Loch's Horse

Loch's Contingent

This corps was raised by Lord Loch in February 1900.   It might be said that having been largely recruited in England it was not a Colonial force, but in the official army lists Loch's Horse was always included among the South African Irregulars.

After the occupation of Bloemfontein Loch's Horse, strength about 220, was stationed in the line of outposts beyond Glen Siding.   They shared in the advance from Bloemfontein to the Transvaal as part of the 8th Corps of Mounted Infantry commanded by Colonel Ross of the Durham Light Infantry, the Brigadier being Colonel Henry.   The 8th Corps were part of the advance guard or screen to the centre of Lord Roberts' army, and had a lot of scouting and skirmishing in the northward march.   Colonel Henry's men, including the 1st and 2nd Victorian Mounted Rifles, South Australians, Tasmanians, Lumsden's Horse, Loch's Horse, and the 4th Mounted Infantry Regulars, were among the first to cross the Vaal, and had very stiff fighting before the infantry got up, particularly at the mines in the neighbourhood of Vereeniging, about Elandsfontein, and outside Pretoria.   Their work was highly praised by the Generals and by the correspondents.   A good account of the work of Colonel Ross's corps is to be found in the 'Oxfordshire Light Infantry in South Africa’, Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1901.

After the occupation of Pretoria Loch's Horse were chiefly employed about Springs and Irene, and in the neighbourhood of the Vaal; later they were moved a little farther south, and the remainder of their campaigning was chiefly done between Kroonstad and the Vaal, but in December 1900 they joined the column of Colonel De Lisle, and with him went to the extreme south-west of Cape Colony.   De Lisle's column gained much credit for their work in the Piquetberg-Calvinia district in January and February 1901, when Hertzog was driven out of the district.

The Mentions gained by the corps were:—

LORD ROBERTS' DESPATCH: 2nd April 1901.—Captain J H Hodgson (Lieutenant Colonel retired); Lieutenant S E Craig; Corporal Picton; Trooper Blades.