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2nd Battalion
officers |
2nd Battalion
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1st Battalion
The 1st Battalion sailed on the Braemar Castle on 1st March 1900, and
arrived at the Cape on 8th April. Along with the 1st South
Staffordshire, 2nd Manchester, and 2nd Royal West Kent, they formed the 17th
Brigade under Major General Boyes, and part of the VIIIth Division under
General Sir Leslie Rundle. The work of the division has been briefly
sketched under the 2nd Grenadier Guards.
Throughout the war the battalion had no opportunity of gaining distinction
in any big engagement, although constantly in little affairs, and enduring
very great hardships.
Two companies of the battalion and 43 men of the Wiltshire Imperial Yeomanry
formed the garrison of Lady brand under Major F White, Royal Marine Light
Infantry, when that town was surrounded by a force of 3000 Boers, with nine
guns and two machine guns, on 2nd September 1900. The little garrison
held out until relieved by Bruce Hamilton on the 5th, having suffered but
slight loss,—an instance of the value of well-constructed intrenchments.
In October 1900 the battalion was put into Bethlehem as garrison, but some
portion was always marching and fighting down to the end of the war.
Twenty seven officers and 37 men of the Worcestershire Regiment were
mentioned in Lord Roberts' final despatches, but these commendations
embraced both battalions.
The Mounted Infantry of the Worcestershire Regiment did much useful work.
A party was present at the successful action at Bothaville; they gained
half-a-dozen mentions by Lord Kitchener.
Six non-commissioned officers and men of the "Worcestershire Regiment"were
mentioned in Lord Kitchener's first despatch, that of 8th March 1901, but
the Gazette does not state the cause, and does not show to which battalion
they belonged. In the final despatch 9 officers and 8 non-commissioned
officers and men were mentioned.
The 2nd Battalion sailed on the Tintagel Castle on 16th December 1899, and
arrived at the Cape on 8th January 1900. Along with the 2nd
Bedfordshire, 1st Royal Irish Regiment, and 2nd Wiltshire, they formed the
12th Brigade under Major General Clements (see 2nd Bedfordshire).
The brigade went to the Colesberg - Naauwpoort district on arriving in Cape
Colony, and after General French and the bulk of his mounted troops were
taken to Modder River for the Kimberley and Bloemfontein advances, General
Clements was barely able to hold his own in the advanced and extended
positions he fell heir to. On 12th February he was heavily attacked,
and on that day the Worcesters lost Colonel Coningham and 15 men of the
battalion killed, and 3 officers and 30 men wounded. The Wiltshires
also had slight losses that day. On the 15th the fighting was again
severe, the Worcesters losing 2 killed, 2
wounded, and 14 prisoners. The Wiltshires on the latter day lost very
heavily.
In the operations for the surrounding of Prinsloo the battalion took part,
but had only very slight loss.
When the brigade was broken up the battalion accompanied General Clements to
the Megaliesberg, north-west of Pretoria, his other troops at the time being
the 2nd Northumberland Fusiliers, 1st Border Regiment, 2nd Yorkshire Light
Infantry, 8th RFA, and 900 mounted men under Colonel Ridley. The
column concentrated at Commando Nek and did much hard work under General
Clements, and afterwards under General Cunningham and other commanders, in
clearing and bringing under control the Rustenburg-Krugersdorp district.
Clements' reverse at Nooitgedacht on 13th December 1900 is mentioned under
the 2nd Northumberland Fusiliers.
In the second phase of the war the battalion was much employed in the
north-east of the Orange River Colony, and for part of 1901 held Heilbron
and other points in that district.
As to mentions, reference is made to the notes under the 1st Battalion.
