This corps, strength 230 all ranks, under the command of Lieutenant
Colonel J Rowell, CB, sailed on the Manhattan on 1st May 1900, touched at
Beira, were sent on to Durban, and landed at Port Elizabeth, Cape Colony, on
19th June 1900. They were very soon to see brisk fighting and to gain
distinction.
About the middle of June Lord Roberts commenced operations to encircle
the Boers who were in the Wittebergen or Brandwater Basin, a mountain
stronghold in the north-east of the Orange River Colony. Rundle, with
the Vl11th Division, and Brabant, with the South African Colonial Division,
were holding the line from Senekal eastward to the Basutoland border.
Clements and Paget, a little farther west, were about Lindley, the
south-west point of the Boer stronghold. These masses of men either
could not or were not allowed to live on the country, hence huge convoys of
supplies had to be sent from the railway. On 23rd June a very large
convoy left Kroonstad for General Paget's force at Lindley. The escort
was commanded by Colonel Brookfield, 14th Imperial Yeomanry, and consisted
of 200 of that corps, 114 other Yeomanry, 400 Imperial Bushmen—namely, two
squadrons 4th South Australians, Colonel Rowell; one squadron 4th West
Australians, Major Rose; one squadron 4th Tasmanians, Captain R C Lewis; 27
Rimington's Guides; 93 Prince Alfred's Guards; 2 guns 17th Royal Field
Artillery; 4 guns CIV Battery; half battalion Yorkshire Light Infantry; and
the 3rd East Kent (Buffs) Militia. The whole of the Australians were
treated as one regiment under Colonel Rowell. To Colonel Brookfield
the writer is indebted for many of the particulars now given.
On the morning of the 26th Theron's Scouts suddenly attacked the convoy
near Elands Spruit, but they were driven off. In the afternoon, near
Swartz Farm, Piet de Wet attacked. Colonel Rowell's men were ordered
to dismount, and advancing with 'great go', the enemy was again driven off.
On the 27th the convoy marched sixteen miles, the escort being engaged
practically all the day. Near Lindley the traction engines stuck in a
spruit. Colonel Rowell's men were rear-guard, and were heavily pressed
by the enemy, who endeavoured to cut off the Tasmanians who were
rear-screen; but the City Imperial Volunteer Battery did good work, and
Colonel Brookfield having sent a fresh squadron to Rowell's assistance, he
was able to keep the Boers off the convoy. Next day Lindley was
reached. The 4th South Australians had several casualties on the 26th
and 27th.
It was only to be expected that the Yorkshire Light Infantry, who had done
very fine work in Lord Methuen's earlier battles, would do all that soldiers
could do; but Colonel Brookfield could not have been so confident about the
Militia and Yeomanry and his absolutely untried Bushmen, who had not, before
this, fired a shot in earnest. In a despatch to General Kelly-Kenny,
commanding in the Orange River Colony, the chief of the staff said that Lord
Roberts was of opinion that the march of the convoy had been "conducted with
skill and foresight, that no precautions were neglected, and that the
behaviour of the troops was creditable to all ranks. His Lordship is
glad to observe that besides the regular troops employed, a Militia
Battalion (3rd Buffs), the corps of Imperial Bushmen, the Imperial Yeomanry,
and the City Imperial Volunteer Artillery, distinguished themselves on this
occasion".
Colonel Brookfield and most of his troops now joined General Paget's
command. On 3rd July Paget had a very stiff engagement with a strong
force of the enemy. The action has been called Barkin Kop, Baken Kop,
and Leeuw Kop, and phases of it are well described by the authors of 'The
HAC (Honourable Artillery Company) in South Africa' (Smith, Elder, & Co:
London, 1903). In the course of the fighting the guns had been taken
to a ridge, and during a pause in the action the escort had been removed to
the rear. The Boers, with great skill and secrecy, delivered a sudden
and fierce counter-attack, in which they gained temporary possession of the
guns. The authors of 'The HAC in South Africa' say: "Captain Budworth
managed to reach his pony, and galloped back at once to call upon the
Australians to return. That he succeeded in bringing them back, and
promptly too, reflects the highest credit on him, and also, be it added, on
the men he had to deal with. Who ordered their retirement it is
impossible to ascertain; but it is just to say that when called upon to come
back again they did so willingly: and it is common knowledge that it
requires more courage, both moral and physical, for troops in retreat to
rally and face fire than to sit tight and suffer it from the first".
For some time there was great cause for anxiety, but "the period of imminent
danger did not last long. It was over from the moment that, owing to
the Australian fire, the Boers left the disabled guns and retreated".
Colonel Rowell having got a broken rib through his horse falling, he was
unable to be present on the 3rd. Major Rose, of the West Australians,
commanded the Bushmen, and he was wounded. The Tasmanian squadron
having been kept on other duty near Lindley, only joined their comrades as
the Boers were driven off. The South Australians had on the 3rd about
a dozen casualties.
After further heavy fighting, Bethlehem was taken on 7th July. In his
account of the taking of Bethlehem, the Press Association correspondent
said: "Three hundred Bushmen, mostly South and West Australians, joined in
the attack and behaved most gallantly". When De Wet broke through the
cordon, 16th July, the contingent took part in his pursuit to the Reitzburg
Hills. At Palmietfontein on the 19th there was a sharp engagement, and
on the 24th at Stinkhoutboom the South Australians lost 3 killed and several
wounded. On the 18th the 4th Tasmanians were detached from the
regiment.
De Wet having crossed to the north of the Vaal, the 4th South Australians
were taken to the Transvaal. In November they joined General Plumer
(see 1st, 2nd, and 3rd New Zealand and 4th Queensland). The 4th
Imperial Bushmen were now together again, and under that heading are given
some features of the work they did when referred to in despatches by that
name. The regiment was again commanded by Colonel Rowell. In
February the South Australians had several casualties in Cape Colony during
the pursuit of De Wet.
In March, April, and May 1901 the 4th South Australians distinguished
themselves in the operations between Pretoria and Pietersburg; and when
General Plumer, after the occupation of the latter town, was moving
southwards, Captain F W Hurcombe gained notice for his bold and successful
leading. Unfortunately, on an occasion when he was far in advance with
only a few men, he fell among a party of the enemy concealed in a mealie
field. It was said that before he would surrender Captain Hurcombe had
to be knocked down by a clubbed rifle. During May the 4th South
Australians had casualties on various occasions in the Eastern Transvaal.
The contingent, still under Colonel Rowell, sailed for home on 7th July
1901.
The 4th Imperial Bushmen
This was a composite corps containing—
- The 4th South Australian Contingent,
Lieutenant Colonel Rowell commanding. (See that Corps.)
- The 4th West Australian Contingent, Major J Rose.
- The 4th Tasmanian Contingent, Captain R C Lewis, DSO.
The regiment was long with General Plumer in different parts of the seat
of war, and did very good work, particularly in the operations north of
Pretoria, and in the Eastern Transvaal. As stated in the despatch of
8th March 1901, when it was clear that De Wet was to attempt a serious
invasion of Cape Colony, Lord Kitchener, about the end of January 1901,
railed Plumer's troops from Brugspruit in the Eastern Transvaal to Cape
Colony; and it was largely due to them that De Wet was driven out of the
Colony (see 4th Victorian Contingent).
Both the South and West Australians suffered some casualties in the numerous
rear-guard actions which the Boer commandos fought. After pursuing the
remnant of these commandos northward, Plumer's men were again entrained at
Brandfort for the district north of Pretoria, to take part in the expedition
to Pietersburg. In Lord Kitchener's despatch of 8th May 1901 he says:
"On the night of the 24th April a very gallant act was performed by
Lieutenant Reid, Imperial Bushmen Corps, who had been detached from General
Plumer's post at Commissie Drift, on the Olifants River, Transvaal.
This officer, when in charge of a patrol of 20 Australians, located a Boer
laager some 15 miles SE of the drift, which he surrounded, and boldly
attacked at dawn. The enemy at once surrendered, Commandant Schroeder
and 41 other prisoners, with a maxim, being taken". This is certainly
one of the very finest exploits undertaken by any small body during the
whole war, and shows a boldness and initiative that was far too often absent
from the doings of the regulars. Lieutenant Reid ran the great risk
involved in his action, but his fearlessness was rewarded with success; and
further, he was serving under a General who was most quick to recognise
pluck, skilfulness, and the all-important quality of willingness to take
risk. Lieutenant Reid belonged to the South Australian Contingent.
On the Pietersburg trek, and after the occupation of that place, the 4th
Imperial Bushmen contributed largely to the success of Major Vialls, who
operated generally in advance of General Plumer's force, and took many
prisoners and waggons, and one gun.
Some of the 4th Imperial Bushmen were in the escort to a convoy which "was
heavily attacked by some 400 of the enemy on the Bethel Standerton Road on
25th May". The escort under Colonel Gallwey "fought with great
gallantry, and completely foiled the enemy's repeated efforts to press into
close quarters". — Lord Kitchener's Despatch of 8th July 1900, para 8.
The following Mentions were gained under the heading 4th Imperial
Bushmen:—
8th May 1901.—Lieutenant H A Reid, for the exceedingly smart manner in
which he effected the capture of a force double his number, together with a
maxim gun. Sergeant P J Williams and Private T H Porter (promoted
Corporal) volunteered to carry despatches from General Plumer to General
Beatson, a distance of 60 miles through enemy's country; they got there and
returned safely, though fired on, burning a Boer field forge en route.
8th July 1901.—Trooper G De Kehyr, during attack on convoy near Bethel, May
25, carried a man out of action on his own horse, thereby incurring great
risk. Sergeant Major J S Brigman, Sergeant B C Philliphant, gallantry
on same occasion.
