THE WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA PART 8

canadians in campaign hats in south africa see the mounties below 

boers by irregular in 42mm

ELANDSLAAGTE




Amongst other things, it was known in Ladysmith on the 18th of October that General Koch's commando was moving to the Biggarsberg Pass on the way to Elandslaagte. The advanced guard of the Boers finding a train at the Elandslaagte station,attempted to seize it, but the driver with remarkable pluck turned on steam, and, though pelted with bullets, got safely to Dundee.
the station TODAY
 The second train was captured, however, and with it its valuable cargo of live stock, and two newspaper correspondents, who were made prisoners. Finding that the enemy was gathered in force round Dundee, and that an attack there was hourly to be expected, and, moreover, that several Free State commandoes were shifting about round Ladysmith, the inhabitants of that town had an uneasy time.
Major-General French, who had but recently arrived from England, was directed by Sir George White to make a reconnaissance in force in the neighbourhood of Elandslaagte. He moved his cavalry in the pouring rain some twelve miles along the Dundee road, but besides locating the enemy, and beyond the capture of two of their number, who seemed not ill-disposed to be made prisoners, little was done. On the following day, Saturday, another reconnaissance was made. you could make some brilliant conversions from these right period mounties. the tunics are right for boer war cavalry and the hats need little attention. if you cut the hats off you could give them slouch hats.the only prob with that is that divina hill has closed down her plastic bizz that supplied the unpainted stuff for low cost. these mounties are by upnawy that great of our hobby. the australian horseman below is avaible in the mode shown on ebay and you could use the head on the mounties shown here and on the riders below.
General French with Lieutenant-Colonel Scott Chisholme and the Imperial Light Horse, the Natal Volunteer Artillery with six guns, supported by half a battalion of the Manchesters, with railway and telegraph construction companies, started in the direction occupied by the enemy on the preceding day.

Lieutenant William John Berry, the commanding officer of the Napier Guards Rifle Volunteers, enlisted in the Third (NZ) Contingent on 10 February 1900. Berry was a 29 year-old saddler who was married with two children. He sailed from Lyttelton on 17 February 1900 amid scenes of great excitement, but fell ill shortly after his arrival in South Africa, dying of pneumonia in Johannesburg on 10 June 1900

General French's orders were simple and explicit, namely, to clear the neighbourhood of Elandslaagte of the enemy and to cover the construction of the railway and telegraph lines.strathcona horse
 The troops slowly proceeded along a low tableland which terminated in a cliff. On a plain below this cliff lay the station and village of Elandslaagte, and round and about this settlement mounted Boers were swarming.
britains highlanders repaint to boer war
These no sooner espied the British than they made off as fast as their nimble steeds could carry them, ascending in the direction of a high kopje some 5000 yards away. Those who remained in the station were fired on by our Volunteer Battery, while a squadron under Major Sampson moved round to the north of them.


Position of Forces Before the Battle of Elandslaagte, Noon The first two shells caused considerable consternation among the Dutchmen, but they were soon returned with interest. Though the enemy used smokeless explosives, their battery was revealed by the yellow flash of the guns in the purple shadow of the hill. These guns were worked with marvellous accuracy, but, fortunately, many of the shells—fired with percussion fuses—dug deep into the sand before bursting. irregular miniatures
The Volunteer Battery found their own guns so inferior to those of the enemy that there was little chance of silencing them, and General French, seeing there was no question of occupying Elandslaagte with the small force at his disposal, moved his guns back towards his armoured train, telephoned to Sir George White, and withdrew in the direction of Modder's Spruit.
There he awaited reinforcements from Ladysmith. These at 11 o'clock began to appear: One squadron of the 5th Dragoon Guards, one squadron of the 5th Lancers under Colonel King, and two batteries of artillery, the latter having come out at a gallop with double teams. Then the infantry arrived under Colonel Ian Hamilton, the second half-battalion of the Manchester Regiment, a battalion of the Devonshire Regiment under Major Park, and five companies of the Gordon Highlanders under Lieutenant-Colonel Dick-Cunyngham, V.C.
5TH LANCERS


At 3.30 p.m. General White arrived on the scene, but the executive command of the troops engaged remained in the hands of General French. The Boers were discovered to be magnificently posted on a horseshoe-shaped ridge about 800 feet above the level of the railway to north of the Ladysmith-Dundee road, standing almost at a right angle from the permanent way, though some 2000 yards removed from it. On the side nearing the railroad the ridge was crowned with a peaked kopje, which hill was connected by a nek with another eminence of the same kind. essex regt
These hills were held by the enemy, while their laager was situated on the connecting ridge. The position was strewn on both flanks by very rough boulders which afforded excellent cover. On the main hill were three big guns strongly posted at three different points so as to command a wide expanse of country and leave a retreat open over the hills in the direction of Wessel's Nek. Facing the ridge was a wide expanse of veldt rising upwards in the direction of Ladysmith.this charbens piece is useful for infantry as regards the uniform, you would have to change the head.
1900 - Mr E.G. Mardon called a meeting in Bristol on 15th March 1900 to raise a new battalion of volunteers. Field-Marshall Lord Roberts, VC was appointed its' Honorary Colonel. Originally the new regiment was to be called The City of Bristol Artillery Volunteers, but the War Office did not want more artillery units. It was agreed to form the 3rd Volunteer Battalion The Gloucestershire Regiment. The official date of formation was 24th August 1900.



Lieut-Colonel G.E. McClellan (late 3rd Dragoon Guards) was appointed Commanding Officer. By the end of the year 900 men had enrolled. The Regiment's uniform was khaki with red facings, a red stock, cord breeches, leather leggings and a slouch hat adorned with plumes of feathers! A leather bandolier was also worn. The officers uniform was heavily braided with silver lace.






Drills were held at Bedminster Police Station, Queen's Square, and Kingsdown Baths. A Headquarters building was purchased in November 1900. The crest adopted for the Regiment was: The Arms of the City of Bristol, surmounted by a Sphinx, superscribed "Egypt". The Colt Gun Company loaned a Colt Gun to the Battalion. Awarded 11 battle honours: France & Flanders 1915-17. Ypres 1917. Langemarck 1917. Somme 1916. Albert 1916. Pozieres. Broodseinde. Poelcapelle. Italy 1917-18. Piave. Vittorio-Veneto. Died in WW1: 40 officers and 469 men.


british gunners
At four—an unusually late hour for the commencement of hostilities—the first gun boomed out; the range was 4400 yards. A few moments of furious cannonading, then the enemy's guns ceased to reply. The silence enabled the artillerymen to turn their attention on a party of the foe who were annoying them with a persistent rifle-fire on the right flank at a range of 2000 yards. It was an admirable corrective, and the Boer sharpshooters retired discomfited. Meanwhile the infantry had been brought up in preparatory battle formation of small columns covered by scouts. The position of the infantry was then as follows:—

GEN W3HITE

The first battalion Devonshire Regiment, with a frontage of 500 yards and a depth of 1300 yards, was halted on the western extremity of a horseshoe-shaped ridge. The opposite end of this ridge, which was extremely rugged and broken, was held by the enemy in force. The first battalion Manchester Regiment had struck the ridge fully 1000 yards to the south-east, just at the point where it begins to bend round northwards. The second battalion Gordon Highlanders were one mile in rear.baden powell in campaign hat