This contingent, 500 strong, with a cyclist section, was commanded by
Lieutenant Colonel J F Flewell-Smith. They sailed on the Templemore on
6th March 1901, and arrived in South Africa in the beginning of April.
They at once took the field.
The appendix to the despatch of 8th July 1901 shows that the 5th QIB
(strength in May about 340, with 361 horses) took the place of the 4th in
the column of General Plumer—a body which did very fine service in
practically all parts of the seat of war. The work of Plumer's column
during the time the 5th Queensland were with him has already been briefly
sketched under the 6th New Zealand
Contingent. The 5th Queensland took their full share of that work,
and quite their full share of the captures. On 15th June Lieutenant
Halse was severely wounded in the difficult country about Piet Retief.
On 15th August 2 men were killed and several wounded at Kopjesfontein, in
the Orange River Colony. In September the column was doing good work
in the southeast of that country, and was constantly in touch with the
enemy. At a drift on the Caledon River on 27th September there was a
sharp fight, in which this contingent had Lieutenants A E Pooley and L E
Caskey and 2 men killed, and several wounded. Lieutenant Pooley had
served as a sergeant with the 4th contingent.
The corps was present at the hard-fought engagement known as Onverwachte,
in the south-east of the Transvaal, on 4th January 1902, when they suffered
very severely,—about 12 being killed and 20 wounded, the latter including
Captain H R Carter and Lieutenant Higginson, both severely wounded.
According to the Press Association correspondent with General Plumer,
Lieutenant Joss of the 5th Queensland (Cyclist Corps) did a smart piece of
work in the Warmbaths district soon after the corps took the field.
When riding with despatches, and accompanied by only 10 men, he captured 9
Boers with 3 waggons.
Some details of the regiment were with a convoy which was fiercely
attacked on the Bethel Road on 25th May 1901. The detachment lost 1
killed and 5 wounded.
