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| Uniform |
Officers of the
1st & 2nd Battalions |
Parade of the
1st Battalion |
Sgt Maj of the
2nd Battalion |
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| Visit by King Edward VII |
NCOs |
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The 1st Battalion sailed on the Cheshire on 9th November 1899, and
arrived at the Cape on 28th November. When the war broke out the old
75th, or Dargai battalion, were the garrison at
Edinburgh. On the day after Nicholson's Nek, when it was seen more
troops were needed, the battalion was ordered to sail nine days later, and
on their arrival in South Africa it was not to be expected that so efficient
a battalion would be long at the base. Within ten days of their
arrival they were thrown into the bloody field of Magersfontein to help
their hardly-pressed brothers in the Highland Brigade. The story of
the fatal day has been briefly told under the Black Watch, but as the Gordons were not in the brigade a sketch of their doings may be given.
In his despatch of 15th February 1900 Lord Methuen says: "At 12 noon I
ordered the battalion of the Gordons, which was with the supply column, to
support the Highland Brigade. The trenches, even after the bombardment
by lyddite and shrapnel since daybreak, were too strongly held to be
cleared. The Gordons advanced in separate half-battalions, and though
the attack could not be carried home the battalion did splendid work
throughout the day".
Lord Methuen afterwards says that Colonel Downman of the Gordons gave the
order to "retire" after the right flank of the Gordons had become exposed to
an enfilade fire. This retirement by Colonel Downman's order Lord
Methuen seems to describe as unfortunate. The despatch is printed
under the 2nd Black Watch; it is not quite clear on this and some other
points.
It is only fair to the memory of Colonel Downman and to his battalion to
state that there are the best possible grounds for believing that Lord
Methuen was not accurately informed of what did take place. Two
officers, a doctor, the late Colonel Downman's signalling sergeant, and a
private, who were all close to him when he fell, concur in stating that when
the enfilade fire on the right of the Gordons commenced Colonel Downman rose
up and ran towards the right, he shouted and signalled to throw back the
right and bring up the left, this being the only effectual method of meeting
the flanking fire. While giving these orders the colonel was mortally
wounded.
The Gordons' losses at Magersfontein were Colonel Downman and 2 other
officers and 4 men killed, and 2 officers and 35 men wounded.
Captain Towse, who afterwards got the VC, and 2 non-commissioned officers were
mentioned in Lord Methuen's despatch for great gallantry.
When Lord Roberts arrived at Modder River early in February, the Gordons,
along with the 2nd Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry, the 2nd Shropshire
Light Infantry, and the Canadian Regiment, were placed in the 19th Brigade
under Smith-Dorrien, and the IXth Division under General Colvile. Some
account of the very fine work of the brigade, from its formation to the
taking of Pretoria, is given under the Cornwalls; but in some actions the
1st Gordons had bits of the play all to themselves, and these it is not out
of place to refer to here.
At Paardeberg the Gordons were not so heavily engaged on the 18th as the
other battalions of the division, but, like the others, they did very fine
work on that and during the next nine days. On the night of the 22nd
the Gordons relieved the Shropshires in the advanced trenches up the river bed, the men having to crawl on their stomachs in carrying out the relief.
In the final move forward on the night of the 27th they supported the
Canadians in their splendid advance, by which our troops got established
within 80 yards of Cronje's trenches, which, as Lord Roberts said in his
telegram of 27th February 1900 and despatch of 28th February, "apparently
clinched matters". At Paardeberg the Gordons had 4 officers wounded and
about 25 other casualties.
Three officers, 5 non-commissioned officers, and 1 private were mentioned
by Lord Roberts in his despatch of 31st March for their good work up to the
taking of Bloemfontein.
At Hout Nek on 30th April, after the 19th Brigade had become part of Ian
Hamilton's division, the Boer position was found to be very strong and held
with great determination. Mr Churchill, in describing a critical part
of the action, when the enemy were receiving continual reinforcements, says:
"At last about two o'clock some one hundred and fifty of the German Corps of
the Boer force advanced from the northern point of Thoba in four lines
across the table-top to drive the British off the hill. So regular was
their order that it was not until their levelled rifles were seen pointing
south that they were recognised as foes, and artillery opened on them.
In spite of an accurate shell-fire they continued to advance boldly against
the highest part of the hill, and meanwhile, cloaked by a swell of the
ground, Captain Towse of the Gordon Highlanders, with twelve men of his own
regiment and ten of Kitchener's Horse, was steadily moving towards them.
The scene on the broad stage of the Thoba plateau was intensely dramatic.
The whole army were the witnesses. The two forces, strangely
disproportioned, drew near to each other. Neither was visible to the
other. The unexpected collision impended. From every point field
glasses were turned on the spectacle, and even hardened soldiers held
their breath. At last, with suddenness, both parties came face to face
at fifty yards' distance. The Germans, who had already made six
prisoners, called loudly on Captain Towse and his little band to surrender.
What verbal answer was returned is not recorded; but a furious splutter of
musketry broke out at once, and in less than a minute the long lines of the
enemy recoiled in confusion, and the top of the hill was secured to the
British". It was on this occasion that Captain Towse was blinded by a
bullet. Thus, as Mr Churchill says, "do Misery and Joy walk hand in
hand on the field of war".
An officer who was present thinks the enemy took no prisoners, certainly
he took no Gordons.
One month later at Doornkop or Florida, south-west of Johannesburg, the
whole battalion got its chance, and as usual took it. As has been
explained elsewhere (see Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry), Ian Hamilton's
force had been thrown across the front of the main army and had become the
army of the left flank. On 29th May it was seen the enemy were
strongly posted and clearly meant to make a stand on the ridges south of the
main Rand and south-west of Florida. French with the cavalry tried a
wide turning movement from the British left, but the ground was very
difficult and progress slow. Late in the afternoon it was apparent the
infantry must do it, and by the now dreaded frontal attack. It is very
wrong to quote again a long passage from Mr Churchill, but if the objection
were made by any one jealous of the Gordons, it might be replied that
another eyewitness, Mr March Phillipps, of the Imperial Yeomanry, the clever
author of 'With Rimington', describes the scene in terms almost identical
with the following, and he too characterises the advance as, "I think, the
finest performance I have seen in the whole campaign ": "The leading
battalion of the 19th Brigade chanced, for there was no selection, to be the
Gordon Highlanders, nor was it without a thrill that I watched this famous
regiment move against the enemy. Their extension and advance were
conducted with machine-like regularity. The officers explained what
was required to the men. They were to advance rapidly until under
rifle-fire, and then to push on or not as they might be instructed.
With impassive unconcern the veterans of Chitral, Dargai, the Bara Valley,
Magersfontein, Paardeberg, and Hout Nek walked leisurely forward, and the
only comment recorded was the observation of a private, 'Bill, this looks
like being a kopje day'. Gradually the whole battalion drew out clear of the
covering ridge, and long dotted lines of brown figures filled the plain".
After speaking of the artillery-fire, Mr Churchill says: "Yet when every
allowance has been made for skilful direction and bold leading, the honours,
equally with the cost of the victory, belong more to the Gordon Highlanders
than to all the other troops put together. The rocks against which
they advanced proved in the event to be the very heart of the enemy's
position. The grass in front of them was burnt and burning, and
against this dark background the khaki figures showed distinctly. The
Dutch held their fire until the attack was within 800 yards, and then,
louder than the cannonade, the ominous rattle of concentrated rifle-fire
burst forth. The black slope was spotted as thickly with grey puffs of
dust where the bullets struck as with advancing soldiers, and tiny figures
falling by the way told of heavy loss. But the advance neither checked
nor quickened. With remorseless stride, undisturbed by peril or
enthusiasm, the Gordons swept steadily onward, changed direction half left
to avoid, as far as possible, an enfilade fire, changed again to the right
to effect a lodgment on the end of the ridge most suitable to attack, and at
last rose up together to charge. The black slope twinkled like jet
with the unexpected glitter of bayonets. The rugged sky line
bristled with kilted figures, as, in perfect discipline and disdainful
silence, those splendid soldiers closed on their foe. The Boers shrank
from the contact. Discharging their magazines furiously, and firing
their guns twice at point-blank range, they fled in confusion to the main
ridge, and the issue of the action was no longer undecided". The Gordons
were led by Lieutenant Colonel Burney and by Colonel Forbes Macbean, who has
perhaps seen more hard fighting than any officer now alive and with his
regiment.
In closing his description of this action Mr March Phillipps says: "To
walk steadily on through a fire of this sort, which gets momentarily hotter
and better aimed as he diminishes the distance between himself and the
enemy, in expectation every instant of knowing 'what it feels like', is the
highest test of courage that a soldier in these days can give ... Knowing exactly from experience what lay in front of them,
these Gordons were as cool as cucumbers. As they lay among the stones
with us before beginning the advance, I spoke to several, answering their
questions and pointing them out the lie of the ground and the Boer position.
You could not have detected the least trace of anxiety or concern in any of
them. The front rank, when the order to advance was given, stepped
down with a swing of the kilt and a swagger that only a Highland regiment
has. 'Steady on the left', they took their dressing as they reached
the flat. Some one sang out, 'When under fire wear a cheerful face';
and the men laughingly passed the word along, 'When under fire wear a
cheerful face'".
In a telegram to 'The Morning Post' their brilliant correspondent
remarked, "There is no doubt they are the finest regiment in the world". Such a sentence might cause heart-burnings, but at least there is some
ground for it. The reference in Lord Roberts' telegram, "whose advance
excited the admiration of all", is alone sufficient to make the men of the
north-east of Scotland very proud.
The losses of the Gordons were severe. Real glory is never to be
bought by a regiment at a low price. Captain St John Meyrick and 19
men were killed, Lieutenant Colonel Burney and other 8 officers and about 70
men were wounded. The three officers of the Volunteer company were
among the wounded. Corporal J F Mackay was awarded the VC for
conspicuous bravery in dressing the wounds of comrades and carrying one man
some distance under very heavy fire.
On 10th July Smith-Dorrien was directed to take the Gordons and
Shropshires to Krugersdorp to collect supplies north-west of that town.
On the 11th the enemy were found very strongly posted. Two guns were
pushed too far forward and could not be taken back by horses. Fifteen
out of 17 gunners were shot down, but this did not deter the Gordons from
making a desperate effort, and ultimately the guns were recovered.
Captain and Adjutant W E Gordon rushed out and tied a rope to a gun, and
then got his men to haul it back. Captain Gordon got the VC, and
Captain Younger would also have got the coveted honour had he not died of
wounds he received. Captain Gordon had been dangerously wounded at Magersfontein.
When Lord Roberts had advanced eastwards to about Belfast, it was seen that
the country north of that and on the way to Lydenburg was so difficult that
General Buller with two brigades would not be able to attain his objective.
Accordingly a column consisting of the 1st Royal Scots, 1st Royal Irish
Regiment, and 1st Gordons, with ten guns, was placed under General Ian
Hamilton to penetrate northwards and on the left flank of Buller.
When Buller and Ian Hamilton had occupied Lydenburg, where, by the way,
the 1st and 2nd Battalions had a memorable meeting, Hamilton turned south
again to the main line and then marched to Koomati Poort. Here again,
on 30th September, the Gordons had a misfortune through an explosion among
some ammunition which had been left by the Boers. One man was killed
and 1 officer and 19 men were injured. In November the battalion was
operating near Belfast under Smith-Dorrien, and on the 2nd had some stiff
rear-guard fighting, in which they lost 1 man killed and 1 officer and 7 men
wounded.
Twenty-seven officers and 39 non-commissioned officers and men were
mentioned in Lord Roberts' final despatch, but these commendations embraced
both 1st and 2nd Battalions.
The 1st Battalion formed part of the garrison of Belfast when it was
attacked on 7th to 8th January 1901. The attack was repulsed, the
Gordons' losses being 3 killed and 14 wounded. General Ben Viljoen in
his book on the war deals with the attack on Belfast, and lavishes great
praise on the defenders, the Royal Irish Regiment and Gordon Highlanders.
The battalion was to have no more heavy fighting. Their history
after this date is like that of most of the infantry, garrison and
blockhouse work, varied by a trek as occasion arose. Always doing
well,, mixed up in no regrettable incidents, the Dargai battalion all
through the two and a half years' fighting which they saw maintained their
splendid reputation absolutely unsullied, and confirmed the opinion long
formed by competent judges that as a fighting unit they could not be
excelled.
Towards the close of the war the battalion was brought to the Pretoria
district.
The Mounted Infantry company of the battalion was with Colonel De Lisle
when that officer was assisting to drive the enemy out of Cape Colony in
January and February 1901, and they were also with him when acting under
General Elliot in the north-east of the Orange River Colony, May to July
1901. On 5th June Major Sladen (East Yorkshire Regiment) marched to
Graspan, near Reitz, to intercept a convoy. The laager was found in
the early morning of the 6th and captured, 45 prisoners being taken.
Major Sladen sent back 40 men to inform Colonel De Lisle. About noon
500 Boers under Fourie, Delarey, and De Wet made a determined attempt to
recapture the convoy. "During the close fighting which ensued the
Boers succeeded in removing some of the captured waggons, which were parked
outside the position, but failed to make any impression on the defence". In his telegram of 15th June Lord Kitchener said the Mounted Infantry
"behaved with great gallantry". Reinforcements arrived at three, and the
enemy retired in haste, and were pursued, the waggons being taken again.
The Gordons lost Lieutenant Cameron and 10 men killed and 10 wounded.
Lieutenant Cameron was mentioned in despatches.
Lieutenant White got
the DSO for "having been taken prisoner, and stripped, escaped, ran six
miles, and brought up reinforcements". Sergeant Sutherland got the
distinguished conduct medal for preventing the escape of 40 prisoners,
although the enemy was within ten yards and he severely wounded in bringing
in a comrade. Four others of the little band were mentioned for great
courage and example. The sorrows of horsemanship had not affected the
Highlanders' pluck. A few other mentions were picked up in the latter
phases of the war. In the supplementary or final despatch 7 officers
and 6 non-commissioned officers of the Gordons were mentioned, but these
embraced both battalions.
The 2nd Battalion was one of the four infantry battalions which, along
with three cavalry regiments and three batteries of artillery, were
despatched from India to Natal in September 1899, when war was a foregone
conclusion.
The 2nd Gordons were part of the force in Ladysmith when General
Penn-Symons and his force were at Dundee, and they were not at Talana Hill,
but, along with the 1st Devon and 1st Manchester, were brigaded under
Colonel Ian Hamilton, and with him fought at Elandslaagte, 21st October 1899
(see 1st Devonshire Regiment).
The 2nd Gordons took a very prominent part in that battle, and out of the
five companies present—about 425 officers and men—they had 123 casualties.
Major Denne and 4 lieutenants were killed. Colonel W H Dick-Cunyngham
and 7 other officers were wounded; 27 men were killed and 83 wounded.
Only 3 officers present were untouched. The action brought two VC's to
the battalion, those of Lieutenant Meiklejohn and
Sergeant Major Robertson.
Three officers and 1 non-commissioned officer were mentioned in Sir G
White's despatch of 2nd December 1899.
On 24th October General White fought the battle of Rietfontein in order
to engage the attention of the Boers and prevent them attacking General
Yule's column, then retreating from Dundee. The Gordons did not take
part in that action. On mournful Monday, 30th October, the battle
known as Lombard's Kop, Farquhar's Farm, and Nicholson's Nek—really the
battle of Ladysmith—was fought (see 1st Liverpool Regiment). The 2nd Gordons,
along with the 1st Devon, 1st Manchester, and 2nd Rifle Brigade, still under
Colonel Ian Hamilton, were in the centre; but the real fighting took place
entirely on the flanks, the left, which was in the air, being captured
bodily and the right being forced to retire. That retirement
Hamilton's men covered, and but for them and the artillery it might have
become a rout. On 6th January the great attack on Ladysmith took
place. It had been said that the Boers would not act on the offensive;
that day disproved the assertion. The brunt of the attack fell on
Caesar's Camp and Waggon Hill, neither of which had been intrenched quite as
they should have been (see 2nd Rifle Brigade). The defenders at first
were—on Caesar's Camp the 1st Man-chesters, the 42nd RFA, some sailors with
a 12-pounder gun, and some Natal Volunteers; on Waggon Hill three companies
King's Royal Rifles and a squadron Imperial Light Horse, besides some Royal
Engineers and a working party of Gordons who were preparing a
gun-emplacement. Waggon Hill was attacked at 2.30 am and Caesar's Camp
at 3 am. At daylight the Imperial Light Horse reached Waggon Hill and the
Gordons Caesar's Camp, followed by four companies 1st King's Royal Rifles
and four companies 2nd King's Royal Rifles to Waggon Hill and the 2nd Rifle
Brigade to Caesar's Camp. Early in the forenoon the 5th Lancers
arrived at Caesar's Camp and the 18th Hussars at Waggon Hill. The 5th
Dragoon Guards and one and a half squadrons of the 19th Hussars further
reinforced Waggon Hill about four o'clock. Fiercer fighting was not
seen in the whole campaign, and it raged on both hills from daybreak till 5
pm, when a final charge by three companies of the 1st Devons under Colonel
Park cleared the enemy from Waggon Hill. About the same hour some
companies of the Gordons, Rifle Brigade, and Manchester Regiment cleared
Caesar's Camp ridge in fine style.
The battalion lost very heavily. Colonel W H Dick-Cunyngham was
killed in the town by a stray bullet early in the morning. Major
Miller-Wallnut, recklessly brave, and 17 men were also killed. Two
officers and about 30 men were wounded. Two officers and 6
non-commissioned officers were mentioned in Sir George White's despatch of
23rd March 1900.
After Ladysmith was relieved and its defenders had recuperated the
battalion took part in General Buller's northward movement. They had
sharp fighting at Rooikopjes, near Amersfoort, 24th July 1900, when they did
well, the Volunteer company being specially mentioned by General Buller and
in Lord Roberts' telegraphic despatch of 30th July. The battalion lost
3 men killed, and Captain Rodger of the London Scottish and 12 men wounded.
On 21st August General Buller was stoutly opposed at Van Wyk's Vlei, and on
that occasion the battalion had heavy fighting, in which they lost 9 killed
and 9 wounded. At Bergendal (see 2nd Rifle Brigade) the battalion
were in the supporting line, but the work of their maxim under Corporal
Macdonald was specially referred to by the general in his despatch of 13th
September 1900. They afterwards went with General Buller to Lydenburg,
and on a hill-top in that district they met the 1st Gordons, who had done
the campaign from the western side. It was while in close order on the
march to Lydenburg that the battalion had the misfortune to be found by a
shell from a Boer 6-inch gun seven miles away. Three men of the
Volunteer company were killed and 16 wounded. General Buller
subsequently referred to the splendid steadiness of the men in this no
ordinary trial. On 8th September the 2nd Gordons were heavily engaged
near Spitz Kop, in the Lydenburg district, having about 21 casualties.
In General Buller's final despatch of 9th November 1900 he mentioned 6
officers, 2 non-commissioned officers, and 1 man.
In October the battalion was taken to Pretoria, and on the 25th of that
month they, along with a portion of the Royal Scots Fusiliers, represented
Scotland at the ceremony of proclaiming the annexation. In March 1901
they went to Pietersburg with General Plumer, and in that district they were
employed until they left South Africa for India shortly before peace was
declared.
On 4th July 1901 a party consisting of 1 officer of the 2nd Gordons and
22 men were escort to a train which was derailed and attacked. The
officer and 9 men were killed and the remainder wounded. The following
telegrams speak for themselves:—
RESIDENCY, PRETORIA, "5.35 pm, 10th August 1901.
To OC 2nd Gordon Highlanders, Pietersburg.
I have to-day cabled following to his Majesty the King, begins: 'As
Colonel-in-Chief of the Gordon Highlanders your Majesty might be pleased to
know that Commandant De Villiers, who was present and has just surrendered,
informed me that at the attack on the train on 4th July at Naboomspruit the
guard of Gordon Highlanders under Lieutenant Best, who was killed, behaved
with utmost gallantry. After the train had been captured by 150 Boers,
the last four men, though completely surrounded, and with no cover,
continued to fire until three were killed, the fourth wounded. On the
Boers asking survivor the reason why they had not surrendered, he replied,
"Why, man, we are the Gordon Highlanders".
The King's reply, received 12th August:— "Very pleased to hear of the
bravery of the Gordon Highlanders. Proud to be their
Colonel-in-Chief".
For gallantry on the occasion of another train being derailed on the
Pietersburg railway on 10th August 1901, 1 officer, 1 non-commissioned
officer, and 1 man gained mention in Lord Kitchener's despatch. As to
mentions in the final despatches of Lord Roberts and Lord Kitchener,
reference is made to what has been said under the 1st Battalion.
