1902.
Captain B. J. Majendie, King’s Royal Rifles, was appointed Adjutant in November, 1902, vice Major Lamb, retired. Captain Majendie’s experiences in the South African war had been somewhat unique and unfortunate. Whilst accompanying a troop of cavalry sent out as a patrol from Ladysmith on the day that war was declared, the party were surrounded and captured by the enemy and held prisoners in Pretoria until that place was taken by General Roberts in the following year. Captain Majendie was the first Adjutant which the Corps had secured from the regular regiment of which it formed a Volunteer battalion; and by his efforts and instruction the Battalion became “riflemen,” and adopted rifle drill and customs. But the fact that officers were always trained at the Guards’ Schools of Instruction, where the drill of the rifleman is unknown, was a drawback to this arrangement.
In 1902, Major and Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel Danter, who had been appointed Major in 1897, resigned through bad health. The Battalion owed much to Colonel Danter for his hard and brilliant work for many years. To his energy and leadership in their early years may be mainly attributed the successes which the Regiment were now securing in its signalling section and in the School of Arms.