TOPIC:

I am writing a novel about the battle of Spionkop. I use the real name of one of the Boers, but I would like to make the book a bit more authemtic by using the name of one of the soldiers of the SALH. If there a relative that might be interested? If there are some anecdotes to make the story more realistic, that would be great.

Hello
I am not aware that SALH took part on the Kop; certainly no SALH casualties in the casualty roll for that action and no reference to such in "The Colonials in South Africa" by Stirling. SALH were certainly heavily engaged on the Tugela - but not on the Kop. Happy to be corrected, by the way. Colonial units on the Kop in the middle of the fighting were Thorneycroft's M.I., Imperial Light Infantry and two Sqns of Bethune's M.I. Regards IL.

Hi,

As Ian writes, the SALH were not engaged at Spion Kop though Winston Churchill, who became an SALH officer later, was.

Thorneycroft's Mounted Infantry were heavily involved and first hand accounts can be found in Crozier's "Angels on Horseback" and Lieutenant L. Oppenheim's articles in 'The Nineteenth Century and After' in 1901.

Hope this helps.

Justin