TOPIC:

Morant horse 1
There is a further aspect of Tpr. W. Mitchell of KH to consider. On the KH nominal roll pages on this site may be seen hios enlistment date of 10/8/1900 at "P.E." (which I assume means Port Elizabeth. Not much time for very much training between enlistment and the fatal date of 24/9/1900.
I have run across a few other references to KH at about that time in a couple of Regimental Histories and can summarise them if needed.
Regards
IL.

IL, if William Mitchell was a colonial born man or had lived in-country for a decent length of time, we could assume that he could shoot, ride and knew the country when he enlisted. But would be woefully deficient in military tactics for a mounted infantryman and paid the ultimate price for being rushed to the frontline.

I should be most grateful if you could please post a summary of the actions of KH at that time from your regimental histories. It would all add to our knowledge on this thread

Cheers Steve

From the August 2024 Kaplan auction.

QSA (6) Rel of Kimberley, Paardeberg; Driefontein, Joh, DH, Wittebergen (3033 Tpr H. Dilly Kitchener’s Horse);
War and Bilingual Victory Medal (2LT H.H. Dilly)

QSA (6) listed on WO100/256p29. Surname Dilley on the QSA roll. Discharged 9 January 1901. Also served Cape Town Highlanders (816). Listed for CC on the CTH QSA roll, WO100/241p138. Surname Dilley on the CTH roll.

Henry Hector Dilley also served in the Pietersburg LH (WO100/263p158). SA01 and SA02 from PLH, WO100/263p226.

Morant Horse 1 and others interested.
Trawling through Droogleever's "Five Good Squadrons" (1NSWMR) and Chamberlain and Droogleever"s "The War with Johnny Boer", it appears that the original contingent of KH were well regarded; having served as they did with 1NSWMR in Hannay's 1st M.I. Bde; on the Paardeberg cordon, then with Le Gallais and at Dreifontein.
Once the original contingent of KH became time expired and its ranks were filled with new recruits, the published remarks concerning KH by Lt. Livingston-Learmonth of B sqn., 1NSWMR are of interest. "Three new Sqns of KH joined us here (Koppies Station), made up of new recruits from the Cape Colony. Absolutely raw they were, too, mostly boys of sixteen and upwards, who talked Dutch among themselves, and altogether did not impress us as being very valuable allies". Those remarks were published in the SMH of 20th November 1900 and obviously refer to the situation of several weeks earlier.
Not much more about the short period your man Mitchell served with KH, I fear.
Regards
IL.

Steve - British Newspapers of the day (not necessarily accurate) have the following to say about the September 1900 death of Private W Mitchell, Kitchener's Horse:

Morning Leader, 27 September 1900:



(Berrow's) Worcester Journal 29th September 1900:



I make "yesterday" in the Worcester Journal to be 23rd September 1900 - so, I don't think I have been very helpful!

David.