23rd DLOY Coy IY
OPERATIONS IN CAPE COLONY 1900 - 1902
On Boxing Day 1900, the Yeomanry left with Colonel De Lisle's column in pursuit of the enemy around Carnarvan. Operations were fluid with exchanges between patrols and small parties of Boers taking place continuously. A Yeomanry scouting party was surprised by the enemy, captured and condemned to death but literally minutes before execution news of the approach of the De Lisle's Force caused theBoers to break camp hurriedly and gave the
scouts the opportunity to escape. WhenCarnarvan was relieved the most infuriating news was that the Boers had deliberately destroyed all the private mail from EnglandHowever, a great deal of county news wasreceived first hand from the reinforcement draft of thirty five men under Lieutenant Forwood who had recently arrived in South Africa from England.
Operations in Cape Colony were on a lesser scale than in the Transvaal with emphasis given to providing outposts charged with policing certain areas, protection of farmers and tradespeople against Boer raiding parties and generally re-establishing an atmosphere of law and order. Yeomanry detachments at various times during the next few months camped and patrolled around Sutherland, Calvinia, Jackalsfontein, The Roggevelt, Schietfontein, Achter Kop, Middlepost, Somerset East, Rosmead, Steynsburg, Schoombee, Spitzkip, Kendrew and Pearston. On one occasion swift regrouping took place under Colonel Henniker in an effort to crush a Commando which had fermented rebellion in the area around Steynsburg. The column consisted of four companies of Imperial Yeomanry (the 23rd, 24th, 65th and 71st), three squadrons of Bushmen from Australia, a company of the 2nd Goldstream and two guns of M Battery RHA. It was a Will-O-The-Wisp operation with slight brushes, constant patrolling by both sides and remembered mainly for the horror on the discovery of the mangled bodies of two of the British Scouts who had been tortured, mutilated and put to death. No conclusive clash took place, but the presence of Henniker's column with its highly mobile mounted components had its effect, and the Boers abandoned their attempted domination of the area. It was towards the end of this intensive patrolling period, in April 1901, that the Duke of Lancaster's Own Yeomanry Contingent received orders to return to England.
A few chose to stay in Cape Colony and start new lives there, or to continue the adventure with the new draft or in other units.
The second group - the relief contingent -experience constant patrolling amidst the ever-presnt threat of snipers and ambush. A brief action at Middleport left four dead or dying and six wounded but the major actions of the later stages of the war occured in other areas.
The war finally ended in May 1902 with the Transvaal and the Orange Free State being absorbed into the British Empire with the promise of future Boer self-government.
In recognition of the fact that 122 men from the Regiment had served overseas, 102 of them in the 23rd Company, 8th Imperial Yeomanry, the 'Duke'es Own' were granted the battle honour 'South Africa 1900-1902.'
This interesting photograph is in the 'D' Squadron album and clearly shows the Yeomanry on Blackpool railway station. Below is a knowledgeable interpretation of the photograph by John Anderson, one of the Museum trustees.
"I believe that the photograph is of the 23rd arriving at Blackpool in January 1900 for the four weeks training that they had prior to moving to Liverpool for embarkation to South Africa. I base this on the fact that the doors are open on the empty horse vans to the left of the picture and although it is very indistinct it appears as if they are trying to lead a horse out of the next railway van, rather than pushing it in. On the further assumption that there might be four horses to a van, this would fit with the roughly 20 troopers/NCOs waiting on the platform to receive their mounts, the rest of the detachment having led away their horses.
They are kitted out with 1895 Long Lee Enfield rifles and what appear to be 50 round webbing bandoliers ro supplement the 1888 Slade Wallace equipment."
They could possibly be on their way back from the rifle ranges at Fleetwood, but I have discounted this for the reason that they would more likely ride in formation along the beach and road from & to Blackpool to Fleetwood, rather have all the bother and expense of railway transport, unless of course it was as an exercise."
A Yeomanry Scout Galloping with Despatches in the Boer War
- Date painted: 1903
- Oil on canvas, 86.5 x 66 cm
- Collection: Defence Academy of the United Kingdom
