THE total contribution from Western Australia was 63 officers, 1160 men,
and 1044 horses.
The 1st contingent, 130 all ranks, with two maxims, sailed on the Medic from
Albany on 5th November 1899, and arrived at Cape Town on the 26th of the
same month. On their arrival in South Africa they were, along with the
remainder of the Australian Regiment of infantry, employed on the lines of
communication between De Aar and Modder River (see
1st Victorians). In January 1900
they were converted into mounted infantry, and were about the beginning of
February sent to join the forces under General Clements in the Colesberg
district; and the good work which they did there was frequently mentioned by
correspondents and other writers on the war. On 6th February the West
Australians were under fire for the first time, and had their first
casualty. A reconnaissance in difficult country being necessary, 80
Westralians under Major Moor, an officer of the Royal Artillery, commanding
the contingent, and Lieutenant Parker, formed part of a force sent out
towards Potfontein. Moor's men came under a very heavy fire, but only
one man was wounded. Major Moor himself narrowly escaped capture.
He had given his horse to a dismounted Lancer, and was endeavouring to catch
another horse: while doing so he was close to a party of Boers ensconced
among rocks which some Lancers had just vacated. His subaltern noticed
the peril of his senior, and galloping up took him up behind, and both got
away. On the 9th Moor and 20 of his squadron were ordered to hold a
kopje, which was placed as inside the heels of a horse-shoe. The Boers
occupied the whole of the hills forming the shoe itself, and brought a very
heavy fire to bear on Moor's position, but he held on till ordered to
retire. Sergeant Hensman was mortally wounded, and Private Con way was
killed while tending his non-commissioned officer. Six other men were
wounded. Major Reay, in his 'With the Australian Regiment1, gives a
detailed account of the engagement. He mentions that Private Kruger
built a sangar round Hensman under a very heavy fire: his helmet was pierced
by one bullet, his bandolier torn by another, while a third skinned his
knuckles. Other non-commissioned officers and men distinguished
themselves by running with messages across a bullet-swept zone.
General Clements was very highly pleased with the conduct of the West
Australians, and published the following order: "Operations at
Slingersfontein, 9th February 1900.—The General Officer Commanding wishes to
place on record his high appreciation of the courage and determination shown
by a party of 20 men of the West Australians under Captain Moor in the above
operations. By their determined stand against 300 or 400 men they
entirely frustrated the enemy's attempt to turn the flank of the position".
In the fighting between the 10th and 13th February the West Australians were
on the right of the line, near the Worcestershire Regiment, along with whom
they took an honourable share in the very severe engagement on the 12th,
when the Boers attacked Clements' positions, particularly on the two flanks
(see Victorian Mounted Rifles), with the very greatest determination and in
great strength. As has already been stated under the Victorian
Contingents, the Boers did not renew their attack on the 13th, but General
Clements decided that, in view of the overwhelming numbers of the enemy, it
would be well to retire from the positions in front of Rensburg to Arundel.
During this movement, which commenced about midnight 13th-14th, Major Moor's
West Australians formed the left flank guard. During the next
fortnight the outpost duty was very severe: the Boers being in great
strength, Clements had to exercise every possible precaution. On the
20th the enemy renewed his attack, but the British were able to hold all
their positions till fighting ceased. On this occasion the West
Australians had been holding advanced outposts during the preceding night,
and when the engagement commenced they could neither be fed, relieved, nor
reinforced. Their position being well prepared they held it without
loss, and claimed to have inflicted many casualties on their assailants.
On the 22nd, 23rd, and 24th there was more fighting—General Clements making
a bold but unsuccessful effort to drive back the enemy. A composite
company of West and South Australians, officered by Major Moor, Lieutenants
Darling and Campbell, West Australians, and Stapleton, South Australians,
did good work, and got so far forward that they had difficulty in getting
back. On the 27th it was found that the Boer leaders were withdrawing
towards the Orange River. On the 28th Colesberg was occupied. On
the 4th of March the West Australians, along with the 1st Victorian
Contingent, were in a sharp engagement, in which they drove back the enemy,
who left 8 dead.
Captain Forrest, in an excellent record of the work done by the Mounted
Infantry Company of his battalion, published in the 'Oxfordshire Light
Infantry in South Africa', says, under date 27th February, "The company was
attached to a force, under Major King-King, ordered to guard the right flank
of the advance" (from Colesberg to Norvals Pont on the Orange River).
"The force consisted, besides ourselves, of one section 'J' Battery, RHA,
one company West Australians, and two companies Prince Alfred's Guards.
The West Australians, under Major Moor, were a splendid body of men.
They compared more than favourably with any other Colonials met with
afterwards. When the column arrived at the Orange River, it was found
that the three centre arches of the bridge had been destroyed by dynamite.
The Boer position on the north bank having been shelled, volunteers who
could row were then asked for, and the West Australians were able to send
in, among others, the name of the champion sculler of Australia".
In the advance to Bloemfontein the West Australians were attached to the
right column of General Clements' force. This column consisted of a
squadron Inniskilling Dragoons, some guns RFA, the Mounted Infantry of the
Oxford Light Infantry and West Riding Regiments, and the West Australians.
In Lord Roberts' despatch of 15th March 1900 he mentioned that there was
organised disaffection in the Prieska district, and that various columns
were dealing with the rebels. Among the troops engaged was one company
of West Australian Mounted Infantry. This was the 2nd contingent,
commanded by Captain H L Pilkington, which had sailed from Freemantle on 3rd
February. The rising was put down in March, but some West Australians
continued to operate in the district during part of April. The 2nd
contingent arrived at Bloemfontein in time to take part in the advance to
Pretoria in May.
After their arrival at Bloemfontein the 1st West Australians were put
into a Mounted Infantry Corps, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel De Lisle, and
composed of themselves, the 6th Battalion Mounted Infantry (Regulars), and
the New South Wales Mounted Infantry. This corps saw much fighting on
the way to Pretoria.
Both the 1st and 2nd contingents were heavily engaged at Diamond Hill.
They had some casualties. De Lisle's men were said by Lord Roberts to
have done well. In his telegram of the 16th Lord Roberts said: "Botha's
army has retired, believed to Middelburg. His rear-guard was surprised
and thoroughly routed by Ian Hamilton's Mounted Infantry, chiefly West
Australians and 6th Battalion".
On 16th July a detachment of the 2nd West Australians at Pienaar's Poort,
on the left of General Pole-Carew's position, east of Pretoria, successfully
repulsed a Boer attack.
In his telegram of June 28th and despatch of October 10th, para 15, Lord
Roberts remarks: "On the 27th June the post on the railway near Roodeval
Station was attacked, but the enemy was repulsed by a detachment of the
Shropshire Light Infantry and the [1st] West Australian Mounted Infantry,
with the aid of a 15-pounder gun on an armoured train".
Ridley's Mounted Infantry Brigade, including the 1st West Australians,
formed part of the force which Sir Archibald Hunter led into the north-east
of the Orange River Colony with the view of surrounding, if possible, the
enemy under De Wet and Prinsloo in the Wittebergen or Brandwater Basin, as
the district was more generally called. On the night of 15th July De
Wet, with about 1600 men and some guns, escaped from Slabbert's Nek.
Broadwood with the 2nd Cavalry Brigade and Ridley's Mounted Infantry were
sent in pursuit. The Boers succeeded in reaching the railway and
cutting the line. On 22nd July General Knox at Kroonstad wired to the
General in Command at Cape Town as follows: "Following from General
Broadwood, commanding 2nd Cavalry Brigade, sent by despatch rider to
Honingspruit and wired from there to Kroonstad, begins—Have followed
commando since July 16th, had sharp fight at Palmietfontein on July 19th.
Prevented from pursuing laager by darkness: eight dead Boers found.
Our casualties: killed, Major Moor, West Australian MI, and 4 men wounded,
Lieutenant Stanley, 10th Hussars; Lieutenant Tooth, Australian Contingent,
and 14 men". Major Moor's death was a heavy loss to the West
Australians. His fine leadership had brought his corps into great
prominence, when their small numbers are kept in mind. The West
Australian losses at Palmietfontein, as afterwards announced, were, apart
from Major Moor, 1 killed and 6 wounded. In the fighting at
Stinkhoutboom on 24th July, the West Australians had 2 men killed and 3
severely wounded. After this De Wet took refuge in the Reitzburg hills
on the south side of the Vaal, but about 7th August he crossed the river,
evaded Lord Methuen's forces on the north bank, and made for the Northern
Transvaal, crossing the Megaliesberg mountains by a pass which Lord Roberts
had intended to have blocked, but from which the troops had been removed by
an error. Lord Kitchener, with Broadwood's, Ridley's, and other
columns, took up the pursuit, crossed the Vaal with all possible rapidity,
and followed up at a great pace; but beyond releasing some 60 British
prisoners and taking some waggons and one gun, the pursuit failed.
Lord Kitchener was, however, able on 16th August to relieve Colonel Hore at
Elands River (see Rhodesian Regiment). Mr
Green, in his 'Story of the Australian Bushmen’, mentions that the first
troops to ride into Elands River and receive the heartfelt thanks of the
gallant garrison were De Lisle's West Australians, who were scouting in
front of Lord Kitchener's force, —an honourable post, because six regiments
of regular cavalry were in that force. De Lisle's corps reached
Pretoria on 28th August, and was thereafter employed in the Central
Transvaal.
On 15th October the 1st contingent was inspected by Lord Roberts in
Pretoria, and were complimented on their work. In November most of the
1st contingent sailed for home.
