The 2nd Battalion sailed on the Nile on 14th March 1900, and arrived at
the Cape on 3rd April. Along with the 2nd Grenadier Guards, 2nd Scots
Guards, and 1st Leinster Regiment, they formed the 16th Brigade under Major
General Barrington Campbell, and part of the VIIth Division under General
Sir Leslie Rundle. The work of the brigade and of the division is
sketched briefly under the 2nd Grenadier Guards.
The East Yorkshire Regiment were present in the action at Biddulphsberg
on 29th May 1900, but their losses were not severe.
The battalion was in no other big battle, but had much skirmishing and
endless harassing work. In Lord Roberts' final despatch 10 officers
and 12 non-commissioned officers and men were mentioned.
Early on 6th June 1901 Major Sladen of the East Yorkshire Regiment with a
party of 200 Mounted Infantry captured a laager and 45 prisoners at Graspan,
near Reitz. He at once sent back 40 men to communicate with Colonel De
Lisle, as he feared attack, and he took up a defensive position. A
very determined attempt was shortly made by 500 Boers under De Wet and other
commanders to retake the convoy, but the defenders held out till
reinforcements arrived about 3 pm. Many gallant deeds by
representatives of sundry regiments were 'mentioned'. Major Sladen got
promotion. In the Gazette which announced his reward three men of the
East Yorkshire were mentioned for gallant work in the Harrismith-Bethlehem
district.
The battalion operated in the north-east of the Orange River Colony
practically all the time they were in the campaign.
The Mounted Infantry company were in the action at Kaffir's Spruit, in
the Eastern Transvaal, on 19th December 1901, and for exceptionally gallant
conduct on that occasion 1 officer and 3 non-commissioned officers were
mentioned in Lord Kitchener's despatch of 8th March 1902. In his final
despatch 5 officers and 9 non-commissioned officers and men of the battalion
were mentioned.
