In the reports by General Sir Forestier Walker, dated 17th and 26th
October 1899, the Queenstown Rifle Volunteers, strength 245, were stated
to be part of the garrison of that town, and they were then mobilised
and under arms. After General Gatacre arrived the corps, slightly
increased in strength, were under his command and did useful service,
freeing the regular troops for action at the front. By-and-by the
authorities came to think more highly of the various Colony Volunteer
Battalions, and when Brabant was clearing the Dordrecht - Jamestown
district in February and March 1900 (see Cape Mounted
Rifles), the Queenstown Volunteers formed part of his force.
They were not with Colonel Dalgety in Wepener in April, but under
General Brabant took part in the operations for the relief of the brave
garrison: thereafter they formed part of the Colonial Division in the
advance northwards (see Cape Mounted Rifles and
Brabant's Horse). The corps seems
to have always done well. After Prinsloo had surrendered, the
Queenstown Volunteers continued to operate in the Orange River Colony,
and in August General Kelly-Kenny issued the following Order, which
speaks for itself: "The Lieutenant General commanding the Line of
Communications wishes the following incident to be made known throughout
his command. Colonel Ridley, Imperial Yeomanry, with about 240 men
mostly Colonial Troops—Queenstown Volunteers—while engaged in a
reconnaissance north-east of Winburg on August 23rd was cut off and
surrounded by 1500 of the enemy with three guns. Ridley and his
little force, notwithstanding two days' shelling and rifle fire, and
three nights' sniping, held their position until relieved. The
enemy twice demanded his surrender without avail. His loss was 30
killed and wounded. The Lieutenant General brings this gallant
defence to the notice of his command with the view of showing how a few
determined men, skilfully commanded, can hold their own even in an
unprepared position, much more so in positions carefully entrenched such
as ours". Lord Roberts in his telegram of 26th August also
referred to the engagement with satisfaction, and praised the defence.
Three of the Queenstown Rifle Volunteers were killed and 14 wounded,
including Lieutenant C Smith. In his despatch of 10th October
1900, paragraph 43, Lord Roberts mentioned that "on the 27th August a
Boer force, 1400 strong, under Olivier, attacked Winburg. They
were repulsed by Bruce Hamilton, 29 prisoners being taken, including
Olivier and his three sons, who were captured by a small detachment of
the Queenstown Rifle Volunteers". Nothing could be more creditable
than these two references.
Towards the close of 1900 and in 1901 a company, mounted, of the
Queenstown Rifle Volunteers was in Colonel Crewe's column which operated
in the Orange River Colony and afterwards in Cape Colony. The
company were present in the severe fighting about Tabaksberg towards the
end of January 1901 (see Kaffrarian
Rifles). They then took part in the weary pursuit of De Wet,
and the endless chasing and fighting which resulted in his being driven
from Cape Colony.
The Mentions gained by the corps were as follows:—
LORD ROBERTS' DESPATCH: 2nd April 1901.—Majors J W Bell and H L
Haliwell, Captain H G Bell, Lieutenants Collins and Robins (killed),
Sergeants Arnott and Temlett, Corporals. F Hayes and W W Richards,
Privates H N B Helms, W M Sladdin, P G Stillwell, T N Niland, C Currie,
D Barton, G Bourchier.
