On 11th October 1899 New South Wales offered to send, as part of the
first contingent, a fully-equipped battery of six guns, but the War Office
was foolish enough to refuse the offer. After Magersfontein the offer
was renewed, and this time it was accepted. No time was lost, and 'A'
Battery, Royal Australian Artillery—strength, all ranks, 179—under the
command of Colonel S C U Smith, sailed on the Warrigal from Port Jackson on
30th December 1899 and landed in South Africa on 6th February 1900. On
their arrival they were inspected by Lord Roberts, who expressed himself as
most highly pleased with both men and horses.
During the greater portion of Lord Roberts' tenure of the command in
South Africa, the battery operated in the western portion of Cape Colony,
chiefly in the Prieska district, being part of the force which it was
necessary to maintain there in order to overawe that section of the
inhabitants who were in active sympathy with the enemy, and to prevent
incursions from the Transvaal or Free State. The battery was mentioned
in the despatch of 28th February 1900 as a portion of the force at the
disposal of Lord Methuen for the protection of Kimberley and the Western
Railway. Later in 1900 the battery, having been split up, was much
scattered. One gun, under Captain Antill, did particularly valuable
service in a column which operated in September 1900 and following months in
the west of the Transvaal and Orange River Colony and in Griqualand.
Colonel Smith was for a time commandant of the north-west portion of Cape
Colony.
When Cape Colony was invaded, January and February 1901, a portion of the
battery was acting under Colonel Crabbe, and took part in the arduous
pursuit of De Wet. Lieutenant E Christian's section was said by
Colonel Crabbe to have been admirably handled,— "He is a very good gunner
and horsemaster" (see Lord Kitchener's despatch of 8th May 1901).
During a great portion of 1901 four guns were with Colonel Rimington's
column, which did splendid work in the north-east of the Orange River Colony
(see 3rd New South Wales Mounted Rifles); and
two guns were in the column of Colonel E Williams, which also distinguished
itself (see 2nd New South Wales Mounted Rifles).
In May 1901 part of the personnel of the battery's first contingent
started for home; but it was not till 16th September, after nearly two
years' absence, that the main portion of the battery reached Sydney.
They received a magnificent reception.
In his telegram of 25th August 1901 Lord Kitchener said that it had been
brought to his notice that on 6th June, near Reitz, in the Orange River
Colony, Lieutenant Mair, of NSW Artillery, and Privates Harvey and Blunt
were shot down after they had surrendered. Fortunately such
occurrences were uncommon. Our late enemies had not imbibed the brutal
doctrines of the German Staff that the shooting of prisoners is, or at times
may be, justifiable.
