A Brief History of the King's Royal Rifle Corps

by Unknown

PART III.—1871–1902.

VII.
1871–1881.—India. Afghan War. South Africa. Zulu War. First Boer War.

The overwhelming defeat of the French Armies by the German troops in the momentous war of 1870–71 brought about vast changes in military Europe. A system of compulsory service on the German model was introduced by all the great nations of Europe—Great Britain excepted—and German drill, German style of uniform, and German methods were generally adopted.

In England a strong wave of pro-German feeling swept over the British Army, and military critics advocated the methodical system of the German Army with its stern unbending discipline and exacting method of machine-like collectivism, to the destruction of the elasticity and rapidity of movement, with the self-reliance and initiative which makes for individualism.

The spirit of the 60th stood out, and did much to counteract this tendency, and to bring about the re-action.

1878–1880, AFGHAN WAR.

In the autumn of 1878 the 2nd Battalion, commanded in the absence of Lieutenant-Colonel J. J. Collins by Major Cromer Ashburnham, was quartered at Meerut, and formed part of the 1st Brigade, 1st Division, under Lieutenant-General Sir Donald Stewart, which, upon the outbreak of the Afghan War, was directed upon Kandahar.

After a trying march of 440 miles (one day thirty miles across the desert without a man falling out) Kandahar was occupied without resistance on the 8th of January, 1879.

In the following September there was a rising of the Afghans at Kabul, and the British envoy and his escort were massacred. An advance upon Kabul, the necessary retort to such an outrage, was accordingly made by two columns, and after severe fighting Kabul was occupied by Lieut.-General Sir Frederick Roberts.[^[43]]

April 19th, 1880, AHMAD KHEL.

On the 27th of March, 1880, Sir Donald Stewart’s Division of 7250 men was directed to leave Kandahar and march upon Kabul. On the 19th of April the Afghan Army attacked the column on the march at Ahmad Khel, when, concealed in the khors and gorges of the hills, a large body of Ghazies charged boldly upon the flank of the first line. Carrying all before them, the issue for a time seemed doubtful, but the stubborn courage of the British column won the day, and the formidable Ghazies after suffering great loss, were totally defeated. The 2nd Battalion then commanded by Collins, had the ill-fortune to be taking its turn of rear and flank guard on this particular day, but, on hearing the firing, at once hurried to the scene in time to bear a leading part in retrieving the critical situation and aid in turning what at the onset threatened to be a serious reverse into a decisive victory. G Company, however, under Lieut. Davidson,[^[44]] allotted to the permanent duty of escort to Sir Donald Stewart, played a prominent part in meeting the first sudden onslaught of the Ghazies, and did much to stem the rush which at the moment seemed likely to be overwhelming. Continuing the march, the Battalion was present at the surrender of Ghuznee, and at the fight of Urzoo on the 23rd of April when the Afghans were again defeated. The column finally reached Kabul on the 28th of the same month, thus accomplishing a notable march. It had covered 320 miles in thirty-five days over a hostile, difficult, and almost unknown country, fought two general actions, and captured a fortress.

In July Ayub Khan defeated a British force at Maiwand, and besieged General Primrose in Kandahar. The Battalion, already distinguished for its marching powers and steady discipline, was selected to form part of the Relief Force of 10,000 men, which left Kabul under Sir Frederick Roberts on the 9th of August, and reached Kandahar on the 31st. This march—by the same route as that of Sir Donald Stewart, but at the hottest time of the year—was effected in twenty-four days, inclusive of halts, giving an average of 13·3 miles per diem, or of 14·5 for the days of actual marching.

Aug. 21st, 1880, KANDAHAR.

On the 21st of August Sir Frederick Roberts had notified in the orders of the day that the city of Kandahar was completely invested, characteristically adding that he “hoped Ayub Khan would remain there.” This wish was duly realised, for the Afghan leader was found in position for battle, and on the following day, September the 1st, he was attacked in front and flank, and completely routed; the whole of his guns and camp (which had been left standing) were captured by the victorious troops.

On the 8th of September the 2nd Battalion left Kandahar to take part in the Mari Expedition, which lasted for two months and entailed much hard marching; there was not, however, any fighting.

On the termination of the campaign the Commander-in-Chief in India published the following General Order:

“The 2nd Battalion 60th Rifles has throughout the war maintained its high reputation for efficiency. In the march from Kandahar to Kabul, at Ahmad Khel, in the memorable march from Kabul to Kandahar, and the subsequent expedition to the Mari country, the 60th Rifles were remarkable for their discipline and marching powers. In the operations above described the Regiment marched 1000 miles in 100 days. No light feat anywhere, but in such a country as Afghanistan it is one well worthy of record in the annals of the British Army.”

On the 8th of September Lieutenant-Colonel J. J. Collins, who had commanded the Battalion throughout the campaign, succumbed to fever while on his way to India on sick leave.

In addition to the war medal, a special bronze star was given for the march from Kabul to Kandahar. It is worthy of note that khaki was worn, and that this was the first campaign in which the Regiment, since it had become Rifles, had fought in any colour but green.

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1879–1884, 3rd BATTALION.

Special reference must here be made to the 3rd Battalion, whose good fortune led it to take part in no less than four campaigns in six years, and thus to justify a claim to being called “the fighting Battalion.” Raised in 1855 in Ireland, this Battalion had been moved to Madras at the close of the Mutiny in 1857, to Burma in 1862, back to Madras in 1865, and to Aden in 1871, and thence to England in 1872. It had not unnaturally suffered much disadvantage from its long exile of fifteen years in the East, unrelieved by the experience of active service. It was, therefore, in a condition particularly to profit by the example of Hawley and the 4th Battalion, which had begun to be generally felt, and there can be no doubt that it derived at this period an immense benefit in efficiency and interior economy, not only from the influence of Hawley and his system, but also from the traditions and example of the 1st Battalion. Its new commanding officer, Pemberton,[^[45]] and its second in command, Northey,[^[46]] had both been trained under Hawley, and many of its captains and junior officers, as well as N.C.O.’s, had been promoted or transferred from the 1st and 4th Battalions to the 3rd on its return from India. These officers and men brought with them into the Battalion the vigorous spirit of the Regiment, its flexible drill and tactics, its ideals of rapidity and elasticity of movement, rendered possible by the most careful attention to detail; its extreme steadiness in close formations; and, above all, that assiduous care for the comfort and well-being of the rank and file, which is its great feature. In consequence, the rapidity and smartness of manœuvre, the strong self-reliance and individuality of the Riflemen, and the excellent feeling existing between officers and men were conspicuously the attributes of the rejuvenated 3rd Battalion. The Battalion, therefore, not only won for itself a great reputation as a fighting unit, but conveyed later the same spirit to the Mounted Infantry, for the inception and success of which its officers and Riflemen were largely responsible.

1879, SOUTH AFRICA ZULU WAR.

April 2nd, 1879, GINGIHLOVO.

Having been quartered for several years at Aldershot, where it gained much credit, the Battalion was at Colchester in January, 1879, when it received sudden orders to embark for South Africa in consequence of the defeat of Lord Chelmsford’s troops by Cetewayo, the Zulu King, at the battle of Insandlwana. It landed at Durban, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Leigh-Pemberton, and marched direct to the Tugela, where, under Lord Chelmsford himself, it formed part of the column to relieve Fort Pierson. Leaving the Tugela on the 25th of March, it took a distinguished part in the battle of Gingihlovo on the 2nd of April, when the Zulu impis with a splendid gallantry charged up to the muzzles of the men’s rifles, and severely tried the young soldiers of whom the ranks were largely composed. After a short half hour’s hard fighting the Zulu army reluctantly withdrew, leaving an immense number of killed and wounded behind them. The casualties were light, but the Battalion sustained a great loss in the death of Major and Brevet-Lieutenant-Colonel Frank Northey, who was mortally wounded early in the action.

In June the Battalion was engaged in the second advance to Ulundi under Sir Garnet Wolseley; and in the subsequent pursuit and capture of Cetewayo, which brought the Zulu War to a close, two companies of the Battalion, under Captain Astley Terry,[^[47]] had a prominent share.

1881, BOER WAR.

Jan. 28th, 1881, LAING’S NEK.

The 3rd Battalion, under Lieutenant-Colonel Cromer Ashburnham,[^[48]] remained in South Africa, and was quartered at Pietermaritzburg, when in January, 1881, the Boers, under Joubert, invaded Natal. Major-General Sir George Colley, the High Commissioner and Commander-in-Chief, having assembled at Newcastle a small force, which included the 3rd Battalion, advanced and attacked the Boers on the 28th in position at Laing’s Nek. The Battalion in part covered the left flank, and in part formed a reserve to the assaulting column. The attack was repulsed with heavy loss, and the Battalion covered the retreat, but did not lose many men.

On the 25th of January the 2nd Battalion arrived from India in a state of the highest efficiency after its successful experience in the Afghan War. Landing at Durban, it marched forthwith to join headquarters at Newcastle, where it remained until the armistice in March.

Feb. 8th, 1881, INGOGO FIGHT.

The Boers, as a result of their victory at Laing’s Nek, made a desperate effort to sever the communications between Colley’s force at Mount Prospect, and the advanced base at Newcastle. The General accordingly took prompt steps to avert this catastrophe, and thus it came about that on the 8th of February was fought on the Ingogo Heights an action as glorious as any in the history of the 60th. Colley, with two 9–pounder R.A. guns, thirty-eight men of the Mounted Infantry, and five companies of the 3rd Battalion, under Ashburnham, marched early on the 8th from Prospect upon Newcastle, crossed the Ingogo River, and, on ascending the heights beyond, was attacked from all sides shortly before noon. The British position was a plateau covered with short grass, rocks, and boulders; whereas the kloofs and slopes occupied by the Boers were also not only strewn with rocks, but overgrown with long grass, which being three and four feet high afforded excellent cover. The troops, though completely surrounded, maintained the fight for nearly seven hours, until at last, in the gloom of approaching night and a heavy thunderstorm, the fire ceased and the enemy sullenly withdrew.

The Battalion had lost five out of thirteen officers, and 119 out of 295 other ranks; of I Company only one officer and thirteen men were left, but nowhere had the enemy gained ground. The survivors, without food or water, and with ammunition running short, but with courage and discipline still unshaken, then faced the last ordeal of that long day. Little could be done for the wounded, except to collect and leave them with the chaplain, the doctor, and a few other noncombatants; and then, in drenching rain and darkness only broken by flashes of lightning, the few remaining horses were hooked into the guns, and the little force moved silently across the veldt to the river, which was in flood, and had to be forded breast high. So slippery was the ground from the rain that the horses could not draw the guns; this for the last few miles was done by the Riflemen. At 8.30 a.m. the following morning Prospect Camp was reached after a peculiarly strenuous test of the courage and endurance of the troops.

“The conduct of all ranks throughout this trying day was admirable,” wrote Sir George Colley in his despatch.[^[49]] “The comparatively young soldiers of the 60th Rifles behaved with the steadiness and coolness of veterans. At all times perfectly in hand, they held or changed their ground as directed without hurry or confusion; though under heavy fire, themselves fired steadily, husbanding their ammunition, and at the end of the day, with sadly reduced numbers, formed and moved off the ground with the most perfect steadiness and order; and, finally, after eighteen hours of continuous fatigue, readily and cheerfully attached themselves to the guns, and dragged them up the long hill from the Ingogo, when the horses were unable to do so.”

Feb. 27th, 1881, MAJUBA.

On the night of the 26th of February Sir George Colley decided to seize Majuba Hill by a night march—a hazardous undertaking which was ably executed. The following day the Boers in three assaulting columns, covered by the rifle fire of their largely superior force, carried the mountain with splendid gallantry, and completely defeated the small British force of 414 soldiers and sailors.

Two companies of the 3rd Battalion were posted upon the lower spurs of the mountain, and with a third company sent out later with ammunition they covered the retreat, but were only slightly engaged.

The brave and accomplished Colley—dauntless to the end—died a soldier’s death upon the summit of the mountain, and deplorable indeed was the loss in officers and men of the force engaged. A peace—insisted upon by the British Government—brought this unhappy campaign to a close little to the satisfaction of the troops concerned.

VIII.
1882–1885. Egypt. Tel el Kebir, 1882. El Teb, Tamai, 1884.—Nile Expedition, 1884–85.—Mounted Infantry.

The 3rd Battalion, under Colonel Ashburnham, had been moved from South Africa to Malta, when the outbreak of hostilities in Egypt caused it to be despatched with the 38th Regiment to Cyprus and Alexandria in July, 1882.

1882, EGYPT.

On the 18th of July, shortly after the bombardment of Alexandria, it landed while the city was still in flames, and formed part of the advanced force under Major-General Sir Archibald Alison. A portion of the Battalion took part with the Mounted Infantry, on the 22nd of July, in the first engagement of the campaign at Mallaha Junction, eight miles from Alexandria, and again in the reconnaissance in force on the 5th August near Ramleh.

On August the 18th, upon the arrival of Sir Garnet Wolseley, it embarked for Ismailia, and took part in the actions of Tel-el-Mahuta on the 25th, and Kassassin on the 9th of September, when the enemy, about 13,000 strong, was completely defeated.

Sept. 13th, 1882, TEL-EL-KEBIR.

The Battalion, temporarily commanded by Major Ogilvy,[^[50]] formed part of the 4th Brigade under Colonel Ashburnham, which had been organised for the night march of the 12th–13th September and the assault of the lines of Tel-el-Kebir at daylight. The Brigade forming the support of the Highland Brigade closed up at the beginning of the battle as day began to dawn, and gave a timely assistance in the assault of the enemy’s lines. The Battalion in two lines pressed eagerly forward with its accustomed dash, and entered the Egyptian works at about the centre of the position, where Major Cramer, second in Command, was wounded, and had his horse shot under him. After an ebb and flow of strenuous bayonet fighting the enemy gave way on all sides, and, suffering great losses, were broken and dispersed in headlong flight. Two days later Cairo was captured, and the war ended, upon which the Battalion formed part of the army of occupation.

1884, EL TEB, TAMAI.

In February, 1884, the Battalion, under Ashburnham, was ordered to Suakim, where it served in a Brigade under that distinguished Rifleman, Major-General Sir Redvers Buller,[^[51]] as part of General Sir Gerald Graham’s force. On the 29th of February it took part in the defeat of the Dervishes at El Teb, and on the 13th of March it was present at the critical battle of Tamai. The troops were in two squares, one under Sir Gerald Graham, commanding the force, the other under Buller. Graham’s square was broken, and in the confusion some of its men poured a volley into Buller’s, causing one face to run in. Sir Redvers at once rode outside the square, and, with great coolness, rallied his men. By restoring the formation he undoubtedly staved off a terrible disaster, for, had the square been really broken, nothing could have saved the army. This action ended the Campaign.

MOUNTED INFANTRY.

The history of the 3rd Battalion at this period would not be complete without reference to the introduction of Mounted Infantry into the British Army. It may be fairly said that the creation of Mounted Infantry, the establishment of a recognised system for its training, and the development of its tactics, is largely the work of Officers and Riflemen of the 60th, and in a very special degree of the 3rd Battalion.

The value of Mounted Infantry under modern conditions of war was established by the phenomenal success of the relatively small force of Mounted Infantry in Egypt in 1882. This corps, raised and organised by an officer of the 60th,[^[52]] owed much of its success to the officers and men drawn from the 3rd Battalion who had similarly served in the Boer war; its high reputation for individual gallantry and initiative was universally acknowledged, and there was no engagement in the war, from the preliminary skirmishes before Alexandria in July, until the capture, by a coup de main, of the citadel of Cairo at mid-night of the 14th–15th September, in which the Mounted Infantry did not take a distinguished share.[^[53]]

1884–85, NILE EXPEDITION.

At Cairo, early in 1884, the inception and scheme of organisation for the Mounted Camel Regiments was also the work of an officer of the 60th Rifles. The Mounted Infantry Camel Regiment in particular which rendered such distinguished service with the Desert Column, under the late General Sir Herbert Stewart, was raised and equipped by the same officer, and was largely composed of officers and men of the 60th. Two out of the four companies were commanded by officers of the 60th (Fetherstonhaugh[^[54]] and Berkeley Pigott,[^[55]] both of whom had served with the 3rd Battalion in South Africa), and six out of the sixteen subaltern company officers were also Riflemen.[^[56]]

In June, 1886, a comprehensive scheme for raising and training Mounted Infantry in England was first proposed, before a public audience, by an officer of the 60th, under the powerful wing of Lord Wolseley, and in November of the same year Mounted Infantry were raised and trained under Captain Lewis Butler at Shorncliffe from detachments of the 2nd Battalion and other regiments, under the effective supervision of Colonel Sir Baker Russell.[^[57]]

When, in 1887, it was subsequently decided to form a regiment of Mounted Infantry for service with the Cavalry Division, composed of detachments from nearly all infantry battalions on home service, the command and organisation was again given to an officer of the 60th, and, out of the eight companies composing the original regiment, the 60th and Rifle Brigade found two, or one-fourth of the whole corps. The Mounted Infantry movement therefore may be said to owe its inception, and in a large measure its success, to the officers of the 60th, and to their riflemen.

The Mounted Infantry system thus begun was largely developed, so that upon the outbreak of the South African war in 1899 there were many thousands of officers and men throughout the infantry of the Army who had been trained as Mounted Infantry. It has been rightly said[^[58]] that the ultimately successful issue of the late campaign was in a great measure due to “the large number of Mounted Infantry officers previously trained, and to the long work of preparation carried on before the war by the Mounted Infantry enthusiasts.” If this is so, The King’s Royal Rifle Corps may lay a fair claim to a goodly share of such an important result.

IX.
1886–1898.—Indian Frontier. Chitral. Manipur. Wreck of the “Warren Hastings.”

1891, INDIAN FRONTIER.

In March, 1891, the 1st Battalion, then recently arrived in India, formed part of the 3rd Brigade, Hazara Field Force, and took part in the operations on the Samana Range, where Colonel Cramer,[^[59]] commanding the Battalion, was severely wounded; and the command throughout the remainder of the campaign devolved upon Major the Hon. Keith Turnour.[^[60]] The Battalion also took part in the expedition sent into the Sheikhan country and Khanki Valley, and in the action at Mastaon.

1891, MANIPUR.

During the same period the 4th Battalion, under command of Lieutenant-Colonel R. Chalmer,[^[61]] formed part of the successful Manipur Expedition in April, and from December in the same year until May, 1892, was continually employed with various columns in Burma and the Chin Lushai country.

1895, CHITRAL.

In September, 1892, the 1st Battalion took part in the Isazai Expedition. In March, 1895, it again took the field under Lieutenant-Colonel H. B. MacCall,[^[62]] and formed part of the Chitral Relief Force, serving with the leading brigade under Brigadier-General A. A. Kinloch.[^[63]] The Battalion highly distinguished itself in the battle of the Malakand on the 3rd of April, and again in the action at Khar on the following day, thereby adding Chitral to the honours of the Regiment.

Jan. 14th, 1897, WRECK OF THE “WARREN HASTINGS.”

At the end of 1896 the 1st Battalion, under command of Lieut.-Colonel M. C. B. Forestier-Walker, left India, and embarked on the Royal Indian Marine Troopship, Warren Hastings. Leaving four companies at Cape Town, the headquarters of the battalion and the remaining four companies proceeded to the Mauritius, when the ship steaming at full speed on a very dark night, struck upon the rocks off the Island of Reunion at 2.20 a.m. on the 14th January, 1897, and became a total wreck.[^[64]]

The troops on board, in addition to the Headquarters and four companies of the Rifles, consisted of four companies of the York and Lancaster Regiment, and a small detachment of the Middlesex Regiment, which, with women and children, numbered in all 995. They “at once fell in on the main deck in perfect order until 4 a.m., when the (Naval) Commander ordered their disembarkation to commence by rope ladders from the bows.... At 4.20 a.m. the position of the vessel appeared so critical that he at once ordered the disembarkation of the men to cease, and the women, children, and sick to be passed out. This order was promptly carried out; the men clung to the side as they stood (the ship lurching and bumping heavily), and passed out the women and children through; no man murmuring or moving from his post.”[^[65]]

At 4.35 a.m., as the ship was in imminent danger of heeling over and sinking, it became necessary to expedite the landing. Owing to the “remarkable courage and exemplary discipline” displayed, the whole ship’s company, except two natives, were safely passed on to the rocks and saved. “Lieutenant-Colonel Forestier-Walker,[^[66]] who was in command, was the last soldier to leave the ship.”

“The Commander-in-Chief,”[^[67]] ends the Special Army Order of March the 13th, 1897, by declaring that he “is proud of the behaviour of the troops during this trying time. He regards it as a good example of the advantages of subordination and strict discipline, for it was by that alone, under God’s Providence, that heavy loss of life was prevented.”

The Regiment will always cherish the honoured memory of Colonel Forestier-Walker and of their comrades, who were thus given the opportunity of supplying one of the finest examples of high discipline, which the annals of the British Army can show.

X.
1899–1902.—South Africa. Talana Hill. Defence of Ladysmith. Relief of Ladysmith. Transvaal.

Note.—As the following section deals with contemporaneous events and with members of the Regiment still serving, it has been considered advisable to adopt a simple form of record of events by Battalions and units, leaving to a future historian the compilation of a complete narrative.

First Battalion.

1st BATTALION.

When, on October the 7th, 1899, war was declared by President Kruger and the Boer Government, the 1st Battalion, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Henry Gunning, was at Dundee, Natal, with the exception of G Company, which was at Eshowe in Zululand, and there remained until after the following March.

At Talana Hill (20th of October), the first battle of the war, the Battalion greatly distinguished itself in the attack of the Boer position, and took a leading part in the complete defeat of the enemy.[^[68]] Lieutenant-Colonel Gunning was killed leading the assault, and out of seventeen officers present, five were killed and eight wounded, together with many N.C.O.’s and Riflemen. Major W. Pitcairn Campbell[^[69]] thereupon assumed command.

Then came the retreat to Ladysmith by a forced march under peculiarly trying circumstances, and on the 30th October took place the battle of Lombard’s Kop, which, indecisive in its effect, led to the investment by the Boer Army. The four months Defence of Ladysmith was the result, the chief battle being that of Waggon Hill on January the 6th, 1900.

Up to March, 1900, the Battalion lost eight officers and forty-three men killed, eight officers and 180 men wounded, and eighty-one men who died in hospital.

After the Relief of Ladysmith, on the 3rd of March, the Battalion joined the 8th Brigade, 5th Division, and was with Buller’s advance into the Transvaal, taking part in the passage of the Biggarsberg in May, the attacks on Botha’s Pass and Alleman’s Nek (8th and 11th of June).

In August the Battalion assisted in the capture of Amersfoort and Ermelo, and was present at the battle of Belfast (August the 27th), when the armies under Roberts and Buller first joined forces, taking part in the attack on Bergendal.

It subsequently assisted in the occupation of Lydenburg (6th of September), and at the fighting in the Mauchberg (9th of September), and at Pilgrim’s Rest (27th of September). On October the 16th, 1900, the Battalion returned to Middelburg, where it was continually engaged in minor operations until July, 1901, when it proceeded to Cape Colony. Here it built the seventy miles of blockhouses between De Aar and Orange River, which it occupied till the end of the war in June, 1902.

Second Battalion.

2nd BATTALION.

The 2nd Battalion left India, and landed in Natal in October, 1899, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel G. Grimwood, and proceeded at once to Ladysmith, taking part in the battles of Rietfontein (October the 24th) and Lombard’s Kop, in which it fought alongside the 1st Battalion. It served through the Defence of Ladysmith, and greatly distinguished itself in the famous fight on Waggon Hill of January the 6th.

Up to the 31st of March the Battalion lost five officers (including two attached) and twenty-six men killed in action, seventy-five men wounded, and 107 who died in hospital.

After the relief it was under the command of Major the Hon. E. J. Montagu-Stuart-Wortley,[^[70]] and, with the 1st Battalion, formed part of the 8th Brigade, 5th Division until the 1st of August, 1900, when it proceeded to Ceylon in charge of prisoners of war.

Third Battalion.

3rd BATTALION.

The 3rd Battalion, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Robert George Buchanan-Riddell, left England in November, 1899, with the 4th Light Infantry Brigade, under Major-General the Hon. N. G. Lyttelton, and landed at Durban on the 30th. It took part in all the battles for the Relief of Ladysmith, namely, Colenso (December the 15th), Spion Kop (January the 24th), Vaal Krantz (5th–7th of February), and the fourteen days continuous fighting from the 13th to the 27th of February, including the actions at Cingolo, Monte Christo, Hlangwane, Hart’s Hill, and the final battle of Pieter’s Hill, on February the 27th, Majuba Day. The Battalion rightly cherishes with pride the names of Spion Kop, Vaal Krantz, and Hart’s Hill. At Spion Kop[^[71]] it captured by a bold and vigorous stroke the famous Twin Peaks single-handed, rightly considered one of the most notable feats of the war. Lieutenant-Colonel Buchanan-Riddell was killed on the summit at the moment of victory while leading his men, and Major R. Bewicke-Copley[^[72]] thereupon assumed command. At Vaal Krantz, after being engaged for twenty-four hours, the Battalion highly distinguished itself in repulsing the Boer counter-attack.[^[73]] At Hart’s Hill four companies were prominent in the desperate struggle during the night of the 22nd–23rd of February, delivering two bayonet charges and losing over a third of their number in killed and wounded.[^[74]] Part of the Rifle Reserve Battalion was also engaged in this fight. The Battalion lost during this portion of the campaign three officers and forty-six men killed in action, eleven officers and 195 men wounded, while fifty-nine men died in hospital, and eight men were reported missing.

It is worthy of remark that the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Battalions met in the streets of Ladysmith on 3rd of March, 1900, when Sir Redvers Buller entered the town at the head of his army.

After the relief of Ladysmith, the 3rd Battalion with the Light Infantry Brigade of the 2nd Division took part in the advance through Northern Natal, in the passage of the Biggarsberg, and in the attacks on Botha Pass and Alleman’s Nek, 8th–11th June. It entered Heidelberg at the end of June, 1900, and from that date until the end of October it was engaged in the neighbourhood of Standerton and Greylingstad protecting the railway. In November, 1900, Lieutenant-Colonel Bewicke-Copley was selected for command of a mobile column, which, till November the 19th, included his own 3rd Battalion. The Battalion subsequently occupied a line of blockhouses between Machadodorp and Dalmanutha, Eastern Transvaal, till the end of the war.

Fourth Battalion.

4th BATTALION.

The 4th Battalion was quartered at Cork during the earlier phases of the war, and was engaged in training and sending out reinforcements to a large extent of Mounted Infantry. It was not until December, 1901, that the Battalion, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel E. W. Herbert,[^[75]] sailed to Africa. Landing at Durban, it proceeded to Harrismith, O.R.C., where it constructed and occupied a line of blockhouses running west, and remained there until the conclusion of peace in June, 1902.

Rifle Reserve Battalion.

RIFLE RESERVE BATTALION.

The Reserve Battalion, under the command of Major the Hon. E. J. Montagu-Stuart-Wortley, was organised at Pieter-Maritzberg, and composed of officers and reservists of The King’s Royal Rifle Corps and of The Rifle Brigade, who were intended to re-inforce the battalions shut up in Ladysmith. It joined the 11th Brigade at Chieveley, Natal, in January, 1900, and took part in the operations of the 13th to the 27th of February, namely, Cingolo, Monte Christo, Hlangwane, Hart’s Hill, and the final battle of Pieter’s Hill. After the Relief of Ladysmith this improvised Battalion was broken up, and the officers and men of the Regiment were distributed between 1st and 2nd Battalions.

Ninth Battalion.

9th BATTALION (NORTH CORK MILITIA).

This Militia Battalion of the Regiment, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel William Cooke-Collis,[^[76]] volunteered for active service, and, their services having been accepted, embarked for the seat of war in January, 1900. Landing at Cape Town on February 1st,[^[77]] it proceeded at once to Naauwpoort, and took part in the operations round Colesburg. Leaving Naauwpoort in March, the Battalion was employed protecting the main line of communication and the reconstruction of the railway through the Free State in rear of Lord Roberts’ army. It eventually took charge of the line between Vereeniging and Honing Spruit, where it remained for a year, during which its section of the line was never once cut by the enemy; this successful result was in a large measure due to the good work done by the company of Mounted Infantry raised from the Battalion.

The Battalion returned home in August, 1901, and was disembodied.

The Mounted Infantry of The King’s Royal Rifle Corps.

Note.—The Mounted Infantry raised in the Regiment having played so distinguished a part in the campaign, it has been considered advisable for purposes of historical reference to record their services by battalions. The establishment of a Mounted Infantry Company was 5 officers and 142 other ranks, organised into four sections.

1st BATT. M.I.

A company was raised from the 1st Battalion in South Africa before the war; it fought at Talana Hill (October the 20th, 1899), was in the Defence of Ladysmith, and later with Buller’s army until it arrived at Lydenburg in October, 1900. After this it was continually engaged in the Eastern Transvaal, until it joined the 25th Mounted Infantry in October, 1901 (see below). This Company lost twenty-five killed and thirty-three wounded during the war.

2nd BATT. M.I.

A Company was raised from the 2nd Battalion upon its arrival in Natal, which was left outside Ladysmith, and, joining Buller’s army on the Tugela, took part in the campaign for the Relief of Ladysmith with Dundonald’s Mounted Troops. After the relief this Company joined Gough’s Mounted Infantry, and accompanied Buller’s army up to Lydenburg, being subsequently engaged in the Eastern Transvaal, Zululand, and the Orange River Colony until the end of the war. The wastage in personnel was such that only two officers and twenty-nine others of the original company then remained, but the fact that twenty per cent. of the original horses, received in October, 1899, were still doing duty, constituted a notable record in horse management.

3rd BATT. M.I.

The 3rd Battalion contributed one section to “The Rifles’ Company” of the 1st M.I. (Vide 4th Battalion M.I.).

A second section, formed in December, 1899, fought with Dundonald’s mounted troops in the Relief of Ladysmith, subsequently joining Gough’s M.I. at Blood River Poort, where it was severely handled and its commander, Mildmay, was killed. This section, in October, 1901, was united with a third section raised in 1900, and joined the 25th M.I. in October, 1901 (see below), when the strength was raised to a full company.

4th BATT. M.I.

The 4th Battalion contributed a section to “The Rifles’ Company,” under Captain Dewar, which, together with the section of the 3rd Battalion, and the two sections from the 3rd and 4th Battalions Rifle Brigade, formed one of the four companies composing the celebrated 1st M.I., organised and trained at Aldershot under Lieutenant-Colonel E. A. H. Alderson before the war. The “Rifles Company” was temporarily detached, and, landing at Port Elizabeth in November, 1899, joined the force under Major-General Sir William Gatacre, which was defeated at Stormberg on December the 12th, where it was mentioned for its gallant conduct in covering the retreat. The Company was then attached to French’s Cavalry Division, and was at the battle of Paardeburg, where Captain Dewar was killed, and was also present at the surrender of Cronje on the 27th of February, Majuba Day. It then rejoined the 1st M.I.; and took part in the battles of Poplar Grove and Driefontein, and the entry into Bloemfontein (10th of March). It was at the surprise of Broadwood’s Calvary Brigade at Sannah’s Post (31st of March), where it behaved with conspicuous gallantry, and it was at the relief of Wepener, and in the fighting near Thabanchu.

The 1st M.I. were then allotted to Alderson’s Brigade with Hutton’s[^[78]] Mounted Troops, and took part in Lord Roberts’ advance upon Pretoria on the 2nd May.

The Company, therefore, was present in the actions of Brandfort, Vet River, Sand River, Kroonstadt, the Vaal River (27th of May), the battle of Doornkop, near Johannesburg (28th–29th of May), the actions at Kalkhoevel Defile, Six Mile Spruit (4th of June), and the entry into Pretoria (5th of June). It was similarly engaged at the battle of Diamond Hill (11th of June); in the fighting south-east of Pretoria and at the action of Rietvlei (July the 16th); in the advance to and operations round Middelburg; in the battle of Belfast (24th of August, 1900); and in the march east from Dalmanutha, including the assault of the almost impregnable position of Kaapsche Hoop during the night of the 12th–13th of September.

From this time till the end of the war this Company was continually marching and fighting in the Orange River Colony and Cape Colony, pursuing De Wet, back again in the Transvaal, in countless forays and skirmishes, in the saddle night and day. When peace was declared it was at Vereeniging, whence it marched to Harrismith, and was absorbed into the Rifle Battalion of M.I. formed at that place.

The 4th Battalion also sent out two complete companies from Cork early in 1901, which were employed in the Transvaal, and subsequently joined the 25th M.I. in October of that year (see below).

25th (THE KING’S ROYAL RIFLE CORPS) MOUNTED INFANTRY BATTALION.

On October the 18th, 1901, a complete Battalion of Mounted Infantry[^[79]] was formed from the Regiment—an unique distinction—and consisted of:—

No. 1 Company 1st Battalion.

No. 2 Company 4th Battalion.

No. 3 Company 3rd Battalion.

No. 4 Company 4th Battalion.

The Battalion was concentrated at Middelburg in the Transvaal, and was placed under the command of Major C. L. E. Robertson-Eustace[^[80]] until January, 1902, when he was succeeded by Major W. S. Kays.[^[81]]

The Battalion thus organised was composed of officers and riflemen who had been in the field from the beginning of the war, and were therefore tried and experienced soldiers. It joined Benson’s[^[82]] column at Middelburg, a column of which it was said that no Dutchman dared sleep within thirty miles of its bivouac. The ceaseless activity and success of Benson eventually decided Louis Botha, the Boer Commander-in-Chief, to make a determined attempt to destroy his force. To achieve this purpose he collected nearly 2000 men, and by a skilful combination of his troops attacked the column while on the march near Bakenlaagte upon the 30th of October. By a rapid charge he overwhelmed the rear guard, captured two guns, killed Benson, and surrounded the column, but was eventually beaten off. The 25th M.I. fought with a stubborn courage, and by their sturdy gallantry kept the Boers at bay and gloriously upheld the traditions of the Regiment, losing in the action eleven men killed, five officers and forty-five men wounded.

Thus—stoutly fought out on both sides by mounted troops of this especial type—ended a fight which has been described as unique in the annals of war.[^[83]] The spirit of the Riflemen will best be understood from the lips of one of the wounded in this gallant fight, who remarked that “they were content if they had done their duty, and felt rewarded if their Regiment thought well of them.”

The Mounted Infantry Battalion of the Regiment ended its short but brilliant career by taking part in all the great “drives” in the E. Transvaal and N.E. of the Orange Free State, and was finally at Greylingstad when peace was declared on the 1st June, 1902.

Rifle Depot.

RIFLE DEPOT.

The Depot, under the command of Colonel Horatio Mends, was at Gosport throughout the war. A narrative of the work of the Regiment at this strenuous period would not be complete without grateful reference to the splendid service of administration, training, and equipment, so devotedly performed by the Colonel Commandant, his Staff, and the Company officers generally of the Rifle Depot.

The Adjutant was five times changed, but the Quarter-Master, Major Riley,[^[84]] remained constant to his difficult duties throughout the whole of this trying ordeal.

It is stated that 4470 recruits joined the Depot, were trained, and passed to the various Battalions, while many thousands of Reservists were mobilized, equipped, clothed, and drafted for duty.

The work of discharge at the end of the war was not less severe, but there is no record of failure or of breakdown, and the success of the admirable system of administration was universally acknowledged.[^[85]]

The Rifle Depot was moved back to Winchester on the 29th of March, 1903, after nine years of exile at Gosport caused by the re-building of the Barracks which had been destroyed by fire.