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Officers of the
1st Battalion |
Parade of the
1st battalion |
Officers of the
2nd Battalion |
Parade of the
2nd Battalion |
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The 1st Battalion Cameron Highlanders sailed from Egypt, where they had
been stationed, on 3rd March 1900, and arrived in South Africa twenty days
later. They got up to Bloemfontein in time to join the army in the
northern advance, and along with the 1st Sussex, 1st Derbys, and City
Imperial Volunteers, they composed the 21st Brigade under Major General
Bruce Hamilton, and part of the army of the right flank under Lieutenant
General Ian Hamilton. The work of the brigade is dealt with under the
1st Sussex, and of Ian Hamilton's force generally under the
Duke of
Cornwall's Light Infantry. The Camerons did their full share of that
work, taking part in a great many actions up to the occupation of
Johannesburg.
In the beginning of June 1900 a draft for the regiment saw a good deal of
fighting in the north of the Orange River Colony.
On 7th June 1900 the Mounted Infantry company of the battalion had some
fighting near Vredefort Road. It will be remembered that about that
time the enemy had succeeded in cutting the railway, snapping up the 4th
Derbyshire Regiment and other prisoners. The Commander-in-Chief had to
hurry all available troops to the railway to counteract the attempts of De
Wet and his assistants.
The battalion was present at Diamond Hill, but was not heavily engaged.
In July 1900, when the 21st Brigade took part in Sir A Hunter's
operations against Prinsloo, the battalion had some stiff work, especially
in the capture of a very strong position at Spitz Kop or Spitz Ray on 21st
July, when they had about 20 casualties, 3 of which were fatal, and again at
Stephenusdrai on 29th July. This work on the 21st was highly praised
by the brigadier.
During the autumn the Camerons and Sussex remained with General Bruce
Hamilton, and did much weary trekking about the Kroonstad-Lindley-Hoopstad
district.
Thirteen officers and 19 non-commissioned officers and men were mentioned
in Lord Roberts' final despatch.
In January 1901 the Camerons left Bruce Hamilton's command and were taken
to Pretoria, after which they operated in various parts of the Transvaal.
About 25th January the battalion left the Delagoa Railway under Smith-Dorrien,
who commanded a strong force, comprising at the start an infantry brigade
under General Spens, consisting of part of the 1st Suffolk, 2nd West
Yorkshire, 1st Essex, and the 1st Camerons, with mounted troops under
Colonel Henry, including 9th Lancers, 2nd Imperial Light Horse, 3rd Mounted
Infantry, and two guns each of the 66th, 83rd, and 84th Batteries, and three
5-inch guns. The Essex left for Pretoria at the end of January.
There was very heavy fighting at Bothwell on 6th February (see
2nd West
Yorkshire Regiment).
The Camerons accompanied Smith-Dorrien to Piet Retief. About the
13th April the battalion left Piet Retief for Volksrust and railed thence to
Pretoria, where they formed part of the garrison for a time. In June
they were the infantry of a column "detached from Pretoria "under General
Barton to cover the establishment of a line of posts on the Crocodile River.
Later in the year they were on column work in the Eastern Transvaal.
In September 1901 four companies were hurried to the Natal border in
consequence of the threatened invasion by Botha. At the end of October
they were railed back to Pretoria.
The Mounted Infantry company of the Camerons were with General Clements
when he was attacked at Nooitgedacht on 13th December 1900. The
company held their ground splendidly, having 9 killed (including Lieutenant
A C Murdoch) and 10 wounded out of about 40.
Sergeant Donald Farmer
gained the VC for carrying his wounded officer, Lieutenant Sandilands, under
a very heavy and close fire to a place of safety, then returning to the
firing line.
On 14th March 1902 the battalion, along with the 2nd Seaforths and 1st
Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, was railed from Pretoria to Klerksdorp,
in the Western Transvaal, to strengthen the columns there in the final
efforts against the commandos under Delarey, who, it will be remembered,
had captured a convoy and its escort on 24th February, and had defeated a
body of troops under Lord Methuen, the general himself being wounded and
taken prisoner, on 7th March. During the latter part of March and the
month of April the Camerons were chiefly employed in taking convoys to the
mounted columns. In the final drive towards Vryburg under Sir Ian
Hamilton the Camerons were with two columns under Von Donop and Green-fell
on the extreme right of the line. The drive accounted for about 363
prisoners, many waggons, much stock, etc.
During the latter phases of the war 3 officers and 2 men were mentioned
in despatches by Lord Kitchener, and in his final despatch the names of 5
officers and 4 non-commissioned officers and men were mentioned.
