Tales from the Boer War, "Colonel Rolleston is seriously wounded..."

Colonel Lancelot Rolleston

In December 1899, the British Empire was getting a bloody nose from a ragged bunch of South African farmers called the Boers. The conflict with the Boers had been simmering for several years but had escalated into all out war over control of the enormous gold deposits recently discovered at Witwatersrand in the Boer republic of the Transvaal.

Colonel Lancelot Rolleston, aged 53, sitting by his fireside up at the hall⁶ and looking forward to Christmas, would little expect that he would soon find himself directly in the Boer's firing line. In today's tale from Watnall Hall we look at the remarkable story of his rescue, why he was there at all and the Watnall publican Joe Haywood who saved his life.

The Boers were excellent marksmen
  and horsemen

Vast wealth, skilled enemy 

Flush with gold revenues, the Boers had armed themselves with the latest German weaponry and it rapidly became clear that they presented the British with a severe tactical challenge. Using their modern Mauser rifles and smokeless powder, the Boers were able to snipe invisibly at British infantry from long distances before withdrawing to avoid any set-piece confrontation. They were a highly mobile force made up of small, horse-mounted units called Commandos, adept in fieldcraft, accustomed to life in the saddle on the high veldt and who could be called together from their frontier farms at short notice. 

South African territories in1900

In contrast, British tactics, which had generally proved successful against poorly armed opponents, turned out to be disastrous when used against the Boers. The British launched frontal attacks on concealed Boer positions. These were ineffective and led to several humiliating defeats. In just one week in December 1899, called Black Week, the British suffered three devastating defeats at the battles of Stormberg, Magersfontein and Colenso while attempting to get to Bloemfontein. In total, 2,776 British soldiers were killed, wounded and captured during this period. One of the dead was Freddie Roberts, the only son of the British Commander-in-Chief, Lord Roberts. 

Volunteering captured the
public imagination

The Imperial Yeomanry 

To counter this threat, the British needed vastly more men skilled in horsemanship and firearms so ingeniously called upon the UK-based Yeomanry cavalry. Like the Boers they were part-time, mounted units typically run by local landowners and farmers, such as Colonel Rolleston with his Watnall troop of the South Notts Hussars, and called out to quell local unrest in the leafy shires and counties of England. They had never served abroad but in response to the patriotic call to duty issued on Christmas Eve 1899, dozens of  yeomanry squadrons up and down the country volunteered with gusto for the newly-formed "Imperial Yeomanry"². The South Notts Hussars were exemplary. Such was their willingness to join the cause that within 24 hours Col. Rolleston had 160 volunteers, including 9 commissioned officers³. They were mobilised on the 4th January 1900 and 25 days later they were off to Cape Town, sailing on the troopship SS Winifredian. They were actually well-trained for this type of mobile conflict. Colonel Rolleston himself had organised innovative "Flying Column" exercises with the their north Notts neighbours the Sherwood Rangers in previous years⁷.

The officers even surrendered their county Yeomanry rank in order to join the new "Imperial" South Notts squadron. Col. Rolleston was its 'Captain' and Captain R.L. Birkin was his 'Lieutenant’. Among the NCOs and men in the Nominal Roll are the names of 'Corporal' H.L. Birkin and ‘Trooper' T.P. Barber, both South Notts Hussars officers! The first contingent of 10,000 men, from all corners of the country, arrived in Cape Town in February 1900. 

Colonel Rolleston's writings show that he regarded the whole affair as an adventure - a bit like a dangerous sport, with lots of fast riding and fresh air. They also show that he had a lot of admiration and respect for the enemy...

Commando of Boers in full flight

"Never shall I forget the sight I once enjoyed seeing the whole Commando of De Wet gallop past within 30 yards of me at full speed! To see these fine but strange looking horsemen swooping over the veldt like a great cloud of birds of prey, rifle in hand, their stolid massive faces and keen little eyes fixed upon their enemy, sitting down in their saddles as they remorselessly drove their horses for all they were worth over rocks and holes and spruits, while their shaggy beards flew back, divided over their shoulders with the wind of their speed was a sight to gladden a horseman's eye."

Colonel Rolleston was of a generation that regarded the horse as king, and that fighting for Queen and country was the obvious pinnacle of every right-thinking man's ambition. In his later years he bitterly regretted the moment when, in 1927, the lance was dropped officially as a weapon of war and the horse was replaced by the tank, except for ceremonial purposes.

Nurse Nan, Lady Maud and soldiers at
their convalescent home - Kimberley 1900

By late March of 1900, the Colonel's squadron of Notts Yeomanry had reached the recently-liberated town of Kimberley situated on the border of the Orange Free State, the Boer homeland. Colonel Rolleston's wife, Lady Maud, had followed him out to South Africa to set up a soldier's convalescent home with her companion, nurse Nan Beaver. They were on hand to witness the Notts Yeomanry's historic border crossing into enemy territory. Lady Maud's diary recalls...

"The boundary of the Orange Free State is here marked by a dilapidated wire fence, and close to it there used to stand a hut, to which if any one stealing diamonds in Kimberley could succeed in escaping, he got away scot-free and unmolested. On this occasion, however, there was something different to think about, and Lance halted the men, and made them a speech, telling them that the boundary they saw before them was that of the Orange Free State; that they were the first squadron of British Yeomanry who had ever marched, bag and baggage, into the interior of an enemy's country, and that before they left South Africa that country would be part of the dominions of the Queen - finishing by calling on the officers to draw swords, and on the squadron to give three cheers for the Queen. The cheers rang through the light air; we watched the men as they marched away, and then Nan and I returned to Kimberley under a most grilling sun."

British troops pinned down

The Lindley Affair 

After a victory at Boshof² on 5th April and few skirmishes with Boer Commando units whilst on patrols from Kimberley, Colonel Rolleston's luck ran out on June 1st 1900. The 13th Battalion of Imperial Yeomanry, 500 men under General Basil Spragge, had become cut off just outside Lindley² and were pinned down and suffering heavy casualties. Under cover of darkness, a messenger slipped out and reached Colonel Rolleston's camp the next morning asking for urgent assistance. By the time Colonel Rolleston's squadron had arrived the battle was over and the Boers were in the process of taking hundreds of captured prisoners and weapons back to their camp. Rolleston and his men boldly attacked their convoy, despite being outnumbered four to one, attempting to intercept the prisoners and captured wagons, with partial success, before being ordered to break off. His Commanding Officer's strategic plans were paramount⁴. He writes.. 

"...Lord Methuen fearing to bring on a general engagement with his infantry and transport left miles in rear by the forced march of his mounted troops by now scattered over a wide space of country...[that] shortly afterwards orders were issued for the South Notts. Squadron to retire on Lindley”

Rolleston's bold attack on a Boer convoy earned him a DSO

Remarkably, just two months later, Lady Maud dined with and sketched the Boer commander leading the convoy that day, Piet de Wet. He'd surrendered shortly after his encounter with the Colonel's squadron. She recounts his recollection of the raid... 

"when [Lancelot's] men charged into his convoy splitting it in half, and getting so close to the prisoners of Colonel Spragge's Battalion whom he was escorting, he gave up his prisoners for lost, but when he saw our men were so few and that they were unsupported, he never expected they would get away themselves. They did so, however, and, though they were able to rescue only one of Colonel Spragge's men, they fought their way out and marched into Lindley, as Colonel Younghusband said, "only twenty-five strong, but unmolested." From what Piet De Wet said the Boers evidently could not believe that that little band of men would have attacked them unless they were supported."

Closing in on De Wet's convoy from
"A Stern Chase and a Long One, Imperial Yeomanry cutting
off the Rear of De Wet's Convoy" by RC Woodville 1901

Hussars race to gain the high kop before the Boers

It was during this firefight that Colonel Rolleston was shot. The only line of retirement lay down a valley, the hills on each side of which were occupied by the enemy...

Sgt. Birkin's map of the retreat

"The Yeomanry galloped down the slope and formed in their respective troops at the foot of the hill. Several more men were wounded, as well as a great many horses, as the Squadron retired down the hill. One horse (belonging to Sergeant-Major Urell), having already been struck by five bullets during the day, was hit twice going down the slope and yet the faithful animal carried its rider back to camp that night. Another horse, that of Lieutenant Tristram, dropped dead on return to camp, being completely done up, the South Notts. Hussars having some thirty horses killed or injured. As soon as the rear party saw the Squadron at the foot of the hill, they mounted and galloped down to their comrades."

From this point the retirement was carried out by successive troops, dismounting and holding positions, and in this manner the retreat was continued to Lindley, losing, however, "several more men on the way, amongst whom was Colonel Rolleston, who received a very severe wound." 

 

Trooper Joe Haywood

The Colonel is down  

It is at this moment that Trooper Joe Haywood comes into the story. Trooper Haywood was Colonel Rolleston's batman⁵ (his personal valet) and saw his Colonel fall. Reining his own horse to a halt, Joe turned and, under heavy fire from the Boers, galloped over to the fallen Officer. Dismounting, he knelt beside the Colonel and with the aid of Lieutenant Knowles and Sergeant Birkin, who had also witnessed the incident, he attempted to help the fallen man remount his horse which, fortunately, was grazing placidly nearby.

The three men quickly discovered that the situation was hopeless as Colonel Rolleston's injuries were severe. His arm was badly broken and a back wound appeared to have paralysed all his limbs. The soldiers hastily agreed between themselves that Lieutenant Knowles and Sergeant Birkin should ride for help and, then, under cover of darkness, return with a rescue party for the Colonel.

In the meantime Joe Haywood agreed to remain behind to protect his Commanding Officer from the enemy. He said later that Colonel Rolleston, though so severely wounded, could not forget his Regiment, and as his would-be rescuers left him could not refrain from shouting "Three cheers for the South Notts. Hussars”. The Colonel was obviously in great pain, but conscious. He had always known all of his men by name and there was the light of recognition in his eyes when he saw Joe. An extraordinary conversation then ensued more from the patriotic pages of “Boy's Own" than the field of battle... 

“Haywood”, the wounded man gasped weakly, “Is that you?" 

The Colonel tried to smile as the Trooper bent his bead low to catch the injured officer's words. 

"It's too late for me, Lad, I'm done for. Go and fight the damned Boers and keep 'em on the run, for England 's sake and for the Yeomanry”.

Joe nodded his head in agreement, but was more concerned in determining the extent of the Colonel's injuries. The arm might mend, he thought, but what of the other injuries and the paralysis? Blood had soaked into the ground beneath the Colonel and be appeared to have suffered severe back injuries. Joe was most concerned and he tried to bind up the wounds and staunch the flow of blood with cloth from his own haversack. He was loath, however, to move the man, fearing that this might cause even more damage. Gently be spoke to the stricken officer... 

"Hang on, Sir. It shouldn't be long now". 

For this the Trooper was rewarded with the ghost of a smile and he resumed his guarding stance over the prostrate form of the luckless Colonel Rolleston.

Inevitably, the evening drew on and, as it grew dark, it also became very much colder. Joe, taking off his own tunic, draped it across the shivering man... 

"Help will come soon, sir, you'll see" 

he whispered encouragingly, but inwardly he was amazed that his Commanding Officer still clung to life. At one point, Colonel Rolleston seemed to rally and, as he stirred he called out to the attendant Trooper in a weak, croaking voice which compelled Joe to bend low to catch his words... 

"Haywood " he gasped, "take my pocket book from my tunic and if I should not survive the War, hand it to, my wife, Lady Maud, and tell her I died a soldier's death."

Boer officer

Sadly, Joe took the pocket book from the officer's tunic and whilst his attention was temporarily distracted he failed to notice the enemy Boers as they stealthily returned to the field of battle under cover of darkness. Taken by surprise and completely outnumbered by the enemy, Regimental Number 3402, Trooper Joseph Haywood, of the South Notts Hussars, was compelled to surrender his rifle and was immediately taken prisoner by the Boers. As he was marched away under armed guard, Joe could only glance back with pity at his Commanding Officer who lay still and deathly white on the hostile soil of the South African veldt. He was convinced that the two men would never meet again. However, a year later back in England they did meet again and as reward for saving his life, the Colonel made Joe permanent landlord of the Queens Head pub in Watnall. 

Colonel Rolleston himself relates that, as he was lying on the field, a Boer officer separated himself from the hordes of the enemy's horsemen and dismounted...

“I’m afraid you are very badly hit, sir,” said the Boer, in most perfect English. 

“Yes, I’m about finished, I think my back is broken,” said the Colonel.

"I'm sorry for that; have a drink out of my water-bottle” said the other, and on remounting added, 

“I will send a fellow back with some more for you presently.”

British ambulance wagon

Lieutenant Knowles and Sergeant Birkin had a dangerous journey back to, base, “the Boers blazing off at them for all they were worth at close range from the hills on either side” but they arrived safely in Lindley at about six in the evening. A horse ambulance wagon being discovered, Lieutenant Tristram and Sergeant Birkin set out to try and bring back some of the wounded, including Colonel Rolleston. The road was uncertain, but the little mounted party found Private Cunnington¹ still alive, and then pushed on until they came to the spot where Colonel Rolleston had fallen. It was only after a long search that they found him, the Colonel quietly remarking, "I knew that you would come back for me.”

After some difficulty the two casualties were got into the ambulance wagon, and realising the hopelessness of looking for any of the others in the dark night, the party began the return. This had to be made with the utmost care, as lights were frequently seen on the kopjes on either side, and "one picket was passed so closely that the Boers were actually heard talking." Lindley was, however, safely reached by midnight, and Colonel Rolleston was taken to the hotel which had been turned into a temporary hospital. The little party had been nineteen hours in the saddle, concluding with this gallant expedition, by which these two officers undoubtedly saved the life of their Colonel.

It is at this time that Lady Maud, having heard of her husband's injuries, began her campaign to join him. I'll let her tell the story in her own words from the pages of her diary, but that's a story for another day... 

Remarkably, there also exists very early video of the Boer War in the form of British Pathe silent Newsreel footage. It is viewable by clicking here. 

Sources: The Boer War by Thomas Packenham 1933; Colonel Rolleston's "Reminiscences"; Lady Maud Rolleston's diaries; The Lindley Affair; a Diary of the Boer War By Basil Norman Reckitt, Frank Norman Reckitt 1972; Statistics and military information - angloboerwar.com; National Army Museum https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/boer-war; South Africa and the Transvaal War, Vol. V (of VI) p.166 by Louis Creswicke https://www.gutenberg.org/files/41017/41017-h/41017-h.htm#Page_166; RA Horton Watnall Hall and the Rollestons 2000; “Yeomanry Cavalry or Mounted Infantry" published in 1901 by Colonel Lancelot Rolleston; SA Artillery https://saartillery.wordpress.com/archives/anglo-boer-war/the-lindley-affair-the-capture-of-the-13th-battalion-imperial-yeomanry-by-the-boer-forces/; SA Military Histories The Lindley Affair http://samilitaryhistory.org/vol153sw.html Wikiwand Second Boer War https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Second_Boer_War; Imperial Yeomanry Wikipedia https://www.gedlingeye.co.uk/local-history/3168/; "Some Nottinghamshire Inn & Pub Stories" with Joe Haywood by Stan Smith; Ireland’s Wars: The Yeomanry At Lindley https://neverfeltbetter.wordpress.com/2017/05/02/irelands-wars-the-yeomanry-at-lindley/; History of the 3rd Regiment Imperial Yeomanry, 28-1-00 to 6-8-02 Pub.1905 by Lieut. Col. R. L. Birkin; Notts Heritage Gateway http://www.nottsheritagegateway.org.uk/events/boerwar.htm;History of the South Notts Yeomanry Cavalry, 1794 to 1894. By George Fellows, Capt. and Hon. Major. Nottingham: Thomas Forman & Sons, 1895. 166 pp., portraits, plates.https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=RKc-AAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false; Historical Record of the South Nottinghamshire Hussars Yeomanry, 1794 to 1924. By the late George Fellows, Major and the late Benson Freeman, Eng.-Commdr., R.N. With a Foreword by Col. Sir Lancelot Rolleston. Aldershot: Gale & Polden Ltd., 1928. xxii, 352 pp., portraits, plates, maps. 5 coloured plates of uniform and 1 of standard.;307 (South Notts. Hussars Yeo.) Field Regt., R.A., T.A. A Brief History of the Regiment, 1794-1950. By “Hussar.” [Nottingham: printed by Nottingham Paper Bag Co. Ltd., 1950]. 16 pp.;History of the 3rd Regiment Imperial Yeomanry, 28-1-00 to 6-8-02. By Lieut.-Col. R. L. Birkin. Nottingham: J. & J. Vice, printer, 1905. viii, 143, [76] pp., illustrations, map. 13" x 8". Nottingham Contingent from the Sherwood Rangers and the South Notts. Hussars.;A Short History of the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry, 1794-1953. [By Lt.-Col. D. C. Barbour], [Worksop: Sissons & Son, Ltd., 1953]. 48 pp., portrait, maps.;South Africa and the Transvaal War, Vol. V (of VI) From the Disaster at Koorn Spruit to Lord Roberts's entry into Pretoria Author: Louis Creswicke; 

Picture credits: Richard Caton Woodville; John Charlton; Cranston Fine Arts; National Army Museum; Lady Maud Rolleston; 'Race for the Kopje’ by Godfrey Douglas Giles; Boer War: collecting the wounded from the battlefield using newly invented ambulance transport. Reproduction after a watercolour by Frank Craig. CC BY 4.0; "A Stern Chase and a Long One" by RC Woodville

Notes
1 - Sadly Private J.W. Cunnington No. 3421 of 12th Company (South Notts), 3rd Battalion Imperial Yeomanry died of his wounds sustained near the Yeomanry Kop, 4km NW of Lindley, South Africa on June 26th 1900. 
http://samilitaryhistory.org/vol153sw.html

2 - Imperial Yeomanry (with focus on Col.Rolleston) - The Imperial Yeomanry were born out of the disasters that became known as ‘Black Week’ in December 1899, after these set-backs it became obvious to all that mounted infantry were needed in large numbers to counter the fast moving, hard hitting Boers. At the start of the war there had been many offers from the Colonels of existing county yeomanry regiments to provide forces for South Africa, some at no cost to the Government, all were politely but firmly rejected.

The Yeomanry were a volunteer organization that had been in existence for over a hundred years, the Pembroke Yeomanry having the distinction of being the only unit to have a battle honour on British soil for their defeat of the small French invasion force at Fishguard in 1797. A decision was taken by at the War Office on the 13th of December 1899 to allow a contingent of volunteer forces based on the standing yeomanry regiments, this was a watershed decision in the war. The acceptance that the conflict was not going to be a swift and painless operation and that every man, whether standing army or volunteer, would be needed to defeat this desperate enemy. The birth of the Imperial Yeomanry was through a Royal Warrant dated the 24th of December 1899 and from this warrant the standing Yeomanry regiments were asked to provide service companies of around 115 men each. The new Imperial Yeomanry were to be raised on a county basis with the core being the men of the existing volunteer units, the remainder of the numbers being recruited from individuals that met the strict criteria laid down.

The Royal Warrant stated:-
1. Her Majesty's Government have decided to raise for active service in South Africa a mounted infantry force, to be named "The Imperial Yeomanry".
2. The force will be recruited from the Yeomanry, but Volunteers and civilians who possess the requisite qualifications will be specially enlisted in the Yeomanry for this purpose.
3. The force will be organized in companies of 115 rank and file, 1 one captain and four subalterns to each company, preferably Yeomanry officers.
4. The term of enlistment for officers and men will be for one year, or not less than the period of the war.
5. Officers and men will bring their own horses, clothing, saddlery and accoutrements. Arms, ammunition, camp equipment and transport will be provided by the government.
6. The men to be dressed in Norfolk jackets, of woollen material of neutral colour, breeches and gaiters, lace boots, and felt hats. Strict uniformity of pattern will not be insisted on.
7. Pay to be at Cavalry rates, with a capitation grant for horses, clothing, etc.
8. Applications for enrolment should be addressed to colonels commanding Yeomanry regiments, or to general officers commanding districts, to whom instructions will be issued.
9. Qualifications are: Candidates to be from 20 to 35 years of age, and of good character. Volunteers or civilian candidates must satisfy the Colonel of the regiment through which they enlist that they are good riders and marksmen, according to the Yeomanry standard.

The original contingents of the I.Y. were an amazing collection of individuals who were generally socially superior to the men of the regular army they were meant to serve alongside. The 47th Company (Duke of Cambridge’s Own) consisted almost totally of gentlemen from the City of London who not only gave their wages over to the Imperial War Fund but were willing to pay for a horse, their equipment and passage to South Africa. Apart from the 47th there was also Paget’s Horse (19th Bn.) which was recruited through gentleman’s clubs, in total over 50% of the original contingent were of middle and upper classes. This figure included many troopers who had resigned a county Yeomanry commission, they were so desperate to get involved in the conflict. A typical example of the kind of infectious enthusiasm of this group of men was demonstrated by the South Notts. Hussars:-

"On the morning of Christmas Eve 1899, a notice was to be found in conspicuous places in Nottingham. It was from the War Office and it invited members of the Yeomanry to enrol in the forces required as the result of the hostilities declared in October '99 by the Transvaal Republic, later to be assisted by the Orange Free State. The proclamation was under the hands of the commanders of the Sherwood Rangers, the South Notts. Hussars, the Yorkshire Hussars and the Yorkshire Dragoons. Such was their willingness to join the cause Col. Rolleston and his men, (and in 24 hours there were to be 160 volunteers, including 9 commissioned officers) were mobilised on the 4th January 1900 and 25 days later they were off to Cape Town, sailing on the troopship, SS Winifredian. The 3rd Regiment of Imperial Yeomanry amounted to four squadrons or companies and the South Notts. Hussars' contingent became ‘12' Squadron (title numbers were not consecutive). Colonel Lancelot Rolleston was its 'Captain' and Captain R.L. Birkin was his 'Lieutenant’. Among the N.C.O.s and men in the Nominal Roll are the names of 'Corporal' H.L Birkin and ‘Trooper' T.P Barber. Both S.N.H. Officers, they had surrendered their commissions to join the 'party' "

Standards of troops raised in this manner tended to vary considerably. The laid down regulations of men being able to both ride and shoot proficiently was prone to a certain ‘slippage’ in some companies. This meant that some men arriving in South Africa had minimum horsemanship skills. Sadly even more of the men were poor marksmen, a fact that some of them would not live to regret. Thankfully a lot of the companies were held up at the Cape for long periods awaiting transport up country which gave them time for much needed training and acclimatization.

Eventually a force of 550 officers and 10,371 men formed the original contingent of the I.Y., made up of 20 battalions of 4 companies each, the 8th and 16th battalions being 3 companies strong. The I.Y. began to arrive in South Africa from early February of 1900 and this process continued until early April. The 17th and 18th Battalions, being part of the Rhodesia Field Force did not arrive in Africa until May when they landed at the swampy and insect ridden Mozambique town of Beira. Once in the Cape the men were sent the five miles to Maitland Camp where conditions soon proved to be quite awful. The camp was understaffed and had few facilities for the huge influx of men it was meant to deal with, for many the journey up country would be a welcome change from the cramped conditions and ennui of the Base camp.

When the Yeomanry eventually left Maitland a grand plan had been hatched to spread the various battalions around the zone of operations. Four battalions (3rd, 5th, 10th & 15th) were to head for Mafeking, ten battalions (1st, 4th, 6th,7th, 9th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th & 19th) were to serve in the Orange Free State and the 2nd Battalion were to join Sir Charles Warren in Griqualand. The 8th, 19th and 20th Battalions were to remain in the Cape Colony. This plan proved little more than a theory however as the huge demand for mobile forces meant that companies of yeoman were detached from their HQ elements for weeks at a time and some battalions never even formed as such.

Boshof - The first action of the new force came on the 5th of April 1900 where elements of the 3rd and 10th Battalions engaged a rather strange force of foreign volunteers under the command of the aristocratic Frenchman Count de Villebois-Mareuil at Boshof, 33 miles north east of Kimberley. By a series of tactical errors the Boer sympathizers allowed themselves to be surrounded and the Count was killed. It was a fine victory at the sad cost of 3 dead (Lieutenants C.W. Boyle and A.C. Williams, Sergeant Patrick Campbell) but the Boer would prove to be a much tougher and elusive enemy as they soon showed at Lindley later the next month.

Bucks Yeoman In Action at Boshof, South Africa 
5 April, 1900: The 37th and 38th (Royal Bucks Hussars) Companies of the 10th Battalion, Imperial Yeomanry (IY) are the first to go into action against the Boers at Boshof in South Africa.
The 10th and 15th Battalions IY were among four attached to Lord Methuen’s 1st Division at Kimberley. Methuen was more prepared than some regulars to see the auxiliaries in action and. acting on the left flank of the British advance towards Bloemfontein, ordered the battalion to attack a small Boer commando that had stood to fight at Boshof. 33 miles north-east of Kimberley.
This Boer action was unusual because the commando was largely composed of foreign volunteers with the Boers under the command of the former French colonel, Comte de Villebois-Mareuil [at 53 years old he was the same age as Col Rolleston], who had been tasked with blowing up the railway bridge over the Modder River to cut the supply line to Kimberley.
The 25 or so Boers holding one kopje (Africans for small hill) retreated at once but the 100 or so foreigners - French. Belgian, Dutch German. Italian and Russian - under Villebois-Mareuil - remained on an adjacent kopje. After some four hours, with Villebois-Mareuil dead, his force surrendered. The commando had suffered 10 dead and 11 wounded with a further 51 captured.

An amusing and poignant Boshof tale from Lady Maud's diary... "Late in the evening I got a very long and interesting letter from Lance with an account of Thursday's battle. He had been under fire for the first time, and had come safely through it, thank God! Early in the day they took a prisoner, who, to their surprise, proved to be a Frenchman. He excused himself to Lance, when he asked him what he was doing there, by saying, "C'est mon premier commando, monsieur!" ["This is my first commando action, sir"] to which Lance promptly replied, "Et votre dernier aussi, mon ami!" ["And also your last my friend!"] at which the man gave a grin. It turned out at the end of the day that the enemy they were fighting were nearly all of this nation. It was in this action that General de Villebois-Mareuil was killed by a Lee-Metford bullet. Many months afterwards we met the Comte de Breda, his aide-de-camp, who was beside him at the time, and he said that the General had just turned round to take something out of his pocket when a bullet hit him under the arm, going right through his body and instantly killing him. All the Frenchmen that were not killed were taken prisoners and sent to St. Helena, from whence some of them were allowed to return to their country on parole after seven months' imprisonment. There were some Russians amongst them, one being Prince Bagration, but the majority were French and one could not help thinking "qu'allaient ils faire dans cette galere?" [a well-known French expression originally from a Moliere play meaning "What were they doing in this mess?"] The Boers treated these Frenchmen very badly and were very jealous of them.

We lost in this engagement Mr. Williams of our own battalion, Mr. Cecil Boyle of the Oxfordshire Yeomanry, and Mr. Patrick Campbell, husband of the actress, also a Yeoman; and young David Turner of our regiment was also wounded. Lance also gave me an account of the funeral of General de Villebois, who was buried the day after the battle, with the full military honours of a General. The Comte de Breda made a fine funeral oration in French over his grave, which ended with "Au revoir, mon general." He then thanked Lord Methuen for allowing all the French prisoners, about thirty, to be present, saying it was the act of a great and generous nation; after which Lord Methuen stepped across the grave and shook hands with him before he was taken back to prison with the others. It was a beautiful evening with a lovely sunset, and the bugles of the regiment sounded the last post. The ceremony was altogether unique and curious."

According to a member of Methuen’s staff. many of the prisoners ‘had the most immoral and disgusting photographs in their inside pockets’. The Imperial Yeomanry had three dead and eight wounded.
Some of the men advanced dismounted once they came under fire. requiring an advance of about 1,000 yards in the open. Others rode around the Boer flank and then dismounted. Quartermaster Sergeant W. J. Gough of Buckingham with 37th Company recorded:
“My first impression of being under fire was that you don't realise they are shooting at you until you see someone roll over alongside you.” Buckingham Express, 5 May 1900.
That night. all were soaked by rain amid a thunderstorm. The 34 year old Sergeant Patrick Campbell of the 37th Company - estranged husband of the actress Mrs Patrick Campbell - was one of the three IY killed. The other two dead were Captain Cecil Boyle from the 4th Company. and Lieutenant Arthur Williams from 10th (Sherwood Rangers) Company of the 3rd Battalion. who was killed when some Boers raised a white flag, and others kept fring. The prisoners included an alleged Russian Prince. Bagratian of Tiflis, was actually believed to be a Polish Jew trom Hornditch.
Campbell. shot through the head, and the others including Villebois-Mareuil were buried at Boshof, Methuen having a headstone erected to the Frenchman. Lord Chesham, who commanded the 10th battalion, brought the Frenchman's horse back to England. In a rather quixotic gesture, its heart and ceremonial trappings were buried on the village green at Latimer in 1911 next to the war memorial to the men from the village who served in South Africa. Villebois-Mareuil’s body was moved ftrom Boshof to Magerstontein in 1969, The graves of Campbell. Boyle and Williams remain at Boshof cemetery, as do the graves of those killed fighting for the Boers. A memorial stone on one of kopjes held by the Boers was unveiled in 1987.

From Wikipedia - Georges de Villebois-Mareuil was betrayed by his native assistant who fled to inform the British troops of their position. He died leading a small detachment against 750 Yeomanry under Baron Methuen on a hill on the farm of Kareepan near Boshof. At the time of his death he was left with 30 men from an original number of 300 at the beginning of his campaign. Despite being massively outnumbered and enduring 3 hours of Maxim gun fire, Georges de Villebois-Mareuil was quoted as saying that he would never surrender, and would wait for the cover of darkness to escape. During his last minutes he shot two or three British soldiers with his pistol, stood up during the battle to encourage his men, and was shot in the back. He fell near a wild olive tree on the hill that still carries the bullet holes from the battle.

Georges de Villebois-Mareuil's body was taken to Boshof, and given a full military burial by the British, which was paid for by Methuen out of his own pocket.[6] His body was exhumed and reburied in the Heroes Acre in Magersfontein in 1971.

In his memoirs Georges de Villebois-Mareuil recognized the courage and passion of the Boers but reflected on his frustrations with their lack of tactical competence. He regretted the occasions when the Boers could have had major victories, but decided to remain in a defensive position.

Col Rolleston's account of subsequent action at Boshof

On April 21st 1900, after the previous two days had been spent in skirmishes with the Boers, the Division of which he was a part was ordered to move to the town of Boshof. What happened next is shown in a letter to his Adjutant at home in England. Here are some extracts: 

“The Division was hardly out of sight when the hills were black with thousands of Boers, really a very fine sight, and moved faster than one would think possible. A squadron of Bucks Yeomanry, who had been on outlying picket, took post on my left, and we charged magazines and watched their advance. Before they were in range, however, an order was evidently passed to them, and the whole force changed direction with amazing rapidity, and came down on a point between our flank and the centre of the convoy. Most of them soon got out of sight behind a ridge about 1,000 yards to our left front, but I could see many of their heads racing along above on the skyline and presently they began to crown the ridges. As soon as we saw them well I opened magazine fire on them, and fired, I should say, about 400 rounds before I thought it time to go which we did just as the Boers bad come into action against the right flank of the convoy, with a heavy fire on both sides. "

" .....Some of the horses stampeded, and with the loose horses galloping away, men running after them, the hurried retreat of the rest, and the Boers pouring a hot fire into the whole lot, it looked very like a disaster. However, I had previously got the sights fixed and charged the magazines, and, cautioning my men to fire well up at the crest, and not hit the Hussars, we let them have it well almost over the beads of Gascoigne's men. It was rather a risky proceeding, but it was neck or nothing, as but for our fire it looked as if few could have escaped. "

"The Yorkshire Hussar sergeant-major afterwards gave me an exciting account of his experience. He said he was already anxious as to their position, when all of a sudden he heard a tremendous fire open on his flank, and thought that it was more Boers, and that it was all over with them, especially as he heard a crowd of bullets go nearly over his bead. Then all at once, finding that the Boer fire was slackening, realised that it was the South Notts. Hussars come to their assistance, and said he never felt more relieved in his life. "

"Our own position was now a very awkward one... mounted and retired under cover of a high hill in our rear, which was manned by the Bucks Yeomanry and tried to assist the Yorkshire Hussars...... Captain Davies and Sergeant-Major Urell both took up horses into the middle of the fire and brought men away. Sergeant Francklin giving up his horse for the sergeant-major to take back , and continuing himself on foot...... Birkin, who was close to me, was nearly upset by a splinter from a rock striking his mare, while another bullet went through his hat; young Whitaker had one through his hat and another through his side pocket, and they were all round us. But, by good luck, neither man nor horse was hurt, though Birkin lost one of our new telescopes, I fancy by a bullet cutting the strap.

Two troops then dismounted and aided by a section of a field battery and the Kimberley Light Horse, with their Maxim gun, gave the enemy such a benefit that they gave up the attack. We fired about 1,500 rounds at them without a casualty on our side, which we thought most satisfactory. Darkness then came on very suddenly, as it always does out here, and we rode home five miles to Boshof without being further attacked. Our enemy had all been Transvaalers, and some of their best troops. They were beautifully under control and moved quicker than you would think possible for any troops."

Next stage of the journey for Methuen's force and Col Rolleston as described in "South Africa and the Transvaal War, Vol. V (of VI) From the Disaster at Koorn Spruit to Lord Roberts's entry into Pretoria" Author: Louis Creswicke...

From Boshof Methuen’s force moved on in zigzag fashion, their destination being Kroonstad. From Hoopstad to Bothaville they passed over good roads, through picturesque country, followed for miles by the graceful bends of the Vaal River—a ribbon of silver fringed with willows. The weather was now growing more and more chilly, and after sundown frost began to nip and biting winds to whistle through the bones. Nights were spent in trying to gain warmth, and when dawn came the sun was welcomed with thanksgiving. The infantry in these raw mornings had the advantage of the cavalry, as they could work themselves into a glow, but there were other occasions in which the mounted men had their revenge, and could forge on ahead and secure, before the arrival of the lagging pedestrians, all manner of tempting edibles—chickens, ducks, sucking pigs, and the like, which happened to be at the farms. These luxuries were greedily coveted, for, coming along from Boshof some 220 miles, diet had been limited to biscuits—hard, dry, and irresponsive—and any variety in the monotonous fare was received with unqualified rejoicing. Near Bothaville, as dawn broke, a curious episode took place. In the distance was spied a tent—a species of farmyard in the centre of the open veldt. Chickens and cattle and a trek waggon fringed the strange mushroom-shaped domain. It being necessary to discover the nature of the occupant of this shanty, one of the military party approached and hallooed. No answer. He roared louder. Then from the inner recess of the tent a burly voice bellowed—“You can’t commandeer me; I’m an Englishman. The first Dutchman that pokes his head around here will look like a sieve when I’ve done with him.” To this warlike challenge the British soldier meekly replied—described himself and his business—whereupon a change rapid as amusing came over the scene. Out from the tent, “like a cork from a bottle,” burst the inmate, glad past speech, excited past effervescence—wife, children, came rushing forth from their hiding-places, rapture writ in smiling letters over every feature. The British were come—at last—at last! The valiant couple were taken in charge, removed to Bothaville and protected, and their long days of loyal suspense and tribulation were at an end. Then on went the goodly multitude, through streets whose houses fluttered with white, taking with them as they went their Boer prisoners, who, sitting in their own carts, alternately shivered and snarled. At Kroonstad—reached on the 27th of May—they pitched their camps, not in the town itself but discreetly removed from the awful reminiscences of dead horse and beast left by Boer and British armies in their last tussle, and here they thought to take a brief rest before marching away from rail and civilisation. But man proposed and the exigencies of the situation disposed, and by the 1st of June we find Lord Methuen’s troops hastening off to the assistance of the 13th Battalion of Imperial Yeomanry at Lindley. To understand the urgent necessity for this detour we must return to Senekal.

Lindley was, in all senses of the word, a humiliation for the British. Not only did nearly an entire battalion of yeoman fall into the hands of the Boer, but the manner of their capture and the fact that the it was the 13th Battalion made matters much worse. The battalion, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Basil Spragge, had been ordered to join the 9th Division under Colvile at Kroonstad. Because of a mix up in communication (Spragge claimed he was sent a telegram, Colvile denied sending one) the battalion instead headed for the Boer held town of Lindley where the pre-warned Boers were waiting for them. On the afternoon of the 27th of May 1900 the 13th battalion rode into Lindley and were shocked to find that it was not Colvile but a large contingent of the enemy that met them. Spragge made the decision to hold his ground in a group of hills to the north west of Lindley and await help, messages were sent but the manner of the message did not contain the tone of urgency that the situation required, as such no plan to assist the battalion was put into operation until it was too late.

After choosing his ground the situation for Spragge and his battalion grew rapidly worse, they were surrounded by a far more numerous enemy who also had artillery (it arrived on the 29th under command of De Wet). By the morning of the 31st of May the situation had become almost untenable and the final outcome was sealed when the party of the 47th Company commanding a critical position surrendered. With no chance of holding out, Spragge surrendered at around half past two in the afternoon. The yeoman had lost 1 officer and 16 men killed, another 1 officer and 3 men died of wounds. The Boers captured over 400 men in total, a huge shock, not only to the yeoman but to the public back in Britain. To make matters worse the men of the 13th battalion were the Duke of Cambridge’s Own and the three Irish companies, these men symbolized the wealth and power that had been associated with this corps. The D.C.O. had been nicknamed the ‘Millionaires’ Own’ because of the number of hugely wealthy men in it’s ranks and the Irish companies contained large amounts of money and title from the landed families of Dublin and Belfast. Within a few months of arrival in South Africa the yeoman had been given both a bloody nose, sadly this was not to be it’s last.

These pitched battles were rare events for the Yeomanry who rode hundred of miles over the veldt and met the Boer at infrequent times. The yeoman formed flying columns that moved constantly from dawn to dusk with only poor rations and little chance of shelter, hardly surprising that the rate of disease and death soared and the ranks of these men were thinned constantly. The story of the I.Y. for the remainder of 1900 was of minor victories and some occasions where it’s volunteer status became all too obvious, an example of this being on the 26th of June where the 35th Company fled from a Boer attack north of Senekal. In July the I.Y. were heavily engaged in the hunting of the Boer General De Wet in an attempt to stop his fleeing into the Transvaal, they did not succeed in this, a failure for which they were to pay for at a later date.

A more in depth analysis of Lindley can be found in Note 4 below.

In September 1900 word began to spread among the men about the decision to send that other volunteer unit, the City Imperial Volunteers, home. Although the C.I.V. had been in South Africa since late January the decision to return them to England caused huge resentment and disillusion among the yeoman. The constant monotonous routine of patrolling was beginning to bite deeply into the enthusiasm that had brought these men to Africa. Another cause of resentment was the policy of farm burning that had been imposed by Roberts in the Summer of 1900, work that the educated men of the yeomanry found hard to stomach. This policy was eventually stopped in November.

The morale of the men was low, men volunteered for service with the Transvaal Constabulary and other police forces to escape the monotony, regular units snapped up the ‘prime material’ of the yeoman as officers and various Government departments offered these literate men fine jobs. With these reductions and the men who perished or were medically discharged the numbers of yeoman began to fall to alarmingly low numbers. No policy had ever been agreed upon to reinforce the original contingent, as such by the end of 1900 there was barely a third of these men left serving. When General Roberts left South Africa in December 1900 he pressed for a return of the volunteer infantry companies and the original contingent of the I.Y. on the basis that if something was not done quickly, the consequences for future volunteer forces would be dire. Although the original contingent had actually signed for ‘a year or for the duration of the war’ it was decided that they had done enough and recruitment began immediately for a second and larger contingent of Imperial Yeomanry in early 1901.

The second contingent or ‘new’ yeomanry were a totally different force from that of the original. Gone were the patriotically motivated educated men, the new recruit of 1901 was likely to have much more in common with his regular soldier comrades. Generally working class and with a motivation derived from a 5 shilling a day wage (as opposed to the shilling a day in the infantry, little surprise many men transferred from the volunteer companies of infantry battalions to the I.Y.), the new yeomanry came to South Africa as very poor soldiers with none of the hard won skills of the original contingent. For a few months the small remainder of the original contingent served alongside the second, long enough for the veterans to be filled with a sense of foreboding that proved more than accurate. Eventually in June and July 1901 the veterans, bar those who had re-enlisted with the new force (including a lot of enlisted men who were commissioned) returned to England. It is amazing to note that a lot of these men ended up as officers in WW1 and such men as Corporal Shand of the Pembroke Yeomanry ended up as a C.O. of the Green Howards, gaining the V.C.. The experiences they gained in South Africa were not wasted.

The second contingent was born in haste, trained in chaos at Aldershot in January and February 1901 and a lot of the men were packed off to the war before it’s officers had even been selected. Apart from the social differences, the new I.Y. also contained a lot of married men who had been positively discouraged from joining in 1900. The Government was keen to settle the new claimed lands and offered the yeoman the chance to bring their families with them. For most, those companies that were so carefully selected by county in 1900 were now formed from any batch of recruits at Aldershot who were ready, the common bond of geography was gone. The situation in South Africa had also changed drastically, the half-hearted Boers had gone, leaving only the men determined to fight to the last. The war had become very guerilla in nature, thrust into this theatre, the yeoman found life very difficult.

If some ‘slippage’ in standards had been allowed in the original contingent, those in the new yeomanry were at times ignored. Over 700 men who had been passed fit in England were sent back from South Africa as medically unsuitable or unlikely to become efficient soldiers. At least those who proved fit had come from hard existences that if nothing else, prepared them for the harsh life on the veldt. Problems also occurred with the officer selection that was an administration disaster, it caused men to be chosen who had no experience or leadership potential. Some officers were sent straight back home after being found to be cowards, drunkards or just plain incompetent. To counter these problems the companies of yeoman were increased to 155 men (so less officers were required), officers were drafted in from other units and some of the original contingent were convinced to stay on.

The first blooding of the new force came at Vlakfontein on the 29th of May 1901, 230 yeoman of the 7th Battalion being involved. The force under Brigadier General Dixon consisted of yeoman, artillery, some Scottish Horse and some men of the Derbyshires. The rear-party, consisting of the yeoman, 100 Derbyshires and 2 guns were attacked by 500 Boers, the yeoman fled after suffering 70 casualties and left the Derbyshires and artillerymen to be shot down. Only a counter-attack, launched by the Scottish Horse and some K.O.S.B.’s saved the guns and salvaged some pride. At best the I.Y. could claim that some men had joined in the counter-attack but their reputation had already begun to suffer and questions were being raised in parliament about their suitability for this campaign.

In the same way as the original contingent, the improvement of the force became evident as they stayed in the field and by September 1901 they had improved immensely. Near Rustenburg in this month men of the 5th and 9th Battalions fought off an attack on a column which cost it 12 dead and in a hard fought engagement at Moedwil on the 30th the yeoman and Scottish Horse again gave a good account of themselves. In England, at the end of 1901, there were plans to reduce the incessant reduction of the I.Y. by wastage. Whilst a system of drafts had yet to be introduced, the authorities raised the 25th and 26th Battalions from former I.Y. soldiers, ex-regulars and men who had served in the colonies. A third contingent was also being raised as early as December to allow these new men the time for some proper training before deployment, lessons of a year ago were being learned.

Account of 11th
Battalion disaster

The worst catastrophe of the second contingent occurred at Tweefontein on Christmas morning of 1901. The 11th Battalion were caught by De Wet in an awful position that they had been ordered to occupy. The Boers had quickly taken a position overlooking the British camp and from there they fired mercilessly into the tents of the sleeping men below. Despite attempts by various officers and S.N.C.O.’s the camp was taken and 289 yeoman were killed, wounded or taken prisoner. This was not to be the last disaster for the second contingent, a convoy was attacked and captured by De la Rey at Yzerspruit on the 25th of February 1902 which left the 5th Battalion of I.Y. with 28 dead and 34 wounded. The worst disgrace happened however near Tweebosch on the 7th of March 1902. The column under direct control of Methuen (who was wounded and captured by De la Rey) was attacked by 2000 Boers with artillery they had captured at Yzerspruit. The colonial mounted troops panicked and fled, for the most part sweeping the yeoman with them. The 86th Company had the sad distinction of fleeing 3 miles without firing a shot. The regular troops left with the convoy had no chance and the casualties were huge with 68 dead, 121 wounded and over 600 men taken prisoner.

It was for these disasters, and not the huge good work that the majority of the yeoman achieved, that the second contingent became known as ‘De Wets’ own’. There were tales of true grit and heroism within the span of the new yeomanry, including those portrayed by Taylor and Coates at Blaauwater. There were countless actions both large and small in which they performed heroically in the best traditions of the army to which they had volunteered and not all commanders had low opinions of these men.

By the signing of the peace treaty on the 31st of May 1902 the third contingent had begun to arrive, the 27th to 32nd Battalions arriving at the Cape just days prior to this event and as such ‘squeezing’ a medal which was denied to the men of the 33rd to 39th Battalions who arrived shortly afterwards. The third contingent was a better trained force which had been in barracks for months before sailing to South Africa. They stayed in the country long into 1903 to help in the stabilization process.

Though not always a success, the experiment of the I.Y. in South Africa did teach the Government and Army valuable lessons. It had showed that volunteers could serve alongside regulars with few problems, a lesson that proved vitally important just over a decade later when a new threat arose. In that conflict the problems that had arisen with the I.Y. were foreseen and a huge volunteer force left the UK to fight overseas.

Wikipedia - Imperial Yeomanry has a good potted history of Lindley and the 2nd contingent's problems in 1901 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Yeomanry

3 - List of the men who volunteered for the South Notts Company of the Imperial Yeomanry:

The South Notts were classified as Imperial Yeomanry, 12th Company, 3rd Battalion. The 3rd Battalion consisted of:
9th (Yorkshire (Doncaster)) Company, raised 1900; sponsored by Yorkshire Hussars.
10th (Sherwood Rangers) Company, raised 1900
11th (Yorkshire) Company, raised 1900; sponsored by Queen's Own Yorkshire Dragoons
12th (South Nottingham) Company, raised 1900
66th (Yorkshire) Company, transferred 1902 from 16th Bn.
109th (Yorkshire Hussars) Company, raised 1901
111th (Yorkshire Dragoons) Company, raised 1901

# Surname First name Rank
Edgell M W    Captain
Barber Thomas P Lieutenant
Birkin Harry L Lieutenant
Coventry L C Lieutenant
Crocker Jonathan Alfred Lieutenant
Knowles Alfred Millington Lieutenant
Meyer Xavier Rodwell Lieutenant
Nantes William G L Lieutenant
Tristram Uvedale H Lieutenant
Birkin Richard Leslie Lieutenant Colonel
Rolleston Lancelot Major
1622 Urell J Regimental Sergeant Major
2413 Boote R Private Demise: Died of disease - enteric fever 05 Jun 1900. Place: Deelfontein
3361 Jackson William Edward Sergeant
3362 Carr George Private
3363 Bowley Arthur Private
3364 Judd Charles Edwin Private
3365 Snowden Arthur Corporal
3366 Knight Herbert Private
3367 Parsons George Squadron QMS
3368 Robinson Harry Corporal Trumpeter
3369 Jones Harold Private
3370 Glenn Ralph Private
3371 Topott William Private
3372 Fletcher John Joseph Private
3373 Clements Leslie Private
3374 Thurman Arthur John QM Sergeant
3374 Thurman A J Quartermaster Sergeant Demise: Died of disease 31 May 1900. Place: Boshof
3375 Widdowson Henry Edward Private
3376 Ward Richard Private
3378 Harvey George Sergeant
3379 Brown Charles Edmond Sergeant
3380 Learman H Private Demise: Killed in action 01 Jun 1900. Place: Lindley, Yeomanry Kop
3380 Learman Harry Private
3381 Hines Arthur George Trumpeter
3382 Bailey William Brett Private
3384 Crawcour George Harry Corporal
3385 Hall Frank Private
3386 Footitt Joseph Private
3387 Smith J A Private
3388 Whittle J W Corporal Demise: Killed in action 09 Aug 1900. Place: Rietfontein. 555
3388 Whittle James William Private
3389 McAllister Herbert William Private
3390 Hallam Charles Private
3391 Lymberry Victor Inman Private
3392 Middleton H Sergeant
3393 Attenborough James Private
3394 Wilkinson P G Private
3396 Farmer Ernest William Private
3397 Devonshire J Private Demise: Died of disease 15 Sep 1900. Place: Pretoria
3397 Devonshire John Private
3399 Shaw Henry Private
3400 Chettle Edward Private
3401 Widdowson Edwin Private
3402 Haywood Joseph Private
3403 Pilkington Arthur Private
3404 Wootton Tom Strover Private
3404 Wotton T S Private Demise: Died of wounds 17 Jun 1900. Place: Rooiwal. Fs + Kroonstad
3405 Whittaker Joseph Randall Private
3407 Walker Richard Private
3408 Collishaw John Private
3409 Collishaw William Private
3410 Southern William Private
3411 Priestman William Private
3412 Naylor A Private
3413 Boote Robert Private
3415 Barrow William Private
3416 White R Private
3418 Whitlock Charles Private
3419 Franklin Richard Sergeant
3420 Asher John William Private
3422 Marshall Harold John Private
3423 Moon Philip Private
3424 Wakley Frank Reash Private
3425 Booth Thomas Robert Shoeing Smith
3426 Barnett Henry Squadron QMS
3427 Rawson William Private
3428 Elsey John Private
3429 Teague William Sergeant Farrier
3432 Syson F Private
3433 Booth George Herbert Shoeing Smith
3434 Astle Frederick Bywater Private
3435 Lilley T W Private
3438 Pike Harry Private
3439 Burton Henry Herbert Private
3439 Burton H Trooper Demise: Died 20 Sep 1900. Place: Cape Town?
3440 Gothorp Basil Sergeant
3441 Bagnell C Private
3442 Riley James Sergeant
3443 Goodson William Private
3444 Simons Fred Private
3445 McGregor Donald Ewart Lance Corporal
3446 Williams Harry Ernest Private
3447 Lucas Arthur Corporal
3448 Batey Joseph Sergeant
3449 Newth James Private
3450 Lamin C Corporal
3453 Moore Albert Private
3455 Lemar Archibald Private
3457 Tristram John Christopher Private
3458 Piggott Henry Wilmot Private
3459 Kirk H E Private
3460 Brown Edward Francis Private
3462 Dillon James Francis Kenny Private
3463 Ashton John Francis Private
3464 Kirkman Harry Oliver Squadron QMS
3465 Trieber Inqatz Reuben Corporal
3466 Hawkins Bertram Lewis Private
3469 Hill Egerton Private
3470 Peck Bertie Edward Private
3471 Park Ernest Hutchinson Private
3472 Brown Albert Private
3475 Rawson Gilbert George Private
3476 Pullman Thomas Dolby Squadron Sergeant Major
3477 Hunt Herbert Joseph Corporal
3478 Kelly Frederick Charles Private
3479 Wilkinson Matthew Saddler
3480 Lindley Sam Taylor Sergeant
3481 Phillips John Hunt Private
3482 Smith Walter Private
3483 Woodruffe William Private
3484 Bunton Thomas Private
3485 Owens David Private
3486 Milward George John Private
3487 Johnson Henry Francis Private
3488 Brewill William Hardy Corporal
3488 Brewitt W H Corporal Demise: Died of disease 10 Jan 1901. Place: Vryburg
3490 Park Horace Cansfield Private
3491 Kirk Azariah Private
3492 Clarke Ernest Charles Private
3493 Walker W E Private
3494 Rogers Lionel Francis A Private
3495 Norton Archibald Douglas Private
3498 Farr John Lance Corporal
3499 Davison Ernest Alfred Private
3500 Collin George Halifax Private

20272 Ball A Corporal
20274 Dyson Richard John Trooper
20275 England W P Private Demise: Died of disease 11 Jul 1901. Place: Graaff-Reinet
20275 England Percy William Trooper
20278 Finch George Henry Trooper
20279 Fincham Frank Trooper
20280 Gibson Thomas Trooper
20282 Hempstead Edward Trooper
20284 Howard Arthur Royston Trooper
20285 Jowett Charles William Lance Corporal
20287 Meakins Ernest Newham Sergeant
20289 Northwood James Henry Sergeant
20290 Newham Thomas Percy Trooper
20291 Pilkington Henry Trooper
20292 Pilkington Albert Trooper
20294 Pidgeon George William Trooper
20295 Pilkington Samuel Ernest Trooper
20296 Rawle W Sergeant
20298 Rice Ernest Trooper
20299 Shorthose William Belfield Corporal
20300 Smith Edgar Jackson Trooper
20301 Smith Henry Trooper
20303 Seymour Stanley Trooper
20305 Parker George William S Sergeant
20306 Turner John Trooper
20307 Twigger William Trooper
20309 Watson Levi William Sergeant
20310 Wood Arthur Trooper
20311 Walker George Lance Corporal
20312 Whitehead E Trooper
22070 Atkin Samuel Lance Corporal
22071 Blackwell Walter Lance Corporal
22072 Brailsford George Henry Sergeant
22076 Crayton R Trooper
22077 Fish John F Trooper
22079 Gilbert G W Farrier Sergeant
22080 Green Horace Rowland Lance Corporal
22081 Howard George Trooper
22082 Hulse J Trooper
22083 James Albert Henry Shoeing Smith
22084 Maxwell Harold Trooper
22085 Mellors Harry Trooper
22086 Phelps Harold Trooper
22087 Pratt Walter Septimus Trooper
22089 Rice Montague Trooper
22092 Slack Albert Henry Trooper
22094 Stafford George Henry Trooper
23534 Egglinton E Trooper
23535 Harrison John Trooper
23537 Mills Fred Trooper
23538 Pateman Eli Trooper
23539 Pegg C Trooper
23541 Woodroffe J Trooper
23849 Hepplewhite A E Trooper
23868 Wootton William Trooper
23869 Wood Thomas Herbert Lance Corporal
23871 Suffolk James William Trooper
23872 Somerfield James Trooper
23873 Jordan W Trooper
23875 Holmes Walter Trooper
23876 Hickling Harry Trooper
23877 Adams Henry Corporal
23878 Coates John William Trooper
23879 Cooper George Henry Trooper
23881 Bath Thomas Trooper
23959 Gane Francis Grant Quartermaster Sergeant
23975 Penn William Trooper
23981 Stone William Samuel Shoeing Smith
24004 Goddard Alfred Percy Trooper
24051 Ashton Benjamin Trooper
24054 Broadhead Gerald Trooper
24357 Eyers Alfred Sergeant
25154 Stanley John Edwin Trooper
25837 Flewitt Albert Lance Corporal
25838 Chester W H Trooper
25839 Burland Ernest Trooper
25840 Taylor J Private Demise: Killed in action 20 Apr 1902. Place: Blaauwater Near Moskuilen
25840 Taylor James Trooper
25841 Knight Thomas Sergeant
25842 Annable H W Trooper
25843 Hibbert Robert Trooper
25844 Prime Edward V Trumpeter
25845 Edwards Yorke Sergeant
25846 Fletcher W Trooper
25847 Fearn A Trooper
25848 Snarey C Trooper
25850 Robinson Fred Trooper
25851 Dann John Trooper
25852 Hustwayte Henry Lance Corporal
25853 Clarke George Trooper
25854 Rigley N Trooper
25855 Oliver J Trooper
25856 Comery Percy Trooper
25857 Jeffery Clement Trooper
25859 Marshall Frederick Charles Trooper
25860 Barker Evelyn Trooper
26127 Franklin Herbert Allen Trooper
26530 Downes George John Trooper
27672 Enser John William Trooper
27673 Hayes Edward Saddler
27674 Simons John Private
27675 Reid Frank Trooper
27676 Gregory Richard Henry Trooper
27677 Wood Charles Thomas Trooper
27678 Ward J W Trooper
27679 Marshall Fred Trooper
27680 Leng W F Private Demise: Died of disease 23 Jul 1901. Place: Graaff-Reinet
27680 Leng William Frederick Trooper
27681 Elner Thomas Trooper
27682 White J H Trooper
27683 Williams G Private Demise: Died of disease 14 May 1901. Place: Noupoort
27683 Williams George Hallam Trooper
27684 Raven William Frederick Trooper
27685 Smith J J Trooper
27686 Leatherland Samuel Trooper
27687 Bradley George Trooper
27688 Lunn James Trooper
27689 Day Thomas Trooper
27690 Taylor H Corporal
27691 Hartley John Fleming Trooper
27692 Bailey Frederick James Trooper
27693 Start Harry Trooper
27694 Hulse Leonard Trooper
27695 Stendell Samuel Field Trooper
27696 Muddeman Sidney Tom Trooper
27697 Oxley Tom Arthur Trooper
28002 Paterson Edwin Burt Sergeant Farrier
Oxley T A Private Demise: Died of disease 10 May 1901. Place: De Aar

30359 Spring Frederick Alphonso Private
31126 Clarke William Frank Trooper
31894 Allen Francis Arthur Trooper
31992 Baumber David William Trooper
31993 Howitt Percy W Trooper
31994 Rush Thomas William Lance Corporal
31995 Wilson J Trooper
31996 Harby Henry Trooper
31997 Fish Samuel Trooper
31998 Lenton Walter Trooper
31999 Burroughs John William Trooper
32000 Becke Cecil Edleman Trooper
32002 Saunders Harry Corporal
32003 Barnes William Trooper
32004 Webb Archibald John Trooper
32005 Elliott James Herbert Trooper
32006 Staniforth Harold Trooper
32007 Humphries Edward Trooper
32008 Cadwallader Tom Trooper
32010 Brown Albert Trooper
32011 Kirk Bertie Trooper
32012 Watmough Edwin Trooper
32013 Shooter George Trooper
32360 Ives Robert Trooper
32404 Nightscales George Lewis Trooper
33324 Clarke William F Trooper
33366 Clancey Charles Trooper
33371 Welsford Reginald William Trooper
34180 Bond A E Private
34239 Raper E Trooper
35518 Davies George Trooper
38791 Weston B Trooper Demise: Died of disease 29 Jun 1902. Place: Deelfontein

* Deelfontain was a purpose-built hospital for the Yeomanry. Excellent video of its sadly dilapidated remains is here... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elhAkxyCGBY&ab_channel=AmericanBattlefieldTrust

4 - An in depth analysis of the action at Lindley. 

Lindley and the Irish Hunt Contingent

A still more humiliating coup (inflicted by Christiaan De Wet's brother, Piet) was the capture of 13th Battalion of the Imperial Yeomanry at Lindley on 31 May. To British eyes, this mounted battalion was the social and political showpiece of the new volunteer army: a company of Irish MFHs (Master of Foxhounds), known as the Irish Hunt Contingent, including the Earl of Longford and Viscount Ennismore; two companies of Ulster Protestant Unionists, including the Earl of Leitrim, a whisky baronet (Sir John Power) and the future Lord Craigavon; and a company of English and Irish men-about-town, raised by Lord Donoughmore, who had insisted on paying their own passage to South Africa. This patriotic band was  commanded by a British regular, Lieutenant-Colonel Basil Spragge; and Spragge proved himself a regular ass. 

They were supposed to join General Colvile, who was desperately short of mounted men. When they arrived at n 27 May, they found Lindley had somehow slipped back under the control of the Boers. Instead of making a fighting retreat towards Kroonstad, as he acknowledged was perfectly possible (‘I can get out but shall lose in doing so’), Spragge sent an SOS to Colvile. Then he and his men sat down astride some kopjes outside Lindley jand waited to be rescued. Unfortunately, Colvile, who had been ordered to be at Heilbron by 29 May, and was not fully aware of Spragge’s dangerous situation, decided not to delay his brigade by returning to rescue the mounted troops; he marched on to Heilbron, leaving them to their own devices. On 1 June, when the rescue column—three yeomanry battalions led by Lord Methuen (downgraded by Roberts) reached Lindley and stormed the kopjes, they found the hills already strewn with dead: Spragge’s dead. The rest of Spragge’s yeomen had surrendered to Piet De Wet on the previous day when De Wet brought up field-guns.

The surrender of Spragge’s Irish yeomanry was to cause a ripple of mirth in nationalist circles in Ireland. In fact, there was a gallant Last Stand, made by the Irish Hunt Company. Lord Longford, blood streaming from wounds in the neck, face and wrist, ordered his men to fight to the end. ‘I knew it to be madness,’ said one of the gentlemen-troopers

(son of the Irish Lord Chancellor), ‘and so did everyone else, I think, but not a man refused.' In general, raw Irish yeomen fought no worse than British regulars had fought in similar situations. A respectable total of eighty were killed or wounded before the white flags went up. Piet De Wet's bag totalled about 530, including Spragge, Lord Longford (seriously wounded), Lords Ennismore, Leitrim and Donoughmore (and the future Lord Craigavon) all captured, and the whisky baronet killed. The wounded were left at Lindley; the other prisoners were marched away northwards to the eastern Transvaal; their captors evaded the net of twenty thousand British troops trying to rescue them.

The Lindley raid brought the total of the De Wet brothers’ captures, within one week, to over a thousand. How ironic that these victories should occur in the same week that had seen the release of three thousand British prisoners-of-war from the camps at Pretoria. Moreover, De Wet's attacks on the main railway between Kroonstad and the Vaal caused panic along the line of Roberts's communications. For a few days it was believed in Roberts's HQ at Pretoria that Christiaan De Wet was in possession of Kroonstad itself. De Wet’s own men actually let slip through their hands a capture of the most sensational interest. They ambushed a British train; in the confusion, a single horseman galloped out of one of the horse wagons, and away into the night to safety. The horseman was Lord Kitchener, soon-to-be Commander-In-Chief of the entire British force.

 From The Boer War by Thomas Packenham 1933

Col Rolleston's Lindley action - the bigger picture. Col Rolleston was part of Lt-Col Younghusband's section...

Had Spragge been able to hold out for another two days, relief would have been at hand. A force of three battalions of Imperial Yeomanry, sixteen guns and an infantry brigade under Lt-Gen Lord Methuen had departed from Kroonstad on 30 May to assist Colvile. That afternoon, a halt was called, during which Methuen was informed of Colvile's arrival in Heilbron. He then received a message from Kroonstad from Lord Roberts, advising him to proceed to the assistance of Spragge. Methuen hurried to Lindley. On 31 May, he received a message from Spragge that he could hold out until 2 June. The next day, Methuen came into contact with the Boers at Paardeplaats,13 km south of Lindley. At the same time, he learnt that Spragge had surrendered the previous day. Having reconnoitred Lindley Methuen's Imperial Yeomanry then attempted to surround the Boer force and their captives. One of his sections, the 3rd Bn Imperial Yeomanry under the command of Lt-Col G J Younghusband attempted to capture the convoy transporting the prisoners of war. In this, he was partly successful, managing to capture the sixteen wagons and two guns taken from Spragge's force. Calls were made for reinforcements but none arrived; the Imperial Yeomanry were too busy trying to clear the Boers off the high ground [presumably over the road from the Yeomanry Koppies]. At 14.00, they were ordered to break off the engagement, with a loss of 26 men including five fatalities. The British guns and wagons of Spragge's force were intercepted, escaped, and eventually joined the Boer convoy (History of the War, Vol 3, pp 124-5).

http://samilitaryhistory.org/vol153sw.html

Lindley analysed in South Africa and the Transvaal War, Vol. V (of VI) From the Disaster at Koorn Spruit to Lord Roberts's entry into Pretoria Author: Louis Creswicke...

The 13th Battalion (Irish) Imperial Yeomanry, on whose account the battle was undertaken, had a most disastrous encounter with an overwhelming number of Boers near Lindley on the 31st of May. This battalion, as we know, was attacked on the way from Kroonstad to Lindley, and temporarily helped by the operations near Senekal. Subsequently the party came upon a superior force of Boers, and was forced to surrender. The Cape Times gave its version of the affair:

“The story was told by Corporal Marks, who, with Trooper Brian, alone escaped capture. The force in question consisted of about 500 men, under the command of Colonel Spragge, and was comprised of the Duke of[Pg 166] Cambridge’s Own and the Irish and Belfast Yeomanry. The Duke’s were 125 strong. With this force was a convoy of waggons, while the scouts, of whom our informant, Corporal Marks, was in command, numbered five.

“The little battalion left Kroonstad on May 25, under hurried orders to reinforce General Colvile at Lindley without delay. On their way they captured and disarmed a troop of sixteen Boers whom they found in possession of a quantity of ammunition. Taking their prisoners with them, they hurried on at full speed, arriving at Lindley on Sunday, May 27, about noon. As they entered the town a number of horsemen were seen galloping out at the other end in the direction of Heilbron. Much to their disappointment our men found that General Colvile had left at daylight that day, after some severe fighting, for Heilbron....

“On Wednesday night, after the gallant little band had been fighting against enormous odds for three days, Colonel Spragge decided to send one scout (C. Smith), in company of a Kaffir guide, in search of General Rundle, who was supposed to be in the neighbourhood of Senekal, with an urgent message for help. Corporal Marks and Trooper Brian were instructed to leave at the same time with a similar message for General Colvile. A close Boer line had been drawn round the position of the devoted garrison, and it was necessary to pierce the cordon to reach Heilbron. The scouts left unarmed, and after a terrible night of it, Marks and Brian got through the enemy’s lines. The night was bitterly cold, and the Boers had lighted camp fires, which proved serviceable guides to the two men. They passed so close to the pickets that they could hear them talking and laughing perfectly distinctly. Taking a circuitous route, they kept the Heilbron road some distance on their right, and by rapid marching reached Colvile’s camp at seven o’clock on Thursday morning. The message was delivered to the General, whose reply was that he could do nothing. Unhappily, Smith and the Kaffir were captured by Boers, and Smith was shot on the spot.

“The following is a copy of the despatch given to Corporal Marks for delivery to Colonel Spragge:—

“‘Your message received 7 a.m. I am eighteen miles from Lindley and twenty-two from Heilbron, which latter place I hope to reach to-morrow. The enemy are between me and you, and I cannot send back supplies. If you cannot join me by road to Heilbron you must retire on Kroonstad, living on the country, and if necessary, abandoning your waggons.—(Signed) H. E. Colvile, Lieutenant-General.’

“General Colvile appears to have believed that the little force could make a dash for it and cut their way through to Kroonstad. In any case, he did not see his way to go to the help of the men who had been marching to reinforce himself. Knowing that this message could be of no possible service to Colonel Spragge, and realising the urgency of the case, Corporal Marks decided to take the responsibility of not wasting time by returning to deliver this message, and he and Brian made for Kroonstad as hard as their horses would gallop. About eight miles north-east of the town they learned that Lord Methuen was in the neighbourhood, and they reached his camp about half-past four that afternoon (Thursday). Lord Methuen immediately made preparations to relieve the plucky little force in such hard straits at Lindley, and started the same afternoon. He reached Lindley without opposition the same night. But it was too late.[Pg 167]”

Another account said:—“The battalion, consisting of the Duke of Cambridge’s Own and three companies of Irish Yeomanry—under 500 in all—reached Kroonstad on Friday morning, May 22, after a long forced march. A few hours after their arrival they received an urgent message from General Colvile requiring them to join him without delay at Lindley, and they started at 8 p.m. that same evening with one day’s rations, reaching Lindley, fifty miles distant, on the Sunday morning. When the advanced guard reached the town they found it apparently deserted, the only signs of British occupation being empty beef and biscuit tins; and were informed that General Colvile had left at daybreak. Almost immediately they were fired at from behind walls and houses, and finding the place untenable retreated about a mile outside the town, where Colonel Spragge took up a good position on some kopjes, with a stream of water and good shelter for the horses and waggons. This place they defended, fighting by day and fortifying by night, till Thursday, at 2 p.m., on slender rations, though surrounded by greatly superior numbers. On Thursday morning the Boers were largely reinforced, and also brought up cannon—three Krupps and a ‘pom-pom,’—when the shell-fire telling dreadfully at short range, Colonel Spragge felt it would be madness to hold out longer, and surrendered after losing more than seventy-eight in killed and wounded out of his small force—when all was over some of the unwounded were so exhausted that they could hardly march into Lindley, where their gallant enemies as well as the non-combatants gave them the highest credit for the stand they had made in an almost hopeless position. Next day Lord Methuen arrived after a splendid forced march, and the wounded were set free.”

In regard to the loss of the Duke of Cambridge’s Yeomanry, there was a good deal of criticism, and accounts dealing with the raison d’être of the disaster vary. Mr. Winston Churchill, in support of Sir H. Colvile, declared that it was sent out with the absurdly inadequate escort by the fiat of a higher authority, with the full knowledge that Heilbron was surrounded by a force of Boers estimated at from 4000 to 5000 men. It was also despatched without warning, being sent, or at any rate received at Heilbron, so that it was impossible to operate from the latter place to assist its passage, especially as it was actually captured almost immediately after leaving Kroonstad, and fourteen miles from Heilbron.

“In the case of the Yeomanry, the message giving notice of the change of place, where it was to join the 9th Division from Ventersburg to Lindley, was by error addressed to the 9th Brigade, and this was not received by Sir H. Colvile till the 21st of June. The first intimation of their position was given by a messenger to General Colvile’s camp when twenty miles out of Lindley from the Yeomanry, then five miles on the other side on the Kroonstad road. The messenger asked for reinforcement and supplies, but did not represent the situation as very serious, as, in fact, at that time it was not. But at this juncture General Colvile was surrounded by a large force of Boers on his flank and rear, and short of supplies himself, and on a time[Pg 168] march under orders to reach Heilbron on the 29th. He therefore advised Colonel Spragge to retire on the Kroonstad road, and authorised him, if necessary, to abandon his baggage, &c.”

Lord Methuen, who at the time was on the march to Kroonstad, was ordered off, as we already know, to the rescue. Within half-an-hour he had started, and by 10 a.m. on the 2nd of June he had accomplished forty-four miles in twenty-five hours. But his expedition was of no avail, for Spragge’s Irishmen had been taken prisoners. Nevertheless having arrived, Lord Methuen proceeded to attack the Boers with vigour, and after five hours’ continuous fighting, put some 3000 of them to flight.

The official list of prisoners of war showed 22 officers and 863 non-commissioned officers and men. Among the officers were the following:— 13th Battalion Imperial Yeomanry—Lieutenant-Colonel Spragge, Lieutenant-Colonel Holland, Captain Robinson, Captain Humby, Lieutenant Mitchell, Lieutenant Stannus, Lieutenant the Earl of Leitrim, Lieutenant Rutledge, Lieutenant Montgomery, Lieutenant Lane, Lieutenant Du Pré, Lieutenant Donnelly, Sergeant Wright, Sergeant Woodhouse. Captain Keith had been killed in the affair of the 29th, when Captain Sir J. Power was dangerously wounded, and Captain the Earl of Longford, Lieutenants Stuart, Robin, and Benson, were wounded together with Lieutenant Bertram of the Eastern Province Horse (since dead). The following officers were also wounded on June 1 and 2: 3rd Battalion Imperial Yeomanry—Captain L. R. Rolleston, Captain M. S. Dawsany, Lieutenant L. E. Starkey.

5 - A batman or an orderly is a soldier or airman assigned to a commissioned officer as a personal servant. Before the advent of motorized transport, an officer's batman was also in charge of the officer's "bat-horse" that carried the pack saddle with his officer's kit during a campaign. The British English term is derived from the obsolete bat, meaning "pack saddle" (from French bât, from Old French bast, from Late Latin bastum).
A batman's duties often include:
- acting as a "runner" to convey orders from the officer to subordinates
- maintaining the officer's uniform and personal equipment as a valet
- driving the officer's vehicle, sometimes under combat conditions
- acting as the officer's bodyguard in combat
- other miscellaneous tasks the officer does not have time or inclination to do
- digging the officer's foxhole in combat, giving the officer time to direct his unit
The action of serving as a batman was referred to as "batting". In armies where officers typically came from the upper class, it was not unusual for a former batman to follow the officer into later civilian life as a domestic servant.

6 - Which actual hall was he sitting at that Christmas? His main residence was Watnall Hall but he also rented Edwinstowe House in Edwinstowe as he spent much of his time with the Rufford Hunt. He was their Master of Foxhounds.

7 - The Flying Column - I've written a more detailed article about Colonel Rolleston's innovative military exercises here https://watnallhall.blogspot.com/2022/05/the-flying-column-capt-rolleston-sgt.html