Winston Churchill - Ian Hamilton's March

To make an end two operations were necessary: first, to secure the dangerous limb, and, secondly, to place a strangling grip on the windpipe somewhere near Komati Poorte. The second will, perhaps, be the business of Sir Redvers Buller and the glorious Army of Natal. The first set Hamilton's Brigades in motion as part of an intricate and comprehensive scheme, which arranged for the permanent garrisoning of Frankfort, Heilbron, Lindley, and Senekal, and directed a simultaneous movement against Christian De Wet by four strong flying columns.

I had determined to return to England; but it was with mixed feelings that I watched the departure of the gallant column in whose good company I had marched so many miles and seen such successful fights. Their road led them past Lord Roberts's headquarters, and the old Field–Marshal came out himself to see them off. First the two Cavalry Brigades marched past. They were brigades no longer; the Household Cavalry Regiment was scarcely fifty strong; in all there were not a thousand sabres. Then Ridley's 1,400 Mounted Infantry, the remnants of what on paper was a brigade of nearly 5,000; thirty guns dragged by skinny horses; the two trusty 5–inch 'cow–guns' behind their teams of toiling oxen; Bruce–Hamilton's Infantry Brigade, with the City Imperial Volunteers, striding along—weary of war, but cheered by the hopes of peace, and quite determined to see the matter out; lastly, miles of transport: all streamed by, grew faint in the choking red dust, and vanished through the gap in the southern line of hills. May they all come safely home.

A.D.C.s —Captain de Heriez Smith. Captain Balfour, late 11th Hussars. Captain Maddocks, R.A. Captain Duke of Marlborough, I.Y.

A.A.G. —Lieut.–Colonel Le Gallais, 8th Hussars.

D.A.A.G.s —Captain Vallentin, Somerset L.I. Captain Gamble, Lincoln Regiment. Captain Atcherley, A.S.C. Captain Kirkpatrick, R.E.

Provost Marshal —Captain Sloman, East Surrey Regiment.

Div. Signalling Officer —Captain Ross, Norfolk Regiment.

P.M.O. —Colonel Williams, N. S. Wales A.M.C.

Divisional Troops —Rimington's Guides under Major Rimington, Inniskilling Dragoons.

2ND MOUNTED INFANTRY BRIGADE

BRIGADIER–GENERAL R. RIDLEY

A.D.C. —Captain Hood, Coldstream Guards.

Brigade Major —Lieut–Colonel Mitford, East Surrey Regiment.

Staff Officers —Captain Sir T. MacMahon, Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Captain Eustace Crawley, 12th Lancers.

2ND MOUNTED INFANTRY CORPS

Lieut.–Colonel de Lisle, Commanding Durham Light Infantry.

Staff Officer —Captain Fanshawe, Oxford L.I.

6th M.I. Battalion —Captain Pennefather, Welsh Regiment.

New South Wales Mounted Rifles .

West Australians .

1 Pom–pom.

5TH MOUNTED INFANTRY CORPS

Lieut.–Colonel Dawson, I.S.C.

Staff Officer —Captain Ballard, Norfolk Regiment.

5th M.I. Battalion —Major Lean, Warwick Regiment.

Roberts' Horse —Captain Baumgartner, East Lancashire Regiment.

Marshall's Horse —Captain Corbett.

Ceylon M.I. —Major Rutherford,

1 Pom–pom.

6TH MOUNTED INFANTRY CORPS

Lieut.–Colonel Legge, 20th Hussars.

Staff Officer —Captain Hart, East Surrey Regiment.

2nd M.I. Battalion —Major Dobell.

Kitchener's Horse —Major Cookson, I.S.C.

Lovat's Scouts —Major A. Murray.

1 Pom–pom.

7TH MOUNTED INFANTRY CORPS

Lieut.–Colonel Bainbridge, Buffs.

Staff Officer —Captain Hamilton, Oxford L.I.

7th M.I. Battalion —Major Welch.

Burmah M.I. —Captain Copeman.

1 Pom–pom.

P BATTERY

Ammunition Column —Major Mercer, R.H.A.

Bearer Company and Field Hospital —New South Wales Army Medical Corps.

2ND CAVALRY BRIGADE

BRIGADIER–GENERAL BROADWOOD

A.D.C. —Captain Aldridge, R.H.A.

Brigade–Major —Captain Hon. T. Brand, 10th Hussars.

Signalling Officer —Captain Sloane Stanley, 12th Lancers.

Household Cavalry —Lieut.–Colonel Galley.

10th Lancers —Lieut–Colonel Fisher.

12th Lancers —Lieut.–Colonel Earl of Airlie.

Q Battery, R.A.

Ammunition Column —Captain Kincaid, R.A.

Bearer Company.

Field Hospital.

19TH BRIGADE

MAJOR–GENERAL SMITH–DORRIEN

A.D.C.s —Captain Hood, R.M.L.I. Lieut. Dorrien Smith, Shropshire L.I.

Brigade Major —Major Inglefield, East Yorkshire Regiment.

74th Battery —Major MacLeod.

2nd Duke of Cornwall L.I. —Lieut.–Colonel Ashby.

Shropshire L.I. —Lieut.–Colonel Spens.

Gordon Highlanders —Lieut.–Colonel MacBean.

Royal Canadians —Lieut.–Colonel Otter.

Bearer Company and Field Hospital.

21ST BRIGADE

MAJOR–GENERAL BRUCE–HAMILTON

A.D.C. —Lieut. Frazer, Cameron Highlanders.

Brigade Major —Major Shaw, Derbyshire Regiment.

76th Battery —Major Campbell.

1st Royal Sussex —Lieut.–Colonel Donne.

1st Derby —Major Gossett.

1st Cameron —Lieut.–Colonel Kennedy.

City Imperial Volunteers —Brigadier–Colonel MacKinnon; Colonel The Earl of Albemarle.

Bearer Company.

Field Hospital.

DIVISIONAL ARTILLERY

LIEUT.–COLONEL WALDRON, R.F.A.

8lst Battery.

82nd Battery —Major Conolly.

1 Section of Five–inch guns —Captain Massey.

Ammunition Column —Captain Hardman.

EFFECTIVE FIGHTING STRENGTH

11,000 Men. 4,600 Horses. 8,000 Mules. 36 Field guns. 2 Five–inch guns 23 Machine guns. 6 Pom–poms.

The force left Bloemfontein, April 22. Arrived at Pretoria on June 5. Distance traversed, 401 miles in a straight line. Time on the march, 45 days. Halts, 10 days.

General actions on nine days: Israel's Poorte, April 25. Houtnek, April 30 and May 1. Welkom, May 4. Sand River, May 10. Affair of Lindley, May 20. Doornkop (Florida), May 29. Six Mile Spruit (Pretoria), June 4. Diamond Hill, June 11 and 12.

Eighteen days' skirmishes.

Towns captured: Thabanchu. Winburg. Ventersburg. Kroonstadt. Lindley. Heilbron. Johannesburg. Pretoria.

MAP OF MARCH FROM BLOEMFONTEIN TO PRETORIA

Vide Peerage, Gort and Guillamore.

For full composition see Appendix.

Yet another Elandsfontein, situated to the west of Pretoria.

Be off.

Distributing the proclamation.

A younger brother of that brilliant officer of the Scots Greys, whose death at Nitral Nek a few weeks later was so great a loss to his friends, his regiment, and his country.