BATTLE HONOURS FOR SOUTH AFRICA, 1899-1902

Modder River—Defence of Ladysmith—Defence of Kimberley—Relief of Kimberley—Paardeburg—Relief of Ladysmith—Medals granted for the campaign—Decorations won regimentally—Casualties by regiments.

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South Africa, 1899-1902.

This battle honour is borne on the colours and appointments of practically every infantry regiment in the army, in the cavalry the only regiments which were so unfortunate as not to participate in the campaign being the 4th Dragoon Guards, the 4th, 11th, and 15th Hussars, which were in India, and the 21st Lancers, which were at home. The following long list of regiments shows those which are authorized to bear this honour:

1st Life Guards.
2nd Life Guards.
Royal Horse Guards.
King's Dragoon Guards.
Queen's Bays.
3rd Dragoon Guards.
5th Dragoon Guards.
Carabiniers.
7th Dragoon Guards.
Royal Dragoons.
Scots Greys.
3rd Hussars.
5th Lancers.
Inniskillings.
7th Hussars.
8th Hussars.
9th Lancers.
10th Hussars.
12th Lancers.
13th Hussars.
14th Hussars.
16th Lancers.
17th Lancers.
18th Hussars.
19th Hussars.
20th Hussars.
Grenadier Guards.
Coldstream Guards.
Scots Guards.
Royal Scots.
Queen's.
Buffs.
King's Own.
Northumberland Fusiliers.
Royal Warwicks.
Royal Fusiliers.
King's Liverpools.
Norfolks.
Lincolns.
Devons.
Suffolks.
Somerset Light Infantry.
West Yorks.
East Yorks.
Bedfordshire.
Leicesters.
Royal Irish.
Yorkshire.
Lancashire Fusiliers.
Royal Scots Fusiliers.
Cheshire.
Royal Welsh Fusiliers.
South Wales Borderers.
K.O. Scottish Borderers.
Scottish Rifles.
Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.
Gloucesters.
Worcesters.
East Lancashire.
East Surrey.
Cornwall Light Infantry.
West Riding.
Border.
Royal Sussex.
Hampshires.
South Staffords.
Dorsets.
East Lancashires.
Welsh.
Black Watch.
Oxford Light Infantry.
Essex.
Derbyshire.
Loyal North Lancashire.
Northamptons.
Royal Berkshires.
Royal West Kent.
K.O. Yorkshire L.I.
Shropshire L.I.
Middlesex.
King's Royal Rifles.
Wiltshire.
North Staffords.
York and Lancaster.
Durham L.I.
Highland L.I.
Seaforth Highlanders.
Gordon Highlanders.
Cameron Highlanders.
Royal Irish Rifles.
Royal Irish Fusiliers.
Connaught Rangers.
Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.
Leinster.
Royal Munster Fusiliers.
Royal Dublin Fusiliers.
Rifle Brigade.

Yeomanry Regiments.

Ayrshire.
Berks.
Buckinghamshire.
Cheshire.
Denbighshire.
Derbyshire.
1st Royal Devon.
Royal North Devon.
Dorset.
Essex.
Fife.
Gloucestershire.
Hampshire.
Herts.
Royal East Kent.
West Kent.
Lanarkshire.
Royal Lanarkshire.
Lancashire Hussars.
Duke of Lancaster's.
Leicestershire.
City of London.
1st County of London.
2nd County of London.
3rd County of London.
Lothian and Border Horse.
Lovat's Scouts.
Montgomeryshire.
Northumberland.
Nottingham Rangers.
South Nottingham Hussars.
Oxford.
Pembroke.
Scottish Horse.
Shropshire.
North Somerset.
West Somerset.
Suffolk.
Warwickshire.
Westmorland and Cumberland.
Worcestershire.
Yorkshire Dragoons.
Yorkshire Hussars.

Militia Regiments.

3rd Royal Scots.
3rd Queen's (West Surrey).
3rd Buffs.
3rd King's Own (Lancaster).
3rd Royal Warwicks.
4th Royal Warwicks.
5th Royal Fusiliers.
4th King's Liverpool.
3rd Norfolks.
4th Norfolks.
3rd Lincolns.
4th West Yorkshire.
3rd East Yorkshire.
4th Bedfords.
3rd Leicester.
3rd Yorkshire.
3rd Lancashire Fusiliers.
4th Lancashire Fusiliers.
3rd Cheshire.
3rd South Wales Borderers.
3rd Scottish Borderers.
3rd Scottish Rifles.
4th Scottish Rifles.
6th Worcester.
3rd East Lancashire.
3rd East Surrey.
3rd West Riding.
3rd Royal Sussex.
3rd South Stafford.
3rd South Lancashire.
3rd Welsh.
3rd Essex.
4th Derbyshire.
3rd Loyal North Lancashire.
3rd Northampton.
5th Middlesex.
6th Middlesex.
3rd Manchester.
4th Manchester.
3rd North Stafford.
3rd York and Lancaster.
3rd Durham L.I.
3rd Highland L.I.
5th Royal Irish Rifles.
3rd Argyll Highlanders.
4th Argyll Highlanders.
4th Royal Munster Fusiliers.
4th Royal Dublin Fusiliers.
5th Royal Dublin Fusiliers.
5th Rifle Brigade.

St. Helena.

One militia battalion was deputed to carry out the thankless but onerous task of guarding the Boer prisoners at this island, and so it comes about that the distinction "St. Helena" is borne on the colours of the 3rd Battalion of the Wiltshire Regiment.

Medals granted for the War in South Africa.

Two medals were given for this campaign—the one with the head of Queen Victoria, to which a number of clasps were appended; the other with the head of His Majesty King Edward VII., to which were attached two clasps—"South Africa, 1901," and "South Africa, 1902."

The following were the clasps issued with the medal known as the Queen's Medal.

Battle Clasps.

Battle Honours for the Campaign.

Whilst medals and clasps were distributed with a free hand, a different policy was enacted with reference to the names that were inscribed on the colours and appointments of the regiments which took part in the campaign. Only six battle honours were authorized for the two and a half years' fighting—"South Africa" (with a date indicating the period that the corps remained in the country), "Modder River," "Defence of Kimberley,"[30] "Relief of Kimberley," "Defence of Ladysmith," " Relief of Ladysmith," and "Paardeburg"—and no regiment obtained more than four of these battle honours. Few were able to add more than two honours for the campaign.

The relations between the British Government and the Boers had never been marked by any cordiality. Their hostility was not confined to ourselves. They had rebelled against the Dutch East India Company prior to our conquest of the Cape of Good Hope, and from the earliest days of the Dutch settlement there had been constant friction between the Boers and the natives. It is not my province to enter into the causes of the war, or whether it might have been avoided, suffice to say that on October 9, 1899, an ultimatum was handed to our Agent in Pretoria, couched in such terms as to render hostilities inevitable. On the 12th the first shot was fired, and England embarked on a campaign of far greater magnitude than any in which we had ever been engaged. Our forces were all too weak to cope with the situation, and they were widely scattered.

The Boers from the outset assumed the offensive, whilst we, owing to our numerical inferiority, were compelled to act strictly on the defensive until the arrival of reinforcements, which were already on the way from England. Within a very few days of the outbreak of hostilities it became apparent that we had, as usual, grievously underrated the strength of our opponents. Sir George White, with the bulk of the troops in South Africa, was shut up in Ladysmith, where he made a gallant defence. Colonel Kekewich, with a half-battalion of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment and some artillery, kept the flag flying at Kimberley, the headquarters of the diamond-fields; whilst Colonel Baden-Powell, with irregular troops only, earned a world-wide reputation for his brilliant defence of Mafeking. Not content with enveloping our forces in this way, the Boers carried on a series of daring raids into Cape Colony. In this they were to a great extent assisted by the disloyal conduct of many of the Dutch Colonials, who were actively hostile to our cause.

In justice to the General Officers who were in command during the earlier and less successful stages of the war, a brief description of the military resources of the Empire is desirable. As Lord Salisbury, the Prime Minister, had stated in the House of Lords that no Indian troops would be employed, I may eliminate the magnificent fighting material that we possess in our Indian army. Approximately we had the following forces to draw on from our fellow-subjects beyond the seas, who at once let it be known that they looked on the quarrels of the Mother Country as their own, and that they were ready to place at the disposal of the War Office the manhood of their peoples. Our resources may be thus summarized:

Of this grand total of upwards of 700,000 men it was clear that large numbers would never be available. India could only be denuded of a small portion of the British garrison, and of the auxiliary forces in the United Kingdom a very large proportion were by no means fit to take their places in the field; yet before the war was brought to a close the troops actually sent to the front were not far short of 400,000 men. Of these were despatched:

For transport purposes and to supply the wastage in our mounted troops 470,000 horses and 150,000 mules and donkeys were purchased; for the conveyance of the troops and animals to the seat of war no fewer than 1,057 ships were taken up, and 1,374,000 tons of stores were from first to last shipped to South Africa. Unfortunately, all this energy was delayed until after the actual declaration of war. So far back as the month of June the Commander-in-Chief had unsuccessfully applied for permission to mobilize an army corps on Salisbury Plain and to convert the existing transport waggons to mule draught. It was not until October 8 that the order for the mobilization was sanctioned, and the first reinforcements did not leave the country until the third week in that month, war having been declared on the 11th.[31]

Our forces at the outset of hostilities were scattered necessarily over a wide area. The frontiers of the two Republics ran conterminously with our own for a distance of 1,000 miles. To defend this with 22,000 men was a manifest impossibility. Sir Forestier Walker, who was in command in Cape Colony, determined to hold the most important positions on that long line of frontier; whilst Sir George White in Natal, against his better judgment, deferred to the views of the Governor of Natal, and divided his forces, thus paving the way to defeat.

In addition to Kimberley, Sir Forestier Walker had weak detachments guarding the principal railway junctions of De Aar, Nauwpoort, and Stormberg. White had a brigade, under Sir Penn Symons, at Dundee, in the North of Natal; the remainder of his force was at Ladysmith. On October 20 the Dundee column fought an action at Talana, and the following day White's troops, under General French, defeated the Boers at Elandslaagte; but the arrival of strong Boer reinforcements and the death of Penn Symons compelled the retreat of the Dundee brigade, and on the 30th White suffered a severe check at Lombard's Kop. It was now clear that the army in South Africa was powerless until the arrival of reinforcements from home, and these, late in the day as it was, were being hurried forward as fast as circumstances would permit. The Viceroy of India had been requested to despatch with all haste a cavalry brigade, one of infantry, and three batteries of artillery. Some of these, as well as the battalion from the Mauritius, were already in South Africa, and battalions from Malta, Cyprus, and Egypt were en route. The army corps asked for in June was now despatched, with Sir Redvers Buller to hold the chief command in South Africa. It was composed as follows:

First Division: Lieutenant-General Lord Methuen.

Second Division: Lieutenant-General Clery.

Third Division: Lieutenant-General Gatacre.

Cavalry Division: Lieutenant-General French.

Until the arrival of these reinforcements we were holding on to our own frontiers with but 15,000 men in Natal, 10,000 in the Cape Colony, and some 1,500 in Rhodesia, inclusive of colonial forces. Opposed to us the Boers had at the least 53,000 men. Of these, it was estimated that 23,000 men were before White in Ladysmith, 7,500 had been despatched against Baden-Powell in Mafeking, a slightly larger force was enveloping Kekewich in Kimberley, and the remainder were being mobilized for the defence of the two Republics.

The original plan of campaign decided on before the departure of Sir Redvers Buller from England was to invade the Republics from the south with the army corps, the composition of which I have just given, whilst making such diversions as might be possible from Natal. On Buller's arrival all this had to be changed. The relief of Ladysmith was now the primary object of our Commander-in-Chief, all question of an invasion of the Republics being for the present out of the question. So soon as the reinforcements commenced to arrive, Methuen, with the Brigade of Guards, was pushed up to relieve Kimberley; the Second, Fifth, and Sixth Brigades were at once directed to Natal, where Buller quickly followed. To replace the Second Brigade in the First Division a Ninth Brigade, made up from regiments intended for the line of communications, was formed, and Wauchope's brigade of the Second Division advanced to the support of Methuen, and to strengthen our hold on the line of railway. Generals French and Gatacre were entrusted with the command of the railway running parallel with the frontiers of the Republics, and were stationed respectively at Nauwpoort and Stormberg, whilst Wauchope was posted at De Aar.

Buller expressed himself optimistic as to the relief of Kimberley, which was closely invested by the Boers, and by the middle of November Methuen commenced his advance. His force consisted of the Brigade of Guards, the Ninth Brigade (1st Loyal North Lancashire, 2nd King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, 1st Northumberland Fusiliers, and 2nd Northamptons), the 9th Lancers, three squadrons of mounted infantry, three field batteries, a naval brigade 360 strong, with four long 12-pounder quick-firers, and the New South Wales Lancers. On October 23 he defeated the Boers at Belmont, his casualties being 3 officers and 51 men killed, 23 officers and 220 men wounded. On the 25th he fought a second successful action at Enslin, losing 3 officers and 15 men killed, 6 officers and 137 men wounded; and on October 28 he again defeated the Boers on the Riet River. The action, however, is officially known as that of the Modder River.

Modder River, November 28, 1899.

This battle honour is borne on the colours and appointments of the following regiments:

9th Lancers.
Grenadier Guards.
Coldstream Guards.
Scots Guards.
Northumberland Fusiliers.
Northamptons.
K.O. Yorkshire L.I.
Highland Light Infantry
Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.

It commemorates the third of the three successful actions fought by Lord Methuen in the early stage of the South African War in his attempt to relieve Kimberley. A clasp, inscribed "Modder River," was given for this engagement, in which the casualties were as follows:

Casualties at the Action on the Modder River.

The Boer forces covering the Siege of Kimberley were under the command of General Cronje, and he, falling back after his third reverse at the Modder River, took up a strong position at Magersfontein, entrenching his whole front for a distance of nine miles. To hasten the relief of Kimberley, Wauchope was now pushed up to reinforce Methuen, and on December 11 that General attacked Cronje, but met with a most serious reverse, losing 22 officers and 188 men killed, 46 officers and 629 men wounded, the bulk of the casualties falling on the Highland Brigade, which also lost its gallant leader, Wauchope, the second of his name to fall at the head of English troops in an unsuccessful action, for Andrew Wauchope's uncle fell at Rosetta in our little-remembered, but unfortunate, expedition to Egypt in 1807.

In the meantime Buller had proceeded to Durban, and was concerting his plans for the relief of Ladysmith. He had at his disposal 18,000 men and thirty field guns, besides a naval brigade with fourteen long-range quick-firers. On December 15 he made his first effort, and was badly defeated at Colenso, losing, in addition to 7 officers and 136 men killed, 47 officers and 709 men wounded, and ten guns. The superior mobility of the Boers, and the fact that White had with him four regiments of cavalry shut up in Ladysmith, induced Buller to make the most earnest representations for a large force of mounted reinforcements, and the War Office responded to the call by mobilizing three more divisions, and taking steps to raise a force of 4,000 Yeomanry.

These repeated disasters had aroused the nation—temporarily, at any rate—to a proper sense of its responsibilities, and all ranks and all classes responded to the call for volunteers. The veteran Field-Marshal Lord Roberts, who had served his apprenticeship at the Siege of Delhi just two-and-forty years before, accepted the chief command, and at once embarked for the seat of war. On his arrival the situation was no clearer. Methuen, with the First Division, lay immobile twelve miles south of Kimberley, with a Boer army strongly entrenched in his front; Gatacre, at Stormberg, had met with a serious reverse; Sir George White was closely besieged in Ladysmith; and Buller was gathering together his forces for a second attempt to carry the strong position before him. Lord Roberts landed in South Africa on January 10, and his first care was to organize his transport, so as to have all in readiness for an advance so soon as the reinforcements now on the seas should arrive. As his Chief of the Staff he had Lord Kitchener, fresh from his successful campaign in Egypt, where he had shown himself a master in the matter of organization.

It was not until the commencement of February that the Field-Marshal felt himself able to move. His plan of campaign was first the relief of Kimberley with the Cavalry Division, under French, then an advance on the capital of the Orange Free State. This advance, he felt sure, would relieve the pressure in Natal, and so enable Buller to join hands with Ladysmith. Approximately, Lord Roberts had now in the Cape Colony 52,000 men, and in Natal 40,000, of whom some 9,000 or 10,000 were shut up in Ladysmith. Even now he felt that he would need heavy reinforcements to meet the wastage of war, and he requested that 8,000 Imperial Yeomanry and thirty battalions of Militia might be despatched to the seat of war as soon as they could be mobilized. Then, and not till then, did Lord Roberts feel justified in his advance. His transport was in an effective condition, and he had received assurance from home that the reinforcements asked for would be sent without delay. On February 6 he left Cape Town for the front, and on the 15th French set forth for the relief of Kimberley.

The troops actually at Lord Roberts's disposal at this period consisted of four divisions of infantry and one of cavalry. The composition of the Cavalry Division is given on p. 422; that of the four infantry divisions was as follows:

First Division: Lieutenant-General Lord Methuen.

Sixth Division: Lieutenant-General Sir Kelly-Kenny.

Seventh Division: Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Tucker.

Ninth Division: Lieutenant-General Sir H. Colville, K.C.B.

At Sterkstrom, General Gatacre had the remains of the Third Division, consisting of the 1st Royal Scots, 2nd Northumberland Fusiliers, 1st Derbyshire, 2nd Royal Berkshire, 2nd Royal Irish Rifles, and a Militia battalion—the 3rd Durham Light Infantry—with three field batteries and a couple of naval guns.

At Nauwpoort, General Clements had the 2nd Bedfords, 1st Royal Irish, 2nd Worcester, 2nd Wiltshire, a Militia battalion—the 4th Derbyshire—with one horse and three field batteries.

The Second Division was with Sir George White in Ladysmith, and comprised a cavalry brigade, consisting of the 5th Dragoon Guards, 5th Lancers, 18th and 19th Hussars.

White also had the following divisional troops, brigaded under Brigadier-General Knox: 1st Devons, 1st Gloucester, and 1st King's Royal Rifles. There were also six field, one mountain battery, two 6-inch howitzers, and a naval brigade of 280 men, with five long-range quick-firing guns.

Sir Redvers Buller at the time of Lord Roberts's arrival had upwards of 30,000 men, thus detailed:

Second Division: General Lyttelton.

Fifth Division: Sir Charles Warren.

Third Division: Clery.

Buller's cavalry consisted of the Royal Dragoons, 13th Hussars, and a large number of colonial troops, who were of the most effective service. He also had a naval brigade of 400 men, with a number of 4·7 and 12-pounder long-range guns.

Such was the position of the army commanded by Lord Roberts when, on February 12, General French was sent forward with the Cavalry Division (Kelly-Kenny, with the Sixth Division, following in support) for the relief of Kimberley.

Relief of Kimberley, February 15, 1900.

This battle honour has been conferred on the following regiments:

1st Life Guards.
2nd Life Guards.
Royal Horse Guards.
Carabiniers.
Scots Greys.
9th Lancers.
10th Hussars.
12th Lancers.
16th Lancers.
Buffs.
Yorkshire.
Gloucesters.
West Riding.
Welsh.
Oxford Light Infantry.
Essex.

There were many reasons why the Boers should have made great endeavours to seize this town. Cecil Rhodes, their arch-enemy, was shut up in the place, and the garrison was certainly none too large for the task confided to its commander. Lord Methuen had been checked by two serious reverses in his advance on Kimberley, and his division now lay a few miles to the south of the town, with the Boer army under Cronje facing him. Lord Roberts pushed up the Sixth Division, under General Kelly-Kenny, to Randam, hard by the Modder River. The Sixth was followed by the Seventh Division, under General Tucker; and the Seventh by the Ninth, under Sir Henry Colville. The Cavalry Division, under Lieutenant-General French, was also moved westwards towards the line of railway leading up from the Cape to Kimberley. With this division Lord Roberts intended to effect the relief of the Diamond City.

French's division was composed of three brigades of cavalry, with a strong force of mounted infantry, and was brigaded as follows:

In the very early morning of February 12 French left the line of railway, and, bearing to the eastward, crossed the Riet River between Cronje's camp and the capital. He was followed by the Sixth (Kelly-Kenny's) Division. Sweeping round through Watervaal and Klip's Drift, French found the Boers astride his road. They were not in great strength, and he made no attempt to bandy words with them. The road to his objective lay between two hills, on which the enemy were posted, and French, mindful of the urgency of his mission, determined to ignore the enemy, and, putting his men at the gallop, he forced his way past the Boers with astonishingly little loss. His way was now clear, and, pushing ahead as fast as the condition of his horses would allow, he swept round to the north of the town, and at 6 p.m. had effected the task before him. Leaving Colonel Porter in command, French now retraced his steps, in order to take a part in the impending attack on the position held by General Cronje near Paardeburg.

Casualties during French's Relief of Kimberley.

Paardeburg, February 18 to 27, 1900.

This battle honour was conferred on the following regiments for the operation which resulted in the surrender of the Boer Commander-in-Chief in the war in the Transvaal:

1st Life Guards.
2nd Life Guards.
Royal Horse Guards.
Carabiniers.
Scots Greys.
9th Lancers.
10th Hussars.
12th Lancers.
16th Lancers.
Buffs.
Norfolks.
Lincolns.
Yorkshires.
K.O. Scot. Borderers.
Gloucesters.
Cornwall L.I.
West Riding.
Hampshires.
Welsh.
Black Watch.
Oxford L.I.
Essex.
Shropshire L.I.
Seaforth Highlanders.
Gordon Highlanders.
Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.

By the brilliant relief of Kimberley Lord Roberts had scored the first real success of the campaign, and had opened the way for an advance on the capital of the Boer Republics. General Cronje realized this, and, breaking up his camp on the Modder River, commenced a hurried retreat towards Bloemfontein. But Lord Roberts was already practically athwart his path. French, returning from Kimberley, threw himself across the head of Cronje's army, and General Kelly-Kenny, with the Sixth Division, clung to his rear. The Seventh and Ninth Divisions were now closing up, and Lord Roberts was free to assault the strong position which Cronje had taken up at Paardeburg.

Despite the large force at the disposal of the Commander-in-Chief, the operation was none too simple. Cronje had with him a large number of women and children, and, from motives of humanity, Lord Roberts was averse to resorting to the usual methods of war. Our first attack on the Boer position at Paardeburg was met in the most gallant manner, our losses being very heavy. Little by little we neared the Boer defences, our troops actually sapping up to the cleverly-devised works; but it was not until February 27 that General Cronje decided to surrender.

The road was now open for an advance on Bloemfontein, the capital of the Orange Free State, and as soon as Lord Roberts had filled up his convoys with provisions he recommenced his forward march, and on March 12 the Field-Marshal hoisted the British flag in Bloemfontein.

Casualties during the Operations at Paardeburg, February 18 to 27, 1900.

Relief of Ladysmith.[32]

I have already alluded to the reverse that Buller met with at Colenso on December 15. On January 24 a second attempt by Sir Redvers Buller met with no better success, our losses amounting to 1,700 killed and wounded. The advance of Lord Roberts to the eastward had the effect that the experienced Field-Marshal anticipated. The pressure in Natal was lessened, and on the day that Cronje surrendered to Lord Roberts Buller's mounted brigade entered Ladysmith, after a series of well-fought actions, in which, if our men upheld the traditions of the British army, the Boers showed themselves gallant foemen.

Casualties at the Relief of Ladysmith.

The Defence of Ladysmith,[33] October 29, 1899, to February 27, 1900.

The actual siege of Ladysmith commenced when Sir George White met with the reverse at Lombards' Kop on October 30, and lasted for four months. With the large force at his disposal there was but small chance of the place being carried by assault, but there was always the possibility of its being compelled to surrender by famine. Fortunately, in White we had a commander whose reputation for personal bravery was proverbial, and he had with him senior officers whose names were almost as well known for their gallantry. In his garrison were seasoned regiments of old soldiers who had but recently arrived from India. The Boers had experienced the metal of White's men at Talana and at Elandslaagte, and cared little to come again to close quarters with them.

During that long siege of four months the Boers made but one attempt to attack the place. This action, known as CÆsar's Camp (January 6), was one of the hardest-fought actions of the war, our losses amounting to 18 officers and 158 men killed, 29 officers and 221 men wounded, whereas the total casualties for the rest of the siege only reached the total of 6 officers and 62 men killed, 33 officers and 262 men wounded. The losses by sickness were not unusually heavy. That they were not heavier was due to the cheerful face put on the situation by the brave commander and the self-devotion of the officers of the Royal Army Medical Corps, who, as ever, showed themselves as careless of their own lives as they were tenderly careful of those of the men committed to their charge.[34]

Casualties at the Defence of Ladysmith.

With the surrender of Cronje's army, the relief of Ladysmith, and the entry of our army into Bloemfontein, it was hoped that the back of the enemy was broken. The war, however, dragged on for close on two years, the principal incidents being the relief of Mafeking by Brigadier-General Mahon on May 15, the occupation of Johannesburg by Lord Roberts on the 31st of the same month, and the entry into Pretoria, the capital of the Transvaal, on June 5. The Boers showed marvellous powers of recuperation, and many hard actions were fought ere they were subdued. In the month of October the aged President Kruger deserted his fellow-countrymen, and embarked for Europe, and on the 25th of that month Lord Roberts formally proclaimed the annexation of the two Republics to the Empire, and in the following month Lord Roberts handed over the command to General Lord Kitchener. Then we entered on a long period of guerilla warfare, for which our troops were little prepared. More reinforcements were called for, and by the close of the year 30,000 men were sent out to South Africa. It was not until the month of March, 1902, that the Boer commanders consented to treat, although the hopelessness of the struggle must have been long apparent to the meanest understanding, and on May 31, 1902, the conditions of surrender were signed. Never was an enemy treated with more consideration.

The war in the Transvaal was noteworthy in many ways. It is true that in the campaign in Egypt a small body of Canadian Voyageurs had volunteered for service up the Nile, and that the Government of New South Wales had despatched a contingent to our assistance at Suakin in 1885; but during the war in South Africa contingents were despatched from all our dominions beyond the seas. Canada, Australia, India, New Zealand, and Tasmania all had their forces in the field; whilst in the regiments of Yeomanry were to be found men drawn from all ranks of society and from all parts of our Empire—from the islands of the West Indies to Hong-Kong. Then, again, it was the first occasion in which men from our Volunteer corps had been permitted to strengthen the ranks of their line battalions, and the first in which the Yeomanry and Militia had been pushed forward into the fighting-line. There were two great lessons taught by the war—the one that our military organization was not adapted to modern warfare, and the second that the Mother Country could count on the warm-hearted support of her children beyond the seas.

Decorations for the War in South Africa, 1899-1902.

Total Casualties during the War in South Africa, 1899-1902.

Total casualties, including all departmental corps, killed, died of wounds, or wounded in action, irrespective of those who died from disease: Officers, 701 killed, 1,668 wounded; men, 7,091 killed, 19,143 wounded.