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At the
commencement of the war the Diamond Fields Artillery (DFA) had a strength of
97 and 6 guns
Of course
the DFA's guns were hopelessly outranged, and it was not until the De Beers
workshops had, on 19th January 1900, turned out 'Long Cecil', under the
superintendence of the gifted Mr Labram, that the British had a gun worthy
of modern warfare. 'Long Cecil' was a 4'1 breech-loading weapon, and threw
a 28-pound shell. The manufacture of this powerful gun was commenced about
Christmas, and it was completed in a very short time.
On 25th
November Major Scott Turner with the mounted troops made a reconnaissance,
and succeeded in surprising the enemy at Schmidt's Drift Road. He inflicted
some loss and captured 29 prisoners, his own casualties being—Diamond Fields
Artillery, Captain Hickson and 2 men wounded.
In his
report, para 34, Colonel Kekewich said: "My general pIan for the defence of
Kimberley was based on the principle of always keeping the enemy on the move
and constantly in fear of attack from an unexpected quarter … It will be
observed that portions of the mounted corps were employed on every
occasion. The work which fell on the detachment (mounted) of the Loyal
North Lancashire Regiment, Cape Police, Diamond Fields Horse, and Kimberley
Light Horse, and the Diamond Fields Artillery was in consequence very
arduous: not only did the corps mentioned respond cheerfully, but nothing
can exceed the bravery and dash with which these troops attacked the enemy
on several occasions in his entrenched positions".
According
to the casualty list 'during the siege', published on 24th April 1900, the
colonial forces had the following losses; but this list is clearly
supplementary to the losses already noted on the occasion of the sorties in
November:—
Diamond
Fields Artillery—Sergeant Major Moss killed and 11 men wounded.
From May
1900 to May 1901 a section of the Diamond Fields Artillery was in the
garrison of Boshof which successfully held that town and repelled many
attacks.
Among the
numerous columns at work during the second phase of the war was one known as
the Kimberley Column, which for some months was composed as follows: 74th
Squadron Imperial Yeomanry, 125; Kimberley Light Horse, 94; Dennison's
Scouts, 81; Royal Welsh Fusiliers, 20; Volunteer Company of the
Northumberland Fusiliers, 102; 3rd Leinsters, 100; 2nd Royal Scots
Fusiliers, 38; 2 guns of the 38th Battery RFA; and 13 men of the Diamond
Fields Artillery with a maxim. During 1901 this column under Major Paris
long operated in the west of the Orange River Colony, and was also at work
in the south-west of the Transvaal. On 2nd August 1901 Captain G C Gory
Smith, of the KLH, was wounded at Zwartputs, and there were several other
casualties on this occasion.
In 1902
the Diamond Fields Horse and Artillery still kept the field and were in many
engagements. Major Paris's column was part of Lord Methuen's force in his
disastrous engagement of 7th March 1902 (see
Cape Police).
In his report Lord Methuen said that the column before being reinforced at
Vryburg consisted of the 86th Imperial Yeomanry, 110 men; Diamond Fields
Horse, 92; Dennison's Scouts, 58; Ashburner's Light Horse, 126; 2 guns 38th
Battery; 1 pom-pom of the Diamond Fields Artillery. In the fighting on the
7th the Kimberley troops suffered very severely, the Diamond Fields Horse
having about 20 casualties and the Artillery detachment had several killed
and wounded.
DIAMOND
FIELDS ARTILLERY.
COLONEL KEKEWICH'S REPORT: 18th February 1900.—Captain (local Major) May,
invariably handled his guns with much coolness under fire, is a most
deserving and efficient officer. Surgeon Lieutenant A J Ortlepp, attached,
rendered considerable assistance to wounded in the field.
LORD ROBERTS' DESPATCH: 2nd April 1901.—Major T J May, who afterwards got
the CMG, Surgeon Lieutenant Ortlepp, Gunner F D Payne.
LORD KITCHENER'S DESPATCHES: 8th October 1901.—Lieutenant A Kidd, for
excellent work in difficult situation near Griquatown, 24th August.
23rd June 1902.—Captain C C Sheckleton.
