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4th Mountain
Battery officers |
4th Mountain
Battery at practice |
4th Mountain
Battery |
7 pounder gun |
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10th Mountain
Battery |
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4th Mountain Battery.— Joined General Buller in January 1900.
They do not seem to have got into action at Spion Kop, but they had their
guns on the top of Swartz Kop, opposite Vaal Krantz, in the beginning of
February (see 2nd Queen's), and they were engaged in the final effort at
Colenso and Pieter's Hill. In the second phase of the war the battery
was engaged in many different parts of the country. In the first half
of 1901 they had two 2'5 guns with Spens in the Eastern Transvaal (despatch
of 8th July), and part of the battery was that year in Cape Colony, where
they gained several mentions.
10th Mountain Battery.—Was in Ladysmith when war broke out; was present
at Rietfontein, 24th October 1899; and on the night of 29th October was sent
out as part of the ill-fated column intended to seize Nicholson's Nek (see
1st Gloucester Regiment and
1st Royal Irish Fusiliers). It will be
remembered that the mules with the ammunition and the screw guns stampeded.
Mules with two guns and about 70 men of the battery managed to get back to
the camp. In Sir George White's despatch of 23rd March 1900, 8
non-commissioned officers and men were mentioned. After being rearmed
with more useful weapons the battery advanced north with General Buller and
was present at Bergendal (see 2nd Rifle Brigade) and other actions.
One officer and 1 non-commissioned officer were mentioned in General Buller's final despatch. In the second phase of the war the battery
did much hard and useful work, chiefly in the Eastern Transvaal. It
appears from Lord Kitchener's despatch of 8th July 1901 that during a great
part of that year the 10th Mountain Battery had one gun with Spens, one with
Benson, one with Babington, and one with F W Kitchener. All these
columns operated in the Eastern Transvaal.
