board the 
 ss. ' Aurania ' during the voyage home. 
 
 For further individual information, see Chapter 
 XII., and Appendix. 
 
157 
 
 CHAPTEE XII 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS SEEVICES — CONCLUDING 
 
 SUMMARY 
 
 Miscellaneous Services 
 
 Having now reviewed the history of our three 
 organised contingents in the C.I.V., it remains to 
 consider the services of our members in the 
 Imperial Yeomanry, Eegular Eegiments, and, in 
 a few cases, Colonial Corps. 
 
 The men concerned (sixty in number) fall into 
 two main classes. A third of them — twenty- 
 one, to be precise — had already served in one or 
 other of the branches of the C.I.V., and are 
 named at the end of their respective chapters. 
 Going to the front a second time, most of them 
 joined the Imperial Yeomanry, but six of them, 
 viz. : 
 
158 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 B. Moeller, Middlesex Eegiment, 
 
 C. 0. Greenwell, Durham Light Infantry 
 8. H. Little, Connaught Kangers, 
 
 H. W. T. Mam, 68th Batt. K.F.A., 
 H. G. Trapp, Royal Irish Eegiment, 
 B. H. Tremearne, Royal Warwickshire Regt., 
 passed direct, with Commissions, into the Regular 
 forces. Another exception was W. S. Herbert, 
 who received a Commission in Marshall's Horse, 
 and was severely wounded, but returned to the 
 front again after his recovery. 
 
 The remaining thirty-nine had not previously 
 belonged to the C.I.V., and with four exceptions 
 took service for the first time in the Imperial 
 Yeomanry. To dispose of these exceptions at 
 once, chief among them was Captain (now Major) 
 Wray, R.F.A. (now commanding A Battery), who 
 had been Adjutant of the H.A.C. for five years, 
 and in that capacity had won the respect and 
 hearty good will of all of us. When war broke 
 out he was appointed to the Second Brigade 
 Ammunition Column for the Cavalry and R.H.A., 
 and afterwards became Adjutant and Acting 
 
MISCELLANEOUS SEEVICES 159 
 
 Brigade Major of the First Brigade E.H.A. 
 Among many other engagements he was present 
 at the action of Sanna's Post. He was promoted 
 to Major on March 15, 1900. 
 
 E. W. Allen, E. Hayward, and C. T. FHck 
 were the other exceptions. Allen obtained a 
 Commission at the outset in the 8th Hussars, 
 and had two continuous years' campaigning with 
 them. Hayward enlisted in that famous irregular 
 regiment, the Imperial Light Horse ; and Flick 
 enlisted on the outbreak of war in that equally 
 distinguished corps, the South African Light 
 Horse, and went through the whole of Buller's 
 campaign for the relief of Ladysmith, and the 
 subsequent operations to the north, through 
 Natal and the Eastern Transvaal. He has pub- 
 lished an extremely racy and graphic diary of his 
 experiences, entitled ' Twelve Months with General 
 Builer in South Africa.' He afterwards served 
 again as a Lieutenant in the Imperial Yeomanry. 
 
 Summaries of the individual service of all 
 these sixty men are included in the alphabetical 
 Appendix at the end of the book — summaries, 
 
160 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFRICA 
 
 that is, which are as complete as our researches 
 can make them ; for, though pains have been 
 taken to gather all possible facts, in certain in- 
 stances information, from no fault of the Editors, 
 has been lacking. 
 
 In this chapter it is proposed to take a 
 general survey of the miscellaneous v^ork, noting 
 salient points, and distinguishing certain groups 
 of men who went out together and had similar 
 adventures. 
 
 The majority took service in the second levy of 
 Imperial Yeomanry, which was sent out in the 
 first quarter of the year 1901, and gradually 
 replaced the original levies of 1900. In one way 
 or another we were represented in all the 
 principal campaigns and drives of the last four- 
 teen months of the guerilla war, and in many 
 of the principal actions, such as Brakenlaagte, 
 Vlakfontein, Moedwill, Tweefontein. Three 
 groups of men are large and important enough 
 to justify a tolerably full and connected account 
 of their doings. 
 
MISCELLANEOUS SEEVICES 161 
 
 Contingent of Officers in the list Battalion I.Y. 
 
 The first was a party of six who received 
 Commissions in the 21st Battahon I.Y., namely : 
 
 Captain E. Treffry, 82nd Company 
 
 Lieutenayit C. F. Nesliam, senior subalt. 82nd 
 
 Company 
 Lieutenant H. B. Clifford, 80th Company 
 Lieutenant A. E. Wood, 81st Company 
 Lieutenant D. G. Bobbins, 83rd Company 
 Lieutenant G. F. D. McConhey, 83rd Company. 
 
 They left England with their Battalion on 
 March 14, 1901, and landed on April 5. They 
 were sent up country on the same night to 
 Elandsfontein, and thence to Standerton, where 
 they joined Eimington's Column, which, wuth 
 others, under Generals Elliott and Knox, was 
 engaged in the seemingly endless labour of 
 clearing the south-eastern corner of the Trans- 
 vaal. The first casualty to our men was in the 
 month of May, at Bethel, where Captain Trefiry 
 was dangerously wounded in an affair of outposts. 
 Part of his company was attacked, and he him- 
 
 M 
 
162 THE H.A.O. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 self, while reconnoitring to the front, was sur- 
 prised by some Boers, and was shot at short 
 range, receiving three bullets in the legs. He 
 was in hospital at Standerton for some months, 
 and later at Winburg, and was then invalided 
 home. 
 
 Lieutenant Nesham took his place as acting 
 Captain of the 82nd Company, and two months 
 later had his promotion confirmed. 
 
 During May and June the Battalion was trek- 
 king to and fro in various quarters of the same 
 region. In June, Lieutenant Clifford was pro- 
 moted to be Captain, and was appointed Adjutant 
 of the Battalion. At the end of June it returned 
 to Standerton and was there split up into several 
 portions, the 80th Company (Captain Clifford's) 
 going to Greylingstad, the 81st (Lieutenant 
 Wood's) to Heidelberg, the 82nd (Captain Nes- 
 ham's) up the Natal Eailway line, and the 83rd 
 (Lieutenant Eobbins's) retaining Standerton as its 
 centre. Lieutenant McConkey had been invalided 
 to the base. The work of all the companies was 
 much the same — patrolling, farm-burning, convoy- 
 
MISCELLANEOUS SEEVICES 163 
 
 duty, etc. — for about three months. The chief 
 incident, and a sad one for us, was the death of 
 Lieutenant Bobbins, on August 15. His company- 
 was engaged on cattle-guard about four miles from 
 Standerton, when they were attacked by Boers, 
 who, being disguised in khaki, were able to sur- 
 round and surprise the party. A sanguinary little 
 fight ensued in which six Boers were killed and 
 three British. Eobbins was strack by four bullets 
 at point-blank range, and fell dead. 
 
 Lieutenant Wood, whose company went to 
 Heidelberg, was employed there on a detached 
 command of forty men at Eden Kop, in August 
 and September, and had a good deal of desultory 
 fighting. 
 
 We now come to October, when a determined 
 and successful effort was made finally to clear the 
 North-eastern Transvaal. Our men — those that 
 were left of them, that is — joined Colonel Eawlin- 
 son's column, which, with others under the supreme 
 command of General Bruce Hamilton (with 
 Colonel Wools- Sampson as his brilliant intelli- 
 gence officer), swept rapidly up the country to the 
 
 M 2 
 
164 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 north-east, carrying all before them to Komati 
 Poort, and capturing 1,700 prisoners in eight 
 weeks. This involved incessant forced march- 
 ing by night and day, often in the worst of 
 weather, and consequently a terrible strain on 
 the troops engaged — Colonel Kawlinson's column 
 alone losing nearly two -thirds of its original 
 strength. The whole campaign lasted four months 
 — to the end of January 1902, that is. Lieutenant 
 Wood was invalided home about Christmas. 
 
 Two only were now left of the original six — 
 Captains Nesham and Clifford ; and they — with 
 the now reunited 21st Battalion — were engaged 
 for a month in scouting for block-house workj 
 first on the Ermelo-Carolina line, afterwards in 
 Swaziland. Then, the Battalion being again split 
 up, they were quartered, one at Volksrust and one 
 at Botha's Pass, till peace was declared. Captain 
 Nesham went home in the middle of August ; but 
 the last of all the six, Captain Clifford, remained in 
 Africa for some months longer as Adjutant of the 
 I.Y. Depot at Elandsfontein, and only regained 
 England on October 25, 1902. 
 
MISCELLANEOUS SERVICES 165 
 
 The H.A.C. Machine-gmi Section 
 
 A special note should also be given to another 
 group, of nine men, who went out together in the 
 Imperial Yeomanry. 
 
 Their names were : 
 
 J. S. Wat7iey, Private ; promoted to Lieutenant. 
 G. H. Macdo7inell, Corporal ; promoted to Sergeant. 
 A. J. Mordin, Private ; promoted to Corporal and 
 
 Sergeant. 
 F. B. Seaton, Private. 
 A, B. Shield, Private. 
 F. E. Short, Private. 
 E. Baynes, Private. 
 A. A. Waters, Private. 
 A. H. Debenham, Private. 
 
 They left England early in March 1901, and 
 landed at Durban on the 23rd. Debenham hence- 
 forward has a separate history, for he joined 
 the 25th Company I.Y. (see page 209), while 
 the remaining eight joined the 62nd Company. 
 After two months' trekking and fighting in the 
 
166 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 Brandwater district of the Orange Kiver Colony, 
 seven of them (that is, all except Waters — see 
 page 230) were transferred in the middle of 
 June to the 34th Company, and made a complete 
 section in charge of a Maxim gun. Watney was 
 given a Commission, and became the Lieutenant in 
 charge of the section ; G. H. Macdonnell was pro- 
 moted to Sergeant ; Mordin to Corporal, and the 
 other four remained as troopers. Starting from 
 Harrismith, they first took part in the great drive 
 to Standerton, next in a campaign through the Wit- 
 kopjes with a flying column under Colonel Eeay. 
 In September and part of October they were 
 engaged in convoy work between Bethlehem and 
 Harrismith ; a troublesome business, for that region 
 was still alive with guerillas. On October 15 they 
 were sent to a standing camp at Blomeveldt 
 Bridge, at the foot of Van Eeenen's Pass, and from 
 thence (and, later, from another camp at Glen- 
 lennie) joined various short expeditions into the 
 neighbouring districts. During this period, Short, 
 G. H. Macdonnell, and Shield were invalided 
 home, and J. A. W. Macdonnell arrived from 
 
MISCELLANEOUS SERVICES 167 
 
 England to join the section. Mordin was pro- 
 moted to Acting-Sergeant. The other two places 
 were filled by Yeomen from the 34th Company. 
 
 The next important date is December 14, when 
 they joined General Dartnell's ill-fated column of 
 Yeomanry and Imperial Light Horse, and for an 
 opening enterprise made a forced march to surprise 
 Christian de Wet at Barkin Kop, the same spot 
 where the H.A.C. Battery had had such a sharp 
 encounter with him eighteen months before, and 
 when the 38th Field Battery had suffered so 
 severely. The surprise failed, however, and four 
 days later it was de Wet's turn to attempt a 
 surprise of the British. He attacked Dartnell at 
 Eland's River Bridge, on the road between Beth- 
 lehem and Harrismith, enveloping the column 
 completely, and pressing home his assaults with 
 all the dash and ferocity that distinguished Boer 
 tactics at this period. But he met with resistance 
 just as spirited, and retired after a four hours' 
 struggle with severe losses. Our section was 
 heavily engaged on the right flank. This was in 
 every way a most creditable episode, but unhappily 
 
168 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 a lamentable disaster was close at hand. On 
 December 21 the column was sent to Tweefontein 
 to guard the head of the block-house line, and on 
 the night of the 24th, as every one knows, it was 
 rushed by de Wet. On that night Macdonnell 
 and Baynes were on picket (but not, it is fair to 
 note, on the side of the camp from which 
 the surprise came), Seaton was on horse-guard, 
 Lieutenant Watney was on the crest of the hill 
 in the officers' lines, and the rest of the section 
 were with the gun in the men's lines behind the 
 crest. The circumstances of the surprise are well 
 known. De Wet's burghers noiselessly climbed 
 the steep declivity which bounded the camp on 
 one side, and were on the British before they knew 
 it. All accounts show (and the terribly heavy 
 lists of killed and wounded speak for themselves) 
 that the Yeomanry in that desperate situation 
 behaved with the utmost gallantry. The murder- 
 ous melee that ensued is indescribable, but for 
 us of the H.A.C. there stands out the fact that 
 Lieutenant Watney died while doing his best to 
 stem the torrent. At the first alarm he had taken 
 
MISCELLANEOUS SERVICES 169 
 
 his place with the Maxim, but forbade the section 
 to fire it as friends and enemies were mingled 
 irretrievably together, and instead he collected 
 some men and ordered a charge, leading it him- 
 self but falling immediately. It is impossible to 
 think without deep emotion of the death of this 
 brave young comrade of ours. It is certain that 
 the effort he made was utterly hopeless, and that 
 it was pure devotion to duty and innate gallantry 
 that prompted him to sacrifice his life. 
 
 The rest of our men were taken prisoners, 
 and the Maxim was captured, but not before 
 Sergeant Mordin had disabled it. The prisoners 
 were marched off on foot to the Basutoland 
 border and there released, afterwards returning 
 to Harrismith, where they were re-armed and 
 re-horsed, and soon after the gun section was re- 
 constituted, with a new Maxim. In February 
 1902, they were present at the great drive which 
 culminated with large captures on Majuba day, 
 and at various other operations, and they were 
 finally sent home, the war being at an end, in July, 
 and were discharged in London on September 3, 
 after eighteen months' service. 
 
170 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 The H.A.C. CoJitingent in the 27th Company, 
 1th Battalion, Imperial Yeomanry 
 
 Another group of seven left England on 
 March 1, all attached to the 27th Company, 7th 
 Battalion, Imperial Yeomanry. 
 
 These were : 
 
 G. A. Cuthill, Private, till September 15, 1902, 
 
 v^hen Commissioned as Lieutenant in the 8th 
 
 Company, 4th Battalion 
 L. N. Garstin, Private, till November 1901, when 
 
 Commissioned as Lieutenant in the 74th 
 
 Company, 8th Battalion 
 H. T. P. Curtis, Corporal 
 P. C. Wooton, Corporal 
 F. H. S. Satchwell, Private 
 H. S. Elam, Private 
 W. D. Tress, Private. 
 
 In Africa they became so much separated that 
 their histories cannot be given in full ; but all of 
 them served during April and May, 1901, under 
 
MISCELLANEOUS SEEVICES 171 
 
 General Dixon in the "Western Transvaal, and 
 four of them were present at the battle of Vlak- 
 fontein on May 28, 1901, where Delarey surprised 
 the British force, and in a dashing charge of 500 
 mounted men, under cover of a veldt-fire, tempo- 
 rarily captured two guns, w^hich were, however, 
 regained after a long and bloody struggle. Three 
 of our four men — Wooton, Elam, and Curtis (the 
 fourth being Satchwell) — were in the escort to the 
 guns, and were all wounded more or less seriously 
 at the first rush, when the escort was shot down to 
 a man. The total losses of the day were terribly 
 heavy. Again, in September of the same year, 
 most of the seven were in General Kekewich's 
 column in the same district, and three, Garstin, 
 Cutbill, and Satchwell, were at the action of Moed- 
 will (Sept 30) when the same veteran Boer leader 
 dealt one of his smashing and unexpected blows 
 on a force ill-placed to meet it. But this time, 
 too, a magnificent resistance was improvised and 
 persisted in, and the Boers completely repulsed, 
 though at lamentable cost in killed and wounded. 
 On this day it is admitted that the young un- 
 
172 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFKICA 
 
 seasoned troopers of the Yeomanry behaved every 
 whit as well as the veteran regulars. 
 
 In March, April, and May of 1902, Curtis, 
 Wooton, and Satchwell (the two first having re- 
 covered from their wounds and rejoined their 
 company in August 1901) again served under 
 Colonel Kekewich in the Western Transvaal, 
 and were present at the severe action of Kooiwal 
 on April 11, when, in the course of a big drive, 
 1,500 Boers under Kemp attempted to break the 
 line by means of what was practically an old- 
 fashioned cavalry charge, but were repulsed with 
 heavy loss. 
 
 Under the heading of Imperial Yeomanry 
 should be given a short account of the death of 
 Lieutenant H. H. Ward. He had already served 
 as a driver in the H.A.C. Battery, and as such 
 was mentioned in despatches. Volunteering again 
 for the front, he first served in Bethune's Horse, 
 and then received a Commission in the Imperial 
 Yeomanry. In February 1902, he was with Colonel 
 Doran's column in Cape Colony, and on the 5th 
 his company was sent to Middle Post, between 
 
MISCELLANEOUS SERVICES 173 
 
 Calvinia and Sutherland, to escort the baggage of 
 the column. On the same night the force was 
 surrounded and attacked by an overwhelming 
 number of Boers. Ward at the time was in charge 
 of a small detached outpost. Accounts of the exact 
 circumstances of his death vary ; but, from com- 
 paring them, there is little doubt that he held the 
 post with great gallantry to the last, refused to 
 surrender, and was shot at close quarters. That 
 is what the evidence goes to prove ; but even 
 without it, any one who knew Ward, his high 
 ideals of a soldier's duty, and his unswerving 
 adherence to them in every detail of military life, 
 can well believe that that is how he died. 
 
 Besides those whose names have already been 
 mentioned in this or one of the preceding chapters, 
 the following members served in the Imperial 
 Yeomanry : 
 
 A. W. J. Cliainhers >. 
 
 H. T. Hanson - as Lieutenants 
 
 G. G. Stewart 
 
 H. W. Callingham, as Sergeant 
 
 W. L. Haywood, as Lance- Sergeant 
 
^ as Privates 
 
 174 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFKICA 
 
 W. C. M. Carpenter, as Corporal 
 
 J. V. Barff, as Lance-Corporal 
 
 W. A. C. Baileij \ 
 
 G. Baily 
 
 B. F. Brooks 
 
 H. J. F. Calrow 
 
 J. D. Kay 
 
 L. L. Lewis 
 
 J. D. Lochto7i 
 
 H. B. Osmond * 
 
 G. S. Sanderso7i j 
 
 Begular Begiments 
 Among those who joined Regular Eegiments 
 the Company has two further deaths to deplore, 
 those of Lieutenant B. Moeller and Lieutenant 
 
 R. H. Tremearne. 
 
 Moeller first took service as a Lieutenant in the 
 C.I.V. Mounted Infantry, was transferred in July 
 1900 to Colonel Bainbridge's Mounted Infantry, 
 served with them for three months, and was then 
 given a Commission in the Second Battalion 
 
 * Served also in the Imperial Light Horse. 
 
MISCELLANEOUS SEEVICES 175 
 
 Middlesex Eegiment (Sept. 1900). In November 
 he joined the Mounted Infantry Company which 
 was thenceforward incorporated in the 14th 
 Mounted Infantry Eegiment. With this Eegiment 
 he was constantly trekking and fighting for more 
 than a year in many different districts of both 
 colonies. On the night of Dec. 18, 1901, when 
 serving on a column under General Spens, he was 
 in charge of the advance-guard for a night attack 
 on some Boer farms at Holland, near Standerton, 
 in the Eastern Transvaal. The farms were taken, 
 but in the early morning of the 19th the British 
 were surprised by a superior force of Boers and 
 suffered very heavily. Moeller, who was now in 
 charge of the rear-guard, made a most gallant and 
 resolute stand and checked the enemy's onslaught. 
 Having, by his nerve and judgment, effectually 
 covered the retreat of the rest of the force, he 
 gave the order to his own men to mount and 
 gallop back. At the last moment, however, he 
 was mortally wounded in endeavouring to save a 
 wounded trooper who was in the hands of the 
 Boers. He was carried into Standerton, and died 
 
176 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 there on Dec. 23, 1901. An exceedingly interest- 
 ing diary of his experiences, as written by him 
 from day to day in the field, has since been 
 published, under the title of ' Two Years at the 
 Front with the Mounted Infantry,' with a preface 
 by Lieut.-Colonel Boyle (H.A.C). 
 
 Tremearne first went out with the Draft to 
 the H.A.C. Battery, and was afterwards com- 
 missioned in the Fifth (Militia) Battalion Koyal 
 Warwickshire Eegiment. Soon after landing, 
 however, he contracted enteric fever, and died at 
 Carnarvon, Cape Colony, on April 14, 1902. 
 
 H. W. T. Elam, having obtained a Lieutenancy 
 in the 68th Field Battery, was severely wounded 
 at Dewetsdorp, on Nov. 23, 1900. 
 
MISCELLANEOUS SERVICES 177 
 
 CONCLUDING SUMMAEY 
 
 One hundred and ninety-three Members of the 
 
 Company served in South Africa. 
 Four were killed in action, or died of wounds. 
 Two died of disease. 
 
 Thirty were wounded or invalided home. 
 Thirty-three held His Majesty's Commission, of 
 
 whom eight were promoted from the ranks 
 
 while serving in the field. 
 Eighteen were mentioned in despatches for 
 
 special or meritorious services. 
 One was made a C.M.G. 
 One was made a member of the Distinguished 
 
 Service Order. 
 Three received the Distinguished Conduct Medal. 
 Peace declared on May 31, 1902. 
 
 N 
 
178 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 CHAPTEE XIII 
 
 A REVIEW OF THE EEGIMENT'S WORK 
 
 By Ca;ptain and Brevet-Major C. E. D. Budwobth, 
 Adjutant of the H.A.C. 
 
 1. — hitroductory 
 
 Having been asked to write a few lines of 
 criticism on the H.A.C. in war, I venture to do so 
 in the hope that they may prove of some assist- 
 ance to us in hving up to our motto of 'Arma 
 Pacis Fulcra.' 
 
 I ask those to whom these criticisms may 
 appear harsh, to remember that the writer is 
 proud to have shared in his comrades' trials and 
 difficulties in South Africa, and would not, if he 
 could, dissociate himself from their errors or fail- 
 ings. It should be the chief source of their pride 
 to have overcome those trials and difficulties, in 
 
A EEVIEW OF THE EEGIMENT'S WOEK 179 
 
 their humble efforts quietly and steadfastly to do 
 their duty as soldiers, and uphold the honour 
 of their Country and Eegiment. The picture of 
 war as a series of cavalry charges and infantry 
 attacks is a false one, and the South African 
 War, even in its early stages, V7as no exception 
 to the rule. Food, sleep, weather, and petty 
 details play a much more prominent part than 
 j&ghting. 
 
 Not that the H.A.C. was not called upon to 
 bear its part in the more brilliant episodes. 
 What more noble, if melancholy, story than is told 
 by our death-roll ? Moeller, Lieutenant in our 
 Battalion, mortally wounded whilst covering the 
 retreat of a shattered British force ; Ward, 
 driver in ' A ' Battery, and Lieutenant in 
 the Yeomanry, preferring death to surrender ; 
 Watney, Trumpeter in * A ' Battery, and Lieu- 
 tenant in the Yeomanry, killed whilst facing 
 certain death in the endeavour to retrieve the 
 fortunes of his side ; Bobbins, Private in the 
 Battalion, and Lieutenant of Yeomanry, and 
 Tremearne, driver in ' B ' Battery, and just 
 
 N 2 
 
180 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 appointed to a Commission in the Militia, returning 
 to South Africa a second time, only to meet their 
 deaths ; Hutchings, Private in the Battalion, 
 dying almost within sight of home. 
 
 Nor is the story confined to individuals. The 
 steady discipline of the Battery at Barkin Kop, 
 v^hen death, and indeed annihilation, were very 
 nigh, will in days to come be a proud remem- 
 brance ; and the glorious souvenir of their conduct 
 at Bethlehem — the flag presented to them by the 
 General commanding the troops engaged — such a 
 souvenir as is possessed by no other Auxiliary Force 
 in the country — will always be a cherished and 
 inspiring possession. 
 
 2. — On the Employment of the H.A.C. 
 in future Wars 
 
 For purposes of Home Defence, for which, of 
 course, the H.A.C. exists, we should take the 
 field as a regiment ; but if ever we are called upon 
 again to furnish men for foreign service, it is to be 
 sincerely hoped that we shall do so as an inde- 
 pendent unit, or, failing this, that our members 
 
A KEVIEW OF THE REGIMENT'S WORK 181 
 
 will be attached to a regiment of the Eegular 
 Forces. Composite volunteer regiments, in my 
 opinion, have no advantages to recommend them. 
 Fortunately, in the case of the Battery, a large 
 majority of the men were drawn from one corps, 
 our own. Otherwise the difficulties of taking the 
 field would have been more than doubled. 
 
 Even were the efficiency conditions much 
 more severe than they are at present, to say 
 nothing of those prior to the war, members of our 
 Eegiment, like those of any other Auxiliary corps, 
 must expect to go through the ' whooping-cough 
 and measles,' on first taking the field. As an in- 
 dependent unit, esprit de corps would soon free 
 them from such ailments. Attached to Regular 
 troops they would find them of slight consequence, 
 thanks to serving with men who have learnt their 
 work. Moreover, the presence of a body of well- 
 educated men in the ranks would be a source of 
 increased strength to a regiment of His Majesty's 
 Eegular Forces. 
 
182 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 3. — 071 Mobilisation 
 
 Mobilisation presupposes thQ,tpersonnel, horses, 
 weapons, ammunition, clothing, stores, transport 
 are held in readiness, or that arrangements have 
 been made previously for obtaining the same 
 promptly v^hen required. This is easier in the 
 case of Infantry than of Artillery. Our Battalion 
 requires but the addition of a few transport 
 waggons and stores to take the field. But to put 
 a Battery on a war footing is a very different 
 matter. Going down to camp with a few guns 
 and waggons gives but a faint idea of what is 
 wanted. 
 
 It is hoped that the mobilisation arrange- 
 ments for the H.A.C. will soon be completed, but 
 these arrangements, in the case of the Auxiliary 
 Forces in general, are not such a simple affair as 
 they might at first sight appear, nor indeed 
 purely a military question. To place all our 
 Auxiliary Forces on a thoroughly sound mobilisa- 
 tion footing would entail the expenditure of an 
 enormous sum of money, and whether the country 
 
A REVIEW OF THE REGIMENT'S WORK 183 
 
 is prepared to sanction this I am not in a 
 position to say. The commencement of the war 
 fomid the H.A.C. mobilisation arrangements in a 
 very rudimentary stage, if indeed they can be said 
 to have existed at all. In spite of this the Battery 
 mobilised in the space of about four weeks, thanks, 
 largely, to the energies of Lord Denbigh and his 
 staff, and to the patriotism of many members of 
 the Eegiment, who were unable to go to the front. 
 Mobilisation also presupposes that all ranks 
 have received a training fitting them for service 
 in the field, and to the consideration of this I will 
 now proceed. 
 
 4. — Officers and Non-Com^nissioned Officers 
 
 The lessons of the South African War point 
 unmistakably to the conclusion that the training 
 which the officers and non-commissioned officers 
 of the Auxiliary Forces receive, for service in the 
 field, is lamentably deficient. 
 
 The keenest admirers (amongst whom I count 
 myself) of the Auxiliary Forces are obliged to 
 admit that here is the weak spot. I consider it 
 
184 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFRICA 
 
 certain that those forces, as a result of this weak- 
 ness, would receive a rude awakening if called 
 upon to face highly trained European troops. 
 Bravery alone would not suffice ; ignorant 
 bravery is dangerous. And, in making these 
 remarks, let it be clearly understood that I firmly 
 believe our own officers to be at least the equal of 
 any other body of Auxiliary officers. 
 
 Nor must it be supposed for a moment that I 
 am making a general attack upon Auxiliary officers 
 as compared with others ; on the contrary, the 
 majority of those whom I have met are as capable 
 and as keen as, if not more so than, others. But 
 it is not a question of capabilities or keenness ; 
 it is a question of military training dependent on 
 time, business, money, and opportunities. 
 
 No individual regimental arrangements will 
 alter it. It is a question for the country, and the 
 country only. Training must mean time, and 
 time must mean, to Auxiliary officers, compensa- 
 tion. No small pettifogging change will have 
 the slightest effect. In the meantime the only 
 thing we can do is to make the best of difficult 
 
A EEVIEW OF THE EEGIMENT'S WOEK 185 
 
 conditions and endeavour to attach officers, as far 
 as possible, to the Eegular Forces. What chiefly 
 astonishes me is how excellent they are, consider- 
 ing what few military opportunities and advan- 
 tages they obtain. These remarks apply in but 
 little less degree to our senior non-commissioned 
 officers, whose standard of training should be at 
 least equal to that formerly required from the 
 officer. The work demanded from such men as 
 Artillery Nos. 1 on service requires a very high 
 military training, while colour-sergeants become 
 of an importance undreamt of at headquarters. 
 
 The importance of the same high standard for 
 the more junior non-commissioned officers is even 
 greater in the infantry than it is in the artillery. 
 Those of the former class, from the first day they 
 take the field, are much more likely to find them- 
 selves thrown upon their own resources in positions 
 of what may be vital importance. 
 
 The value of the fact that our non-com- 
 missioned officers are educated men, and that 
 implicit reliance can be placed on them, cannot be 
 over-estimated. 
 
186 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 A^ to the officers and non-commissioned officers 
 whom we sent out in the early stages of the war, 
 I can personally vouch for their exceptionally high 
 capabilities. They would compare favourably, 
 I believe, with men of any other corps possessing 
 a relative training. Moreover, the fact that of 
 the large number of our members who obtained 
 commissions in the field or on the recommenda- 
 tions of the officer commanding the H.A.C, none 
 but favourable reports were received, speaks for 
 itself. 
 
 5. — 0?i the Bank and File 
 
 Happy is the commander who possesses in 
 his command the material of which our rank and 
 file are composed. There may be other classes 
 of untrained men who from the nature of their 
 daily occupations are more fitted for immediate 
 work in the field ; but, given a short practical 
 training, if our rank and file are not as good 
 soldiers as any that can be brought against them, 
 it is the fault of the instructors and not of 
 the men. 
 
A REVIEW OF THE EEGIMENT'S WORK 187 
 
 6. — On Physique 
 
 The physique of the men we sent out was 
 on the whole good. In the Battery the men were 
 rather young and scarcely up for some time to 
 the hard physical work demanded from gunners 
 and drivers. 
 
 In the case of the gunner, particularly, mus- 
 cular strength is a necessity ; and speaking of the 
 regiment generally, it is a pity that more members 
 do not supplement cricket and football by a sys- 
 tematic development of their chests and muscles, 
 opportunities for which are provided at our School 
 of Arms at headquarters. Comparatively few of 
 our men were invalided home. 
 
 7. — On Discipline 
 
 True discipline springs from a high sense of 
 duty. Without it any body of troops degenerates 
 into a mob. It holds men steady in trying ordeals, 
 makes them straighten their backs, however long 
 the march, and bear up cheerfully, however weary 
 the work which falls to their lot. 
 
188 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 Our members carried with them into the field 
 the high standard of discipline maintained at 
 headquarters, and, as far as my experience went, 
 individually and collectively, never faltered. 
 
 The high sense of duty which permeates all 
 ranks should make the officers or non-commissioned 
 officers all the more careful to remember that the 
 men under their command are educated men and 
 can think for themselves. Orders should be framed 
 in accordance with common sense, and not made 
 vexatious. When an unpleasant order has to 
 be given — and such must be given at times — let 
 the officer or non-commissioned officer responsible 
 for it take the men, if possible, into his confidence, 
 and frankly tell them the reason. Much good 
 may result and little harm. 
 
 I believe that our rank and file would be the 
 first to resent any breach of discipline. 
 
 8. — On the Care of Man and Horse in the Field 
 
 Ignorance of how to look after the one and 
 the other was probably common to all Auxiliary 
 
A REVIEW OF THE REGIMENT'S WORK 189 
 
 troops on landing in South Africa, and meant 
 much discomfort at first. 
 
 Men cannot well learn to look after themselves 
 except on service. Much can be done by officers 
 to increase the comfort and v^ell-being of those 
 under their charge ; unfortunately ignorance of 
 hov^ to set about it, and even ignorance that it 
 is their duty to do so, has accounted for much 
 unnecessary suffering in the field. Probably those 
 of our members v^ho were with their own officers 
 saw comparatively little of this ; but from what 
 I am told by others, it was much felt by some 
 regiments with which our members were not 
 unconnected. 
 
 Field cooking forms a useful part of a soldier's 
 education, but unhappily there is no time for 
 teaching it in camp during peace. The best we 
 can do is to encourage individuals to go through 
 courses. There must always be a considerable 
 amount of inventive ability in any body of 
 educated men, and this may also be turned to use- 
 ful account for the general good. 
 
 Horse management is a severe stumbling- 
 
190 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 block. The more we look after our own horses 
 in time of peace the better. As to the officers, 
 they can pick up something by being attached to 
 Regular troops ; but a thorough knowledge is not 
 to be guaranteed even by several years of constant 
 service. 
 
 9. — 071 Scouts, Patrols, and Orderlies 
 
 It is marvellous how little the war appears to 
 have impressed us with the necessity of moving 
 with patrols, scouts, etc. as a protection against 
 sudden surprise. 
 
 Speaking from experience with the Battery, 
 in whose work on the lines of communication the 
 training of patrols and scouts was by no means 
 neglected, our men were very quick to learn the 
 work, and some of them soon became quite expert 
 at it. This was only natural, as the principal 
 quality required is common sense. 
 
 Aji orderly often becomes an important man 
 in the field. Probably no general officer would 
 regret acquiring a few of our men for the 
 purpose. 
 
A EEVIEW OF THE EEGIMENT'S WOEK 191 
 
 10. — Artificers 
 
 When we mobilised, our artificer ranks were 
 in a sadly deficient state, not only in numbers, 
 but in ability to perform the duties of the posts 
 held. And yet it would be better for a battery to 
 take the field without a man who had ever done 
 a day's gun drill, than without good shoeing- 
 smiths. 
 
 No man should be allowed to hold any arti- 
 ficer's position the duties of which he is not 
 prepared to perform on service. 
 
 The artificer question is the hardest our 
 batteries have to tackle. 
 
 Unless we can ..get sufficient members to make 
 a hobby of these jobs in peace time, as some do 
 at present, the necessity of falling back on the 
 professional element should be acknowledged, and 
 steps taken accordingly. 
 
 In South Africa, of our head artificers, two 
 were ex-soldier artificers, and one was a profes- 
 sional civilian. The subordinates were all H.A.C. 
 men, some of whom not only learnt their job, but 
 
192 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 became very good at it. These, however, were 
 exceptionally good men, and slaved to learn it day 
 and night. 
 
 11. — Oji the Battery 
 
 The men who composed the Battery were 
 neither in training nor physique up to the average 
 standard of an H.A.C. Battery, and many of them 
 had but lately joined, and were very young. 
 
 We started for the docks on one of the most 
 abominable nights imaginable, and it was a happy 
 augury that men and horses reached their destina- 
 tion without mishap. 
 
 On the whole it was a motley crew which 
 landed in South Africa. A few knew their job. 
 There was a percentage of old H.A.C. hands, who 
 could ride and drive, and had done some manoeuvr- 
 ing in the field ; but the majority may be said to 
 have been as ignorant of artillery work as they 
 were keen to learn it ; and, thank goodness, they 
 were keen. Even had they been up to our 
 present H.A.C. standard there would have been 
 much to learn. 
 
A EEVIEW OF THE EEGIMENT'S WOEK 193 
 
 Our peace training provides us with non-com- 
 missioned officers, gunners, and even drivers, who 
 can both lay and fire a gun, understand how to 
 handle ammunition, and can set fuses in a modicum 
 of time. A good proportion can ride fairly well, 
 and the drivers can take their guns over indifferent 
 ground without upsetting them; but, unfortun- 
 ately, we have not the time to learn much of the 
 more prosaic duties connected with horse manage- 
 ment — the practical care of the horse in stables, 
 camp, and on the march, rapid and good groom- 
 ing, a thorough knowledge of harness, how 
 to keep it in good order, and how to put it on 
 a horse rapidly and correctly. To this must 
 be added work connected vnth the interior 
 economy of a battery. It is only in camp as 
 a Eegiment that we can attempt to learn these 
 things. 
 
 An artillery man is not made in a month, nor 
 an officer in a year; and, unless we had had 
 educated men as keen as mustard, and no trouble 
 about discipline, I doubt if the Battery in South 
 Africa would have been much good for a long time. 
 
 o 
 
194 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 As it was, the delay on the hnes of communication, 
 though unnecessarily long, was useful. 
 
 Officers and non-commissioned officers had first 
 to learn experience in the care of horses, and in 
 ' running ' their sections and sub-divisions. At 
 home they are handicapped by the very limited 
 opportunities of exercising that control and super- 
 vision of those under them which becomes their 
 duty in time of war. 
 
 Both, at first, displayed a curious disregard of 
 business principles in managing their sections 
 or sub-divisions. It was difficult to persuade 
 them that they must constantly have at their 
 fingers' ends the number of men, horses, sets of 
 harness, etc. under their control, without which it 
 is impossible to ^ make the necessary rapid ar- 
 rangements to meet emergencies. 
 
 Every subaltern and No. 1 should carry a note- 
 book, and keep a careful account of casualties to 
 men, horses, equipment, etc. besides carrying in 
 their heads peculiarities connected with both man 
 and horse. 
 
 All things considered, they came well through 
 
A EEVIEW OF THE REGIMENT'S WOEK 195 
 
 these difficulties, showing initiative and common 
 sense, when, as often happened, they were thrown 
 on their own resources. 
 
 Our gunners in South Africa, though they had 
 to handle a gun and ammunition which they had 
 practically never seen before, and though some of 
 them had never done gunners' work in their lives, 
 gained proficiency very rapidly, though not all 
 became expert layers. 
 
 But it was a long up-hill task for the drivers 
 (and for the gunners too, as far as horses and 
 harness were concerned), except for a few old hands. 
 That the drivers did ultimately surmount their 
 difficulties and become efficient, speaks volumes for 
 their determination and hard work ; and in the 
 end, from 'Whistle ' to ' All Keady,' probably few 
 could give them points. 
 
 An artillery driver takes long to make; but 
 the task would be certainly a much lighter one if 
 the vast quantity of unnecessary harness, which 
 clogs the progress of a battery, was done away 
 with. 
 
 Eange-takers were at a discount, one officer and 
 
 o2 
 
196 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 the quarter-master sergeant representing all that 
 were available. 
 
 The men were invariably keen and generally 
 cheerful, and a long wait on the lines of commu- 
 nication will try the humour of the best troops. 
 
 Of their conduct under fire I will only say 
 this, that not only were they always on the most 
 friendly terms with their Regular comrades, but 
 that I believe the latter were always right glad to 
 have the Battery with them ; and there are no 
 better judges. 
 
 Every member of the Eegiment, and it must 
 be remembered that the Battalion as well as the 
 Artillery Division was represented in the Battery, 
 has a right to be proud of the reputation which 
 the latter gained in South Africa. Its shooting 
 has been cited in Parliament, and the opinion of 
 the General under whom it principally served is 
 too well known to require quoting. Something 
 of this is no doubt due to the reputation which 
 the gun, justly or unjustly, made for itself ; but 
 there can be no doubt that the Battery became a 
 thoroughly efficient unit. 
 
A EEVIEW OP THE EEGIMENT'S WOEK 197 
 
 12. — The Infantry Detachment 
 
 The members whom we sent out to serve in 
 the C.I.V. as Infantrymen were, as a body, in 
 many respects readier for service in the field than 
 were our representatives in the Battery, Mounted 
 Infantry, and Imperial Yeomanry. 
 
 Shooting, esprit de corps, fire and marching 
 discipline can all be learnt at or near head- 
 quarters. For educated men, an annual field 
 training as private soldiers of some two weeks in 
 camp should suffice. 
 
 Free from the worries of horse management, 
 the infantryman on service quickly shakes down. 
 On the other hand, he is not without his 
 difficulties. He has to walk whilst others ride, 
 and often to watch whilst others sleep. His 
 transport is often very restricted, and he has not 
 the same opportunities as his mounted comrades 
 of replenishing his larder. 
 
 Our annual training in camp is of course very 
 short — shorter indeed than the minimum of two 
 weeks quoted above — and does not allow of a 
 
198 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFKICA 
 
 thorough standard of field training being attained. 
 A percentage of members are, moreover, always 
 prevented from attending the yearly training, such 
 as it is. 
 
 Owing to the widely extended order of modern 
 fighting lines, the difficulties of control and 
 supervision on the part of infantry officers and 
 non-commissioned officers have so increased, that 
 initiative and resourcefulness on the part of the 
 most junior privates have become a necessity, 
 A thorough field training, therefore, is now of the 
 highest importance. 
 
 The standard of musketry efficiency is of 
 paramount importance, and indissolubly bound up 
 with it is the provision of suitable rifle ranges. 
 This, again, is a question for the country. 
 
 Our detachment, whose history is related in a 
 previous chapter, was too small for me to speak of 
 its members as a body ; but from careful inquiries 
 made in South Africa from the officers under 
 whom they served, I know that they worthily 
 sustained the credit of our regiment. 
 
A EEVIEW OF THE EEGIMENT'S WORK 199 
 
 13. — On Mounted Infaiitry and Imperial 
 
 Yeomanry 
 
 Of the members whom we sent out to act as 
 Mounted Infantry or Yeomanry, a few could both 
 ride and shoot. Some could ride, but not shoot ; 
 and others could shoot, but not ride. Some again 
 could neither ride nor shoot — that is to say, to 
 the extent required for service. A man to be an 
 efficient mounted infantryman must be able to 
 ride and to look after his horse, in addition to his 
 infantry duties and qualifications. 
 
 The regiment possesses no mounted infantry 
 section, as the number of mounted infantry 
 obtainable from Imperial Yeomanry and existing 
 mounted infantry sections is sufficient for home 
 defence. But any member of our Battalion can 
 learn to ride, as our gunners do ; and any member 
 of our Artillery can learn to shoot, as our infantry 
 do. Both branches would be rendered all the more 
 valuable, from a service point of view, if, to 
 this extent, they learnt one another's duties. 
 
 Moreover, I think (though perhaps the wish is 
 
200 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFRICA 
 
 father to the thought) that in the future there 
 may be opportunities for those members of the 
 Auxiliary Forces who can ride and shoot of seeing 
 foreign service. 
 
 The experiences of our Mounted Infantry and 
 Imperial Yeomanry, scattered about as they were 
 amidst all classes of men, were in many respects 
 rougher than those of our other branches. It is not 
 for me here to speak of individuals ; but, knowing 
 the stamp of man we sent out, I am not the least 
 surprised that so many favourable reports have 
 come to hand, and that so many who left as privates 
 have returned home as officers. 
 
APPENDIX 
 
 ALPHABETICAL LIST OF MEMBEBS OF THE 
 H.A.C. WHO SEBVED IN SOUTH AFBICA 
 
 Note. — The second column gives the member's position in the 
 H.A.C. at the thne of enlistment for service. In the third 
 column, ' Battery ' = H.A.C. Battery in South Africa ; ' Mounted 
 Infantry ' = C.I.V. Mounted Infantry ; ' Infantry ' = C.I.V. In- 
 fantry. 
 
 Name 
 
 Abraham, F. 
 
 Allen, C. G. 
 Allen, B. W. 
 
 Position in 
 THE H.A.C. 
 
 A. Batt., 
 gunner. 
 
 A. Batt., 
 gunner. 
 
 No. 6 Co., 
 Sergeant. 
 
 Sebvices 
 
 Battery, Sergeant C. sub- 
 division. See chaps, 
 iii.-ix. Mentioned in 
 despatches {' London 
 Gazette,' September 10, 
 1901). 
 
 Battery, gunner. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Commissioned as Second 
 Lieutenant, 8th 
 Hussars, March 14, 
 1900; Lieutenant, De- 
 cember 29, 1900. 
 Fighting continuously 
 from July 1900 to the 
 end of the war, under 
 Generals French, K. 
 Knox, Pulteney, Broad- 
 wood, Plumer. 
 
202 
 
 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFRICA 
 
 Name 
 
 Applebee, H. P. 
 
 Archer, B. D. W. 
 Attneave, H. . 
 Bailey, W.A.C. 
 
 Baily, G. . . 
 
 Baker, W. . . 
 Barff, J. v.. . 
 
 Position in 
 THE H.A.C. 
 
 A. Batt., 
 gunner. 
 
 A. Batt., 
 gunner. 
 A. Batt., 
 Bombard. 
 A. Batt., 
 driver. 
 
 A. Batt., 
 gunner. 
 
 A. Batt,, 
 driver. 
 No. 6 Co., 
 Corporal. 
 
 Services 
 
 Battery, Bombardier ; pro- 
 moted to Pay-sergeant. 
 Wounded at Bethlehem 
 and invalided home. 
 See chaps, iii.-vi. 
 
 Battery, gunner. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Battery, Corporal. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Imperial Yeomanry, 77th 
 Company, 8th Bat- 
 talion, private. 
 
 Imperial Yeomanry, 23rd 
 Company, 8th Batta- 
 lion. Served from Feb- 
 ruary 1901 to August 
 1902. Present at re- 
 covery of Col. Benson's 
 guns at Florence, and 
 at MacClochlan's Nek. 
 
 Battery, driver. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Imperial Yeomanry, 67th 
 Company, 18th Bat- 
 talion (Sharpshooters), 
 Lance-corporal. Feb- 
 ruary 1900-July 1901. 
 Served under Sir F. 
 Carrington in Ehodesia. 
 Invalided to Cape 
 Town, but returned to 
 front and served under 
 Col. Parke (Kimberley 
 district), Col. Thorney- 
 croft (Western Colony), 
 Col. Parsons (Zv^arte 
 Berge). 
 
APPENDIX 
 
 203 
 
 Name 
 
 Barnett- Smith, 
 G. H. 
 
 Bassett, B. . . 
 Bates, G. D. V. 
 Bayley, H. . . 
 
 Baynes, E. 
 
 Position in 
 THE H.A.C. 
 
 A. Batt., 
 gunner. 
 
 No. 6 Co., 
 Lee. -Corp. 
 
 A. Batt., 
 gunner. 
 
 B. Batt., 
 Lieut. 
 
 Services 
 
 Betteley,C.E.B. 
 Blacklin, H. 
 Bradshaw, C. H. 
 
 Bradshaw, 
 
 B. W. 
 
 Brady, G. C. J. 
 
 Briggs, A. E. . 
 
 B. Batt., 
 gunner. 
 
 No. 1 Co., 
 
 private. 
 
 A. Batt., 
 driver. 
 
 B. Batt., 
 gunner. 
 
 B. Batt., 
 driver. 
 
 A. Batt., 
 gunner. 
 
 No. 6 Co., 
 private. 
 
 Battery, Bombardier ; 
 promoted to Pay-ser- 
 geant. See chaps, 
 iii.-ix. 
 
 Mounted Infantry (draft), 
 private. See chap. x. 
 
 Battery, gunner. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Battery, Lieutenant. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. Men- 
 tioned in despatches 
 (* London Gazette,' 
 September 10, 1901). 
 Granted the honorary 
 rank of Lieutenant in 
 the Army. 
 
 Imperial Yeomanry, 34th 
 Company, 11th Bat- 
 tahon. Private in a 
 machine-gun section. 
 See chap, xii., page 165. 
 
 Mounted Infantry, pri- 
 vate. See chap. x. 
 
 Battery, driver. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Battery (draft), gunner. 
 See end of chap. viii. 
 and chap. ix. 
 
 Battery (draft), driver. 
 See end of chap. viii. 
 and chap. ix. 
 
 Battery, gunner. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. Wounded 
 at Bultfontein, July 16, 
 1900. 
 
 Mounted Infantry, pri- 
 vate. See chap. x. 
 
204 
 
 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 Name 
 
 Brooks, B. F. . 
 
 Brown, A. J.M. 
 
 Broivn, E. K. . 
 
 Broiun, G. J. H. 
 
 Brown, T. M. . 
 
 Brymer, C. J. . 
 
 Budworth, 
 
 C. E. D. 
 
 Byron, S. H. . 
 
 Callingham, 
 
 E. W. 
 
 Position in 
 THE H.A.C. 
 
 No. 2 Co., 
 private. 
 B. Batt., 
 gunner. 
 No. 3 Co., 
 private. 
 No. 3 Co., 
 private. 
 A. Batt., 
 driver. 
 No. 1 Co., 
 private. 
 
 Services 
 
 No. 1 Co., 
 private. 
 A. Batt., 
 gunner. 
 
 Imperial Yeomanry. 
 
 Battery, gunner. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Infantry (draft), private. 
 See chap. xi. 
 
 Infantry, private. See 
 chap. xi. 
 
 Battery, gunner. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Infantry, private. See 
 chap. xi. 
 
 Captain and Adjutant in 
 the Battery. See chaps* 
 iii.-ix. Mentioned in 
 despatches (' London 
 Gazette,' September 10, 
 1901). Eeceived the 
 brevet of Major. Com- 
 manded the 38th Bat- 
 tery E.F.A. at the 
 actions round Bethle- 
 hem (July 1900), owing 
 to the fact that all the 
 officers of that Battery 
 had been killed or 
 wounded. 
 
 Mounted Inf., private. 
 See chap. x. 
 
 67th Company, 18th 
 Battalion Imperial 
 Yeomanry, Sergeant. 
 Transferred as private 
 (by request) to 70th 
 Company. Ten months' 
 service from March 
 1901 in Colonel 
 
APPENDIX 
 
 205 
 
 Name 
 
 Calroio, H. J. F. 
 
 Carpenter, 
 
 W. C. M. 
 
 Position in 
 
 THE H.A.C. 
 
 A. Batt., 
 gunner. 
 
 B. Batt., 
 Trumpeter. 
 
 Carr, E. N.. . 
 
 CJiamherSf 
 
 A. W. J". 
 
 Chambers, E. . 
 
 No. 3 Co., 
 private. 
 B. Batt., 
 gunner. 
 
 A. Batt., 
 Bombard- 
 ier. 
 
 Sebvices 
 
 Thorney croft's column, 
 Orange Eiver Colony. 
 Invalided home (ente- 
 ric). 
 Imperial Yeomanry. 
 
 Imperial Yeomanry, 42nd 
 Company, 12th Bat- 
 talion, Corporal. March 
 1901 to March 1902. 
 Served under General 
 Broadwood, April-De- 
 cember 1901 ; served 
 under Col. Fanshawe, 
 D e c e m b e r-J a n u a r y 
 1901. Present at 
 capture of Free State 
 Government at Eeitz, 
 June 1901. In cam- 
 paign against de Wet 
 after Tweef ontein, April 
 1901. In the great 
 drives at end of 1901. 
 At Brakenlaagte, Oc- 
 tober 26, and at relief 
 of Fort Itala. 
 
 Mounted Infantry (draft), 
 private. See chap. x. 
 
 Imperial Yeomanry, 63rd 
 Company, 1st Bat- 
 talion, Lieutenant. 
 March 1901. 
 
 Battery, driver, with 
 rank of Acting-Bom- 
 bardier. See chaps, 
 iii.-ix. Mentioned in 
 despatches (* London 
 
206 
 
 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 Name 
 
 ChamberSy J. W. 
 
 Childers, B. E. 
 
 Position in 
 THE H.A.C. 
 
 B. Batt., 
 driver. 
 
 Chillingivorth, 
 G. 
 
 Clare, A. S. . . 
 Clifford, H. B. . 
 
 A. Batt., 
 driver. 
 
 Services 
 
 B. Batt., 
 Sergeant. 
 
 No. 6 Co., 
 private. 
 B. Batt., 
 Corporal. 
 
 Gazette,' September 10, 
 1901). 
 
 Battery, driver. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. After- 
 wards Lieutenant in 
 Imperial Yeomanry, 
 11th Battalion (July 
 1901). Granted the 
 honorary rank of Lieu- 
 tenant in the Army. 
 
 Battery, driver. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. Pub- 
 lished a diary entitled 
 ' In the Banks of the 
 C.I.V.' 
 
 Battery (draft). Bom- 
 bardier. See end of 
 chap. viii. and chap, 
 ix. 
 
 Mounted Infantry, pri- 
 vate. See chap. x. 
 
 Battery, Corporal. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. After- 
 wards commissioned 
 as Lieutenant, Imperial 
 Yeomanry, 80th Com- 
 pany, 21st Battalion 
 (March 9, 1901). See 
 chap, xii., page 161. 
 Appointed Captain and 
 Adjutant July 9, 1902 ; 
 appointed Adjutant, 
 Imperial Yeomanry 
 Depot at Elands- 
 fontein, July 1902. 
 Service, March 1901- 
 October 1902. Men- 
 
APPENDIX 
 
 207 
 
 Name 
 
 Clough, 
 
 E. M. 0. 
 
 Cohen, G. A. . 
 Cohen, L. W. . 
 Colmer, G. W. . 
 
 Colville, A. G. . 
 Cooper, A. M. . 
 
 Cooper, P. C. . 
 
 Position in 
 THE H.A.C. 
 
 Cooper-Smith, 
 
 E. J. 
 Cor field, B. . . 
 
 Curtis, H. P. T. 
 
 A. Batt., 
 driver. 
 
 No. 6 Co., 
 private. 
 A. Batt., 
 driver. 
 No. 1 Co., 
 private. 
 
 No. 5 Co., 
 Lee. -Corp. 
 B. Batt., 
 gunner. 
 
 No. 4 Co., 
 Lee. -Corp. 
 
 Services 
 
 A. Batt., 
 
 driver. 
 
 No. 1 Co., 
 
 private. 
 
 No. 2 Co., 
 
 Lee. -Corp. 
 
 tioned in despatches 
 (' London Gazette,' 
 July 29, 1902). Granted 
 the honorary rank of 
 Captain in the Army. 
 
 Battery, driver. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. Wound- 
 ed, June 26, 1900, 
 between Kroonstad and 
 Lindley. 
 
 Mounted Infantry, pri- 
 See chap. x. 
 driver. 
 
 m.-ix. 
 driver, 
 iii.-iv. 
 to base 
 
 See 
 
 See 
 
 In- 
 
 May 
 
 vate. 
 
 Battery, 
 chaps. 
 
 Battery, 
 chaps, 
 vahded 
 1900. 
 
 Mounted Infantry (draft), 
 private. See chap. x. 
 
 Battery (draft), gunner. 
 See end of chap. viii. 
 and chap. ix. 
 
 Mounted Infantry, Lance- 
 corporal. See chap. x. 
 Mentioned in de- 
 spatches (' London 
 Gazette,' September 10, 
 1901). 
 
 Battery, driver. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Mounted Infantry, Lance- 
 corporal. See chap. x. 
 
 Imperial Yeomanry, 27th 
 Company, 7th Bat- 
 talion, Corporal. See 
 
208 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFRICA 
 
 Name 
 
 Cutbill, C. A. 
 
 Dale, J. C. 
 
 Position in 
 THE H.A.C. 
 
 No. 2 Co., 
 private. 
 
 No. 1 Co., 
 private. 
 
 Services 
 
 chap, xii., page 170. 
 Served under General 
 Dixon. Wounded at 
 Vlakfontein, May 28, 
 
 1901. Served again in 
 August 1901 till peace 
 declared. Under Col. 
 Kekewich in March 
 
 1902, Western Trans- 
 vaal. Chief action, 
 Rooiwal. In final 
 drives in this district. 
 
 Imperial Yeomanry, 27th 
 Company, 7th Bat- 
 talion, private (March 
 1901). Promoted to 
 Lieutenant and trans- 
 ferred to 8th Company, 
 4th Battalion, Septem- 
 ber 15, 1902. See chap, 
 xii., page 170. Served 
 in Western Transvaal 
 under Generals Dixon 
 and Kekewich. Pre- 
 sent at Moedwill. Also 
 in Orange River Colony, 
 under General Elliott ; 
 present at all the big 
 drives in the Kroon- 
 stad, Bethlehem, Harri- 
 smith districts. Re- 
 turned August 1902. 
 Received hon. rank of 
 Lieutenant in Army. 
 
 Infantry, private. See 
 chap. xi. 
 
APPENDIX 
 
 209 
 
 Name 
 
 Dehenliam, 
 
 A.H. 
 
 Dixon, W. 
 
 Dobree, J. A. . 
 Dollar, H. W. . 
 
 Duncan, C. L. . 
 Duncan, J. F. . 
 
 Position in 
 THE H.A.C. 
 
 B. Batt., 
 gunner. 
 
 A. Batt., 
 Sergeant. 
 
 A. Batt., 
 driver. 
 
 B. Batt., 
 gunner. 
 
 B. Batt., 
 driver. 
 B. Batt., 
 2nd Lieut. 
 
 Services 
 
 Imperial Yeomanry, 25th 
 Company, 7th Bat- 
 tahon, private (Feb- 
 ruary 1901). See chap, 
 xii., page 165. Served 
 under General Barton 
 in Pretoria, Eusten- 
 burg, Zeerust districts, 
 June-September 1901. 
 At Nooitgedacht, July, 
 when scene of Cle- 
 ments's disaster was 
 recaptured. Successful 
 night-scouting with the 
 25th Company, leading 
 to capture of a General 
 and sixty Boers at 
 Damhoek, July 25, 
 1901. Invalided home 
 December 1901. 
 
 Battery, Sergeant A. sub- 
 division. See chaps. 
 iii.-ix. Mentioned in 
 despatches, September 
 10,1901. Received the 
 Distinguished Conduct 
 Medal. 
 
 Battery, driver. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Battery, Bombardier ; pro- 
 moted to Corporal. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Battery, driver. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Battery, Second Lieuten- 
 ant. See chaps, iii.-ix. 
 At the actions round 
 
210 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFKICA 
 
 Name 
 
 Dyer, E. A. 
 
 Position in 
 THE H.A.C. 
 
 No. 6 Co. 
 private. 
 
 Elam, H. S. 
 
 Elam, H. W, T. 
 
 No. 1 Co., 
 
 private. 
 
 A. Batt., 
 Corporal. 
 
 Services 
 
 Bethlehem served as a 
 Lieutenant with the 
 38th Battery E.F.A., 
 under command of 
 Captain Budworth. 
 Mentioned in de- 
 spatches (' London 
 Gazette,' September 10, 
 1901). Granted the 
 honorary rank of Lieu- 
 tenant in the Armv. 
 
 Mounted Infantry, pri- 
 vate. See chap. x. 
 Afterwards Commis- 
 sioned as Lieutenant, 
 Imperial Yeomanry, 
 4th Company, 1st Bat- 
 talion (June 27, 1901). 
 Served under General 
 Campbell in clearing 
 the Brandwater Basin 
 and Basuto border, 
 autumn 1901. Also at 
 most of the final di'ives 
 of the war, including 
 that on Majuba Day, 
 February 1902. Present 
 at attack on Oliver's 
 farm, April 20, 1902. 
 
 Imperial Yeomanry, 27th 
 Company, 7th Bat- 
 talion, private. See 
 chap, xii., page 170. 
 Wounded at Vlakfon- 
 tein, May 28, 1901. 
 
 Battery, Corporal. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. After- 
 
APPENDIX 
 
 211 
 
 Name 
 
 Position in 
 THE H.A.C. 
 
 Services 
 
 Flick, C. L. 
 
 No. 6 Co., 
 Corporal. 
 
 wards Commissioned in 
 the 68th Battery R.F.A. 
 (August 14, 1900). 
 Operations in Orange 
 Eiver Colony. Woun- 
 ded severely in action 
 at Dewetsdorp, No- 
 vember 23, 1900. In- 
 valided home, Febru- 
 ary 1901. Ee joined in 
 Cape Colony, Decem- 
 ber 1901. Returned to 
 England vt^ith the 
 Battery, October 1902. 
 Mentioned in de- 
 spatches (* London 
 Gazette,' September 
 10, 1901).^ 
 South African Light 
 Horse, trooper ; pro- 
 moted later to Sergeant. 
 Fought at Colenso (De- 
 cember 15, 1900), Vaal 
 Krantz, and in many 
 other battles during the 
 operations to relieve 
 Ladysmith. Orderly on 
 General Buller's tele- 
 graph staff, May 1. 
 Went through Buller's 
 campaign to the north, 
 through Natal and 
 Eastern Transvaal ; 
 present at most of the 
 principal actions. Re- 
 turned home, October 
 1900. Published a 
 
 p2 
 
212 
 
 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFKICA 
 
 Name 
 
 Position in 
 THE H.A.C. 
 
 Forbes, N. D. . 
 
 Fowler, F. 
 Gars tin. L. N. . 
 
 B. Batt., 
 driver. 
 
 No. 2 Co., 
 private. 
 No. 2 Co., 
 private. 
 
 Services 
 
 diary entitled ' Twelve 
 Months v^ith General 
 Buller in South Africa.' 
 Afterwards Commis- 
 sioned as Lieutenant, 
 Imperial Yeomanry, 
 35th Battalion, and 
 served again from April 
 1902 to February 1903. 
 Eeceived the honorary 
 rank of Lieutenant in 
 the Army. 
 
 Battery (draft), driver. 
 See end of chap. viii. 
 and chap, i^ 
 
 Mounted Infantry (draft), 
 private. See chap, x. 
 
 Imperial Yeomanry, 27th 
 Company, 7th Bat- 
 talion, private (March 
 1901). Promoted to 
 acting Quartermaster 
 Sergeant. Commis- 
 sioned as Lieutenant, 
 74th Company, 8th 
 Battalion, November 
 28, 1901. Served in 
 Western Transvaal 
 under Gen. Dixon and 
 Col. Kekewich. See 
 chap, xii., page 170. 
 Fought at Moedwill, 
 September 30, 1901. 
 Afterwards in Cape 
 Colony under Major 
 Parris and Colonel 
 Bethune. Eeceived the 
 
APPENDIX 
 
 213 
 
 Name 
 
 Position in 
 THE H.A.C. 
 
 Glover y B. H, . 
 Goodall, T. B. . 
 
 A. Batt., 
 driver. 
 A. Batt., 
 Sh. Sroith, 
 
 Greemoell, C. 0. No. 2 Co., 
 
 private. 
 
 Gridley, W. 0. 
 
 Gutmmm, W. . 
 
 Gutridge, G. W. 
 Halford, E. S. . 
 Hamp, T. J. 
 
 Hanson, H. T. . 
 
 B. Batt., 
 Bombard'r. 
 
 B. Batt., 
 driver. 
 
 A. Batt., 
 gunner. 
 
 A. Batt., 
 driver. 
 
 B. Batt., 
 gunner. 
 
 No. 6 Co., 
 
 Lieutenant. 
 
 Sekvices 
 
 honorary rank of Lieu- 
 tenant in the Army. 
 
 Battery, driver. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Battery, Bombardier, 
 shoeing-smith. See 
 
 chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Mounted Infantry, pri- 
 vate. Commissioned 
 as Lieutenant in the 
 C.I.V. Battalion, Aug- 
 ust 1900. See chap. x. 
 Transferred as Captain 
 to the 3rd Battalion 
 Durham Light In- 
 fantry, December 30, 
 1900. Afterwards at- 
 tached to the 3rd Bat- 
 talion Highland Light 
 Infantry. Mentioned 
 in despatches (* London 
 Gazette,' July 29, 1902). 
 
 Battery, Bombardier ; 
 promoted to Corporal. 
 See chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Battery, driver, with rank 
 of Acting-Bombardier. 
 See chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Battery, gunner. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Battery, driver. See 
 chaps, viii.-ix. 
 
 Battery (draft), gunner. 
 See end of chap. viii. 
 and chap. ix. 
 
 Imperial Yeomanry, 93rd 
 Company, 5th Bat- 
 
214 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 Name 
 
 Hayivard, E. . 
 Haywood, W. L. 
 
 Position in 
 THE H.A.C. 
 
 B. Batt., 
 driver. 
 No. 5 Co., 
 
 private. 
 
 Services 
 
 talion, Lieutenant (Feb- 
 ruary 1901). Trans- 
 ferred (March 1902) to 
 13th Company, 5th 
 Battalion. Employed 
 as signalling officer, 
 lines of communication, 
 Bloemfontein - Lady - 
 brand ; then at Small- 
 deel till September 
 1901 ; the. Eailway 
 Staff Officer at Bloem- 
 fontein till January 
 1902, when appointed 
 to command of No. 13 
 Armoured Train in 
 operations in Cape 
 Colony under General 
 French ; afterv^ards 
 under Col. Kekewich 
 in Western Transvaal. 
 Fought at Eooivs^al, 
 April 11, and com- 
 manded 13th Co. I.Y. 
 from April 13. Present 
 at the last drives in 
 Western Transvaal. 
 Served till end of war. 
 
 Imperial Light Horse, 
 trooper. 
 
 Imperial Yeomanry, 42nd 
 Company, 12th Bat- 
 talion, Corporal (March 
 1901). Promoted to 
 Lance-sergeant. Served 
 under Col. Broadwood 
 and General Elliott 
 
APPENDIX 
 
 215 
 
 Name 
 
 Position in 
 THE H.A.C. 
 
 Eazell, F. G. . 
 Hepburn, F. C. 
 Herbert, A. F. . 
 Herbert, W. S. 
 
 Hills, J. S. . . 
 Hoare, G. . . 
 Holmes, W. J". . 
 
 Holt, W. B. L. 
 Houghton, J. G. 
 
 Humphreys, 
 
 J.E. 
 
 No. 5 Co., 
 private. 
 B. Batt., 
 gunner. 
 
 A. Batt., 
 gunner. 
 
 B. Batt., 
 gunner. 
 
 B. Batt., 
 driver. 
 
 A. Batt., 
 driver. 
 
 B. Batt., 
 driver. 
 
 B. Batt., 
 gunner. 
 A. Batt., 
 driver. 
 
 No. 5 Co., 
 private. 
 
 Services 
 
 in Orange Eiver 
 Colony, 1901. Capture 
 of Eeitz, June. Made 
 Storeman to 42nd Com- 
 pany, November 1901. 
 Invalided home, April 
 1902. 
 
 Mounted Infantry, pri- 
 vate. See chap. x. 
 
 Battery, gunner. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Battery, gunner. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Battery, gunner ; after- 
 wards Commissioned 
 as Lieutenant in Mar- 
 shall's Horse. Woun- 
 ded and invalided home. 
 Eeturned to the front 
 again, and is now in 
 civil employment at 
 Capetown. 
 
 Battery, driver. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Battery, driver. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Battery (draft), driver. 
 See end of chap. viii. 
 and chap. ix. 
 
 Battery, gunner. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Battery (draft), driver. 
 See end of chap. viii. 
 and chap. ix. 
 
 Mounted Infantry, pri- 
 vate. See chap. x. 
 
216 
 
 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 Name 
 
 Position in 
 THE H.A.C. 
 
 Hunt, S. V. 
 
 HutchingSf M. S. 
 
 Jackso7i, G. B. 
 Jones, S. C. 
 Joseph, A. S. . 
 Kay, J. D. . . 
 
 Kendall, J. G. 
 
 Ladenburg, 
 
 A.L. 
 Landsberg, J. . 
 
 No. 4 Co., 
 Lce.-corp. 
 & Bugler. 
 No. 2 Co., 
 private. 
 
 No. 6 Co., 
 private. 
 No. 3 Co., 
 private. 
 A. Batt., 
 driver. 
 No. 2 Co., 
 private. 
 
 Services 
 
 B. Batt., 
 Bombard- 
 ier collar- 
 maker. 
 
 No. 3 Co., 
 Sergeant. 
 
 A. Batt., 
 driver. 
 
 Infantry, bugler. See 
 chap. xi. 
 
 Infantry, private. See 
 chap. xi. Died of ente- 
 ric on board the ss. 
 * Aurania ' during the 
 voyage hc"^'^. 
 
 Infantry, private. See 
 chap. xi. 
 
 Infantry (draft), private. 
 See chap. xi. 
 
 Battery, driver. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Imperial Yeomanry, 68th 
 Company, 19th Bat- 
 talion (' Paget's 
 Horse ') private (March 
 1900). Served under 
 General Carrington, 
 and was besieged in 
 Lichtenburg for four 
 months from January 
 1901. Severe attack 
 by Delarey on March 6. 
 Believed by Lord 
 Methuen. Returned 
 June 1901. 
 
 Battery, Bombardier 
 
 collar - maker. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Mounted Infantry (draft), 
 private. See chap. ix. 
 
 Battery, driver. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
APPENDIX 
 
 217 
 
 Name 
 
 Lemmens, G. J. 
 Letuis, D. M. . 
 Leiuis, L. L. 
 
 f • • 
 
 Little^ S. H. 
 
 Lobb, G. St. J. 
 Lochton, J. D. . 
 Loder, A. S. 
 Lorimer, G. 
 
 Position in 
 THE H.A.C. 
 
 A. Batt., 
 gunner. 
 No. 1 Co., 
 private. 
 No. 4 Co., 
 Bugler. 
 
 No. 1 Co., 
 private. 
 
 No. 6 Co., 
 
 private. 
 
 No. 3 Co., 
 
 Corporal. 
 
 No. 5 Co., 
 
 private. 
 
 A. Batt., 
 
 Corporal. 
 
 Services 
 
 Battery, gunner. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Mounted Infantry, pri- 
 vate. See chap. x. 
 
 Imperial Yeomanry. 
 
 Served from February 
 1901 to August 1902. 
 
 Infantry, private ; pro- 
 moted to Lance- 
 corporal. See chap. xi. 
 Severely wounded at 
 Donkerhoek. After- 
 wards Commissioned 
 as Second Lieutenant 
 in the 2nd Battalion 
 Connaught Eangers 
 (November 21, 1900). 
 
 Mounted Infantry, Lance- 
 corporal. See chap. x. 
 
 Imperial Yeomanry. 
 
 Mounted Infantry, Ser- 
 geant. See chap. x. 
 
 Battery, gunner ; pro- 
 moted to Bombardier. 
 See chaps, iii.-ix. After- 
 wards Commissioned 
 as Second Lieutenant, 
 Imperial Yeomanry 
 unattached), February 
 1901. Posted to 78th 
 Company, 12th Bat- 
 talion (May 1901). 
 Served under Col. 
 Broadwood (Elliott's 
 Division) in Orange 
 Kiver Colony. Present 
 
218 
 
 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFRICA 
 
 Name 
 
 Lowe, A. C. 
 
 Lucas, P. F. . 
 
 MacConhey, 
 
 G. F. D. 
 
 Macdonnell, 
 
 G.H. 
 
 Position in 
 THE H.A.C. 
 
 A. Batt., 
 Lieutenant. 
 
 B. Batt., 
 driver. 
 No. 6 Co., 
 private. 
 
 B. Batt., 
 gunner. 
 
 Services 
 
 at capture of Free 
 State Government at 
 Reitz, June 1901. 
 Later in Col. de Lisle's 
 Brigade, lu fight at 
 Colenso, near Eeitz ; 
 took part in the drives 
 in North - Eastern 
 district, under Cols. 
 Broadwood, de Lisle, 
 and Fanshawe. Re- 
 turned August 1902, 
 Granted the honorary- 
 rank of Lieutenant in 
 the Army. 
 
 Battery, Senior Subaltern. 
 See chaps, iii.-ix. Men- 
 tioned in despatches 
 (' London Gazette,' 
 September 10, 1901). 
 Made a Companion of 
 the Distinguished Ser- 
 vice Order. Granted 
 the honorary rank of 
 Lieutenant in the Army. 
 
 Battery, driver. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Imperial Yeomanry, Com- 
 missioned as Lieuten- 
 ant, 83rd Company, 21st 
 Battalion (March 9, 
 1901). See chap, xii., 
 page 161. Invalided 
 home. 
 
 Imperial Yeomanry, 34th 
 Company, 11th Bat- 
 talion (February 1901), 
 
APPENDIX 
 
 219 
 
 Name 
 
 Position in 
 THE H.A.C. 
 
 Macdonnell, 
 
 J. A. W. 
 
 B. Batt., 
 Bombard'r, 
 
 McDougall, H. 
 
 McKechnie, 
 
 E.A, 
 McMicking, G. 
 
 A. Batt., 
 driver. 
 
 No. 5 Co., 
 Lee. -Corp. 
 A. Batt., 
 Major com- 
 manding. 
 
 Sekvices 
 
 Corporal. Promoted to 
 Sergeant of a machine- 
 gun section composed 
 entirely of H.A.C. men. 
 See chap, xii., page 165. 
 Invalided home, Nov. 
 1901. 
 
 Imperial Yeomanry, 34th 
 Company, 11th Bat- 
 talion. Served from 
 October 1901 to July 
 1902. Private in H.A.C. 
 machine-gun section. 
 See chap, xii., page 166. 
 
 Battery, driver. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. After- 
 wards Commissioned as 
 Lieutenant in Imperial 
 Yeomanry, 23rd Bat- 
 talion (April 3, 1901). 
 Invalided home, Sep- 
 tember 1901. After- 
 wards transferred as 
 Second Lieutenant to 
 3rd Hussars (Novem- 
 ber 2, 1901). 
 
 Infantry (draft), private. 
 See chap. xi. 
 
 Commanded the Battery 
 from the date of its 
 formation to its dis- 
 bandment (December 
 1899-November 1900). 
 See chaps, iii.-ix. Men- 
 tioned in despatches 
 (' London Gazette,' 
 September 10, 1901). 
 
220 
 
 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 Name 
 
 Mager, G. E. . 
 
 Major, L. B. 
 Mate, C, /. 
 Milne, M. B. 
 Moeller, A. H. 
 Moeller, B, 
 
 Position in 
 THE H.A.C. 
 
 Services 
 
 A. Batt., 
 Trumpeter. 
 
 A. Batt., 
 
 driver. 
 A. Batt., 
 Bombard'r. 
 A. Batt., 
 Sh. Smith. 
 No. 3 Co., 
 
 private. 
 No. 3 Co., 
 Lieutenant, 
 
 Made a Companion of 
 the Order o^ Z.. Michael 
 and St. George. 
 Granted the honorary- 
 rank of Major in the 
 Army. 
 
 Battery, senior trum- 
 peter. See chaps, iii.- 
 ix. 
 
 Battery, driver. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Battery, Bombardier. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Battery, shoeing - smith. 
 See chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Mounted Infantry, pri- 
 vate. See chap. x. 
 
 Mounted Infantry, Lieu- 
 tenant and Adjutant. 
 See chap. x. Men- 
 tioned in despatches 
 (' London Gazette,' 
 September 10, 1901). 
 Transferred in July 
 1900 to Col. Bain- 
 bridge's M.I. After- 
 v^ards Commissioned 
 as Second Lieutenant 
 in the 2nd Battalion 
 Middlesex Eegiment 
 (September 1900). 
 
 Joined the M.I. Com- 
 pany and served till his 
 death with the 14th 
 Mounted Infantry Divi- 
 sion. See chap, xii., page 
 174. Died of wounds 
 
APPENDIX 
 
 221 
 
 Name 
 
 Morcom, A. B.. 
 Mordin, A. J. . 
 
 Morford, D. B. 
 
 Mumford, W. G. 
 
 Murdoch, L. M. 
 
 Murnane, 
 
 G. F. T. 
 Nesham, C. F. . 
 
 Position in 
 
 THE H.A.C. 
 
 Services 
 
 No. 1 Co., 
 private. 
 A. Batt., 
 driver. 
 
 No. 6 Co., 
 private. 
 A. Batt., 
 gunner. 
 A. Batt., 
 gunner. 
 No. 6 Co., 
 Sergeant. 
 No. 5 Co., 
 Lieut. 
 
 received in action at 
 Holland, near Stander- 
 ton, on December 21, 
 1901. His diary, as 
 vp'ritten in the field, has 
 since been published, 
 entitled, * Two Years 
 at the Front vp-ith the 
 Mounted Infantry.' 
 
 Mounted Infantry (draft), 
 private. See chap. x. 
 
 Battery, driver. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. After- 
 v^ards served in Im- 
 perial Yeomanry, 34th 
 Company, 11th Bat- 
 talion, H.A.C. machine- 
 gun section. See chap, 
 xii., page 165. Pro- 
 moted to Corporal and 
 Sergeant. 
 
 Infantry, private, 
 chap. xi. 
 
 Battery, gunner, 
 chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Battery, gunner, 
 chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Mounted Infantry, Cor- 
 poral. See chap. x. 
 
 Mounted Infantry, pri- 
 vate. Commissioned 
 as Lieutenant (Au- 
 gust 1900). Wounded 
 at Jacobsdal. See 
 chap. x. Mentioned in 
 despatches (' London 
 Gazette,' September 10, 
 
 See 
 See 
 See 
 
222 
 
 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 Name 
 
 aConnell, G. J. 
 
 Oppenheim, J. . 
 
 Position in 
 THE H.A.C. 
 
 No. 5 Co., 
 
 Sergeant. 
 
 A. Batt. 
 driver. 
 
 Services 
 
 1901). Given the honor- 
 ary rank of Lieutenant 
 in the Army. After- 
 wards served as Senior 
 Subaltern with the 82nd 
 Company, 21st Bat- 
 tahon, Imperial Yeo- 
 manry (March 1901). 
 Promoted to Captain, 
 August 8, 1901. See 
 chap, xii., page 161. 
 
 Mounted Infantry, Ser- 
 geant. See chap. x. 
 Afterwards Commis- 
 sioned in the Imperial 
 Yeomanry, 23rd Bat- 
 talion, as Captain 
 (March 18, 1901). Com- 
 manded 91st and 93rd 
 Companies in the field. 
 Served in Col. Damant's 
 column in the final 
 drives of the war. 
 Fought at Bosehbult, 
 March 31, 1902, when 
 Delarey, de Wet, and 
 Botha attacked Cook- 
 son's force. Transferred 
 to Lowe's column, April 
 1902. Returned August 
 1902. Received the 
 honorary rank of Cap- 
 tain in the x\rmy. 
 
 Battery (draft), driver. 
 See end of chap. viii. 
 and chap. ix. 
 
APPENDIX 
 
 223 
 
 Name 
 
 shorn, G. W. . 
 Osmond, G. F. . 
 Osmond, H. D. 
 
 Position in 
 THE H.A.C. 
 
 A. Batt., 
 
 Corporal. 
 
 No. 2 Co., 
 
 private. 
 
 No. 2 Co., 
 
 private. 
 
 Page, A. B. . . 
 Page, E. J. 
 
 • • 
 
 Services 
 
 No. 5 Co., 
 private. 
 A. Batt., 
 driver. 
 
 Battery, Corporal. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Mounted Infantry, pri- 
 vate. See chap. x. 
 
 Imperial Yeomanry, 79th 
 Company, 20th Bat- 
 talion, Corporal. 
 March - Dec. 1900. 
 Transferred to Imperial 
 Light Horse January 
 1901, and served as 
 Corporal till May. Ee- 
 joined in September 
 and served till end of 
 war. Present at opera- 
 tions in Pretoria dis- 
 trict under General Ian 
 Hamilton ; marches to 
 Barberton, Komati 
 Poort, Warmbaths ; 
 operations in Western 
 Transvaal under 
 
 Colonel Benson and 
 General Babington, 
 in Eastern Orange 
 Eiver Colony under 
 Colonel Eawlinson and 
 General Dartnell ; at 
 final drives in Western 
 Transvaal. Made a 
 ' King's Corporal ' for 
 services rendered in 
 the Bethlehem district. 
 
 Infantry, private. See 
 chap. xi. 
 
 Battery, driver. See 
 chaps, viii.-ix. 
 
224 
 
 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFRICA 
 
 Name 
 
 . • • 
 
 Paine, C. H. 
 Palles, W. F. . 
 Palmer, B. . . 
 
 Perkins, H. M. 
 
 Perkins, H. W. 
 
 Pollard, 
 
 G. E. F. 
 Portch, J. W. . 
 
 Prendergast, 
 
 H, W. 
 Bamsey, H. B. 
 
 Bamsey, H. V. 
 
 Position in 
 THE H.A.C. 
 
 No. 1 Co., 
 private. 
 A. Batt., 
 gunner. 
 No. 1 Co., 
 Corporal. 
 
 B. Batt., 
 driver. 
 No. 4 Co., 
 Corporal. 
 No. 5 Co., 
 private. 
 No. 6 Co., 
 private. 
 B. Batt., 
 v\;rheeler. 
 B. Batt., 
 driver. 
 B. Batt., 
 driver. 
 
 Services 
 
 Infantry (draft), private. 
 See chap. xi. 
 
 Battery, gunner. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Infantry,Colour-sergeant. 
 See chap. xi. Men- 
 tioned in despatches, 
 September 10, 1901. 
 
 Battery, driver. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Mounted Infantry, Lance- 
 corporal. See chap. x. 
 
 Mounted Infantry, pri- 
 vate. See chap. x. 
 
 Infantry, private. See 
 chap. xi. 
 
 Battery, wheeler. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Battery, driver. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Battery (draft), driver. 
 See end of chap. viii. 
 and chap. ix. After- 
 wards served in Im- 
 perial Yeomanry, 118th 
 Company, 25th Bat- 
 talion, private (Novem- 
 ber 1901). Trekked 
 under Col. Callwell in 
 Cape Colony (Suther- 
 land, Ceres, &c.), 
 January-March 1902. 
 Appointed orderly to 
 staff officer of column 
 in March. Sailed from 
 Capetown to Port 
 Nolloth, April 1902, 
 
APPENDIX 
 
 225 
 
 Name 
 
 Biggs, A. J. 
 Bitchie, G. 0. . 
 Bobbins, D. G. 
 
 Position in 
 THE H.A.C. 
 
 Bicsby, E. L. M. 
 Busby, L. H. . 
 Sanderson, G. S. 
 
 B. Batt., 
 gunner. 
 A. Batt., 
 driver. 
 No. 3 Co, 
 Lee. -Corp. 
 
 No. 3 Co., 
 private. 
 No. 3 Co., 
 Corporal. 
 No. 1 Co., 
 private. 
 
 Satchivell, F. H.\ No. 2 Co., 
 
 private. 
 
 Services 
 
 and marched to relief 
 of Ookiep. Severe 
 fighting on the v^ay. 
 Afterwards at Con- 
 cordia till peace signed. 
 Eeturned August 1902. 
 
 Battery, gunner. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Battery, driver. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Mounted Infantry, pri- 
 vate. See chap, x. 
 Aftervyards Commis- 
 sioned as Lieutenant 
 in the Imperial Yeo- 
 manry, 83rd Company, 
 21st Battalion (March 
 9, 1901). See chap, 
 xii., page 161. Killed 
 in action at Stander- 
 ton, August 23, 1901. 
 
 Infantry. Served as civil 
 surgeon. See chap. xi. 
 
 Infantry (draft), private. 
 See chap. xi. 
 
 Imperial Yeomanry, 34th 
 Company, 11th Bat- 
 talion. 
 
 Imperial Yeomanry, 27th 
 Company, 7th Bat- 
 talion, private (March 
 1901). See chap, xii., 
 page 170. Fought at 
 Vlakfontein (May 26, 
 1901), and Moedwill 
 (September 30, 1901). 
 Served under General 
 
 Q 
 
226 
 
 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 Name 
 
 Saivyer, H. H. 
 
 Scantlehury, 
 
 W.A. 
 Seaton, F. B. . 
 
 Seccomhe, 
 
 E. A. J. 
 Shield, A. B. . 
 
 Short, F. E. 
 
 Position in 
 THE H.A.C. 
 
 Services 
 
 B. Batt., 
 Trumpeter. 
 B. Batt., 
 
 driver. 
 B. Batt., 
 
 gunner. 
 
 No. 1 Co., 
 private. 
 A. Batt., 
 gunner. 
 
 A. Batt., 
 gunner. 
 
 Shorter, F. W. No. 6 Co., 
 
 private, 
 Shorter, B. G. 
 
 Simpson, H, G. 
 
 No. 6 Co., 
 private. 
 No. 5 Co., 
 private. 
 
 Dixon and Cols. Keke- 
 wich and Grenfell, in 
 Western Transvaal. 
 Eeturned August 1902. 
 
 Battery, trumpeter. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Battery, driver. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Imperial Yeomanry, 34th 
 Company, 11th Bat- 
 talion, private (Feb- 
 ruary 1901). H.A.C. 
 machine-gun section. 
 See chap, xii., page 165. 
 
 Infantry, private. See 
 chap. xi. 
 
 Imperial Yeomanry, 34th 
 Company, 11th Batta- 
 lion, private (February 
 1901). H.A.C.machine- 
 gun section. See chap, 
 xii., page 165. Invalided 
 home, January 1902. 
 
 Imperial Yeomanry, 34th 
 Company, 11th Batta- 
 lion, private (February 
 1901). H.A.C. machine- 
 gun section. See chap, 
 xii., page 165. Invalided 
 homC; January 1902. 
 
 Infantry, private. See 
 chap. xi. 
 
 Infantry, private. See 
 chap. xi. 
 
 Infantry, private. See 
 chap. xi. At the time 
 of enrolment was a 
 
APPENDIX 
 
 227 
 
 Name 
 
 Stephenson, 
 
 B.M. 
 
 Stezvart, C. G. . 
 
 Position in 
 
 THE H.A.C. 
 
 Services 
 
 member of the L.E.B. 
 Served part of the time 
 with the Maxim gun 
 detachment. InvaHded 
 home, June 3900. 
 Battery, shoeing-smith. 
 See chaps, iii.-v. In- 
 j vaUded home. 
 No. 3 Co., I Imperial Yeomanry, Com- 
 
 A. Batt., 
 Sh. Smith 
 
 private. 
 
 Stover, D. D. 
 
 B. Batt. 
 driver. 
 
 missioned as Lieu- 
 tenant in 30th Com- 
 pany, 9th BattaHon, 
 March 1901. Served 
 under Col. Damant in 
 north-east and south- 
 east of Orange Eiver 
 Colony. Fought at 
 Tafel Kop, December 
 20. Afterwards took 
 part in drives to Harri- 
 smith, and drives in 
 Western Transvaal 
 against Delarey. Inva- 
 lided home, June 1902. 
 Received the honorary 
 rank of Lieutenant in 
 the Army. 
 Battery, driver. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. After- 
 wards Commissioned as 
 Lieutenant in 23rd Bat- 
 talion Imperial Yeo- 
 manry (March 11, 
 1901). Received the 
 honorary rank of Lieu- 
 tenant in the Army. 
 
THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 Name 
 
 Sulman, S. W. 
 Tayler, H. P. B. 
 Taylor, P. . . 
 
 Tetley- Jones, W. 
 
 Toynhee, T. H. 
 
 Trai^p, 
 
 H. G. W. J. 
 
 Treffry, E. 
 
 Position in 
 THE H.A.C. 
 
 B. Batt., 
 gunner. 
 No. 2 Co., 
 private. 
 A. Batt., 
 Sergeant. 
 
 A. Batt., 
 gunner. 
 No. 4 Co., 
 private. 
 
 B. Batt., 
 gunner. 
 
 No. 4 Co., 
 Captain. 
 
 Services 
 
 Battery, gunner. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Infantry, Sergeant. See 
 chap. xi. 
 
 Battery, Sergeant of B. 
 sub-division. Men- 
 
 tioned in despatches, 
 September 10, 1901. 
 Eeceived the Distin- 
 guished Conduct 
 Medal. 
 
 Battery, gunner. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Mounted Infantry. See 
 chap. X. 
 
 Battery (draft), gunner. 
 See end of chap. viii. 
 and chap. ix. After- 
 wards Commissioned in 
 the 5th BattaHon Koyal 
 Irish Eegiment (De- 
 cember 21, 1900). 
 
 Infantry, Lieutenant (C 
 Company). See chap, 
 xi. Granted the honor- 
 ary rank of Lieutenant 
 in the Army. After- 
 wards transferred as 
 Captain to the 82nd 
 Company, 21st Bat- 
 talion, Imperial Yeo- 
 manry (March 9, 1901). 
 For service see chap, 
 xii., page 161. Dan- 
 gerously wounded at 
 Bethel, May 1901. In- 
 valided home. 
 
APPENDIX 
 
 229 
 
 Name 
 
 Tremearne, 
 
 B.H. 
 
 Tress, W. D. 
 
 Vaughan, E. 
 Vigor, A. F. 
 Vigor, F. K 
 Walker, W. 0. 
 Walter, L. 
 
 Walton, E. B. 
 Ward, H. H. 
 
 Position in 
 THE H.A.C. 
 
 B. Batt., 
 driver. 
 
 No. 4 Co., 
 private. 
 
 B. Batt., 
 driver. 
 . B. Batt., 
 gunner. 
 B. Batt., 
 driver. 
 
 A. Batt., 
 driver. 
 
 B. Batt., 
 gunner. 
 
 A. Batt., 
 driver. 
 A. Batt., 
 driver. 
 
 Services 
 
 Battery (draft), driver. 
 See end of chap. viii. 
 and chap. ix. After- 
 wards Commissioned as 
 Lieutenant in the 5th 
 Battalion Eoyal War- 
 wickshire Kegiment 
 (November 2, 1901). 
 Died of enteric fever 
 at Carnarvon, Cape 
 Colony, on April 14, 
 1902. 
 
 Imperial Yeomanry, 27th 
 Company, 7th Bat- 
 talion, private. For 
 service see chap, xii., 
 page 170. 
 
 Battery, gunner. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Battery, driver. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Battery, driver. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Battery, gunner ; pro- 
 moted to Bombardier. 
 See chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Battery, driver. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Battery, driver ; pro- 
 moted to Bombardier. 
 See chaps. iii.-ix. 
 Afterwards served in 
 Bethune's Horse, and 
 on October 12, 1901, 
 Commissioned in the 
 
230 
 
 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFRICA 
 
 Name 
 
 Waters, A. A. 
 
 Position in 
 THE H.A.C. 
 
 Services 
 
 No. 6 Co. 
 private. 
 
 Watney, J. S. 
 
 A. Batt., 
 Trumpeter 
 
 Iniperial Yeomanry, 
 8th Battalion, as Lieu- 
 tenant. Killed in action 
 at Middel Post, Cape 
 Colony, on February 5, 
 1902. See chap, xii., 
 page 172. 
 
 Imperial Yeomanry, 62nd 
 Company, 11th Bat- 
 talion, private (Feb- 
 ruary 1901). See chap, 
 xii., page 165. Re- 
 mained in the 62nd 
 Company after the 
 H.A.C. machine-gun 
 section had been formed 
 for the 34th Company, 
 and was trekking in 
 the Harrismith district 
 July-November 1901. 
 At Oliver Hoek, De- 
 cember 1901 and Janu- 
 ary 1902. Afterwards 
 on patrol work at 
 Bester's Station, Natal. 
 Returned August 1902. 
 
 Imperial Yeomanry, 34th 
 Company, 11th Bat- 
 talion, private. Pro- 
 moted in the field to 
 Lieutenant, and placed 
 in charge of the H.A.C. 
 machine-gun section 
 (June 1901). Killed in 
 action at Tweefontein 
 on December 21, 1901. 
 See chap, xii., page 165. 
 
APPENDIX 
 
 231 
 
 Name 
 
 Position in 
 THE H.A.C. 
 
 Webster, M. 
 
 B. Batt., 
 gunner. 
 
 Whitehead, A. Batt., 
 
 F. G. driver. 
 
 Whitehead, ' A. Batt., 
 B. H. driver. 
 
 A. Batt., 
 
 Whittomc, J. 0. 
 Wickes, L. J. . 
 
 gunner. 
 A. Batt., 
 gunner. 
 
 Williams, 
 
 A. F. B. 
 
 A. Batt., 
 gunner. 
 
 Services 
 
 Battery (draft), gunner. 
 See end of chap. viii. 
 and chap. ix. 
 
 Battery, driver. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Battery, diiver. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Battery, gunner. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Imperial Yeomanry. 
 
 Served as private in 
 the Volunteer Service 
 Company, 2nd Batta- 
 lion, Eoyal Fusiliers 
 (London Eifle Brigade 
 section), April 1900- 
 June 1901. In General 
 Barton's Fusilier or 
 Union Brigade, first 
 Brigade to enter the 
 Transvaal in May 1900, 
 in support of the Mafe- 
 king Relief Force. 
 Forced march from 
 Taungs to Vryblirg, 44 
 miles in 32 hours. 
 With Brigade in 875 
 miles marching and at 
 capture of Christiana, 
 Lichtenburg, Friederik- 
 stad, Potchefstroom, 
 Ventersdorp, Krugers- 
 dorp, Rutland, and 
 Kraaipan. 
 
 Battery, gunner. See 
 chaps, iii.-ix. Now in 
 
232 
 
 THE H.A.C. IN SOUTH AFEICA 
 
 Name 
 
 Williams, B. . 
 
 Wilt07i, L. E. . 
 Wink, A. A. 
 
 Wood, A.E. . 
 
 Wood, A. L. . 
 Woohier, B. A. 
 Wooton, P. C. . 
 
 Position in 
 THE H.A.C. 
 
 Services 
 
 A. Batt., 
 gunner. 
 
 No. 1 Co., 
 
 private. 
 
 B. Batt., 
 driver. 
 
 B. Batt., 
 Sergeant. 
 
 No. 3 Co., 
 private. 
 No. 1 Co., 
 private. 
 No. 2 Co., 
 private. 
 
 the Transvaal Govern- 
 ment service. 
 
 Battery (draft), driver. 
 See end of chap. viii. 
 and chap. ix. 
 
 Infantry, private. See 
 chap. xi. 
 
 Battery, driver, with rank 
 of Acting-Bombardier. 
 See chaps, iii.-ix. 
 
 Battery, Sergeant of D. 
 sub-division. See chaps, 
 iii.-ix. Mentioned in 
 despatches, September 
 10,1901. Received the 
 Distinguished Conduct 
 Medal. Afterwards 
 
 Commissioned in the 
 Imperial Yeomanry, 
 81st Company, 21st 
 Battalion (March 12, 
 1901). For service see 
 chap, xii., page 161. 
 Received the honorary 
 rank of Lieutenant in 
 the Army. Invalided 
 home, January 1902. 
 
 Infantry, private. See 
 chap. xi. 
 
 Infantry, private. See 
 chap. xi. 
 
 Imperial Yeomanry, 27th 
 Company, 7th Bat- 
 talion, private (Feb- 
 ruary 1901). Promoted 
 to Corporal, March 
 1902. Under Gen. 
 
APPENDIX 
 
 233 
 
 Name 
 
 Position in 
 
 THE H.A.C. 
 
 Wray, J. C. 
 
 Major, 
 
 Veterans' 
 
 Company. 
 
 Services 
 
 Dixon in Western 
 Transvaal, April-May 
 1901. Wounded at 
 Vlakfontein (May 28). 
 Ee joined, and was 
 mounted orderly to the 
 Eand Kifles at Krugers- 
 dorp, August-Novem- 
 ber 1901. Then joined 
 27th Company again, 
 and till March 1902 
 was at Naauwport Nek 
 (Transvaal), patrolling, 
 block-house work, &c. 
 In March moved to 
 Western Transvaal, 
 under Col. Kekewich, 
 and took part in the 
 great drives. Fought 
 at Eooiwal (April 11). 
 Made cattle and sheep 
 drover in the drive to 
 Bechuanaland border 
 (May). See also chap, 
 xii., page 170. Ee- 
 turned August 1902. 
 Captain, Eoyal Artillery. 
 Appointed to the 2nd 
 Brigade ammunition 
 column for Cavalry and 
 E.H.A. Afterwards 
 
 Adjutant and Acting 
 Brigade - major, 1st 
 Brigade E.H.A. Pro- 
 moted Major, March 
 15, 1900. Taken pri- 
 soner at Sanna's Post. 
 
 E 
 
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