TOPIC:

Dear Members

I'd be most grateful for information, probably well-known to the medal collectors: I understand that the following units were in the column that took Spion Kop on the 23/24 jan 1900:

2nd Btn Royal Lancasters - Am I correct that this was all 8 companies?
2nd Btn Lancashire Fusiliers - Am I correct that this was all 8 companies?
Thorneycroft's Mounted Infantry, 180 men and 18 officers - from which companies, squadrons or troops were these men drawn?
a half-company of 17th Royal Engineers - which half-company was it?
C and D companies of the South Lancashires

I'd be most grateful for your insights!
thanks
Rob

Rob
The only unit I can post about is TMI. A check of "Unbuttoned" has a listing of those TMI known to be on the Kop (casualties or from reliable accounts) and those listed were from a full spread of Companies; A to F. Being a locally raised new unit (advertised as the "Proposed Uitlander Corps for the front"), I would imagine that most would be willing to give some pay-back to the invaders. It is possible that Thorneycroft personally selected likely lads for the assault. Any study of the events on the Kop will be enhanced by a close reading of "Thorneycroft's 'unbuttoned'" (ISBN: 978-0-9872045-0-0).
Regarding the regular units, there has been some discussion on this site re men present on the Kop. In the absence of evidence, probably reference to the casualty lists (or diary entries) is the only way to establish their presence. Which would be a great pity.
Regards
IL.

Rob - 6 companies of the Royal Lancasters were at Spion Kop but I don't know which ones they were. All 8 companies of the Lancashire Fusiliers and C and D companies of the South Lancashires were present.

David