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I came across a couple of mentions of this in the local newspaper, hadn't heard of it before. Am I right in thinking that the Section wasn't a very big one? How many guns and men would it have been comprised of?

A letter has been received in Lancaster from Corporal J. Clark, who is serving with the Colt Gun Section of the 5th L.V.A., attached to the 15th Battalion Imperial Yeomanry, in South Africa. It is dated Welverdund Pass, Nov. 26th, and he states: "We are at present attached to General Hart's Brigade, dodging about the mountains between Krugersdorp and Potchefstroom, firing a few shells each day, just to let the enemy know we are in the neighbourhood, and warning them to be off or they will get captured, or rather they will have to show their passes. The job we are on at present could be done well by about 200 mounted men and a pom-pom, but we slowly creep about saddled with a large convoy, and two regiments of infantry and a 4.7 gun, getting one or two of our scouts shot each day; and we in return giving prisoners a pass and letting them go and have another pop at us. I have just heard that there is a large commando of Boers around Krugersdorp, so I expect we shall be going off to that putrid hole again. The Section has been reduced, J. Bell (Lancaster) and Bibby, of Blackpool, have gone home. Two Preston men are sick at Krugersdorp, and the remainder all in good trim, and patiently, or otherwise, waiting orders for home."


(Lancaster Guardian, 5.1.1901)

Colonel Hunt, commanding the 5th Lancashire Volunteer Artillery, speaking at an annual prize distribution at Blackpool, said he had received a letter from Lieutenant Topping, commander of the Colt gun section, in South Africa, in which the Lieutenant said that Lord Chesham had told the men that there was not the slightest chance of their getting home before July next. Lord Chesham had also asked if Colonel Hunt would send more men out. Lieutenant Topping replied that he was sure he would, and Lord Chesham said he would wire. The telegram had not been received, so on Monday Colonel Hunt wired to Lord Chesham to say that if he would send authority he would send twenty men in 24 hours. No reply had been received. He would not ask his men to volunteer, but would say, "I want you," and he knew they would go.
Colonel Hunt having received an intimation that the services of another Colt Gun Section would be acceptable, members of the Lancaster Batteries of the 5th L.V.A. have this week been asked to volunteer for seven places. No fewer than 40 gave in their names up to Thursday night, and all of them are efficient men and in good condition physically.


(Lancaster Guardian, 26.1.1901)

I would think merely two guns and their crews with the subaltern.

Anyone interested
The "Colt Gun" mentioned in Berenice's earlier post was the Colt Model 1895 in calibre .303". I have sometimes seen it referred to as a "tape gun"; the rounds being put up in a thin cloth belt (hence "tape") rather than a thicker webbing belt of the Maxim. The Colt was air cooled (the Maxim was water cooled and much heavier) and the Colt later became known as the "potato digger" due to the action-actuating arm under the barrel swinging forcefully up and down in the firing cycle.
The Colt was usually employed on a wheeled carraige - but could be quickly detached from it's mount and deployed in a less conspicuous manner. The lightness of the Colt made it much more suitable for mobile warfare. The Maxim was much better suited to sustained fire and barrage work. The Canadian Scouts were especially fond of the Colt. An interesting point is that I am not aware that the Colt "tape gun" was ever formally adopted by the British Army. I read once that the Canadians supplied their own Colt guns and some of the British Yeomanry outfits purchased their own. Those were the days.
My feeling is that the crew of a Colt Gun would have been gunner, loader, and one or two ammunition carriers - the two guns of a section being directed by - as Frank says - a subaltern.
I have seen several pics of the Colt "tape gun" somewhere and will have a look tonight and post them.
Regards
IL.

Two images of Colt guns; the first a 1895 pattern mounted and the second a tripod mounted of the South Australians.

David
Well done!! I have been looking through my books for pics of the Colt for a couple of hours!
Droogleever in "Thorneycroft's Unbuttoned" mentions that Col.Thorneycroft, when forming his Regiment, found no machine guns were available. He borrowed three .303" Colt guns from the Colt Company on Dundonald carraiges. The "bandoliers" (ammunition belts) were obtained from the Natal Volunteers. The Dundonald carraige was two-wheeled and lightweight to keep up with the cavalry.
Droogleever makes many references to the Colt guns in use in the abovementioned book.

One of the gentleman-troopers of the 13th Bn., I.Y. describes the Colt as a "little mountain gun" and says they were known as Colt tape guns on the same cartridge as their rifles but, owing to their greater calibre (?) possessed a range of a thousand yards longer. They were fed by a long tape containing at a time 500 rounds, and capable of discharging automatically a rapid hail of bullets.... upon the same objective. Each gun was served by a hand brought out from Colt's Gun Factory and the rapid "pop pop pop pop pop" of these little machines did much to strengthen their defence. Unfotunately at Lindley, one of the Colts jammed.

Best regards
IL.

Absolutely fascinating. Thank you all for your input and a special 'thanks' to David for the photos.