TOPIC:

Henry James Norton

Trooper, South African Light Horse
Trooper, Prince of Wales Light Horse
Sergeant, Border Scouts – Anglo Boer War

- Queens South Africa Medal (CC/OFS/Tugela Heights/Relief of Ladysmith/Laing's Nek/ Belfast) to 26907 TPR: H. NORTON. P. OF W. LT. Horse
- Kings South Africa Medal (South Africa 1901 & 1902) to 856 SERJT: H. NORTON. BORDER SCOUTS

Like many Colonial volunteers, Henry Norton “got around”, serving with no fewer than three units over the course of his Anglo Boer War service.

Born Henry James Bromley Norton (The “James Bromley” part of his moniker was deemed surplus to requirements and seldom if ever used) in Cape Town, South Africa on 19 August 1882 he was the son of Frank Granville Norton, a Sanitary Inspector by occupation, and his wife Wilhelmina Christina, born Mulder. As was very often the case, especially in the western reaches of the Cape Colony, the marriage was a mixture of cultures with the pater familias having English antecedents and his wife coming from a Dutch background.

At the time of his baptism in St. Mark’s, Cape Town on 1 October 1882, the family were living at 2 Ceres Cottages, Ashley Street. As he grew up the young Norton would have been playing with his friends and ten siblings in the dusty streets, unaware that as the end of the 19th century loomed, he and countless others would be embroiled in a war which would christen his passage into adulthood.

Tensions between the two Boer Republics of the Transvaal and the Orange Free State and Great Britain had been simmering for many years. Exacerbated by the abortive Jameson Raid of 1896, these tensions erupted into full-scale war on 11 October 1899 with the Boer Commandos losing no time before crossing their borders into the neighbouring British Colonies of Natal and the Cape. The number of Imperial military personnel in South Africa was woefully inadequate to stem the tide of the Boer invasion. The authorities had underestimated both the military capability of the Boer forces as well as their resolve to defend and protect their land from what was viewed as a threat to their sovereignty.

Within days the towns of Kimberley and Mafeking in the Cape and Ladysmith in Natal had been invested and the call went out for the raising of irregular Colonial regiments to assist the British cause. One such regiment was the South African Light Horse and it was to this famous regiment that a 17 year old Norton gravitated, enlisting with them soon in December 1899, soon after their creation

Assigned no. 140 and the rank of Trooper he took to the field in time to see action in the run-up to the relief of Ladysmith on 1 March 1900. The S.A.L.H. was raised in the Cape Colony in November 1899 and the command given to Major J H G Byng. Eight complete squadrons were raised by an early date in December. A portion was employed for a short time on the De Aar line, but three squadrons of the regiment were, on formation, taken round to Natal and, with other mounted troops, were employed under Lord Dundonald on the right flank at Colenso on 15th December 1899. (Norton was part of this contingent)


Circled on the map are the areas in Natal, the Transvaal and the Orange Free State where Norton saw action before going to the Cape Colony

General Buller issued orders, on 14th December 1899 as follows: - "The Officer Commanding mounted brigade will move at 4 am with a force of 1000 men and one battery of No 1 Brigade Division in the direction of Hlangwane Hill; he will cover the right flank of the general movement, and will endeavour to take up a position on Hlangwane Hill, whence he will enfilade the kopje north of the iron bridge.

Lord Dundonald and the mounted irregulars, Norton and the S.A.L.H. among them, did attack Hlangwane (the battle of Colenso) and made good progress towards its capture and, if the General had been able to send adequate infantry support the capture would have been almost certainly assured and the bloodshed of Spion Kop averted, but the entanglement of the guns rendered such support impossible. In his despatch, General Buller said: "I cannot speak too highly of the manner in which the mounted Volunteers behaved". The S.A.L.H. lost 4 men killed and 19 men wounded at Colenso, while 2 officers and 11 men were returned as missing.

When the move to turn the Boer right on the Tugela was commenced almost a month later, four squadrons of the regiment accompanied Lord Dundonald, marching on the 11th January via Springfield and Potgieter's, but a portion remained at Chieveley with General Barton to watch the Boer position at Colenso. In order to keep the enemy engaged there, frequent reconnaissances and demonstrations were made in which the detachment several times had sharp casualties. On the 11th Lord Dundonald seized the bridge at Springfield over the Little Tugela, and pushing on hard, before dusk, secured heights on the right bank of the main river which commanded Potgieter's Drift.

For five days the mounted troops did reconnoitring and outpost work. On the 16th they were ordered to march that night to Trichardt's Drift. On the following day they and Warren's troops crossed the river, and on the 18th Lord Dundonald was sent off to the left flank. The Composite Regiment - 1 squadron Imperial Light Horse, 1 company of Mounted Infantry, regulars, and 1 squadron Natal Carbineers, managed to cut off about 40 Boers near Acton Homes, and before dusk these surrendered after the S.A.L.H. had come up in support.

On the 20th Lord Dundonald ordered Colonel Byng to seize Bastion Hill. Two squadrons of the regiment were dismounted and ascended the steep ascent, the two others supporting. The Boers fled from the crest, and it was taken with little loss, but the hill, like Spion Kop, was exposed to the enemy's fire, and Major Childe was killed by a shell fragment after the crest had been occupied, and 4 men were wounded. At nightfall 2 companies of the Queen's relieved the regiment. During the following days, until the evacuation of Spion Kop, the regiment held posts on the British line. Between the 19th and 27th the regiment had about 60 casualties.

During the Vaal Krantz combat, Buller’s third attempt to break through to Ladysmith, 5th to 8th February, the mounted troops were mainly on the flanks; but in the earlier part of the fighting which took place between 13th and 27th February, the mounted irregulars, including the S.A.L.H., which had been strengthened by further squadrons from the Cape Colony, the whole brigade being under Lord Dundonald, took a most important share of the work. The regular cavalry had now been put into a separate brigade under Colonel Burn-Murdoch, and were left in the Springfield neighbourhood to secure General Buller's left rear.

Between 9th and 11th February the army marched back to Chieveley, Lord Dundonald covering the left flank. On the 12th, with the South African Light Horse, the Composite Regiment, Thorneycroft's Mounted Infantry, and the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, he thoroughly reconnoitred and examined Hussar Hill with the view to its being used as a stepping-stone in an attack on the Boer left. The force was ordered to retire in the afternoon, and had a few casualties in the retirement.

On the 14th February 1900 Buller decided to occupy Hussar Hill, and the regiment, being the advanced screen, successfully seized the Hill with but slight loss. On the 15th and 16th the fighting was chiefly confined to the artillery. On the 17th the attack on Mount Cingolo was developed. Dundonald's Brigade struck away to the east, through very broken and wooded country, and ascending an almost precipitous face seized the summit, the 2nd Infantry Brigade assisting on their inner flank.

On the 18th the 2nd Infantry Brigade attacked the summit of Monte Cristo, making a fine advance along the Nek between that mountain and Cingolo. Dundonald's men were again out on the right, and worried the enemy by a flanking fire at long ranges. On the same day the Fusilier Brigade carried another hill. On the 19th heavy guns were got into position on Monte Cristo, and on the 20th it was found that the enemy had left all their positions on the south side of the Tugela.

From the 21st to the 27th, when the very strongly fortified positions on Pieter's Hill, Railway Hill, and Terrace Hill were, carried, the fighting was mainly done by the infantry and guns. On the 28th Lord Dundonald's Brigade had the honour of being chosen for the direct advance on Ladysmith, and in the evening he galloped into the town with a squadron of the Imperial Light Horse, and one of the Natal Carbineers, and some representatives of his other irregulars.

With Ladysmith relieved, the Natal Field Force, which included the S.A.L.H., had a comparatively easy time until Buller started on his next great movement with the object of clearing Natal. On the 2nd of May General Buller received Lord Roberts' instructions to occupy the enemy's attention on the Biggarsberg. On the 7th he set out first towards Elandslaagte to deceive the enemy as to his real direction. General Buller then swept away to the south-east. Lord Dundonald's Brigade, now called the 3rd Mounted Brigade, was chosen to accompany the turning force. On the 13th General Buller arrived at the Helpmekaar road at a point near Uithoek on the left flank of the enemy's position.

Here he joined hands with Colonel Bethune, who had been occupying Greytown. The mounted men seized the hill commanding the Pass, and the enemy retired. From this point to Newcastle it was an almost ceaseless pursuit in which the mounted irregulars did splendid work. The Boers lit grass fires, but Dundonald's men dashed through the smoke, and at times over the burning vegetation, and unweariedly drove the enemy before them. On the 15th the whole force was at Dundee, on the 18th at Newcastle, and the enemy had been driven from his carefully entrenched position on the Biggarsberg at a cost of 7 wounded.

After the occupation of Newcastle General Buller sent a portion of his troops to the Utrecht district, where there was some skirmishing towards the end of May, in which the S.A.L.H. suffered several men wounded. The railway having been repaired and supplies got up, General Buller prepared to turn Laing's Nek, and on the 6th June the S.A.L.H. and other troops seized and occupied Van Wyk Mountain. The regiment lost 6 killed and 4 wounded in the process.

On the 7th an advance was made on Yellowboom. On the 8th the regiment occupied another hill, Spitz Kop, near Botha's Pass. On the same day the Pass was carried. "The S.A.L.H. got up the Berg to the left of Botha's Pass and pursued for some miles, though they were not able to come up with, a party of the enemy who retired to the westward".

On the 10th the advance continued. The regiment was in front and cleared the enemy off a mountain without difficulty. They found the enemy moving in strength from east to north, and the regiment pushed forward two miles to some kopjes. Three squadrons were closely engaged with the enemy until dusk. the casualties were 6 killed and 7 wounded, all of the S.A.L.H. Twenty-two of the enemy were found killed. On the 11th the enemy made a stand in a very strong position at Alleman's Nek, but after severe fighting was driven out by the 2nd and 10th Infantry Brigades, Lord Dundonald's men ably assisting against the enemy's left flank.

During the remainder of June and the month of July the Natal Army was employed in occupying and fortifying posts on the Pretoria-Natal railway and the south-east portion of the Transvaal. In his telegram of 13th July, Lord Roberts mentions that on the night of the 11th the S.A.L.H. by good scouting had prevented the Boers from destroying the railway near Vlaklaagte, and that Lord Dundonald had captured a Boer camp. On 7th August General Buller commenced his advance from the railway to meet Lord Roberts' army near Belfast. On several occasions there was sharp fighting, in which the S.A.L.H. had a most prominent share.

On the 27th General Buller attacked the immensely strong position held by the Boers stretching across the Delagoa Railway. Bergendal was the point selected for the chief attack, and the 2nd Rifle Brigade deservedly earned the highest praise for their advance and final assault under a very heavy fire. The enemy was thoroughly defeated. On the 29th the S.A.L.H. drove the enemy out of Waterval Boven and captured five waggons. Buller's force now moved north of the railway and after some fighting occupied Lydenburg. Frequently the S.A.L.H. did particularly good service, as near Lydenburg on the 8th and 9th September, and they were often mentioned, as in Lord Roberts' telegram of 3rd October, when he said: "On the 28th Colonel Byng, by a well-managed night-march up the Groodenonein Berg, seized the top of Pilgrim's Hill with the S.A.L.H., forcing the enemy to retire hurriedly". The corps had 3 killed and 6 wounded.

As can be seen from the above, the S.A.L.H. were in forefront on many of the actions taken to rid Natal of the Boer presence and Norton was with them throughout.

Having taken his discharge, he worked his way back to Cape Town where, at Maitland on 12 January 1901, he attested for service with the Prince of Wales Light Horse. Assigned no. 26907 and the rank of Trooper, he took to the field. The P.O.W.L.H. was another of those units born out of necessity. In the despatch of 8th March 1901 Lord Kitchener dealt with the entry of De Wet into Cape Colony in the beginning of February, the pursuit by British columns, and his subsequent expulsion. Lord Kitchener mentioned that the 1st King's Dragoon Guards, newly arrived from England, the Prince of Wales's Light Horse, then recently raised at Cape Town, and 'G' Battery RHA, had been put under Colonel Bethune, and had assembled at Naauwpoort. The Prince of Wales's Light Horse was engaged near Colesberg about 12th February.

When De Wet moved west from the Colesberg district, Bethune's force also crossed the De Aar line, and the pursuit was continued through Britstown, and afterwards in a northerly direction to the Hopetown district. In this pursuit all De Wet's waggons, his guns, and most of his ammunition were taken. The hard riding involved a terrible strain on the pursuing columns, horses falling daily by the score. The newly raised and newly arrived troops naturally felt the strain very severely, but all stuck to their work well.

The despatch of 8th May mentioned that Colonel Bethune's brigade "left Orange River on 1st March, and two days later attacked and dispersed a body of about 1000 Boers at Open Baar. The brigade moved north-east, and reached the Modder River, near Abraham's Kraal, on the 8th. On this date the Boers attacked an empty convoy returning from Colonel Bethune's column to Bloemfontein. The escort held its own, and being reinforced by a detachment of the Prince of Wales's Light Horse, drove off the enemy".

Colonel Bethune's Brigade now moved to the northeast of the Orange River Colony, where, under the general direction of Major General Elliot, they and numerous other columns took part in many operations. During March and April the corps suffered casualties on several occasions. The despatch of 8th July shows the Prince of Wales's Light Horse to have been 500 strong at this time. The corps was afterwards taken to Cape Colony, where they had a good deal of skirmishing.

On 29 July 1901 Norton took his discharge, time expired, from the P.O.W.L.H. His Record of Service, completed on that day, informs us that his Character was Good and that he had 199 days service. His discharge address was Durban Road, Wynberg, Cape Town. He confirmed that he had handed in his equipment at Rosmead, on re-entering the Cape Colony from the Orange Free State.

Despite having been exposed to some hard fighting Norton wasn’t done yet with the war which raged on with the Boers being incessantly harassed in the relentless drives undertaken by the various British columns – drives designed to herd them into a corner forcing their capitulation.

Although hard to credit, Norton was still a teenager – only 19 years old - when he attested for service for the last time – on this occasion with the fabled Border Scouts. Assigned no. 39358 (later 856) and the rank of Sergeant he completed the forms at Greenpoint, Cape Town on 11 December 1901. The attestation forms provide us with a glimpse of his physical make-up. 5 Feet 10 inches in height he weighed 140 lbs and had a dark complexion, brown eyes and dark hair. By way of distinctive marks about his person he sported a tattoo of a bird on his left forearm. He was a Carpenter by trade.


Circled is the area of operation for the Border Scouts

The Border Scouts were raised at Upington in May 1900 as a local defence force. The men were all half-castes, chiefly descendants of Boer farmers and native women; many of them were well-to-do farmers having large herds, others were hunters in the Kalahari Desert. All could ride and shoot. Their knowledge of the country and excellent eyesight made them invaluable as scouts. In November 1900 the regiment was increased to 300; in January 1901 to 500; and shortly afterwards to 8 squadrons —total, all ranks, 786. The north-western district of Cape Colony, which the regiment patrolled, extended from Oomdries Vlei on the south to Rietfontein on the north, a distance of 400 miles; and from Prieska on the east to Ookiep on the west, about 350 miles. Kenhardt and Upington, two towns about the centre of this vast area, were garrisoned and entrenched. These towns are seventy-two miles apart over heavy sandy roads.

In November 1901 the Border Scouts were ordered to return to the north-western district, as several commandos had moved north. On this trek they had a running fight with Van Reenan's commando, but owing to the horses being in a miserable condition only two prisoners were captured. They arrived in Upington in December, after having been as far south as Piquetberg Road Station. On one occasion they had been snowed up for three days in the hills near Sutherland. It was at this juncture that Norton joined them.

The regiment received no pay during the time it was on column, and Major Birkbeck (4th Scottish Rifles), the commander, found on his return to Upington that all communication between that place and De Aar had been cut for several months. The wire was down for miles, and post-carts had been captured by the enemy, while there was hardly enough food for the garrison for one month, apart from the civilian population; lastly, there were not twenty pounds of money in the town. Meat rations became the order of the day, and remained so until the corn ripened at Keimeos, on the banks of the Orange, thirty miles from Upington. At this time there were about 600 rebels under arms in the district, while several commandos were being pushed into it by the columns in the south. On one occasion at this time 60 Border Scouts, under Captain Bracy Ramsbotham, DSO, did a good piece of work. They had gone out to get sheep, and, hearing of the enemy, they succeeded in ambushing a party of 80 Boers under Conroy. The enemy fled, almost after the first volley, being completely surprised. They left 15 dead and 8 severely wounded.


The Border Scouts "currency"

The regiment not having drawn any pay for many months, and the authorities stating it was impossible to get money safely through, Major Birkbeck decided to make his own money. A block stamp was cut out of wood to represent a jackal, as that animal's skin was worn on the men's hats. Underneath was written, "Issued by Paymaster Border Scouts, pay to Bearer"; then signature, John Birkbeck, Major, OCBS. The notes were issued for £5, £2, 10s, and 2s on cloth, and as few of the men could read, ink of a different colour was used for each value. Cloth, like everything else, began to run out, so that in the end blinds, bed-sheets, and table-cloths were commandeered and torn up to make into money. £45,000 worth was issued and in circulation. It was the current coin of the district, the Post Office and Savings' Bank accepting it. The Civil Commissioner used it, while the traders took it or gave it as change. The notes were not redeemed until after peace was declared.

In January 1902 General Smuts came into the district to organise the Boer forces: he had the commandos of Maritz, Lategan, Conroy, and Louw. The Border Scouts were now divided as follows: 350 at De Aar for convoy duty, 50 at Prieska, 150 at Kenhardt, and a like number at Upington. The only other troops at these last two towns were Native Town Guards, each 100 strong, armed with very old rifles, mostly useless. Conroy seized this opportunity to reap the harvest at Keimeos, for the ripening of which Upington had been waiting. News came that he was cutting the wheat and building trenches on the kopjes. He had with him about 100 men. The same evening Major Birkbeck marched for Keimeos with 100 of the Scouts mounted on half-starved horses. He arrived at Keimeos while it was still dark; dividing his force, he crept up the kopjes occupied by the enemy. At the first sign of dawn Captain Tabuteau shot a Boer who stood up within a yard of where he himself was hiding, and in a few seconds it was found that Boers and Border Scouts were lying mixed up amongst the rocks. No one could move an inch. Unable to move, both parties lay still all day, and when it was dusk orders were shouted to the Scouts to fix bayonets and be ready to charge: a previous signal had been arranged and a place to reassemble fixed. The latter signal having been given after dark, and the Scouts having reassembled, some men were sent into the village of Keimeos: they found that the Boers had fled. Captain Tabuteau remained out with 50 men, the others returning to Upington; 3 Boers were buried on the following morning. The Border Scouts lost 2 mortally wounded, and 20 others slightly wounded. The regiment now brought in and stored at Upington 1500 sacks of grain—a task which could not have been accomplished but for the marvellous scouting which prevented all interference with the working-parties or enabled them to beat off the attacks.

Much has been heard lately of the qualities needed in scouts. A British officer who served with this regiment says that the men could always tell whether distant dust was made by ostriches, springbok, locusts, or mounted men, and never made a mistake in their judgment. If a party of horsemen had passed over the road they could roughly estimate the number, and could tell how many horses were ridden and how many led. They travelled by night as easily as by day, always going straight across country and never on the track. Not a waggon of any sort accompanied the regiment, the blanket being under the saddle and an overcoat strapped in front. They carried no cooking-pots nor food, as when on trek they only used meat. Spare ammunition was carried on horses.

Norton spent almost nine very active months with the Border Scouts. Although hostilities ceased on 31 May 1902, he only took his discharge from the unit on 21 August of that year – on the disbandment of the Corps. His Record of Service reflects that he spent 270 days in service and that his Character was Good (the “Very” in Very Good having been crossed through).

For his not inconsiderable efforts Norton was awarded the Queens Medal with the appropriate six clasps for the actions he saw, together with the Kings Medal for having in excess of eighteen months service in the war.

Returning to civilian pursuits we next encounter him on 3 May 1920 when, at the age of 37 and using his full “name entitlement” of Henry James Bromley Norton, he wed 22 year old Catherine Farrell at the Roman Catholic Church of St. Agnes in Woodstock, Cape Town. He was a Barman at the time of his nuptials.

He passed away on 10 August 1934 at the age of 51 at 6 Portland Road, Salt River, a suburb of Cape Town – his occupation having been Barman at what was termed the “original” Crown Hotel in the city - Acute Glomerular Hepatitis being the cause of death. His mortal remains lie in the Maitland Cemetery.

Acknowledgements
- Stirling's Colonials in South Africa 1899-1902
- Ancestry for medal rolls
- Angloboerwar.com for nominal rolls and some maps
- Familysearch (South Africa) for marriage and death details

Coffee enjoyed. Article very much enjoyed.