2. ‘Collie Boys’ and the Boer War

The Second Anglo-Boer War

(Afrikaans: Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, translates; Second Freedom War)

Saluting their Service - Grahame Old

‘Collie Boys’ - The Boer War (1899-1902)                                        

From 10th October 1899 to the end of May 1902 a bitter conflict raged across the South African veldt between Britain and her Empire and the two largely self governing Boer Republics of the Transvaal and the Orange Free State. The six Australian States (colonies) were quick to make troops available to Britain. The first formed unit of troops from Australia, a squadron of the New South Wales Lancers, landed in Capetown on 2 November 1899, less than one month after hostilities began.

From the beginning the value of Australian horsemen was quickly recognised as mounted infantry, due to their capacity to deploy quickly and their ability to match the Boers’ own game. With the exception of one field artillery battery and some medical groups (field ambulance, stretcher bearers and some 60 nurses) the Australian forces in South Africa comprised mounted infantry. Along with the New Zealanders, Australian horsemen were unsurpassed as scouts and were greatly valued by column commanders. After Federation, in 1901, the mounted troops which were sent to South Africa included the various Australian Commonwealth Horse units. It is generally thought that about 16,000 Australians fought in the Boer War. Included in this number were 41 ‘Collie Boys’.  

The Cost

The nature of the conditions under which the war was fought can be better understood from the fact that in the Australian contingents, 282 died in action or from wounds sustained in battle, while 286 died from disease and another 38 died of accident or other unknown causes. Three ‘Collie Boys’ were Killed in Action, and one died from disease.

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Letter extracts from Collie Boy William Connolly to his Father in Collie (March 1901)

Journey to South Africa 1901 with the 5th Contingent.

After describing the departure from the camp at Karrakatta, the ride to Fremantle and shipping the horses, they naturally thought then that they would be allowed time to bid their friends good-bye, but trooper Connolly wrote;

"To our surprise we were all ordered below until a quarter of an hour of starting and then no one was allowed on board. Personally, it did not affect me as it did others, as my friends consisted of one or two little girls, I had met at Karrakatta Camp, but it was a sad sight to see mothers, sisters and sweethearts’ crying and endeavouring to make their way to the boat through the dense crowd. During the voyage we held sports on Monday the 25th, at which Collie was well represented, and did good work. Private Jimmy Brickley won the bun eating contest in a walk, and Private Woods got into the same final of the cock-fight. In fact, without a boast, Collie has been well to the fore right through. Bob McGregor has been promoted to farrier sergeant. As I have already mentioned, Woodhall got second place in the boxing tournament aboard, Ellis has been chosen as orderly to one of the officers, and McCaffrey represented 3B Division in the tug-of-war, A Company versus B Company, and pulled with the winning team, so Messrs Goag and Coombes should feel proud of picking such competent men. At the time of writing (March 27th) we anchored off Port Natal awaiting instructions from the military authorities at Durban.

All the Collie boys are in good spirits and personally I never felt better in my life."

Continuing letter from Trooper Connolly to his father in Collie, (May 1901)

"On the 16th of May the 5th and 6th WA’s and 1 LH, fell into ambush at a place called Grobler’s Recht. The whole fight which lasted all day seemed to be utter confusion from the beginning to end and we could not tell our own men from Boers, and consequently could not fire until the enemy got first shot in. Our losses this day were very heavy – Lieutenant Forrest and Sergeant Edwards of our Contingent were killed, both shot through the head; Privates Page, Semple, Adams and Fisher of the 6th Contingent killed. Our men wounded were Corporal Bollinger shot through the lung (since died of effects) Kennedy through the stomach (in a very low state). Handcock, while attempting to help Kennedy onto his horse was shot in three places, twice through the leg and once in the small of the back. Finding it impossible to do anything for poor Kennedy and notwithstanding his wounds and the bullets in his horse, he mounted and rode three miles to the Red Cross wagons. Kennedy was sometime before he was able to crawl to some our men. Private Stevens of our Contingent was shot through the thigh and one of the 1LH killed and one wounded. Altogether our casualties were seventeen for the day.

Walter William Connolly"

The Siege of Elands River

One battle of the South African War 1899-1902 typifies all the qualities that Australia has come to interpret as synonymous with the Anzac legend, but it occurred almost fifteen years before Australian soldiers ever landed at Gallipoli.  This was the Siege of Elands River, a twelve day siege of a supply depot defended by soldiers from the Australian colonies. Our soldiers, who were truly the first Australian expeditionary force to fight overseas, did Australia proud in the Boer War as they have done in all conflicts since. The majority of the defenders were Australian bushmen, mainly men from Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria with a lesser number from Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania. They manfully defended the post against impossible odds for 12 days. Lord Kitchener, the British Commander in Chief, Boer War, made the following statement after the siege: “Only colonials could have survived in such impossible circumstances, when a few hundred Australian Light Horsemen and a small group of Rhodesians held out successfully against several thousand encircling Boers at Elands River”.

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Boer War Western Australian Contingents

From 1899 to 1902, WA provided the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th Mounted Infantry contingents, and following federation, WA provided the 2nd, 4th, and 8th Battalion, Australian Commonwealth Horse (WA).

’Collie Boys’ who died whilst on active service during the Boer War

385, Pte, 6th West Australia Mounted Infantry, Francis Thomas ADAM.

387, Pte, 6th West Australia Mounted Infantry, James DELAHUNTY.

184, Farrier Sgt, 5th West Australia Mounted Infantry, Robert Henry McGREGOR.

403, Pte, 6th West Australia Mounted Infantry, John SEMPLE.

Nominal Roll ‘Collie Boys’ – Boer War

Francis Thomas ADAM.  Walter BOWERS. Henry Ernest BRADBURY.                                         Samuel Francis BRICKLEY. Hugh Francis Arnund BUCKLE. George Frederick CLARKE.         George Lawrence CLARKE. John Hoskin CLOSE. William Walter CONNOLLY.                         James DELAHUNTY. Robert DEVON. Edgar ELDRIDGE. James Winton ELLIS.  Charles EMKE. John EVANS. Michael Buckley FOLEY. John Patrick HOGAN.  Andrew INGLIS.           George Peter JACOBSEN. Joseph Denis KELLY. Frank Adderley KING. John KNOWLER.        Edgar Ernest MAYMAN.  William Ernest McCAFFERY. Robert Henry McGREGOR.                  George Anderson MOTION.  Sydney NICHOLAS. George ROBERTSON. William ROWE. Thomas Noble RUDD.  Charles SCHOLTZ. Frank William SECCOMBE. John SEMPLE. William SHEA. Samuel Augustus SHEARER. James Ellison WATSON. Donald WHITE. Andrew WIGHT. Reuben WILCHER. John WOODALL. Arthur Ellis WOODS.

‘Collie Boys’ in the Boer War - Remembered forever at the Collie Cardiff RSL Sub Branch

                                                                                  ‘Lest We Forget’

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