Military history of Australia during the Second Boer War
Encyclopedia
The military history of Australia during the Boer War is complex, and includes a period of history in which the six formerly autonomous British Australian colonies federated
to become the Commonwealth of Australia. At the outbreak of the Second Boer War, each of these separate colonies maintained their own, independent military forces
, but by the cessation of hostilities, these six armies had come under a centralised command to form the Australian Army
.
Towards the end of the nineteenth century, an escalating conflict between the British Empire
and the Boer republics of southern Africa, led to the outbreak of the Second Boer War
, which lasted from 11 October 1899, until 31 May 1902. In a show of support for the empire, the governments of the self-governing British colonies of Canada
, New Zealand
, Natal
, Cape Colony
and the six Australian colonies
all offered men to participate in the conflict. The Australian contingents, numbering over 16,000 men, were the largest contribution from the Empire, and a further 7,000 Australian men served with other colonial or irregular units. At least 60 Australian women also served in the conflict as nurses.
Great Britain
first gained control of the southern tip of Africa during the Napoleonic Wars
. The Dutch East India Company
built the first Cape settlement in 1652, bringing southern Africa into the Dutch Empire
. In 1795 revolutionary France
invaded and occupied the Dutch Republic
, and established a puppet allied-state there, known as the Batavian Republic
. All the former colonies of the Dutch Republic came under the control of the Batavian Republic, who were allied to France, Britain’s enemy in the French Revolutionary Wars
.
Realising the Cape’s strategic importance for control of the seas and access to India
and the Far East
, Britain attacked the Batavian Republic's outpost at the Cape of Good Hope in the Battle of Muizenberg
. The British victory in the battle brought about the establishment of the Cape Colony
. Although it was briefly returned to the Batavian Republic in 1803 under the Treaty of Amiens
, a resumption of hostilities saw Britain again take control of the Cape Colony in 1806 following the Battle of Blaauwberg
. This battle established permanent British rule over the Cape.
Unhappy with British rule, the Southern African Dutch, known as Boers, migrated further north
, establishing the South African Republic
(Transvaal Republic), Natal
, and the Orange Free State
.
British imperial and commercial interests increasingly impinged on the Boer republics, who resented British influence in their affairs. The majority of the territory of Natal was annexed by the British in 1843, and although the British government formally recognised the two remaining Boer republics in the 1850s, they then annexed the Transvaal in 1877. Tired of British aggression towards them, the Boers finally hit back, leading to the outbreak of the First Boer War
. Lasting from 16 December 1880 until 23 March 1881, the First Boer War was a humiliating reversal for the British, who suffered a disastrous loss at the Battle of Majuba Hill
on 27 February 1881, and were compelled to sign the Pretoria Convention
, which granted the South African Republic
self-government under a nominal British suzerainty
.
Just six years later in 1886, gold was discovered in the Republic, and a large influx of British prospectors (referred to as uitlanders by the Boers) increasingly led to confrontation with the Boers. What began as an internal problem for the South African Republic soon became an international problem, as Britain sought to protect, and even extend the rights of its citizens within the South African Republic. Britain had been unhappy with the outcome of the First Boer War, and wished to restore influence over the Transvaal.
Under the pretext of negotiating uitlander rights, Britain sought to gain control over the gold and diamond mining industries, and demanded a franchising policy, which they knew would be unacceptable to the Boers. When the negotiations failed to come to an acceptable outcome, British foreign secretary Joseph Chamberlain
issued an ultimatum to the South African Republic. Realising that war was inevitable, President Paul Kruger
gave Britain a 48-hour deadline to withdraw its troops from their borders. When Britain failed to comply, the South African Republic, along with their allies, the Transvaal and the Orange Free State declared war on Britain and set about launching pre-emptive strikes into British held territory.
A Boer force of mostly farmer volunteers, formed up as mounted infantry, armed primarily with German built Mauser
Model 1895 rifles. The effectiveness and superiority of this weapon over the British Lee-Metford
and Lee-Enfield Mark I
, led to the development of the Pattern 1913 Enfield
, and the upgrading of the Lee-Enfield to the SMLE Mark III
, which would be the stock rifle of choice for most British Empire armies in World War I
. These highly mobile mounted infantry formed the basis of the Boer Commando
, which was the primary organisational unit of the Boers.
At the outbreak of hostilities, a superior rifle was not the only advantage held by the Boers. The British forces in southern Africa were still composed mostly of infantry, while most of the Boers were skilled horsemen, who used their superior mobility to good advantage. Realising that continuing to engage the British in set-piece battles where British troops could utilize their superior numbers would result in a quick defeat, the Boers adopted tactics of hit-and-run guerilla attacks, picking off men, and disrupting supply lines.
The Boers first struck at the Battle of Kraaipan
on 12 October 1899. Late at night, 800 commandos rode south into the Cape Colony, attacking the British garrison at Kraaipan and cutting railway and telegraph lines. Although the British repelled their advance at the Battle of Talana Hill
, and the Battle of Elandslaagte
, the Boers continued to pour south, besieging the British settlement of Ladysmith
and advancing on Mafeking and Kimberley
.
As the Boers established siege-guns around Ladysmith, the British commander of the garrison there, Sir George Stuart White, attempted a sortie
with cavalry against the Boer gun positions, but the attack was a disaster, and a state of siege followed as both side attempted to consolidate their position.
, men who made their own way to participate, and others who joined privately raised units such as Doyle’s Australian Scouts. After Australia federated to become the Commonwealth of Australia, the men of the six separate colonial contingents were reorganised into new Commonwealth contingents. Although in a minority, some Australians were anti-imperialists, and supported the Boer cause. Although their number is uncertain, it is known that some Australians, such as Arthur Alfred Lynch
, participated in the conflict on the Boer side. Upon the outbreak of hostilities, the British government initially requested troops from New South Wales, which had previously provided the New South Wales Lancers
serving in the Mahdist War
in Sudan
. Although they were armed with rifles, the NSW Lancers did go into action during the Boer War charging with their lances on more than one occasion.
As planning advanced, and the need for troop numbers increased, this request was soon forwarded to each of the colonies. The War Office
devised a plan for two contingents of 125 men each from New South Wales and Victoria, and one contingent of 125 men each from Queensland
, South Australia
, Tasmania
, and Western Australia
, to be attached to separate British units. The six colonial governments each held their own parliamentary debates about the support that would be offered. Although there were elements of opposition within each government, support was general and widespread in each colony.
Britain realised the value of troops from the Australian colonies. The climates and geography of Southern Africa and Australia were quite similar, and most Australian soldiers, the vast majority of whom were trained as mounted rifles
, were well-suited to operating in such terrain. Britain was also quick to understand the need for further horsemen, as the Boers operated with a high degree of mobility across the Southern African grasslands, often referred to romantically as 'the vastness of the veldt'. At that time, most British troops were recruited from within urban environments, and although their ability as soldiers was not questioned, they did not have the natural horsemanship
and bush craft of the Australians, many of whom came from rural backgrounds.
The Australian contribution consisted of five phases. The first was the contingents each government dispatched in response to the outbreak of the war. Although hostilities only commenced on 10 October 1899, the first squadron of New South Wales Lancers arrived in Cape Town
on 2 November to join the British force assembled under the command of General Sir Redvers Henry Buller
. The Lancers had been training in England at the time, and were quickly dispatched to southern Africa as soon as permission was received from the Government of New South Wales
.
By 22 November the Lancers were already conducting patrols, and were soon attacked near Belmont
, where they forced their attackers to withdraw after inflicting serious casualties upon them. The NSW Lancers were again called into action at the Battle of Modder River
, where along with Lord Methuen’s British column, they attempted to relieve the siege of Kimberley. Although they forced the Boers to retreat, the British suffered heavy casualties in the attempt, and also had to withdraw, allowing the Boers to re-establish their trench lines.
As they had less distance to travel, the Western Australian contingent, consisting solely of the 1st Western Australian Mounted Infantry arrived in mid-November, were the first to arrive directly from Australia, and were quickly dispatched for Natal. On 26 November, the first contingents of infantry from South Australia (1st South Australian Mounted Rifles), Tasmania (Tasmanian Mounted Infantry), Victoria (1st Victorian Mounted Rifles) and Western Australia arrived in Cape Town, and despite retaining their own independent commands, for logistical reasons they were designated as the '1st Australian Regiment', and came under overall command of Major-General Sir John Charles Hoad
. The 1st Queensland Mounted Infantry had also arrived to join them by mid-December. Another mounted infantry unit from New South Wales, known as the 1st Australian Horse, also arrived in December. Despite their name, they were raised purely from within the Colony of New South Wales, although this unit would go on to become the precursor of the first Australian Light Horse unit. Hoad ordered the combined force to ride north towards the Orange River
, where they were to link up with the Kimberley Relief Force under Lieutenant-General Lord Methuen.
Although they were in the Cape Colony at the time, no units from the Australian colonies were involved in the Black Week
between 10–17 December, in which Britain suffered three successive defeats at the Battle of Stormberg
, the Battle of Magersfontein
, and the Battle of Colenso
. The Boers knew that Empire forces would be sent to reinforce the British positions, and so sought to strike quickly against them.
By mid-December, the first two contingents of New South Wales Mounted Rifles (A Squadron and E Squadron), and the first contingent of Queensland Mounted Infantry (1st Queensland Mounted infantry) had both also arrived directly from Australia.
The beginning of 1900 saw the first Australian contingents deploying to the north of the Cape Colony. The new year begun much as the previous one had ended though, with the British suffering a further defeat at the Battle of Spion Kop
on 23 and 24 January, adding to the set-backs of Black Week. Despite the defeat at Spion Kop, reinforcements were flooding in from both Britain and the Empire. The 1st New South Wales Mounted Rifles, 'A' Field Battery of the NSW Artillery, the NSW Medical Team, and the 2nd Victorian Mounted Rifles all arrived in February, and the 2nd Queensland Mounted Infantry arrived in March. These Australian units joined the British forces being assembled by Lord Roberts, who had replaced General Buller in January, following concerns over his leadership through the bleak losses of the previous December.
Lord Roberts was placed in command of a five-division
strong force of reinforcements sent to launch a counter-invasion of the Orange Free State. By mid-February his force amounted to over 180,000 men, the largest British expeditionary force deployed on overseas operations up to that date. His original plan had involved his column conducting an offensive north along the railway from Cape Town to Bloemfontein, and onto Pretoria. When they progressed north, the discovered the beleaguered forces under siege at Ladysmith and Kimberley. Upon discovering the nature of the situation with the sieges, Roberts broke his force up into several detachments to deal with each of the sieges. One force was commanded by Lieutenant-General John French
, and consisted primarily of cavalry. French’s detachment also included the New South Wales Lancers, Queensland Mounted Infantry, and New South Wales Army Medical Corps.
The British victory at Modder River had finally permitted the relief of Kimberley, and the retreating Boers were chased down and again engaged at the Battle of Paardeberg
which took place between 18 and 27 February 1900. The New South Wales Mounted Rifles and 1st Queensland Mounted Infantry both took part in this engagement, with the NSW Rifles managing to capture the Boer General Piet Cronjé
. His capture caused a massive blow to Boer morale over the rest of the conflict. The British column broke the siege of Ladysmith
on 28 February, and entered Bloemfontein
on 13 March. Despite suffering heavy casualties from both battle and disease, the British continued to drive on towards Pretoria
.
The second wave of units from the Australian colonies began to arrive in April. This wave consisted primarily of the “bushmen” units. The men for these newly raised units were recruited from a wide range of locales and had been primarily funded through either public subscription, or the donations of wealthy citizens who wished to been seen as contributing to the war effort. These units were again mounted infantry, and consisted of men with a natural skill at horsemanship and riflery. The 1st Bushmen Contingent (NSW), The Queensland Citizen Bushmen, The South Australian Citizen Bushmen, The Tasmanian Citizen Bushmen, The Victorian Citizen Bushmen, and the Western Australian Citizen Bushmen all landed and headed towards Rhodesia
in April.
By May, the Australian contingents numbered over 3,000, and they were involved in the thick of the fighting, including the action at Driefontein, and the Relief of Mafeking on 17 May, which provoked wild celebrations on the streets of London. The third contingents from the Australian colonies had also begun to arrive in southern Africa. These were ‘Imperial Bushmen’ units, which were identical in composition, recruitment and structure as the preceding ‘bushmen’ units, except that they had been funded by the Imperial government in London as opposed to local subscription and donation. The British government had been so impressed by the performance of the Australian units that they had decided to fund the raising of additional units.
An outbreak of typhoid
badly affected the British and Empire forces, but they were soon able to resume their campaign. Roberts’ column was again halted briefly at Kroonstad due to problems with supplies, but after 10 days they continued the push towards Johannesburg. On 28 May The Orange Free State was formally annexed, and renamed as the Orange River Colony. By 30 May, Johannesburg
had also fallen into the hands of Lord Roberts’ force, and four days later the Boers were retreating from Pretoria. Men from all of the Australian units were in some way involved in the taking of Johannesburg.
Pretoria, the capital of Transvaal Republic
fell into British hands on 5 June. The first men into Pretoria, were the New South Wales Mounted Rifles, whose commander, Lt. William Watson persuaded the Boers to surrender the capital.
Heavy fighting soon again broke out in the Battle of Diamond Hill
on 11 and 12 June, fought to prevent the Boer reinforcements from recapturing Pretoria. Men from each of the Australian contingents, most notable the New South Wales, and Western Australian Mounted Rifles all took part in this battle, which was seen as a victory by both sides. Lord Roberts was please to have forced the Boers to retreat from Pretoria, but the forces of Louis Botha
had inflicted heavy casualties on the British forces.
Orange Free State President Martinus Theunis Steyn
, and President Paul Kruger
of the South African Republic, had both retreated with surviving elements of their governments, into eastern Transvaal. Roberts was determined to capture the rebel presidents to end any opposition to British rule. He joined up with Buller’s remaining forced from Natal, and advanced into the eastern Transvaal against them.
The British met a 5,000 strong Boer force under General Louis Botha
at the Battle of Bergendal
which lasted from 21 to 27 August, and would prove to be the last set-piece battle of the war. Despite fierce resistance, the Boers were overwhelmed by the 20,000 strong British force. The broken Boers retreated from the field, and the next day, 28 August, the British marched into Machadodorp
, hoping to capture the Boer presidents. They had already left for Nelspruit
, where the temporarily established their governments. With the British still in pursuit, Kruger and his former Transvaal government ministers were nearly cornered. However the Queen of the Netherlands felt a high degree of sympathy towards the Boers, and offered Kruger a means of escape. Ignoring a Royal Navy blockade, 20 year old Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
sent the Dutch warship De Gelderland
to their rescue. Kruger escaped to lived in exile in Switzerland, but died there in 1904.
The Battle of Bergendal had forced the Boers to abandon their hopes of achieving an outcome through direct, military confrontation of the enemy. But despite their defeats much of the Boer army remained intact, and Botha dispersed his men to Lydenburg
and Barberton
to begin a new phase of the conflict.
With all of the major population centres under British control, Roberts declared the war to be over on 3 September 1900, and formally annexed the South African Republic, declaring all formerly Boer territory to be under British control.
The loss of the capitals did not deter the Boers. Instead, they moved their campaign into a phase of guerrilla warfare
, in which Boer commandos
operating in small groups, picked off men through sniping, disrupted troop movements and supply lines, and launched ambush attacks on individual or isolated units, or launched larger-scale raids against important targets.
Realising the campaign had been progressing well for the British, the Boer commanders had earlier met in secret in Kroonstad, and planned out their guerrilla campaign against British supply and communication lines. The first major attack of this new phase was the attack at Sanna's Post
on 31 March 1900, in which Boer commander Christiaan de Wet
led a force of 2,000 commandos from the former Orange Free State in a major attack on Bloemfontein’s waterworks system 23 miles (37 km) east of the city. In the same attack they also ambushed a British convoy killing 155 British soldiers, and capturing seven guns, 117 wagons and 428 prisoners.
To sustain their guerrilla campaign, the Boers needed a regular supply of food, ammunition and equipment. In an effort to obtain such supplies, Koos de la Rey
led a 3,000 strong Boer attack on the British post at Brakfontein on the Elands River in Western Transvaal on 4 August 1900. At the time, it was lightly defended by 300 Australians, comprising 105 New South Wales Citizens' Bushmen, 141 3rd Queensland Mounted Infantry, 2 Tasmanian Bushmen, 42 Victorian Bushmen, and 9 West Australian Bushmen, as well as an additional 201 Rhodesian Volunteers. de le Rey’s force surrounded the outpost, but magnanimously offered to deliver the Australians to the nearest British position unharmed if they surrendered the supplies they were guarding. The commanding officer of the Australians, Colonel Hore, replied to de la Rey:
The Boer’s proceeded to bombard the Australian position with artillery fire. In two days they fired over 2,500 shells at the Elands River outpost. The defenders suffered 32 casualties, but continued to repulse any attempt to seize the outpost. The Boers turned back a relief force sent to assist the Australians, but were unable to take the position itself. After 11 days without success, and with the prospect of further reinforcements arriving, the Boers broke their siege and withdrew. The Australians and Rhodesians had successfully defended the Elands River outpost, and were eventually relieved on 16 August.
– Koos de la Rey.
In response to the Boers desperate need of supplies, the British command changed tactics, adopting a counter-insurgency
approach. They established heavily defended blockhouses along supply-lines, and used a scorched earth
policy, burning houses and crops, and interning Boers in concentration camps. This caused the costs of the campaign to rise dramatically, and began to have a negative impact on the popularity of the campaign amongst ordinary Australians. Some even started to feel sympathy for the Boers.
The Commonwealth of Australia came into existence on 1 January 1901 as a result of the federation
of the Australian colonies, and defence
was made a responsibility of the new centralised, federal government. This brought about the creation of the Department of Defence
, and two months later on 1 March 1901, the formation of the Australian Army
.
All existing military units of each of the six colonies were transferred into the Australian Army, which at the time of formation consisted of 28,923 colonial soldiers, including 1,457 professional soldiers, 18,603 paid militia and 8,863 unpaid volunteers, including those on active service in South Africa. For practical reasons, and so as not to disrupt the ongoing war effort in South Africa, individual units continued to be administered under the various colonial Acts until the Defence Act 1903 brought all of the units under one piece of legislation.
In reality the only clear indication of the Australian men’s new allegiance to the Commonwealth, was in the form of hat-badge changing ceremonies that took place in the field. The colonial troop’s original badges of their home colony were replaced with Rising Sun Badges
, the symbol of the newly formed Australian Army. It was also not practical or economical for the men to adopt a single uniform, or standardise equipment, and so each colonial unit continued to utilise their original uniforms and equipment.
After Federation in 1901, eight Australian Commonwealth Horse
battalions of the newly created Australian Army
were also sent to South Africa, although they saw little fighting before the war ended. Some Australians later joined local South African irregular units, instead of returning home after discharge. These soldiers were part of the British Army
, and were subject to British military discipline. Such units included the Bushveldt Carbineers
which gained notoriety as the unit in which Harry "Breaker" Morant
and Peter Handcock
served in before their court martial and execution for war crime
s.
By the beginning of 1901, British forces were in control of almost all Boer territory, with the exception of some zones in northern Transvaal. While the Boers continued to conduct raids against British infrastructure and supply lines, their ability to disrupt British operations, or launch significant attacks had been totally reduced. Boers returned to their local districts in the hope that locals that knew them would offer sustenance and support. Although the Boers continued to hit back when they could, once the armies were dispersed their effectiveness diminished greatly.
By mid-1901, the bulk of the fighting was over, and British mounted units would ride at night to attack Boer farmhouses or encampments, overwhelming them with superior numbers. Indicative of warfare in last months of 1901, the New South Wales Mounted Rifles traveled 1,814 miles (2,919 km) and were involved in thirteen skirmishes, killing 27 Boers, wounding 15, and capturing 196 for the loss of 5 dead and 19 wounded. Other notable Australian actions included Sunnyside
, Slingersfontein, Pink Hill, Rhenosterkop and Haartebeestefontein.
By 1902 British and colonial forces were concentrating on denying the Boers movement. Using the blockhouses, armoured trains, concentration camps, and denial of supplies, the British eventually began to starve the Boers into submission. The British began to utilise ‘sweeper columns’ on mounted infantry that ranged across entire districts, hunting and harassing any armed men they could find.
The British policy of containment and dispersal had been highly effective, and by March 1902, all significant opposition from the Boers had ended. In March, the British offered peace terms, but these were rejected by Louis Botha
. Suffering from disease and starvation, the last of the Boers surrendered in May, and on 31 May 1902, thirty delegates from the former South African Republic
and Orange Free State
met British officials in Vereeniging to discuss terms. Out of the negotiations Jan Smuts
and Lord Kitchener produced the Treaty of Vereeniging
(also known as the Peace of Vereeniging), in which the Boer republics agreed to end hostilities, surrender their independence, and swear allegiance to the crown. In exchange, a general amnesty would be granted, no death penalties would be administered, and Dutch
and Afrikaans
would be permitted in schools and courts.
Although a brief period of self-government as British dominions followed, Cape Colony
, Colony of Natal
, Orange River Colony
, and Transvaal were soon abolished by the South Africa Act 1909
, which created a new British dominion over the whole of southern Africa, known as the Union of South Africa
.
Australians were not always successful however, suffering a number of heavy losses late in the war. On 12 June 1901, the 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles
lost 19 killed and 42 wounded at Wilmansrust, near Middleburg
after poor security allowed a force of 150 Boers to surprise them. On 30 October 1901, Victorians of the Scottish Horse Regiment also suffered heavy casualties at Gun Hill, although 60 Boers were also killed in the engagement. Meanwhile at Onverwacht
on 4 January 1902, the 5th Queensland Imperial Bushmen lost 13 killed and 17 wounded. Ultimately the Boers were defeated however, and the war ended on 31 May 1902.
In all 16,175 Australians served in South Africa, and perhaps another 10,000 enlisted as individuals in Imperial units; casualties included 251 killed in action, 267 died of disease and 43 missing in action, while a further 735 were wounded. In all likelihood, the total number of men from the Australian colonies to have served in the Second Boer War is probably between 20,000 and 25,000, making it the second largest contingent behind British troops. Five Australians were awarded the Victoria Cross
. These were Neville Howse
of the New South Wales Army Medical Corps; Trooper John Hutton Bisdee
of the Tasmanian Imperial Bushmen; Lieutenant Guy Wylly
of the Tasmanian Imperial Bushmen; Lieutenant Frederick William Bell
of the West Australian Mounted Infantry; and Lieutenant Leslie Cecil Maygar
of the 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles.
|-
! Name
! Type
! Commander
! Strength
! Service period
! Casualties
! Notes
|-
||New South Wales Lancers || Cavalry || Capt CF Fox / Maj GL Lee || 112 (+58) || Nov 1899– 6 Dec 1900 || 2 KIA, 3 DFD ||
|-
||New South Wales Army Medical Corps|| Medical || Col WDC Williams || 86 || Dec 1899 – Dec 1900 || 2 DFD || Neville Howse
awarded the VC
|-
||'A' Squadron NSW Mounted Rifles || Mounted Infantry || Maj JM Antill || 104 || Dec 1899 – Dec 1900 || 3 KIA ||
|-
||New South Wales Mounted Infantry (later "E"Sqn) || Mounted Infantry (+ 1 machine gun section)|| Capt JG Legge || 126 || Dec 1899 – Dec 1900 || 7 KIA ||
|-
||First Australian Horse || Cavalry || Lt WV Dowling / Cap RR Thompson / Capt JFM Wilkinson || 143 || Dec 1899 – Mar 1901 || 3 KIA, 7 DFD ||
|-
||'A' Bty. New South Wales Artillery || Artillery || Col SCU Smith / Maj EA Anthill|| 175 (+44) / 6 guns || Feb 1900 – Aug 1901 || 1 KIA, 2 DFD ||
|-
||First New South Wales Mounted Rifles || Mounted Infantry|| Lt Col GC Knight || 405 || Feb 1900 – Mar 1901 || 10 KIA, 13 DFD || Absorbed A and E Sqns
|-
||New South Wales Citizens' Bushmen || Mounted Infantry || Lt Col HP Airey / Maj JF Thomas || 525 || Apr 1900 – Apr 1901 || 17 KIA, 13 DFD ||
|-
||New South Wales Imperial Bushmen || Mounted Infantry || Col JAK Mackay / Lt Col H Le Mesurier || 762 || May 1900 – May 1901 || 13 KIA, 9 DFD ||
|-
||Second New South Wales Mounted Rifles || Mounted Infantry (+ 1 machine gun section) || Lt Col HB Lassetter || 1050 || Apr 1901 – Apr 1902 || 30 KIA ||
|-
||Third New South Wales Imperial Bushmen || Mounted Infantry|| Lt-Col R Carrington || 1000 || May 1901 – May 1902 || 4 KIA, 18 DFD ||
|-
||Third New South Wales Mounted Rifles || Mounted Infantry (+ 1 machine gun section)|| Lt-Col C F Cox|| 1017 || Apr 1901 – April 1902 || 7 KIA, 32 DFD ||
|-
||Special Service Officers (NSW) || || || || || ||
|-
|-
! Name
! Type
! Commander
! Strength
! Service period
! Casualties
! Notes
|-
||1st Queensland Mounted Infantry || Mounted Infantry || Lt-Col PR Ricardo || 262 || Dec 1899 – Dec 1900 || 4 KIA, 5 DFD ||
|-
||2nd Queensland Mounted Infantry || Mounted Infantry || Lt-Col K Hutchison / Maj HG Chauvel
|| 144 || Mar 1900 – Mar 1901 || 0 ||
|-
||Queensland Citizen Bushmen
(later) 3rd Queensland Mounted Infantry / 2nd Bushmen Regiment || Mounted Infantry || Maj WH Tunbridge || 316 || Apr 1900 – Apr 1901 || 3 KIA, 5 DFD ||
|-
||Queensland Imperial Bushmen || Mounted Infantry || Lt-Col A Aytoun / Maj WT Deacon || 387 || Jun 1900 – Jun 1901 || 8 KIA, 5DFD||
|-
||5th Queensland Imperial Bushmen || Mounted Infantry / Bicycle Infantry|| Lt-Col JF Flewell-Smith / Maj FW Toll || 529 || Apr 1900 – Mar 1902 || 26 KIA, 4 DFD, 3 FF || Initially arrived with 3 mounted squadrons and 1 cyclist company
|-
||6th Queensland Imperial Bushmen || Mounted Infantry || Lt-Col OA Tunbridge || 404 || May 1901 – Apr 1902 || 7 KIA, 5 DFD ||
|-
||7th Queensland Imperial Bushmen || Mounted Infantry || Cap RB Echlin / Lt AD Chrichton || 99 || Oct 1900 – Apr 1900 || 2 KIA, || 7th Contingent was in fact drafts for 5th and 6th Contingents
|-
||Special Service Officers (Queensland) || || || || || ||
|-
|}
|-
! Name
! Type
! Commander
! Strength
! Service period
! Casualties
! Notes
|-
||1st South Australian Mounted Rifles || Mounted Infantry || Maj FH Howland || 127 || Nov 1899 – Oct 1900 || 2 KIA, 3 DFD ||
|-
||2nd South Australian Mounted Rifles || Mounted Infantry || Maj CJ Reade || 119 || Mar 1900 – Mar 1901 || 0 KIA, 4 DFD ||
|-
||South Australian Nurses || Nurses || Sis MS Bismead || 9 || Mar 1900 – Mar 1902 || 0 ||
|-
||South Australian Citizens' Bushmen ||Mounted Infantry || Cap SG Hubbe† / Cap AE Collins || 99 || Apr 1900 – Apr 1901|| 3 KIA, 0 DFD ||
|-
||South Australian Imperial Bushmen || Mounted Infantry || Lt-Col J Rowell ||234 || Jun 1900 – Jun 1901 ||6 KIA, 3 DFD ||
|-
||5th South Australian Imperial Bushmen || Mounted Infantry || Maj W Scriven / Maj HLD Wilson || 316 || Mar 1901 – Mar 1902 || 9 KIA, 10 DFD || Amalgamated with 6th SA Imperial Bushmen in May 1901 under Maj JSM Shea
|-
||6th South Australian Imperial Bushmen || Mounted Infantry || Ca AF Cornish / Maj FW Hurcombe || 136 || May 1901 – Mar 1902 || 3 KIA, 3 DFD || Amalgamated with 5th SA Imperial Bushmen in May 1901 under Maj JSM Shea
|-
||Special Service Officers (South Australia) || || || || || ||
|-
|}
|-
! Name
! Type
! Commander
! Strength
! Service period
! Casualties
! Notes
|-
||Tasmanian Mounted Infantry || Mounted Infantry || Maj C St C Cameron || 84 (+47) || Nov 1899 – Nov 1900 || 4 KIA, 5 DFD ||
|-
||Tasmanian Citizen Bushmen || Mounted Infantry || Lt-Col ET Wallack / Cap AH Rigall / Lt WH Lowther || 52 || Apr 1900 – Apr 1901 || 1 KIA, 0 DFD ||
|-
||1st Tasmanian Imperial Bushmen || Mounted Infantry || Maj RC Lewis / Cap AA Sale / Maj RC Lewis|| 122 || Jun 1900 – Jun 1901 || 4 KIA, 2 DFD || Trooper John Hutton Bisdee
, and Lieutenant Guy Wylly
both awarded VC
|-
||2nd Tasmanian Imperial Bushmen || Mounted Infantry || Lt-Col ET Watchorn || 253 || May 1901 – May 1902 || 2 KIA, 4DFD ||
|-
||Special Service Officers (Tasmania) || || || || || ||
|-
|}
|-
! Name
! Type
! Commander
! Strength
! Service period
! Casualties
! Notes
|-
||1st Victorian Mounted Rifles|| Mounted Infantry || Maj GA Eady / Maj D McLeish / Col T Price || 250|| Nov 1899 – Oct 1900 || 9 KIA, 7 DFD ||
|-
||2nd Victorian Mounted Rifles|| Mounted Infantry || Col T Price || 265 || Feb 1900 – Dec 1900 || 2 KIA, 7 DFD ||
|-
||Victorian Citizen Bushmen|| Mounted Infantry || Maj WW Dobbin || 251 || Apr 1900 – Apr 1901 || 8 KIA, 7 DFD||
|-
||Victorian Nurses || Nurses || Sis M Rawson || 10 || Apr 1900 – Mar 1901 || 1 DFD ||
|-
||Victorian Imperial Bushmen (Australian Imperial Regiment)|| Mounted Infantry || Lt W Kelly || 631 || May 1900 – Jun 1901 || 8 KIA, 6 DFD ||
|-
||5th Victorian Mounted Rifles|| Mounted Infantry || Col AE Otter / Maj W McKnight / Maj TF Umphelby || 1018 || Mar 1901 – Mar 1902 || 36 KIA, 13 DFD || Lt Leslie Maygar awarded VC
|-
||Recruits for Scottish Horse || Mounted Infantry || || || || ||
|-
||Special Service Officers (Victoria) || || || || || ||
|-
|}
|-
! Name
! Type
! Commander
! Strength
! Service period
! Casualties
! Notes
|-
||1st Western Australian Mounted Infantry|| Mounted Infantry || Maj HG Moor† / Cap FMW Parker|| 130 || Nov 1899 – Oct 1900 || 5 KIA, 1 DFD||
|-
||2nd Western Australian Mounted Infantry|| Mounted Infantry || Maj HL Pilkington || 103|| Mar – Nov 1900 || 0 ||
|-
||Western Australian Citizen Bushmen'|| Mounted Infantry || Maj HG Vialls || 116 || Apr 1900 – Apr 1901|| 2 KIA, 2 DFD ||
|-
||Western Australian Nurses || Nurses || Sup MA Nicolay || 11 || Apr 1900–1901 || 0 ||
|-
||4th Western Australian Mounted Infantry (Imperial Bushmen) || Mounted Infantry || Maj J Rose || 132 || Jun 1900 – Jun 1901 || 3 KIA, 0 DFD ||
|-
||5th Western Australian Mounted Infantry|| Mounted Infantry || Cap HF Darling || 221 || Apr 1901 – Apr 1902 || 6 KIA, 3 DFD ||
|-
||6th Western Australian Mounted Infantry|| Mounted Infantry || Cap J Campbell || 228 || May 1901 – Apr 1902 || 10 KIA, 4 DFD || Lieutenant Frederick William Bell
awarded the VC
|-
|}
|-
! Name
! Type
! Commander
! Strength
! Service period
! Casualties
! Notes
|-
||1st Australian Commonwealth Horse
|| Mounted Infantry || Lt-Col JS Lyster (QLD) || 560 || Mar–May 1902 || 0 KIA, 8 DFD || 4 & ½ mounted rifle sqns (3 NSW, 1 QLD, ½ TAS)
|-
||2nd Australian Commonwealth Horse
|| Mounted Infantry || Lt-Col D McLeish (VIC) || 553 || Mar–May 1902 || 0 KIA, 1 DFD || 4 & ½ mounted rifle sqns (3 VIC, 1 SA, ½ WA)
|-
||Commonwealth Army Medical Corps
|| Medical || Maj TA Green (NSW)/Maj NR Howse
(NSW)|| 183 || Mar – May 1902 || 0 || recruited from NSW, QLD, SA, VIC, WA
|-
||3rd Australian Commonwealth Horse
|| Mounted Infantry || Lt-Col ET Wallack (TAS) / Lt-Col Wallace (VIC) || 615 || Apr 1902 || 0 KIA, 9 DFD || 5 mounted rifle sqns (3 NSW, 1 QLD, 1 TAS); did not see action
|-
||4th Australian Commonwealth Horse
|| Mounted Infantry || Lt-Col GJ Johnstone
(VIC) || 492 || Mar – Apr 1902 || 0 KIA, 2 DFD || 5 mounted rifle sqns (3 VIC, 1 SA, 1 WA); did not see action
|-
||5th Australian Commonwealth Horse
|| Mounted Infantry || Lt-Col JW Macarthur-Onslow (NSW) || 487 || – || 0 || 4 mounted rifle sqns (all NSW); arrived after war ended
|-
||6th Australian Commonwealth Horse
|| Mounted Infantry || Lt-Col GCH Irving
(VIC) || 489 || – || 0 KIA, 4 DFD || 4 mounted rifle sqns (all VIC); arrived after war ended
|-
||7th Australian Commonwealth Horse
|| Mounted Infantry || Lt-Col HG Chauvel
(QLD)|| 490 || – || 0 KIA, 4 DFD|| 4 mounted rifle sqns, (all QLD); arrived after war ended
|-
||8th Australian Commonwealth Horse
|| Mounted Infantry || Lt-Col H Le Mesurier (NSW) || 485 || – || 0 KIA, 3 DFD || 4 mounted rifle sqns (2 SA, 1 WA, 1 TAS); arrived after war ended
|-
|}
Australians also fought in the following units which were either privately raised or were raised in South Africa, but were not official units of the Australian colonies, or of the Commonwealth of Australia:
|1899
|
|-
|1900
|
|-
|1901
|
|-
|1902
|
|-
|}
Federation of Australia
The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia formed one nation...
to become the Commonwealth of Australia. At the outbreak of the Second Boer War, each of these separate colonies maintained their own, independent military forces
Colonial forces of Australia
Until Australia became a Federation in 1901, each of the six colonial governments was responsible for the defence of their own colony. From 1788 until 1870 this was done with British regular forces. In all, 25 British regiments served in the Australian colonies...
, but by the cessation of hostilities, these six armies had come under a centralised command to form the Australian Army
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
.
Towards the end of the nineteenth century, an escalating conflict between the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
and the Boer republics of southern Africa, led to the outbreak of the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
, which lasted from 11 October 1899, until 31 May 1902. In a show of support for the empire, the governments of the self-governing British colonies of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, Natal
Colony of Natal
The Colony of Natal was a British colony in south-eastern Africa. It was proclaimed a British colony on May 4, 1843 after the British government had annexed the Boer Republic of Natalia, and on 31 May 1910 combined with three other colonies to form the Union of South Africa, as one of its...
, Cape Colony
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, with the founding of Cape Town. It was subsequently occupied by the British in 1795 when the Netherlands were occupied by revolutionary France, so that the French revolutionaries could not take...
and the six Australian colonies
States and territories of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a union of six states and various territories. The Australian mainland is made up of five states and three territories, with the sixth state of Tasmania being made up of islands. In addition there are six island territories, known as external territories, and a...
all offered men to participate in the conflict. The Australian contingents, numbering over 16,000 men, were the largest contribution from the Empire, and a further 7,000 Australian men served with other colonial or irregular units. At least 60 Australian women also served in the conflict as nurses.
Background
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
first gained control of the southern tip of Africa during the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. The Dutch East India Company
Dutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company was a chartered company established in 1602, when the States-General of the Netherlands granted it a 21-year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia...
built the first Cape settlement in 1652, bringing southern Africa into the Dutch Empire
Dutch Empire
The Dutch Empire consisted of the overseas territories controlled by the Dutch Republic and later, the modern Netherlands from the 17th to the 20th century. The Dutch followed Portugal and Spain in establishing an overseas colonial empire, but based on military conquest of already-existing...
. In 1795 revolutionary France
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
invaded and occupied the Dutch Republic
Dutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
, and established a puppet allied-state there, known as the Batavian Republic
Batavian Republic
The Batavian Republic was the successor of the Republic of the United Netherlands. It was proclaimed on January 19, 1795, and ended on June 5, 1806, with the accession of Louis Bonaparte to the throne of the Kingdom of Holland....
. All the former colonies of the Dutch Republic came under the control of the Batavian Republic, who were allied to France, Britain’s enemy in the French Revolutionary Wars
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
.
Realising the Cape’s strategic importance for control of the seas and access to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
, Britain attacked the Batavian Republic's outpost at the Cape of Good Hope in the Battle of Muizenberg
Battle of Muizenberg
The Battle of Muizenberg was a small but significant military engagement which took place near Muizenberg, South Africa in 1795; it led to the capture of the Cape Colony by Kingdom of Great Britain.- Background :...
. The British victory in the battle brought about the establishment of the Cape Colony
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, with the founding of Cape Town. It was subsequently occupied by the British in 1795 when the Netherlands were occupied by revolutionary France, so that the French revolutionaries could not take...
. Although it was briefly returned to the Batavian Republic in 1803 under the Treaty of Amiens
Treaty of Amiens
The Treaty of Amiens temporarily ended hostilities between the French Republic and the United Kingdom during the French Revolutionary Wars. It was signed in the city of Amiens on 25 March 1802 , by Joseph Bonaparte and the Marquess Cornwallis as a "Definitive Treaty of Peace"...
, a resumption of hostilities saw Britain again take control of the Cape Colony in 1806 following the Battle of Blaauwberg
Battle of Blaauwberg
The Battle of Blaauwberg, also known as the Battle of Cape Town, fought near Cape Town on 8 January 1806, was a small but significant military engagement. It established British rule in South Africa, which was to have many ramifications during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries...
. This battle established permanent British rule over the Cape.
Unhappy with British rule, the Southern African Dutch, known as Boers, migrated further north
Great Trek
The Great Trek was an eastward and north-eastward migration away from British control in the Cape Colony during the 1830s and 1840s by Boers . The migrants were descended from settlers from western mainland Europe, most notably from the Netherlands, northwest Germany and French Huguenots...
, establishing the South African Republic
South African Republic
The South African Republic , often informally known as the Transvaal Republic, was an independent Boer-ruled country in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century. Not to be confused with the present-day Republic of South Africa, it occupied the area later known as the South African...
(Transvaal Republic), Natal
Colony of Natal
The Colony of Natal was a British colony in south-eastern Africa. It was proclaimed a British colony on May 4, 1843 after the British government had annexed the Boer Republic of Natalia, and on 31 May 1910 combined with three other colonies to form the Union of South Africa, as one of its...
, and the Orange Free State
Orange Free State
The Orange Free State was an independent Boer republic in southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, and later a British colony and a province of the Union of South Africa. It is the historical precursor to the present-day Free State province...
.
British imperial and commercial interests increasingly impinged on the Boer republics, who resented British influence in their affairs. The majority of the territory of Natal was annexed by the British in 1843, and although the British government formally recognised the two remaining Boer republics in the 1850s, they then annexed the Transvaal in 1877. Tired of British aggression towards them, the Boers finally hit back, leading to the outbreak of the First Boer War
First Boer War
The First Boer War also known as the First Anglo-Boer War or the Transvaal War, was fought from 16 December 1880 until 23 March 1881-1877 annexation:...
. Lasting from 16 December 1880 until 23 March 1881, the First Boer War was a humiliating reversal for the British, who suffered a disastrous loss at the Battle of Majuba Hill
Battle of Majuba Hill
The Battle of Majuba Hill on 27 February 1881 was the main battle of the First Boer War. It was a resounding victory for the Boers. Major-General Sir George Pomeroy Colley occupied the summit of the hill on the night of February 26–27, 1881. His motive for occupying the hill remains unclear...
on 27 February 1881, and were compelled to sign the Pretoria Convention
Pretoria Convention
The Pretoria Convention was the peace treaty that ended the First Boer War between the Transvaal Boers and the United Kingdom. The treaty was signed in Pretoria on 3 August, 1881, but was subject to ratification by the Volksraad within 3 months from the date of signature...
, which granted the South African Republic
South African Republic
The South African Republic , often informally known as the Transvaal Republic, was an independent Boer-ruled country in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century. Not to be confused with the present-day Republic of South Africa, it occupied the area later known as the South African...
self-government under a nominal British suzerainty
Suzerainty
Suzerainty occurs where a region or people is a tributary to a more powerful entity which controls its foreign affairs while allowing the tributary vassal state some limited domestic autonomy. The dominant entity in the suzerainty relationship, or the more powerful entity itself, is called a...
.
Just six years later in 1886, gold was discovered in the Republic, and a large influx of British prospectors (referred to as uitlanders by the Boers) increasingly led to confrontation with the Boers. What began as an internal problem for the South African Republic soon became an international problem, as Britain sought to protect, and even extend the rights of its citizens within the South African Republic. Britain had been unhappy with the outcome of the First Boer War, and wished to restore influence over the Transvaal.
Under the pretext of negotiating uitlander rights, Britain sought to gain control over the gold and diamond mining industries, and demanded a franchising policy, which they knew would be unacceptable to the Boers. When the negotiations failed to come to an acceptable outcome, British foreign secretary Joseph Chamberlain
Joseph Chamberlain
Joseph Chamberlain was an influential British politician and statesman. Unlike most major politicians of the time, he was a self-made businessman and had not attended Oxford or Cambridge University....
issued an ultimatum to the South African Republic. Realising that war was inevitable, President Paul Kruger
Paul Kruger
Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger , better known as Paul Kruger and affectionately known as Uncle Paul was State President of the South African Republic...
gave Britain a 48-hour deadline to withdraw its troops from their borders. When Britain failed to comply, the South African Republic, along with their allies, the Transvaal and the Orange Free State declared war on Britain and set about launching pre-emptive strikes into British held territory.
Outbreak of hostilities
Mauser
Mauser was a German arms manufacturer of a line of bolt-action rifles and pistols from the 1870s to 1995. Mauser designs were built for the German armed forces...
Model 1895 rifles. The effectiveness and superiority of this weapon over the British Lee-Metford
Lee-Metford
The Lee-Metford rifle was a bolt action British army service rifle, combining James Paris Lee's rear-locking bolt system and ten-round magazine with a seven groove rifled barrel designed by William Ellis Metford...
and Lee-Enfield Mark I
Lee-Enfield
The Lee-Enfield bolt-action, magazine-fed, repeating rifle was the main firearm used by the military forces of the British Empire and Commonwealth during the first half of the 20th century...
, led to the development of the Pattern 1913 Enfield
Pattern 1913 Enfield
The Pattern 1913 Enfield was an experimental rifle developed as a result of combat experience in the Second Boer War by the Royal Small Arms Factory for the British Army from 1912 to 1914 to serve as a replacement for the Short Magazine Lee-Enfield...
, and the upgrading of the Lee-Enfield to the SMLE Mark III
Lee-Enfield
The Lee-Enfield bolt-action, magazine-fed, repeating rifle was the main firearm used by the military forces of the British Empire and Commonwealth during the first half of the 20th century...
, which would be the stock rifle of choice for most British Empire armies in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. These highly mobile mounted infantry formed the basis of the Boer Commando
Boer Commando
The Boer commando was the basic unit of organisation of the militia of the Boer people of South Africa. The term came into English usage during the Second Boer War.-History:...
, which was the primary organisational unit of the Boers.
At the outbreak of hostilities, a superior rifle was not the only advantage held by the Boers. The British forces in southern Africa were still composed mostly of infantry, while most of the Boers were skilled horsemen, who used their superior mobility to good advantage. Realising that continuing to engage the British in set-piece battles where British troops could utilize their superior numbers would result in a quick defeat, the Boers adopted tactics of hit-and-run guerilla attacks, picking off men, and disrupting supply lines.
The Boers first struck at the Battle of Kraaipan
Battle of Kraaipan
The Battle of Kraaipan was the first engagement of the Second Anglo-Boer War, fought at Kraaipan, South Africa on 12 October 1899.On 12 October 1899 President Paul Kruger of the South African Republic in alliance with the Orange Free State declared war on the British...
on 12 October 1899. Late at night, 800 commandos rode south into the Cape Colony, attacking the British garrison at Kraaipan and cutting railway and telegraph lines. Although the British repelled their advance at the Battle of Talana Hill
Battle of Talana Hill
The Battle of Talana Hill, also known as the Battle of Glencoe, was the first major clash of the Second Boer War. A frontal attack by British infantry supported by artillery drove Boers from a hilltop position, but the British suffered heavy casualties in the process, including their commanding...
, and the Battle of Elandslaagte
Battle of Elandslaagte
The Battle of Elandslaagte was a battle of the Second Boer War, and one of the few clear-cut tactical victories won by the British during that conflict...
, the Boers continued to pour south, besieging the British settlement of Ladysmith
Siege of Ladysmith
The Siege of Ladysmith was a protracted engagement in the Second Boer War, taking place between 30 October 1899 and 28 February 1900 at Ladysmith, Natal.-Background:...
and advancing on Mafeking and Kimberley
Kimberley, Northern Cape
Kimberley is a city in South Africa, and the capital of the Northern Cape. It is located near the confluence of the Vaal and Orange Rivers. The town has considerable historical significance due its diamond mining past and siege during the Second Boer War...
.
As the Boers established siege-guns around Ladysmith, the British commander of the garrison there, Sir George Stuart White, attempted a sortie
Sortie
Sortie is a term for deployment or dispatch of one military unit, be it an aircraft, ship, or troops from a strongpoint. The sortie, whether by one or more aircraft or vessels, usually has a specific mission....
with cavalry against the Boer gun positions, but the attack was a disaster, and a state of siege followed as both side attempted to consolidate their position.
The arrival of the Australians
The involvement of men from the Australian colonies in the Second Boer War was complex. They included the official contingents dispatched by each of the six colonial governments, Australians who were already in southern Africa working as gold-miners enlisting in British or Cape Colony regiments such as the Bushveldt CarbineersBushveldt Carbineers
The Bushveldt Carbineers were a short-lived, multinational mounted infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in South Africa during the Second Boer War. The BVC is recognized as the world's first modern Special forces for the use of counter insurgency tactics.The 320-strong regiment was...
, men who made their own way to participate, and others who joined privately raised units such as Doyle’s Australian Scouts. After Australia federated to become the Commonwealth of Australia, the men of the six separate colonial contingents were reorganised into new Commonwealth contingents. Although in a minority, some Australians were anti-imperialists, and supported the Boer cause. Although their number is uncertain, it is known that some Australians, such as Arthur Alfred Lynch
Arthur Alfred Lynch
Arthur Alfred Lynch was an Irish Australian civil engineer, physician, journalist, author, soldier, anti-imperialist and polymath. He served as MP in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland as member of the Irish Parliamentary Party, and represented Galway Borough...
, participated in the conflict on the Boer side. Upon the outbreak of hostilities, the British government initially requested troops from New South Wales, which had previously provided the New South Wales Lancers
1st Royal New South Wales Lancers
The 1st Royal New South Wales Lancers was a former Australian Army light cavalry regiment. Its complicated lineage includes the New South Wales Lancers which were first formed as a colonial unit in 1885, and subsequently saw action in the Second Boer War, and later during First World War at...
serving in the Mahdist War
Mahdist War
The Mahdist War was a colonial war of the late 19th century. It was fought between the Mahdist Sudanese and the Egyptian and later British forces. It has also been called the Anglo-Sudan War or the Sudanese Mahdist Revolt. The British have called their part in the conflict the Sudan Campaign...
in Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
. Although they were armed with rifles, the NSW Lancers did go into action during the Boer War charging with their lances on more than one occasion.
As planning advanced, and the need for troop numbers increased, this request was soon forwarded to each of the colonies. The War Office
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
devised a plan for two contingents of 125 men each from New South Wales and Victoria, and one contingent of 125 men each from Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
, Tasmania
Colony of Tasmania
The Colony of Tasmania was a British colony that existed on the island of Tasmania from 1856 until 1901, when it federated together with the five other Australian colonies to form the Commonwealth of Australia...
, and Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, to be attached to separate British units. The six colonial governments each held their own parliamentary debates about the support that would be offered. Although there were elements of opposition within each government, support was general and widespread in each colony.
Britain realised the value of troops from the Australian colonies. The climates and geography of Southern Africa and Australia were quite similar, and most Australian soldiers, the vast majority of whom were trained as mounted rifles
Mounted infantry
Mounted infantry were soldiers who rode horses instead of marching, but actually fought on foot . The original dragoons were essentially mounted infantry...
, were well-suited to operating in such terrain. Britain was also quick to understand the need for further horsemen, as the Boers operated with a high degree of mobility across the Southern African grasslands, often referred to romantically as 'the vastness of the veldt'. At that time, most British troops were recruited from within urban environments, and although their ability as soldiers was not questioned, they did not have the natural horsemanship
Natural horsemanship
Natural horsemanship is the philosophy of working with horses by appealing to their instincts and herd instincts. It involves communication techniques derived from wild horse observation in order to build a partnership that closely resembles the relationships that exist between horses.- Basic ideas...
and bush craft of the Australians, many of whom came from rural backgrounds.
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
on 2 November to join the British force assembled under the command of General Sir Redvers Henry Buller
Redvers Buller
General Sir Redvers Henry Buller VC GCB GCMG was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
. The Lancers had been training in England at the time, and were quickly dispatched to southern Africa as soon as permission was received from the Government of New South Wales
Government of New South Wales
The form of the Government of New South Wales is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1856, although it has been amended many times since then...
.
By 22 November the Lancers were already conducting patrols, and were soon attacked near Belmont
Battle of Belmont
The Battle of Belmont was fought on November 7, 1861, in Mississippi County, Missouri. It was the first combat test in the American Civil War for Brig. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, the future Union Army general in chief and eventual U.S...
, where they forced their attackers to withdraw after inflicting serious casualties upon them. The NSW Lancers were again called into action at the Battle of Modder River
Battle of Modder River
The Battle of Modder River was an engagement in the Boer War, fought at Modder River, on 28 November 1899...
, where along with Lord Methuen’s British column, they attempted to relieve the siege of Kimberley. Although they forced the Boers to retreat, the British suffered heavy casualties in the attempt, and also had to withdraw, allowing the Boers to re-establish their trench lines.
As they had less distance to travel, the Western Australian contingent, consisting solely of the 1st Western Australian Mounted Infantry arrived in mid-November, were the first to arrive directly from Australia, and were quickly dispatched for Natal. On 26 November, the first contingents of infantry from South Australia (1st South Australian Mounted Rifles), Tasmania (Tasmanian Mounted Infantry), Victoria (1st Victorian Mounted Rifles) and Western Australia arrived in Cape Town, and despite retaining their own independent commands, for logistical reasons they were designated as the '1st Australian Regiment', and came under overall command of Major-General Sir John Charles Hoad
John Charles Hoad
Major General Sir John Charles Hoad KCMG was an Australian military leader, best known as the Australian Army's second Chief of the General Staff.-Family:...
. The 1st Queensland Mounted Infantry had also arrived to join them by mid-December. Another mounted infantry unit from New South Wales, known as the 1st Australian Horse, also arrived in December. Despite their name, they were raised purely from within the Colony of New South Wales, although this unit would go on to become the precursor of the first Australian Light Horse unit. Hoad ordered the combined force to ride north towards the Orange River
Orange River
The Orange River , Gariep River, Groote River or Senqu River is the longest river in South Africa. It rises in the Drakensberg mountains in Lesotho, flowing westwards through South Africa to the Atlantic Ocean...
, where they were to link up with the Kimberley Relief Force under Lieutenant-General Lord Methuen.
Although they were in the Cape Colony at the time, no units from the Australian colonies were involved in the Black Week
Black Week
In one disastrous week, dubbed Black Week, from 10-17 December 1899, the British Army suffered three devastating defeats by the Boer Republics at the battles of Stormberg , Magersfontein and Colenso , with 2,776 men killed, wounded and captured...
between 10–17 December, in which Britain suffered three successive defeats at the Battle of Stormberg
Battle of Stormberg
The Battle of Stormberg was the first British defeat of Black Week, in which three successive British forces were defeated by Boer irregulars in the Second Boer War.-Background:...
, the Battle of Magersfontein
Battle of Magersfontein
The Battle of MagersfonteinSpelt incorrectly in various English texts as "Majersfontein", "Maaghersfontein" and "Maagersfontein". was fought on 11 December 1899, at Magersfontein near Kimberley on the borders of the Cape Colony and the independent republic of the Orange Free State...
, and the Battle of Colenso
Battle of Colenso
The Battle of Colenso was the third and final battle fought during the Black Week of the Second Boer War. It was fought between British and Boer forces from the independent South African Republic and Orange Free State in and around Colenso, Natal, South Africa on 15 December 1899.Inadequate...
. The Boers knew that Empire forces would be sent to reinforce the British positions, and so sought to strike quickly against them.
By mid-December, the first two contingents of New South Wales Mounted Rifles (A Squadron and E Squadron), and the first contingent of Queensland Mounted Infantry (1st Queensland Mounted infantry) had both also arrived directly from Australia.
Counter-offensives
Battle of Spion Kop
The Battle of Spion Kop was fought about west-south-west of Ladysmith on the hilltop of Spioenkop along the Tugela River, Natal in South Africa from 23–24 January 1900...
on 23 and 24 January, adding to the set-backs of Black Week. Despite the defeat at Spion Kop, reinforcements were flooding in from both Britain and the Empire. The 1st New South Wales Mounted Rifles, 'A' Field Battery of the NSW Artillery, the NSW Medical Team, and the 2nd Victorian Mounted Rifles all arrived in February, and the 2nd Queensland Mounted Infantry arrived in March. These Australian units joined the British forces being assembled by Lord Roberts, who had replaced General Buller in January, following concerns over his leadership through the bleak losses of the previous December.
Lord Roberts was placed in command of a five-division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
strong force of reinforcements sent to launch a counter-invasion of the Orange Free State. By mid-February his force amounted to over 180,000 men, the largest British expeditionary force deployed on overseas operations up to that date. His original plan had involved his column conducting an offensive north along the railway from Cape Town to Bloemfontein, and onto Pretoria. When they progressed north, the discovered the beleaguered forces under siege at Ladysmith and Kimberley. Upon discovering the nature of the situation with the sieges, Roberts broke his force up into several detachments to deal with each of the sieges. One force was commanded by Lieutenant-General John French
John French, 1st Earl of Ypres
Field Marshal John Denton Pinkstone French, 1st Earl of Ypres, KP, GCB, OM, GCVO, KCMG, ADC, PC , known as The Viscount French between 1916 and 1922, was a British and Anglo-Irish officer...
, and consisted primarily of cavalry. French’s detachment also included the New South Wales Lancers, Queensland Mounted Infantry, and New South Wales Army Medical Corps.
The British victory at Modder River had finally permitted the relief of Kimberley, and the retreating Boers were chased down and again engaged at the Battle of Paardeberg
Battle of Paardeberg
The Battle of Paardeberg or Perdeberg was a major battle during the Second Anglo-Boer War. It was fought near Paardeberg Drift on the banks of the Modder River in the Orange Free State near Kimberley....
which took place between 18 and 27 February 1900. The New South Wales Mounted Rifles and 1st Queensland Mounted Infantry both took part in this engagement, with the NSW Rifles managing to capture the Boer General Piet Cronjé
Piet Cronje
Pieter Arnoldus Cronjé, commonly known as Piet Cronjé was a general of the South African Republic's military forces during the Anglo-Boer wars of 1880-1881 and 1899-1902....
. His capture caused a massive blow to Boer morale over the rest of the conflict. The British column broke the siege of Ladysmith
Siege of Ladysmith
The Siege of Ladysmith was a protracted engagement in the Second Boer War, taking place between 30 October 1899 and 28 February 1900 at Ladysmith, Natal.-Background:...
on 28 February, and entered Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein is the capital city of the Free State Province of South Africa; and, as the judicial capital of the nation, one of South Africa's three national capitals – the other two being Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Pretoria, the administrative capital.Bloemfontein is popularly and...
on 13 March. Despite suffering heavy casualties from both battle and disease, the British continued to drive on towards Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
.
The second wave of units from the Australian colonies began to arrive in April. This wave consisted primarily of the “bushmen” units. The men for these newly raised units were recruited from a wide range of locales and had been primarily funded through either public subscription, or the donations of wealthy citizens who wished to been seen as contributing to the war effort. These units were again mounted infantry, and consisted of men with a natural skill at horsemanship and riflery. The 1st Bushmen Contingent (NSW), The Queensland Citizen Bushmen, The South Australian Citizen Bushmen, The Tasmanian Citizen Bushmen, The Victorian Citizen Bushmen, and the Western Australian Citizen Bushmen all landed and headed towards Rhodesia
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
in April.
An outbreak of typhoid
Typhoid fever
Typhoid fever, also known as Typhoid, is a common worldwide bacterial disease, transmitted by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person, which contain the bacterium Salmonella enterica, serovar Typhi...
badly affected the British and Empire forces, but they were soon able to resume their campaign. Roberts’ column was again halted briefly at Kroonstad due to problems with supplies, but after 10 days they continued the push towards Johannesburg. On 28 May The Orange Free State was formally annexed, and renamed as the Orange River Colony. By 30 May, Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
had also fallen into the hands of Lord Roberts’ force, and four days later the Boers were retreating from Pretoria. Men from all of the Australian units were in some way involved in the taking of Johannesburg.
Pretoria, the capital of Transvaal Republic
South African Republic
The South African Republic , often informally known as the Transvaal Republic, was an independent Boer-ruled country in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century. Not to be confused with the present-day Republic of South Africa, it occupied the area later known as the South African...
fell into British hands on 5 June. The first men into Pretoria, were the New South Wales Mounted Rifles, whose commander, Lt. William Watson persuaded the Boers to surrender the capital.
Heavy fighting soon again broke out in the Battle of Diamond Hill
Battle of Diamond Hill
The Battle of Diamond Hill took place on 11 and 12 June 1900 during the Second Boer War. Fourteen thousand British soldiers squared up against four thousand Boers and forced them from their positions on the hill....
on 11 and 12 June, fought to prevent the Boer reinforcements from recapturing Pretoria. Men from each of the Australian contingents, most notable the New South Wales, and Western Australian Mounted Rifles all took part in this battle, which was seen as a victory by both sides. Lord Roberts was please to have forced the Boers to retreat from Pretoria, but the forces of Louis Botha
Louis Botha
Louis Botha was an Afrikaner and first Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa—the forerunner of the modern South African state...
had inflicted heavy casualties on the British forces.
Orange Free State President Martinus Theunis Steyn
Martinus Theunis Steyn
Martinus Theunis Steyn was a South African lawyer, politician, and statesman, sixth and last president of the independent Orange Free State from 1896 to 1902....
, and President Paul Kruger
Paul Kruger
Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger , better known as Paul Kruger and affectionately known as Uncle Paul was State President of the South African Republic...
of the South African Republic, had both retreated with surviving elements of their governments, into eastern Transvaal. Roberts was determined to capture the rebel presidents to end any opposition to British rule. He joined up with Buller’s remaining forced from Natal, and advanced into the eastern Transvaal against them.
The British met a 5,000 strong Boer force under General Louis Botha
Louis Botha
Louis Botha was an Afrikaner and first Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa—the forerunner of the modern South African state...
at the Battle of Bergendal
Battle of Bergendal
The Battle of Bergendal was the last set-piece battle of the Second Anglo-Boer War. It lasted from 21–27 August 1900 and took place on the farm Bergendal near the town of Belfast...
which lasted from 21 to 27 August, and would prove to be the last set-piece battle of the war. Despite fierce resistance, the Boers were overwhelmed by the 20,000 strong British force. The broken Boers retreated from the field, and the next day, 28 August, the British marched into Machadodorp
Machadodorp
Machadodorp is a small town situated near the edge of the escarpment in the Mpumalanga province, South Africa. The Elands River runs through the town...
, hoping to capture the Boer presidents. They had already left for Nelspruit
Nelspruit
Nelspruit is a city of more than 500,000 people situated in northeastern South Africa. It is the capital of the Mpumalanga province . Located on the Crocodile River, Nelspruit lies about west of the Mozambique border and east of Johannesburg. The towns of Nelspruit are Kanyamazane and Pienaar...
, where the temporarily established their governments. With the British still in pursuit, Kruger and his former Transvaal government ministers were nearly cornered. However the Queen of the Netherlands felt a high degree of sympathy towards the Boers, and offered Kruger a means of escape. Ignoring a Royal Navy blockade, 20 year old Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
Wilhelmina was Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands from 1890 to 1948. She ruled the Netherlands for fifty-eight years, longer than any other Dutch monarch. Her reign saw World War I and World War II, the economic crisis of 1933, and the decline of the Netherlands as a major colonial...
sent the Dutch warship De Gelderland
De Gelderland
HNLMS Gelderland was a Dutch warship. During its career in the Dutch Navy it was most notable for being the ship Queen Wilhelmina sent to South Africa to rescue Paul Kruger during the Second Boer War. The ship was taken over by the Germans during World War II and renamed Niobe...
to their rescue. Kruger escaped to lived in exile in Switzerland, but died there in 1904.
The Battle of Bergendal had forced the Boers to abandon their hopes of achieving an outcome through direct, military confrontation of the enemy. But despite their defeats much of the Boer army remained intact, and Botha dispersed his men to Lydenburg
Lydenburg
Lydenburg is a town in Mpumalanga, South Africa. The town is slated to be renamed Mashishing, according to an announcement made on June 30, 2006 by the South African Minister of Arts and Culture, Pallo Jordan. Lydenburg is situated on the Sterkspruit/Dorps River tributary of the Olifants River at...
and Barberton
Barberton, Mpumalanga
Barberton is a town in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa, which has its origin in the 1880s gold rush in the region. It is situated in the De Kaap Valley and is fringed by the Mkhonjwa Mountains...
to begin a new phase of the conflict.
With all of the major population centres under British control, Roberts declared the war to be over on 3 September 1900, and formally annexed the South African Republic, declaring all formerly Boer territory to be under British control.
Guerrilla warfare phases
Guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
, in which Boer commandos
Boer Commando
The Boer commando was the basic unit of organisation of the militia of the Boer people of South Africa. The term came into English usage during the Second Boer War.-History:...
operating in small groups, picked off men through sniping, disrupted troop movements and supply lines, and launched ambush attacks on individual or isolated units, or launched larger-scale raids against important targets.
Realising the campaign had been progressing well for the British, the Boer commanders had earlier met in secret in Kroonstad, and planned out their guerrilla campaign against British supply and communication lines. The first major attack of this new phase was the attack at Sanna's Post
Sanna's Post
-References:* Three Years War, by Christiaan Rudolf De Wet, 1st American Edition, published by Charles Scribner's Sons in 1902* The Great Boer War, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, originally published in 1902; republished by IndyPublish.com in 2002, ISBN 1-4043-0472-X* Goodbye Dolly Gray: The Story of...
on 31 March 1900, in which Boer commander Christiaan de Wet
Christiaan De Wet
Christiaan Rudolf de Wet was a Boer general, rebel leader and politician.He was born on the Leeuwkop farm, in the district of Smithfield in the Boer Republic of the Orange Free State...
led a force of 2,000 commandos from the former Orange Free State in a major attack on Bloemfontein’s waterworks system 23 miles (37 km) east of the city. In the same attack they also ambushed a British convoy killing 155 British soldiers, and capturing seven guns, 117 wagons and 428 prisoners.
To sustain their guerrilla campaign, the Boers needed a regular supply of food, ammunition and equipment. In an effort to obtain such supplies, Koos de la Rey
Koos de la Rey
General Jacobus Herculaas de la Rey , known as Koos de la Rey, was a Boer general during the Second Boer War and is widely regarded as being one of the strongest military leaders during that conflict....
led a 3,000 strong Boer attack on the British post at Brakfontein on the Elands River in Western Transvaal on 4 August 1900. At the time, it was lightly defended by 300 Australians, comprising 105 New South Wales Citizens' Bushmen, 141 3rd Queensland Mounted Infantry, 2 Tasmanian Bushmen, 42 Victorian Bushmen, and 9 West Australian Bushmen, as well as an additional 201 Rhodesian Volunteers. de le Rey’s force surrounded the outpost, but magnanimously offered to deliver the Australians to the nearest British position unharmed if they surrendered the supplies they were guarding. The commanding officer of the Australians, Colonel Hore, replied to de la Rey:
The Boer’s proceeded to bombard the Australian position with artillery fire. In two days they fired over 2,500 shells at the Elands River outpost. The defenders suffered 32 casualties, but continued to repulse any attempt to seize the outpost. The Boers turned back a relief force sent to assist the Australians, but were unable to take the position itself. After 11 days without success, and with the prospect of further reinforcements arriving, the Boers broke their siege and withdrew. The Australians and Rhodesians had successfully defended the Elands River outpost, and were eventually relieved on 16 August.
– Koos de la Rey.
In response to the Boers desperate need of supplies, the British command changed tactics, adopting a counter-insurgency
Counter-insurgency
A counter-insurgency or counterinsurgency involves actions taken by the recognized government of a nation to contain or quell an insurgency taken up against it...
approach. They established heavily defended blockhouses along supply-lines, and used a scorched earth
Scorched earth
A scorched earth policy is a military strategy or operational method which involves destroying anything that might be useful to the enemy while advancing through or withdrawing from an area...
policy, burning houses and crops, and interning Boers in concentration camps. This caused the costs of the campaign to rise dramatically, and began to have a negative impact on the popularity of the campaign amongst ordinary Australians. Some even started to feel sympathy for the Boers.
Formation of the Commonwealth
Federation of Australia
The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia formed one nation...
of the Australian colonies, and defence
Defense (military)
Defense has several uses in the sphere of military application.Personal defense implies measures taken by individual soldiers in protecting themselves whether by use of protective materials such as armor, or field construction of trenches or a bunker, or by using weapons that prevent the enemy...
was made a responsibility of the new centralised, federal government. This brought about the creation of the Department of Defence
Department of Defence (Australia)
The Australian Department of Defence is a Federal Government Department. It forms part of the Australian Defence Organisation along with the Australian Defence Force . The Defence mission is to defend Australia and its national interests...
, and two months later on 1 March 1901, the formation of the Australian Army
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
.
All existing military units of each of the six colonies were transferred into the Australian Army, which at the time of formation consisted of 28,923 colonial soldiers, including 1,457 professional soldiers, 18,603 paid militia and 8,863 unpaid volunteers, including those on active service in South Africa. For practical reasons, and so as not to disrupt the ongoing war effort in South Africa, individual units continued to be administered under the various colonial Acts until the Defence Act 1903 brought all of the units under one piece of legislation.
In reality the only clear indication of the Australian men’s new allegiance to the Commonwealth, was in the form of hat-badge changing ceremonies that took place in the field. The colonial troop’s original badges of their home colony were replaced with Rising Sun Badges
Rising Sun (badge)
The Rising Sun badge, also known as the General Service Badge or the Australian Army Badge, is the official insignia of the Australian Army. The badge is worn on the brim of a slouch hat or the front of a peaked cap and is readily identified with the spirit of ANZAC, the legend of the Australian...
, the symbol of the newly formed Australian Army. It was also not practical or economical for the men to adopt a single uniform, or standardise equipment, and so each colonial unit continued to utilise their original uniforms and equipment.
After Federation in 1901, eight Australian Commonwealth Horse
Australian Commonwealth Horse
The Australian Commonwealth Horse was a mounted infantry unit of the Australian Army formed for service during the Second Boer War in South Africa in 1902 and was the first expeditionary military unit established by the newly formed Commonwealth of Australia following Federation in 1901...
battalions of the newly created Australian Army
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
were also sent to South Africa, although they saw little fighting before the war ended. Some Australians later joined local South African irregular units, instead of returning home after discharge. These soldiers were part of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, and were subject to British military discipline. Such units included the Bushveldt Carbineers
Bushveldt Carbineers
The Bushveldt Carbineers were a short-lived, multinational mounted infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in South Africa during the Second Boer War. The BVC is recognized as the world's first modern Special forces for the use of counter insurgency tactics.The 320-strong regiment was...
which gained notoriety as the unit in which Harry "Breaker" Morant
Breaker Morant
Harry 'Breaker' Harbord Morant was an Anglo-Australian drover, horseman, poet, soldier and convicted war criminal whose skill with horses earned him the nickname "The Breaker"...
and Peter Handcock
Peter Handcock
Peter Joseph Handcock was a Veterinary Lieutenant in the Bushveldt Carbineers in the Boer War in South Africa. Handcock and Harry "Breaker" Morant were court martialed and executed by firing squad on 27 February 1902 on murder charges for shooting Boer prisoners and a German missionary, Jacob...
served in before their court martial and execution for war crime
War crime
War crimes are serious violations of the laws applicable in armed conflict giving rise to individual criminal responsibility...
s.
Closing stages
By mid-1901, the bulk of the fighting was over, and British mounted units would ride at night to attack Boer farmhouses or encampments, overwhelming them with superior numbers. Indicative of warfare in last months of 1901, the New South Wales Mounted Rifles traveled 1,814 miles (2,919 km) and were involved in thirteen skirmishes, killing 27 Boers, wounding 15, and capturing 196 for the loss of 5 dead and 19 wounded. Other notable Australian actions included Sunnyside
Sunnyside
- Australia :*Sunnyside , house of Ellen G. White, co-founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church- Canada :* Sunnyside, a suburban area of South Surrey, in turn a town centre of Surrey, British Columbia...
, Slingersfontein, Pink Hill, Rhenosterkop and Haartebeestefontein.
By 1902 British and colonial forces were concentrating on denying the Boers movement. Using the blockhouses, armoured trains, concentration camps, and denial of supplies, the British eventually began to starve the Boers into submission. The British began to utilise ‘sweeper columns’ on mounted infantry that ranged across entire districts, hunting and harassing any armed men they could find.
The British policy of containment and dispersal had been highly effective, and by March 1902, all significant opposition from the Boers had ended. In March, the British offered peace terms, but these were rejected by Louis Botha
Louis Botha
Louis Botha was an Afrikaner and first Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa—the forerunner of the modern South African state...
. Suffering from disease and starvation, the last of the Boers surrendered in May, and on 31 May 1902, thirty delegates from the former South African Republic
South African Republic
The South African Republic , often informally known as the Transvaal Republic, was an independent Boer-ruled country in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century. Not to be confused with the present-day Republic of South Africa, it occupied the area later known as the South African...
and Orange Free State
Orange Free State
The Orange Free State was an independent Boer republic in southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, and later a British colony and a province of the Union of South Africa. It is the historical precursor to the present-day Free State province...
met British officials in Vereeniging to discuss terms. Out of the negotiations Jan Smuts
Jan Smuts
Jan Christiaan Smuts, OM, CH, ED, KC, FRS, PC was a prominent South African and British Commonwealth statesman, military leader and philosopher. In addition to holding various cabinet posts, he served as Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa from 1919 until 1924 and from 1939 until 1948...
and Lord Kitchener produced the Treaty of Vereeniging
Treaty of Vereeniging
The Treaty of Vereeniging was the peace treaty, signed on 31 May 1902, that ended the South African War between the South African Republic and the Republic of the Orange Free State, on the one side, and the British Empire on the other.This settlement provided for the end of hostilities and...
(also known as the Peace of Vereeniging), in which the Boer republics agreed to end hostilities, surrender their independence, and swear allegiance to the crown. In exchange, a general amnesty would be granted, no death penalties would be administered, and Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
and Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
would be permitted in schools and courts.
Although a brief period of self-government as British dominions followed, Cape Colony
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, with the founding of Cape Town. It was subsequently occupied by the British in 1795 when the Netherlands were occupied by revolutionary France, so that the French revolutionaries could not take...
, Colony of Natal
Colony of Natal
The Colony of Natal was a British colony in south-eastern Africa. It was proclaimed a British colony on May 4, 1843 after the British government had annexed the Boer Republic of Natalia, and on 31 May 1910 combined with three other colonies to form the Union of South Africa, as one of its...
, Orange River Colony
Orange River Colony
The Orange River Colony was the British colony created after this nation first occupied and then annexed the independent Orange Free State in the Second Boer War...
, and Transvaal were soon abolished by the South Africa Act 1909
South Africa Act 1909
The South Africa Act 1909 was an Act of the British Parliament which created the Union of South Africa from the British Colonies of the Cape of Good Hope, Natal, Orange River Colony, and the Transvaal Colony. The Act also made provisions for admitting Rhodesia as a fifth province of the Union in...
, which created a new British dominion over the whole of southern Africa, known as the Union of South Africa
Union of South Africa
The Union of South Africa is the historic predecessor to the present-day Republic of South Africa. It came into being on 31 May 1910 with the unification of the previously separate colonies of the Cape, Natal, Transvaal and the Orange Free State...
.
Conclusion
Troops from the Australian colonies were widely considered to be the most effective on the British side, and with a higher degree of bush craft, horsemanship and riflery that many British units, were best able to match the Boers tactics of high mobility warfare.Australians were not always successful however, suffering a number of heavy losses late in the war. On 12 June 1901, the 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles
Victorian Mounted Rifles
The Victorian Mounted Rifles was a regiment composed of Australian forces that served in the Second Boer War. It was first raised by Colonel Tom Price in the mid-1880s, composed of voluntary forces...
lost 19 killed and 42 wounded at Wilmansrust, near Middleburg
Middelburg, Mpumalanga
Middelburg is a large farming and industrial town in the South African province of Mpumalanga.Middelburg was established as Nasareth, , in 1864 by the Voortrekkers on the banks of the Klein Olifants River. The name was changed in 1872 to Middelburg to mark its situation midway between the Transvaal...
after poor security allowed a force of 150 Boers to surprise them. On 30 October 1901, Victorians of the Scottish Horse Regiment also suffered heavy casualties at Gun Hill, although 60 Boers were also killed in the engagement. Meanwhile at Onverwacht
Onverwacht
Onverwacht is a capital town of Para District, Suriname. It is located at around . The locality is notable for finding of some of the earliest known evidence of bacteria is in Onverwacht shales, dating to several billion years before present.-References:* C.Michael Hogan. 2010. . eds. E.Monosson...
on 4 January 1902, the 5th Queensland Imperial Bushmen lost 13 killed and 17 wounded. Ultimately the Boers were defeated however, and the war ended on 31 May 1902.
In all 16,175 Australians served in South Africa, and perhaps another 10,000 enlisted as individuals in Imperial units; casualties included 251 killed in action, 267 died of disease and 43 missing in action, while a further 735 were wounded. In all likelihood, the total number of men from the Australian colonies to have served in the Second Boer War is probably between 20,000 and 25,000, making it the second largest contingent behind British troops. Five Australians were awarded the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
. These were Neville Howse
Neville Howse
Major General Sir Neville Reginald Howse VC, KCB, KCMG, KStJ was a British-born Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest decoration for gallantry "in the face of the enemy" that can be awarded to members of the British and Commonwealth armed forces...
of the New South Wales Army Medical Corps; Trooper John Hutton Bisdee
John Hutton Bisdee
John Hutton Bisdee VC, OBE was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
of the Tasmanian Imperial Bushmen; Lieutenant Guy Wylly
Guy George Egerton Wylly
Guy George Egerton Wylly VC, CB, DSO was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces, for actions during the Second Boer War.-Early life:Wylly was born on 17...
of the Tasmanian Imperial Bushmen; Lieutenant Frederick William Bell
Frederick William Bell
Frederick William Bell VC was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
of the West Australian Mounted Infantry; and Lieutenant Leslie Cecil Maygar
Leslie Cecil Maygar
Leslie Cecil Maygar VC, DSO, VD was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces, for service in the Second Boer War.-Early life:According to his birth certificate, from Victorian...
of the 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles.
New South Wales
{| class="wikitable" align=center|-
! Name
! Type
! Commander
! Strength
! Service period
! Casualties
! Notes
|-
||New South Wales Lancers || Cavalry || Capt CF Fox / Maj GL Lee || 112 (+58) || Nov 1899– 6 Dec 1900 || 2 KIA, 3 DFD ||
|-
||New South Wales Army Medical Corps|| Medical || Col WDC Williams || 86 || Dec 1899 – Dec 1900 || 2 DFD || Neville Howse
Neville Howse
Major General Sir Neville Reginald Howse VC, KCB, KCMG, KStJ was a British-born Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest decoration for gallantry "in the face of the enemy" that can be awarded to members of the British and Commonwealth armed forces...
awarded the VC
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
|-
||'A' Squadron NSW Mounted Rifles || Mounted Infantry || Maj JM Antill || 104 || Dec 1899 – Dec 1900 || 3 KIA ||
|-
||New South Wales Mounted Infantry (later "E"Sqn) || Mounted Infantry (+ 1 machine gun section)|| Capt JG Legge || 126 || Dec 1899 – Dec 1900 || 7 KIA ||
|-
||First Australian Horse || Cavalry || Lt WV Dowling / Cap RR Thompson / Capt JFM Wilkinson || 143 || Dec 1899 – Mar 1901 || 3 KIA, 7 DFD ||
|-
||'A' Bty. New South Wales Artillery || Artillery || Col SCU Smith / Maj EA Anthill|| 175 (+44) / 6 guns || Feb 1900 – Aug 1901 || 1 KIA, 2 DFD ||
|-
||First New South Wales Mounted Rifles || Mounted Infantry|| Lt Col GC Knight || 405 || Feb 1900 – Mar 1901 || 10 KIA, 13 DFD || Absorbed A and E Sqns
|-
||New South Wales Citizens' Bushmen || Mounted Infantry || Lt Col HP Airey / Maj JF Thomas || 525 || Apr 1900 – Apr 1901 || 17 KIA, 13 DFD ||
|-
||New South Wales Imperial Bushmen || Mounted Infantry || Col JAK Mackay / Lt Col H Le Mesurier || 762 || May 1900 – May 1901 || 13 KIA, 9 DFD ||
|-
||Second New South Wales Mounted Rifles || Mounted Infantry (+ 1 machine gun section) || Lt Col HB Lassetter || 1050 || Apr 1901 – Apr 1902 || 30 KIA ||
|-
||Third New South Wales Imperial Bushmen || Mounted Infantry|| Lt-Col R Carrington || 1000 || May 1901 – May 1902 || 4 KIA, 18 DFD ||
|-
||Third New South Wales Mounted Rifles || Mounted Infantry (+ 1 machine gun section)|| Lt-Col C F Cox|| 1017 || Apr 1901 – April 1902 || 7 KIA, 32 DFD ||
|-
||Special Service Officers (NSW) || || || || || ||
|-
Queensland
{| class="wikitable" align=center|-
! Name
! Type
! Commander
! Strength
! Service period
! Casualties
! Notes
|-
||1st Queensland Mounted Infantry || Mounted Infantry || Lt-Col PR Ricardo || 262 || Dec 1899 – Dec 1900 || 4 KIA, 5 DFD ||
|-
||2nd Queensland Mounted Infantry || Mounted Infantry || Lt-Col K Hutchison / Maj HG Chauvel
Henry George Chauvel
General Sir Harry Chauvel GCMG, KCB was a senior officer of the Australian Imperial Force who fought at Gallipoli and in the Middle Eastern theatre during the First World War. He was the first Australian to attain the rank of lieutenant general and later general, and the first to lead a corps...
|| 144 || Mar 1900 – Mar 1901 || 0 ||
|-
||Queensland Citizen Bushmen
(later) 3rd Queensland Mounted Infantry / 2nd Bushmen Regiment || Mounted Infantry || Maj WH Tunbridge || 316 || Apr 1900 – Apr 1901 || 3 KIA, 5 DFD ||
|-
||Queensland Imperial Bushmen || Mounted Infantry || Lt-Col A Aytoun / Maj WT Deacon || 387 || Jun 1900 – Jun 1901 || 8 KIA, 5DFD||
|-
||5th Queensland Imperial Bushmen || Mounted Infantry / Bicycle Infantry|| Lt-Col JF Flewell-Smith / Maj FW Toll || 529 || Apr 1900 – Mar 1902 || 26 KIA, 4 DFD, 3 FF || Initially arrived with 3 mounted squadrons and 1 cyclist company
|-
||6th Queensland Imperial Bushmen || Mounted Infantry || Lt-Col OA Tunbridge || 404 || May 1901 – Apr 1902 || 7 KIA, 5 DFD ||
|-
||7th Queensland Imperial Bushmen || Mounted Infantry || Cap RB Echlin / Lt AD Chrichton || 99 || Oct 1900 – Apr 1900 || 2 KIA, || 7th Contingent was in fact drafts for 5th and 6th Contingents
|-
||Special Service Officers (Queensland) || || || || || ||
|-
|}
South Australia
{| class="wikitable" align=center|-
! Name
! Type
! Commander
! Strength
! Service period
! Casualties
! Notes
|-
||1st South Australian Mounted Rifles || Mounted Infantry || Maj FH Howland || 127 || Nov 1899 – Oct 1900 || 2 KIA, 3 DFD ||
|-
||2nd South Australian Mounted Rifles || Mounted Infantry || Maj CJ Reade || 119 || Mar 1900 – Mar 1901 || 0 KIA, 4 DFD ||
|-
||South Australian Nurses || Nurses || Sis MS Bismead || 9 || Mar 1900 – Mar 1902 || 0 ||
|-
||South Australian Citizens' Bushmen ||Mounted Infantry || Cap SG Hubbe† / Cap AE Collins || 99 || Apr 1900 – Apr 1901|| 3 KIA, 0 DFD ||
|-
||South Australian Imperial Bushmen || Mounted Infantry || Lt-Col J Rowell ||234 || Jun 1900 – Jun 1901 ||6 KIA, 3 DFD ||
|-
||5th South Australian Imperial Bushmen || Mounted Infantry || Maj W Scriven / Maj HLD Wilson || 316 || Mar 1901 – Mar 1902 || 9 KIA, 10 DFD || Amalgamated with 6th SA Imperial Bushmen in May 1901 under Maj JSM Shea
|-
||6th South Australian Imperial Bushmen || Mounted Infantry || Ca AF Cornish / Maj FW Hurcombe || 136 || May 1901 – Mar 1902 || 3 KIA, 3 DFD || Amalgamated with 5th SA Imperial Bushmen in May 1901 under Maj JSM Shea
|-
||Special Service Officers (South Australia) || || || || || ||
|-
|}
Tasmania
{| class="wikitable" align=center|-
! Name
! Type
! Commander
! Strength
! Service period
! Casualties
! Notes
|-
||Tasmanian Mounted Infantry || Mounted Infantry || Maj C St C Cameron || 84 (+47) || Nov 1899 – Nov 1900 || 4 KIA, 5 DFD ||
|-
||Tasmanian Citizen Bushmen || Mounted Infantry || Lt-Col ET Wallack / Cap AH Rigall / Lt WH Lowther || 52 || Apr 1900 – Apr 1901 || 1 KIA, 0 DFD ||
|-
||1st Tasmanian Imperial Bushmen || Mounted Infantry || Maj RC Lewis / Cap AA Sale / Maj RC Lewis|| 122 || Jun 1900 – Jun 1901 || 4 KIA, 2 DFD || Trooper John Hutton Bisdee
John Hutton Bisdee
John Hutton Bisdee VC, OBE was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
, and Lieutenant Guy Wylly
Guy George Egerton Wylly
Guy George Egerton Wylly VC, CB, DSO was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces, for actions during the Second Boer War.-Early life:Wylly was born on 17...
both awarded VC
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
|-
||2nd Tasmanian Imperial Bushmen || Mounted Infantry || Lt-Col ET Watchorn || 253 || May 1901 – May 1902 || 2 KIA, 4DFD ||
|-
||Special Service Officers (Tasmania) || || || || || ||
|-
|}
Victoria
{| class="wikitable" align=center|-
! Name
! Type
! Commander
! Strength
! Service period
! Casualties
! Notes
|-
||1st Victorian Mounted Rifles|| Mounted Infantry || Maj GA Eady / Maj D McLeish / Col T Price || 250|| Nov 1899 – Oct 1900 || 9 KIA, 7 DFD ||
|-
||2nd Victorian Mounted Rifles|| Mounted Infantry || Col T Price || 265 || Feb 1900 – Dec 1900 || 2 KIA, 7 DFD ||
|-
||Victorian Citizen Bushmen|| Mounted Infantry || Maj WW Dobbin || 251 || Apr 1900 – Apr 1901 || 8 KIA, 7 DFD||
|-
||Victorian Nurses || Nurses || Sis M Rawson || 10 || Apr 1900 – Mar 1901 || 1 DFD ||
|-
||Victorian Imperial Bushmen (Australian Imperial Regiment)|| Mounted Infantry || Lt W Kelly || 631 || May 1900 – Jun 1901 || 8 KIA, 6 DFD ||
|-
||5th Victorian Mounted Rifles|| Mounted Infantry || Col AE Otter / Maj W McKnight / Maj TF Umphelby || 1018 || Mar 1901 – Mar 1902 || 36 KIA, 13 DFD || Lt Leslie Maygar awarded VC
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
|-
||Recruits for Scottish Horse || Mounted Infantry || || || || ||
|-
||Special Service Officers (Victoria) || || || || || ||
|-
|}
Western Australia
{| class="wikitable" align=center|-
! Name
! Type
! Commander
! Strength
! Service period
! Casualties
! Notes
|-
||1st Western Australian Mounted Infantry|| Mounted Infantry || Maj HG Moor† / Cap FMW Parker|| 130 || Nov 1899 – Oct 1900 || 5 KIA, 1 DFD||
|-
||2nd Western Australian Mounted Infantry|| Mounted Infantry || Maj HL Pilkington || 103|| Mar – Nov 1900 || 0 ||
|-
||Western Australian Citizen Bushmen'|| Mounted Infantry || Maj HG Vialls || 116 || Apr 1900 – Apr 1901|| 2 KIA, 2 DFD ||
|-
||Western Australian Nurses || Nurses || Sup MA Nicolay || 11 || Apr 1900–1901 || 0 ||
|-
||4th Western Australian Mounted Infantry (Imperial Bushmen) || Mounted Infantry || Maj J Rose || 132 || Jun 1900 – Jun 1901 || 3 KIA, 0 DFD ||
|-
||5th Western Australian Mounted Infantry|| Mounted Infantry || Cap HF Darling || 221 || Apr 1901 – Apr 1902 || 6 KIA, 3 DFD ||
|-
||6th Western Australian Mounted Infantry|| Mounted Infantry || Cap J Campbell || 228 || May 1901 – Apr 1902 || 10 KIA, 4 DFD || Lieutenant Frederick William Bell
Frederick William Bell
Frederick William Bell VC was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
awarded the VC
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
|-
|}
Commonwealth of Australia
{| class="wikitable" align=center|-
! Name
! Type
! Commander
! Strength
! Service period
! Casualties
! Notes
|-
||1st Australian Commonwealth Horse
Australian Commonwealth Horse
The Australian Commonwealth Horse was a mounted infantry unit of the Australian Army formed for service during the Second Boer War in South Africa in 1902 and was the first expeditionary military unit established by the newly formed Commonwealth of Australia following Federation in 1901...
|| Mounted Infantry || Lt-Col JS Lyster (QLD) || 560 || Mar–May 1902 || 0 KIA, 8 DFD || 4 & ½ mounted rifle sqns (3 NSW, 1 QLD, ½ TAS)
|-
||2nd Australian Commonwealth Horse
Australian Commonwealth Horse
The Australian Commonwealth Horse was a mounted infantry unit of the Australian Army formed for service during the Second Boer War in South Africa in 1902 and was the first expeditionary military unit established by the newly formed Commonwealth of Australia following Federation in 1901...
|| Mounted Infantry || Lt-Col D McLeish (VIC) || 553 || Mar–May 1902 || 0 KIA, 1 DFD || 4 & ½ mounted rifle sqns (3 VIC, 1 SA, ½ WA)
|-
||Commonwealth Army Medical Corps
Royal Australian Army Medical Corps
The Royal Australian Army Medical Corps is the branch of the Australian Army responsible for providing medical care to Army personnel. The AAMC was formed in 1902 and has participated in every Australian Army operation...
|| Medical || Maj TA Green (NSW)/Maj NR Howse
Neville Howse
Major General Sir Neville Reginald Howse VC, KCB, KCMG, KStJ was a British-born Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest decoration for gallantry "in the face of the enemy" that can be awarded to members of the British and Commonwealth armed forces...
(NSW)|| 183 || Mar – May 1902 || 0 || recruited from NSW, QLD, SA, VIC, WA
|-
||3rd Australian Commonwealth Horse
Australian Commonwealth Horse
The Australian Commonwealth Horse was a mounted infantry unit of the Australian Army formed for service during the Second Boer War in South Africa in 1902 and was the first expeditionary military unit established by the newly formed Commonwealth of Australia following Federation in 1901...
|| Mounted Infantry || Lt-Col ET Wallack (TAS) / Lt-Col Wallace (VIC) || 615 || Apr 1902 || 0 KIA, 9 DFD || 5 mounted rifle sqns (3 NSW, 1 QLD, 1 TAS); did not see action
|-
||4th Australian Commonwealth Horse
Australian Commonwealth Horse
The Australian Commonwealth Horse was a mounted infantry unit of the Australian Army formed for service during the Second Boer War in South Africa in 1902 and was the first expeditionary military unit established by the newly formed Commonwealth of Australia following Federation in 1901...
|| Mounted Infantry || Lt-Col GJ Johnstone
George Johnston (general)
Major General George Jameson Johnston CB, CMG, VD was an Australian Army general in World War I.-Early life and career:...
(VIC) || 492 || Mar – Apr 1902 || 0 KIA, 2 DFD || 5 mounted rifle sqns (3 VIC, 1 SA, 1 WA); did not see action
|-
||5th Australian Commonwealth Horse
Australian Commonwealth Horse
The Australian Commonwealth Horse was a mounted infantry unit of the Australian Army formed for service during the Second Boer War in South Africa in 1902 and was the first expeditionary military unit established by the newly formed Commonwealth of Australia following Federation in 1901...
|| Mounted Infantry || Lt-Col JW Macarthur-Onslow (NSW) || 487 || – || 0 || 4 mounted rifle sqns (all NSW); arrived after war ended
|-
||6th Australian Commonwealth Horse
Australian Commonwealth Horse
The Australian Commonwealth Horse was a mounted infantry unit of the Australian Army formed for service during the Second Boer War in South Africa in 1902 and was the first expeditionary military unit established by the newly formed Commonwealth of Australia following Federation in 1901...
|| Mounted Infantry || Lt-Col GCH Irving
Godfrey Irving
Major General Godfrey George Howy Irving was an Australian Army Major General in World War I.- Early life and career :...
(VIC) || 489 || – || 0 KIA, 4 DFD || 4 mounted rifle sqns (all VIC); arrived after war ended
|-
||7th Australian Commonwealth Horse
Australian Commonwealth Horse
The Australian Commonwealth Horse was a mounted infantry unit of the Australian Army formed for service during the Second Boer War in South Africa in 1902 and was the first expeditionary military unit established by the newly formed Commonwealth of Australia following Federation in 1901...
|| Mounted Infantry || Lt-Col HG Chauvel
Henry George Chauvel
General Sir Harry Chauvel GCMG, KCB was a senior officer of the Australian Imperial Force who fought at Gallipoli and in the Middle Eastern theatre during the First World War. He was the first Australian to attain the rank of lieutenant general and later general, and the first to lead a corps...
(QLD)|| 490 || – || 0 KIA, 4 DFD|| 4 mounted rifle sqns, (all QLD); arrived after war ended
|-
||8th Australian Commonwealth Horse
Australian Commonwealth Horse
The Australian Commonwealth Horse was a mounted infantry unit of the Australian Army formed for service during the Second Boer War in South Africa in 1902 and was the first expeditionary military unit established by the newly formed Commonwealth of Australia following Federation in 1901...
|| Mounted Infantry || Lt-Col H Le Mesurier (NSW) || 485 || – || 0 KIA, 3 DFD || 4 mounted rifle sqns (2 SA, 1 WA, 1 TAS); arrived after war ended
|-
|}
Australians also fought in the following units which were either privately raised or were raised in South Africa, but were not official units of the Australian colonies, or of the Commonwealth of Australia:
- Australian Regiment
- Australian Mounted Infantry Brigade
- Australian Commonwealth Regiment
- Bushveldt CarbineersBushveldt CarbineersThe Bushveldt Carbineers were a short-lived, multinational mounted infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in South Africa during the Second Boer War. The BVC is recognized as the world's first modern Special forces for the use of counter insurgency tactics.The 320-strong regiment was...
- Canadian Scouts
- 3rd Bushmen Regiment
- 4th Imperial Bushmen
- Composite Bushmen Regiment
- Cameron’s Scouts
- Doyle’s Australian Scouts
- Hasler’s Scouts
Timeline of the Australian contribution to the Second Boer War
{| class="wikitable"|1899
1899 in Australia
See also:1898 in Australia,other events of 1899,1900 in Australia and theTimeline of Australian history.-Governors of the Australian colonies:...
|
- 2 November - First Australians Arrive in South Africa
- 19 November - Belmont / Modder River
|-
|1900
1900 in Australia
See also: 1899 in Australia, other events in 1900, 1901 in Australia, Timeline of Australian history.-Incumbents:*Monarch — Queen VictoriaNote: Australia was not yet federated as of 1900, therefore no prime minister existed....
|
- 1 January - Sunnyside
- 11 February - Kimberley
- 3 May - Bloemfontein
- 5 May - Coetzee’s Drift
- 16 May - Mafeking
- 28 May - Johannesberg
- 1 June - Pretoria
- 12 June - Diamond Hill
- 4 August - Elands River
|-
|1901
1901 in Australia
See also:1900 in Australia,other events of 1901,1902 in Australia and theTimeline of Australian history.-Incumbents:*Monarch — Queen Victoria , then Edward VII*Governor General — John Hope, 7th Earl of Hopetoun...
|
- 29 March - Rhenosterkop
- 8 April - Pietersburg
- 15 April - Middleberg
- 12 June - Wilmansrust Incident
- 16 September - Spelonken Incident
|-
|1902
1902 in Australia
See also:1901 in Australia,other events of 1902,1903 in Australia and theTimeline of Australian history.-Incumbents:*Monarch – King Edward VII*Governor-General – John Hope, 7th Earl of Hopetoun*Prime Minister – Edmund Barton-State premiers:...
|
- 1 April - Newcastle
- 19 April - Klerksdorp
- 7 May - Vryburg
- August - Last contingents sail for Australia
|-
|}
External links
- Australia and the Boer War, 1899–1902 - Australian War Memorial
- Australians in the Boer War
- The Boer War - National Archives of Australia
- Australian Serving in the Boer War
- The Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902) An Australian Perspective - The Australian Boer War Memorial
- The Boer War - Culture Portal
- The Boer War: Army, Nation and Empire - The Australian Army