Canada furnished three batteries of artillery, 'C', 'D', and 'E', of six
guns each.
'C' arrived at the Cape about the end of March 1900, and, while still
encamped at Stellenbosch, on 14th April they received orders to march back
to Cape Town. Starting in the evening, the 33 miles were covered in a
night, and by 12 noon on the 15th they had re-embarked on the Columbian, en
route for Mafeking via Beira and Bulawayo. After a week at sea the
battery landed at Beira, and there entrained for Marandellas. Thence
to Bulawayo the personnel travelled on coaches, and the guns were hauled by
mules, changed at posting depots, between 60 and 100 miles being covered
each day. From Bulawayo to Ootsi the journey was accomplished by
train, the latter town being reached on the 12th May, in seven days from
Marandellas. By forced marches the battery covered the remaining 70
miles and joined Colonel Plumer on the 15th. On that date Plumer, from
the north, and Mahon, from the south, joined hands, and on the 16th (see
Imperial Light Horse) the combined
force fought the stiffly contested action west of Mafeking which opened the
gates of the town and raised a siege which had engrossed the attention of
the British Empire for seven months. The officers of 'C' Battery were
Major Hudson, Captain Panet, and Lieutenants King and Leslie.
Colonel Mahon in his report said that the battery, by a series of forced marches, reached him on the morning of the
fighting, and rendered very valuable assistance; and Colonel Baden-Powell,
speaking of this, said they had joined "with incredible rapidity". To
the Canadian Government the latter officer sent a telegram: "Mafeking
relieved to-day, and most grateful for invaluable assistance of Canadian
Artillery, which made record march from Beira to help us".
The battery operated with Colonel Plumer after the relief while he was
looking after the repair of the railway from the north, and towards the end
of May was part of the force which he led to Zeerust, and thence farther
east. They were in action on the following occasions: Olifant's Nek,
19th-25th July; Hainan's Kraal, 20th August; Pienaar's River, 21st; Warmbad,
22nd; Nylstroom, 24th; Warmbad, 3rd-10th September; Jericho, 24th October;
Twee River, 1st November; and at three places in the Zeerust district on the
4th, 6th, and 8th of that month.
'D' and 'E' Batteries arrived at Cape Town on the Laurentian on 17th
February 1900, and in the beginning of March were sent north to form part of
a column which Lord Roberts arranged should operate from Victoria West under
Colonel Sir C Parsons. The district west of the railway was at the
time very seriously disaffected, and quite unsafe for loyal farmers.
It was therefore necessary to overawe the rebels. The column, which
included the 2nd Canadian MR, some West Australian and New Zealand MR, and
some Imperial Yeomanry, marched through the Kenhardt district, doing about
700 miles in six weeks. There was practically no fighting, but much
hardship. It was expected that a want of water would be a serious
trouble, but for weeks the rain poured heavily, often making the rivers
barely passable. About the middle of April the column was back on the
railway near De Aar. The training during these six weeks of actual war
service, although without serious fighting, was invaluable to every unit in
the column.
In May Sir Charles Warren was again operating west of the railway against
rebels, the area of his work being north of that gone over by Sir C Parsons.
On the night of 29th May Sir C Warren's force, which included 'E' Battery,
was most fiercely attacked at Faber's Put near Campbell (see
Duke of Edinburgh's Volunteers). After a
trying fight the enemy were driven off. Sir C Warren praised his
troops very highly, and among those specially mentioned in his despatch of
29th June 1900 were the names of Major Ogilvie and Captain Mackie of 'E'
Battery. The battery had 1 killed and 8 wounded. After the
engagement Warren operated northwards, and came into the line at Kimberley
towards the end of June 1900. 'E' Battery was then split up into
sections to defend or work from posts on the Kimberley-Mafeking Railway.
'D' Battery remained on the Kimberley-De Aar line till July 1900, when
they were entrained for Bloemfontein, and after a short time in that
neighbourhood were railed to Pretoria. Here they joined Hickman's
mounted column, which, with the infantry brigade of General Cunningham, was
to operate under Ian Hamilton. The battery saw much hard marching and
fighting in the Transvaal. For example, in the march to Lydenburg 'D'
Battery had six days' fighting, and in October and November they were in
action on twenty two days, chiefly under General Smith-Dorrien. As has
already been mentioned under the Mounted Rifles, 'D' Battery had two guns in
the force of Brigadier General Smith-Dorrien in the very severe fighting on
2nd and 6th November 1900.
About 80 of the personnel of the Canadian Artillery remained in South
Africa until June 1901, serving eighteen months.
