Sept. 30.—Wet night; splendid send-off. Enthusiasm and refreshments all along the line. Met refugee trains.
Oct. 1.—Ladysmith: Colonel Knox complimented battery on smart detrainment.
Oct. 21.—Escorted by Imperial Light Horse to Elandslaagte; battery’s guns out-classed.
Oct. 22.—Men and horses knocked up.
Oct. 23-28.—Standing to arms early and wet.
Oct. 29.—Midnight: left for Lombard’s Kop. An impressive march.
Oct. 30.—Battle: under fire, not in action.
Oct. 31.—Left with the “Dubs” for Colenso.
Nov. 1.—”Boers below Ladysmith.”
Nov. 2.—Camp shelled from Grobler’s Kloof. Colenso evacuated at midnight.
Nov. 3.—Reached Estcourt at midday.
Nov. 6.—Reconnaissance towards Colenso.
Nov. 9.—Reconnaissance to Frere.
Nov. 18.—A section occupy Two Gun Hill. Exposed to roughest weather of campaign.
Nov. 23.—Line cut at Willow Grange.
Nov. 26.—Marched to Frere.
Dec. 5.—Right section (Lieut. Ritchie) moved to Mooi River, centre section (Lieut. Puntan) to Estcourt, left section (Lieut. Livingston) to Nottingham Road.
Dec. 25.—Greetings from her Majesty.
Jan. 9, 1900.—Left section went to Mooi River.
Jan. 13.—Centre section arrive at Mooi River.
Jan. 15.—Right and centre return to Estcourt.
Feb. 5.—Centre section (Lieut. Puntan) proceeded by rail to Zululand; remained till June 21.
Feb. 11. — Left section at New Hanover joined Brig.-Gen. Bethune, reaching Dundee on
May 15.—Attached to Volunteer Brigade.
June 12.—Charlestown reoccupied.
June 15.—Left for Dundee.
Sept. 14.—After 9 months battery re-united.
Sept. 16.—Left Dundee with the Brigade.
Sept. 17.—Crossed the Buffalo at De Jager’s. First guns and Volunteers to enter Transvaal.
Sept. 18.—Blood River; met Hildyard’s Div,
Sept. 20.—Returned to Dundee.
Oct. 1.—Coast division entrain and detrain.
Oct. 7.—Struck camp. Left now at 1.30.
Oct. 8.—Maritzburg 3 a.m. Four hours’ hungry expectation; sumptuous breakfast. Durban, home, and beauty before dusk.
At Ladysmith, Col. Knox, R.A., had the reputation of being rough but straight and just. The corps camped with the 10th Mountain Battery, fused shells, and packed ammunition* wagons, the men all full of energy and enthusiasm. The corps moved to No. 7 Camp to avoid dust storms, and then into town—again with the 10th M.B., a fine lot of fellows; later the two batteries moved to the top of the town.-The days and nights were occupied with fatigues, false alarms, and “standings to”— rain sometimes falling in torrents. The horses had a bad time at first, for they, like the men, had been used to “home life.” But they said nothing. Rumour raced and rioted for three weeks. On Oct. 21 the battery came into action at Elandslaagte, but the position selected, though in range, was outranged by the enemy, and, after half-an-hour’s shelling, the battery was withdrawn, having been pelted the whole time. On return to Ladysmith, news was read out that Talana had been fought and won, but General Penn-Symons was wounded. At Lombard’s Kop the N.F.A. went out, but not into action, and left late that night for Colenso— the only corps to leave Ladysmith. It is said to have been the intention of the Volunteer authorities to move the whole volunteer force down country, but that General White would not part with the mounted men. At Colenso the corps camped alongside the Dublin Fusiliers, of Talana. Thence the corps took part in a moonlight flit. The infantry went to Estcourt by rail, and the artillery by road—just joined by Lieut. Silburn, who, undergoing artillery study in England, had left hurriedly.-The troops, under General Hildyard, moved forward to Frere in November, and on the arrival of General Buller the corps returned to Estcourt, when Lieut. Silburn severed his connection in order to go forward. The N.F.A, envied the luck of the N.N.V., who, with no guns of their own, were allowed to work with the 4.7. About this time “General Buller and the N.F.A. guns” occupied attention. Our weapons were muzzle-loaders, firing hack powder, with only 2,500 yards’ effective range! The N.F.A. did outpost work and patrolling, and protected the line of communication. Christmas fare was received from the Mercury Christmas Fund. In February the centre section went to Eshowe and Melmoth, working round to Dundee by way of ’Nqutu. The Left Section, attached to Colonel Bethune’s Column, worked round Pomeroy to Charlestown, afterwards joining General Dartnell’s Brigade, returning to Dundee via Ingagane and Newcastle. The Right Section moved to Colenso, Ladysmith, Elandslaagte, and reached Dundee.
Thence a section was sent to Glencoe, and outposts were supplied on the Impati. On July 11th, the corps awaited release notice, but the time was extended until Oct. 7, when 18 N.F.A. joined the Composite Regiment that remained. A small two-wheeled cart accompanied the corps as “ambulance,” and the list of its “medical comforts,” if ever found, should be carefully preserved. No losses occurred in action, but death claimed two popular men in Driver Smith and Sergt. York. “Joe ” Smith was wheel-driver in No. 3 sub-division. He was a merry fellow, and had done jockey work, and wore the Matabele war medal. Sergt. York (reserve), an old 6th Inniskilling, was also a smart horseman and N.C.O., ever ready to do a good turn. The driver was buried at Dundee, and the sergeant at Durban.
Roll Call
Strength on mobilisation : 123. Strength on disbandment: 118.
Major D W G Taylor, Commanding
Leutenant A M Richie
Leutenant J Livingston
Leutenant H H C Puntan
Quartermaster T Adams
Sergeant-Major J W Field
Quartermaster-Sergeant J Loutit
Farrier-Sergeant J Milne
Orderly Room-Sergeant J Wiles
Sergt W J Black
Sergt G H Knowler
Sergt W Pascod
Sergt K Rich
Sergt E Shackleton
Sergt W A Stamp
Sergt W J York D res
Sergt E Norman res
Sergt V Farrington res
Corpl C J Butter
Corpl C Cain
Corpl R Horner
Corpl J W Mercer, injured
Corpl G Suttie
Bombr F Brown
Bombr J H Dove
Bombr T Horner
Bombr J C McGrearey
Bombr W S Ponsford
Bombr J Robertson
Bombr A Rose
Bombr W H Smith
Saddler Driver H Scott
Trumpeter F Taylor
Trumpeter W York
Gnr H A Aslam
Gnr W Austen
Gnr C Atkinson
Gnr T Bailey
Gnr A Blunden
Gnr D Brown
Gnr W H Cain
Gnr B T Carson
Gnr W J Cockle
Gnr W H Cooke
Gnr J C Cowell
Gnr H Croshaw
Gnr A E Cunningham
Gnr A M Davidson
Gnr P Donaldson
Gnr T H Downward
Gnr J W Duckham
Grr C S P Edwards
Gnr R H Ewan
Gnr J A Fleming
Gnr P Gascoyne
Gnr W J Green
Gnr H Gutridge
Gnr O Hancock
Gnr P R Harris
Gnr Holt, sub
Gnr H J Henderson, sub
Gnr J A Hunt
Gnr A S Hurford
Gnr E H Hutchings
Gnr B Irvin
Gnr G Jaye
Gnr E Kearns
Gnr C Kilmister
Gnr C Lawson
Gnr C Leverett
Gnr A M May
Gnr W H Major
Gnr J McCarthy, sub
Gnr J McCoy
Gnr J H Newton
Gnr J P Ogilvie
Gnr W F O’Brien, sub
Gnr A E Poval
Gnr A Ritchie
Gnr T E Simms
Gnr G Sinclair
Gnr A E Slack
Gnr E C Smith
Gnr J E Leslie Smith
Gnr G S Spindler
Gnr A Stupple
Gnr W Sturrock
Gnr W Thompson
Gnr C G Turton
Gnr W Wainwright
Gnr H Warmback
Gnr J Watson
Gnr R Whyham
Gnr A F Willmot
Gnr W Wilson
Gnr G Wolff
Gnr B Young
Driver J Berry
Driver R Berry
Driver A Burger
Driver J H Burnett
Driver C J Butler
Driver C Chapman
Driver J O Chalsty
Driver H C Cox
Driver A Exell
Driver H Easterbrook
Driver C P L Flood
Driver W Gove
Driver J W Grffiiths
Driver P Honeywell
Driver J C Malcolm
Driver T McBain
Driver A W Meyer
Driver J Mnroe
Driver C W Norriss
Driver F Reen
Driver L Spratt
Driver J Smith D
Driver J H L Tomlin
Driver A G Vowden
Driver J W Wray
Driver J W Wishart
Driver E G Young
3 Casualties
Sergt York, diedthrough injury, Dundee
Driver J Smith, died of sickness, Dundee
Corporal J W Mercer, injured
Joined Composite Regiment
Sergt W Pascoe, Bombr B Brown, Gnrs J C Cowell, R H Evans, J A Fleming, N Holt, H J Henderson, C Lawson, W H Major, J McCarthy. W F O’Brien, A Ritchie, A E Slack, C G Turton, R Whyham, B Young, Drivers A Burger and J W Wray,
