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Alexander Laing

Private, Imperial Light Infantry
Corporal, 1st Kitchener’s Fighting Scouts – Anglo Boer War

- Queens South Africa Medal with clasps Tugela Heights, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal and Laings Nek to 277 Pte. A. Laing, Impl. Lt. Infy.
- Kings South Africa Medal with clasps South Africa 190 & 1902 to 406 Cpl. A. Laing, Kitchener’s F.S.

Alex Laing was born in Berwick upon Tweed in Northumberland in about 1863, little is known of his antecedents and even less about his early years.

At some point after this Alexander, as did so many young men in Victorian times, decided to leave home in search of a better life for themselves. In his case he took himself off to South Africa which, towards the end of the 19th century, held several attractions for those with an adventurous disposition – for those keen on making a fortune there were the gold mines of Johannesburg and the diamond mines of Kimberley, for others there was the possibility of making a go of farming in either the Cape Colony or Natal – certainly a land of many opportunities.

But all was not well on the political front – long simmering tensions between the two Boer Republics of the Orange Free State and the Transvaal and Great Britain came to the boil in October 1899 leading to an ultimatum which, the British Government having chosen to ignore it, led to a declaration of war on 11 October. The Boers went on the offensive and quickly invested major towns to the west and south east of their borders. The number of Imperial troops stationed in South Africa at that point proved to be woefully inadequate to counter or even contain the threat and an urgent call went out for the creation and mobilisation of colonial units to aid in the war.

The Imperial Light Infantry (the foot version of the Imperial Light Horse) was one such unit. Raised in Natal it comprised, mostly, recruits from those who had lost their employment on the Witwatersrand after the outbreak of hostilities and had ventured south to Durban.

Laing elected to join their ranks and attested at Durban on 20 November 1899. Assigned to “E” Company with no. 277 and the rank of Private he was one of the first to join. His attestation papers confirmed that he was 36 years of age, was 5 feet 9 inches in height, weighed 168 pounds and had a fair complexion, brown - grey eyes and dark brown hair. He wore a size 7 boot.

The command of the Imperial Light Infantry was given to Lieutenant Colonel Nash of the Border Regiment and by the end of December 1899 the regiment was ready for active service. They saw comparatively little training and no fighting until they were thrown into the awful combat on Spioen Kop on 24th January 1900. About 1000 strong, they paraded at 10 pm on 23rd January, and, as ordered, took up positions from which they could reinforce General Woodgate, who commanded the force detailed to capture the hill.

Sir Charles Warren visited the regiment early on the morning of the 24th, and asked the officers if they had seen anything of a mountain-battery which he was expecting. They had not. He requested that 2 companies be sent forward to a specified point to be ready to escort the battery to the summit. The companies of Captains Champney and Smith moved out at 6 am and waited as ordered for the battery, but about 9 am a staff-officer told them to reinforce immediately on the summit. The 2 companies advanced and reached the top shortly after 10 am. At this hour the enemy's fire was appalling, the hail of bullets and shells being ceaseless, but these untried volunteers are said to have pushed up to the shallow trench and the firing-line beyond it without flinching. They at once commenced to suffer very severe losses. These 2 companies were the first reinforcements to enter the firing-line, and their arrival proved most opportune, some Lancashire companies being very hard pressed at this time and at this part of the position.

About mid-day Colonel Nash was ordered to reinforce on the summit with "every available man". About 2 pm he reached the top with his remaining companies, who at once bolted out from the rocks at the head of the ascent and fed the firing-line, pushing forward fearlessly across the open.

Throughout the afternoon and evening the firing was unceasing, and often at very close quarters; after dark it had died away. The regiment having been collected, fell in and marched off. They had barely gone 200 yards, however, when an officer said to Colonel Nash, "Where are you going?" The latter replied that he had been ordered to take down the regiment. The other officer then said, "I am Colonel Hill of the Middlesex; not a man or regiment is to leave the hill". The officers of the Imperial Light Infantry then said to their men that a mistake had been made, and the column 'about turned', marched back to the place they had come from, put out pickets, and lay down among the dead and wounded. The worst feature of this very trying experience was the ceaseless crying of the wounded for water: there was none on the hill. During the night a staff-officer informed Colonel Nash that he had better bring down his men before dawn if no fresh troops or orders came up. Between 3 am and 4 am the regiment was again collected and finally left the hill. No Boers had ventured on to the hill up to that time.

This was the world Laing found himself in on that fateful day and night. The losses of the Imperial Light Infantry, as published at the time, were: killed—2 officers, Lieutenants Rudall and Kynoch-Shand, and 29 non-commissioned officers and men; wounded—3 officers, Captain Coleman, Lieutenants H R Brown and Richards, and 110 non-commissioned officers and men; missing—19 men. Most of the latter were afterwards found to have been killed or wounded.

From there it was on to Ladysmith as part of the relief and then on to Laings Nek (no relative we assume) and the Transvaal which, it must be remembered, at that time was just on the other side of Utrecht, close by to Newcastle and not the border as we now know it. The campaign in Natal effectively over with the Boers pushed back across their own border most of the colonially-raised troops were stood down and sent home thus denying them the opportunity for the eighteen months active service required to earn the Kings South Africa Medal.

Such was not the lot of Mr Laing. Having taken his discharge from the I.L.I. on 16 November 1900 he looked around for another regiment to join. He found one in the 1st Kitchener’s Fighting Scouts with whom he enlisted at Durban on 24 December 1900 assigned no. 406 and the rank of Corporal.

Now 38 years of age his hair had softened to a light brown (no doubt on account of the bleaching effect of the African sun). His next of kin he provided as his brother, William Laing of Cradock in the Cape Colony. (One wonders whether or not William was the reason Alex had come out to South Africa.) He also provided his parents address as Berwick on Tweed, Berwick, Scotland and his occupation as that of Clerk.

Laing was to serve two stints with the 1st K.F.S. – the first was from 24 December 1900 until 21 June 1901 when he took his discharge in Pretoria; and the second was from 27 June 1901 until his final discharge on 21 June 1902 in Johannesburg. There was nothing unusual about this – oftentimes men were only enlisted for a maximum of 6 months before having to re-attest. In his case he re-attested for 6 months initially and then for a full 12 months after that.

The corps was raised in December 1900, being recruited in Cape Colony and Natal so Laing was one of the first to enlist. As soon as they could be mounted they were sent into the field. Stirling’s Colonials in South Africa was heavily relied upon to provide detailed information of what exactly the 1st K.F.S. got up to. As can be seen from what follows, Laing and his comrades had a particularly busy war.

"Lieutenant Colonel Grenfell, whose regiment, KFS, had been sent by rail to Pietersburg, was, therefore, directed to clear up the situation. Starting on the night of the 26th April 1901, Lieutenant Colonel Grenfell discovered the enemy's laager at Klipdam, and attacked it at dawn on the 27th with complete success, with the loss of only one man wounded. Seven Boers were killed. Information having been obtained that the enemy's last Long Tom was at Berg Plaats, about 20 miles east of Pietersburg, on the road to Haenertsburg, I desired Colonel Grenfell to make every effort to capture the gun.

He moved at once, and at daylight on the 30th occupied Doornhoek, thence pushing on to Berg Plaats. On his approach the enemy opened fire at over 10,000 yards' range, but after 16 rounds they blew up the gun, while Colonel Grenfell's men were still about 3000 yards distant, and retreated in a north east direction.

As the result of a careful search on the farm, Berg Vlei, adjoining Berg Plaats, 100,000 rounds of Martini-Henry ammunition were discovered and destroyed. With Berg Vlei as a centre Colonel Grenfell continued to operate for several days with success, and a detachment of the 12th Battalion MI, under Major Thomson, was able, under cover of a thick fog, to effect the capture of Commandant Marais and 40 of his men."

In May Grenfell commanded an expedition to Louis Trichardt, 100 miles north-east of Pietersburg. His force was 600 men of KFS, the 12th MI Regulars, 2 guns, and four companies of the Wiltshire Regiment. The column left Pietersburg, and two days later Colenbrander with the advanced force occupied Louis Trichardt. About the 20th Colenbrander, by a well-planned night march, surprised a laager on the Klip Spruit. Field-Cornet Venter with 72 Burghers, 68 rifles, 18 waggons", and a large amount of ammunition and many cattle, were captured.

On the 25th May Grenfell received the surrender of Commandant Van Rensburg and about 150 men. Shortly after this Colenbrander, in the Buffels district, had some skirmishes, "killing seven and capturing a maxim. A detachment under Major Knott overtook a commando under Barend Viljoen and captured 79 prisoners". Lord Kitchener said, in his despatch of 8th July 1901, that this expedition did much to secure the pacification of the Northern Transvaal.

On 1st July, at Hopewell, Grenfell surprised another laager, killing 1 and capturing 93 prisoners, 100 horses, much stock and ammunition.

During August and September 1901 many other expeditions were undertaken by the corps, but the results of these were meagre compared to the splendid successes previously obtained, and to those obtained in October, November, and December. In the despatch of 8th November Lord Kitchener said:

"In the Northern Transvaal Colonel Colenbrander, KFS, has traversed the Water Berg between Warmbaths and Magalapye on the Rhodesian Railway, a district hitherto unvisited by our troops". Leaving Warmbaths on 6th October, Colenbrander visited many "Boer supply depots, carefully located beforehand, and during the march captured 45 prisoners of war, 67 rifles, nearly 4000 rounds of ammunition, and a very large number of waggons and cattle".

In the despatch of 8th December 1901 Lord Kitchener said that Colenbrander, on his return march to Warmbaths, captured 54 prisoners and much stock. On the 27th 200 of KFS pushed out through the Zand River Poort. The enemy retreated; for two days "the pursuit was not relaxed, and on the 29th Colonel Colenbrander, with half of KFS, pressed on ahead of the remainder of the column upon Badenhorst's traces, and following them closely till the morning of 3rd December, Colonel Colenbrander, after a long and exhausting chase through an almost waterless region, came suddenly upon the enemy and captured 15 prisoners, with all the waggons of the commando".

On the 26th Colenbrander set out for Rustenburg, arriving there on 1st January 1902. "A skilful march through Magato Nek on the night of 4th January enabled him to capture a laager and 29 prisoners after an engagement at dawn, in which 5 of the enemy were killed". In his telegram regarding this affair, Lord Kitchener said: "This surprise was highly creditable to Colonel Colenbrander, who with a very small force effected it within a few miles of a superior force of the enemy".

On this occasion there was one casualty. Lord Kitchener also mentioned in his despatch of 8th January 1902 that Colenbrander on 9th January came upon the native chief Linchwe and 2000 of his people searching for stock stolen by the Boer leader General Kemp. "Colenbrander directed the chief to return to the Pilandsberg, which order he obeyed forthwith, much to the relief of the families scattered throughout the district".

Colenbrander, with the 1st KFS, continued to operate in the Western Transvaal during January, February, and part of March 1902. In the despatch of 8th February 1902 Lord Kitchener remarked that "in the Northern Transvaal operations at any distance from the railway have necessarily been temporarily suspended by the season of horse-sickness.

The departure of Colonel Colenbrander's column for the south for this reason appears to have given General Beyers breathing-time, and sufficient leisure for the initiation of a plan which aimed at an attack on Pietersburg in conjunction with the simultaneous removal of a number of Burghers who had been residing voluntarily and as neutrals in the refugee camp at that place". The removal of some of the latter was effected, but otherwise the attack was repulsed, the Town Guard supporting the troops with great steadiness.

In the despatch of 8th April it is stated that Beyers moved from Malips Poort, southeast of Pietersburg, about 13th March, and invested Fort Edward, a small fortified post near Louis Trichardt. A column of 200 mounted men and 300 of the Northampton Regiment moved out to relieve the place, but was opposed, and on 24th March fell back. Colenbrander's column, 1st KFS, was therefore brought up from Krugersdorp. On the 27th he moved out from Pietersburg. On the 28th "he undertook a long night march from Dwars River, which terminated at daybreak on the 29th in the complete surprise of the enemy, who fled in an easterly direction, with the loss of 3 killed and 4 captured". This is a notable instance of irregulars succeeding brilliantly where regulars failed.

A portion of the 1st KFS were with Colonel Keir's column, which, along with Colonel Cookson's column, was heavily attacked at Boschbult, 31st March 1902. The detachment of KFS had 1 man killed and 8 wounded.

In his final despatch, that of 1st June 1902, para 3, Lord Kitchener said that "in the Northern Transvaal Lieutenant Colonel Colenbrander has carried out some successful operations against General Beyers, who, on 5th April, was in camp on the southern slopes of the hills close to Malips Poort".

Colenbrander, who had returned from the relief of Fort Edward on the 5th, aimed at the surrounding of the enemy. "Two parties of 400 men each were sent out on the 6th under General Celliers, National Scouts, and Captain M'Queen, Steinaecker's Horse, to block the two roads open to the Boers to the south-east and south-west.

A third party under Captain Lyle, 1st KFS, moved on the night of the 6th along the top of the hills to the west of the Poort to block all possible exits in that direction; whilst Colonel Colenbrander himself, with the 2nd Battalion Inniskilling Fusiliers and the remainder of his mounted men, left Pietersburg on the night of the 7th to make a direct attack on the Poort itself. The attack was delivered on the morning of the 8th, and after severe fighting extending over two days, in which, I regret to say, Lieutenant Colonel A J Murray, commanding 2nd Inniskilling Fusiliers, was dangerously wounded, resulted in the flight of the Boers in a south-easterly direction".

Unfortunately Captain M'Queen had failed "to reach the exact position assigned to him, and this enabled General Beyers and the majority of his followers to make good their escape towards Haenertsburg", but the Boers left their laager, waggons, and camp equipment. Nine were killed, 11 wounded, and 108 unwounded prisoners were takenOperations were suspended for a time during a stage of the peace negotiations, but between 5th and 10th May Colenbrander's force was able to account for 1 Boer killed, 21 wounded, and 101 armed prisoners. On 10th May hostilities in the district practically ceased.

Kitchener's Fighting Scouts took the field when the war was far advanced, but during the whole of the second phase of the campaign they did splendid work. Judged by the losses inflicted on the enemy, no corps could point to a finer record, and they are an outstanding example of what can be made in a very short time of Colonial material, provided that officers suitable for irregulars are found. A regular regiment can pull through a campaign although it has in its commissioned ranks a fair proportion of those not unknown types—the inconsiderate soldier and the finicking old maid whose idea of taking responsibility stops short at the enforcement among the rank and file of well-shaved chins and very clean equipment. In an irregular corps there is no place for such people, and their presence is a sure source of trouble and failure. Officers must be had with great tact and common-sense, not unduly magnifying their position, and fearless of all consequences when they act conscientiously on their own initiative.

Having been taken to Pretoria after the declaration of peace, Kitchener's Fighting Scouts had, along with the Imperial Light Horse, Johannesburg Mounted Rifles, and Scottish Horse, the honour of marching past Lord Kitchener, who spoke highly of the work which had been done.

For his not inconsiderable service Laing was awarded both the Queens and Kings Medals with the clasps commensurate with his service.

Alexander Laing appears to have remained in South Africa after the conclusion of the war. Moving to Durban he continued with his occupation of Clerk. A late convert to the marital estate at the age of 54 (he was actually older), he wed 45 year old spinster Frouwine Emma Botjes at the Law Courts in Durban on 23 June 1923. Both lived in Clairwood, a suburb of that city. His brother William was a witness to the nuptials.

Laing passed away on 26 May 1947 at the age of 83 years and 9 months at the Hospital in Acornhoek in the district of Pilgrims Rest in the Eastern Transvaal which is where he was living at the time. Having married late in life there were no children to survive him and his wife had passed away in October 1942.

His will, drawn up in 1933, left bequests to his niece, Nita Plaat of 46 Bronbeeklaan, Arnhem, Holland and to another niece, Ada Mary Lewis of 14 Commercial Road, Spalding, Lincolnshire.

A very interesting history of these two fine South African units, Rory.

Rory
My name is Andrew Laing and I am new to this Forum. Forgive me if I am using it incorrectly. My main interest is in Laing family history and I have had your article on Alexander Laing passed on to me by a cousin.
We read the article with interest but feel there is a basic error, in that it does not relate completely to Alexander Laing, born in Stirling. Alexander did move to South Africa and may have served but he had no links with Berwick on Tweed in any way. He did have a brother named William but he was a school headmaster and as far as we know never left the UK. ‘Our’ Alexander was born in 1866 and would have been aged 33 at the time of enlistment, not 36.
However there was an Alexander Laing born in Berwick in 1864 which could fit better.

Is there any way we can go back to original documents to check for more detail? I would very much appreciate it if we could find out about his time in South Africa. ‘Our’ Alexander, however, had a brother, David Stevenson Laing who definitely served in the war with the Argyll’s and I have his medals. I can provide more details about David if it would be of interest.

Thank you for your research and time involved. A

Prompted by Andrew (above) I revisited my research on Alex Laing and came up with new information which steered me in a different direction.

I have amended my post to reflect this and would publicly like to acknowledge his contribution. Were it not for the Forum this may never have come to light.

Regards

Rory