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Officers of the
5th Dragoon Guards |
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Click here for a list of recipients of the
QSA.
The regiment arrived in Natal from India before the war broke out.
They took part in the battle of Elandslaagte on 21st October 1899l (see
1st
Devonshire Regiment). The regiment was not present at Rietfontein,
24th October, but on the 30th in the battle of Lombard's Kop (see
1st
Liverpool) they were engaged. Lieutenant Norwood gained the VC on that
day for galloping back 300 yards for a wounded man, carrying him on his
back, at the same time leading his horse, all under a heavy and incessant
fire. After the investment of Ladysmith was complete the regiment was
frequently engaged, particularly on 3rd November 1899 and on 6th January
1900, the day of the great attack (see 1st Devonshire Regiment and
1st
Manchester Regiment). In his despatches of 2nd December 1899 and 23rd
March 1900 General White mentioned 3 officers.
In the northern advance from Ladysmith to the Transvaal the 5th Dragoon
Guards were brigaded with the 1st Royal Dragoons and 13th Hussars under
Brigadier General Burn-Murdoch. When General Buller moved north
towards Lydenburg from the Standerton line Burn-Murdoch's brigade was
employed in the south-east of the Transvaal. In General Buller's final
despatch of 9th November 1900 4 officers and 3 non-commissioned officers and
men of the 5th Dragoon Guards were mentioned for gallant work while the
regiment was under him, the cause of mention in the case of Captain Reynolds
being, "on 15th August with a party of 20 men of the 5th Dragoon Guards
surprised and routed a commando of 400".
In Lord Roberts' despatch of 4th September 1901 8 officers and 5
non-commissioned officers and men were mentioned.
In the first quarter of 1901 the regiment had arduous work in the
south-east of the Transvaal while General French was driving Botha's forces
into that angle. They frequently had skirmishing, but perhaps their
hardest work was the escorting of convoys from the railway to French's men
during a time when the weather scarcely ever faired up for weeks at a time,
and the endless spruits could only be crossed with great difficulty.
The regiment was afterwards taken to the Western Transvaal, and did much
work in the Klerksdorp district. They were for a time in columns under
Colonel Western and Brigadier General G Hamilton, and they afterwards
operated under Brigadier General G Hamilton east of Pretoria. The
regiment sailed for India shortly before peace was declared.
Three officers and 3 non-commissioned officers were mentioned in Lord
Kitchener's final despatch.
