The following account of the 3rd Battalion is taken from the KRRC Chronicle.
8th December.—Arrived Frere.
13th December.—Arrived Chieveley.
15th December.—Sir R. Buller's first attack on Colenso. The Battalion, under Major Bewicke-Copley, was ordered to support the main attack, and find the outposts for the night. When the retirement was ordered, the Battalion was deployed 700 yards behind Colonel Long's guns to prevent any attempt of the Boers to capture them, but the position was considered too far forward for the outpost line; the Battalion therefore found the outposts further back.
6th January, 1900.—Heard the firing going on at Ladysmith.
10th January.—Marched from Frere. 12th January.—Reached Mount Alice. 17th January.—Crossed Potgieters Drift and took up a position on the kopjes between the 1st R. B. and 2nd Scottish Rifles.
20th January.—After an officers' reconnaissance to examine the Boer position on Brakfontein, the Battalion was ordered to make a demonstration towards the Boer position at 10.30 a.m.—half Battalion under Lieut-Col. Buchanan-Riddell to Krantz Farm, and half Battalion under Major Bewicke-Copley against the main Boer trench across the Ladysmith road. The Boers showed in force, and we were ordered to retire, the reconnaissance having effected its purpose. We had 3 killed and 13 wounded. The Boers owned to 21 casualties.
22nd January - Recrossed the Tugela at Midnight to Mount Alice.
24th January - Sir Charles Warren's troops at Thabayama being hard pressed, the Battalion was ordered at 10 a.m. to make a diversion on their flank. The Boers were occupying two peaks on the north of Thabayama and the right half Battalion was directed on the right of these under Lieut-Colonel Buchanan-Riddell, and the left half under Major Bewicke-Copley, was directed on the centre peak known as Spion Kop, behind which the Boers had a pom-pom. The river Tugela was forded at midday, and the open space between it and the hills crossed under a heavy fire from the front and both flanks. The climb then began; the leading companies shinned their way up the face of the rocks, covered by the fire of the supporting companies, who kept shooting over their heads during each successive advance, till finally both peaks were captured at the point of the sword soon after 4 p.m. From the top it appeared as if the enemy were in flight, the commando under Schalk Burger and the scouts under Commandant Edwards, who were defending the peaks, having left in a hurry, together with two guns and one pom-pom. The pressure was taken off the right of Sir C. Warren's troops, but they sent over to say that they were retiring; and as we had already received two orders from General Lyttelton to retire, we recrossed the Tugela at midnight. Our casualties were Lieut.-Colonel Buchanan-Riddell, Lieut. Grant, and 2nd Lieut. French Brewster killed; Majors Kays and Thistlethwayte, Captains Briscoe and Beaumont wounded; 24 N.C. Officers and Riflemen killed, 69 wounded. Commandant Edwards was wounded just below the middle peak.
25th January.—General Lyttelton addressed the Battalion, and said that in all his thirty years' experience as a Rifleman he had never seen a better piece of skirmishing or a finer attack.
28th January.—Sir R. Buller addressed the Battalion on parade, and told the men he had never seen or read of a nobler deed than theirs on the 24th, in their attempt to relieve the pressure on their hardly oppressed comrades.
5th February - The Light Brigade crossed the new pontoon bridge over the Tugela and took Vaal Kraantz; the Battalion then held the left flank with four companies under Major Kays, four Companies being in support under Major Bewicke-Copley. The Durham Light Infantry was on our right, then the Scottish Rifles. The R.B. held the right flank.
6th February.—At 3 p.m. the Boers made a feint on the right and a determined attack on the left of the positions. The supports came up cheering with fixed swords, and the Boers could not face it, and retired at 4.30 p.m. Casualties: 1 Officer and 20 N.C. Officers and Riflemen wounded.
11th February.—Camped on the Blaaukrantz stream, about one and a half miles east of Chieveley.
14th February.—3rd Battalion K.R.R., advance guard of Light Brigade, started at daylight and occupied the ridge on the east of Hussar Hill with only 4 casualties, including Lieut. Petre wounded.
15th February.—Reconnaissance towards Cingold. 3rd Battalion K.R.R. advance guard.
17th February.—General Hildyard's Brigade took Cingold, making a flanking movement round the right of the Light Brigade, of which we were advance guard.
18th February.—General Hildyard's Brigade took Monte Christo, and we took the Boer camp between it and Hlangwani, the R.B. leading, the K.R.R. in support.
19th, 20th, and 21st February.—Gradually working our way forward to the Tugela through the scrub.
22nd February.—Crossed the Tugela by the pontoon bridge under Hlangwani, and covered the left flank of General Wynne's Brigade in their advance north. The whole battalion was on outpost duty on a front of two miles. Our picquets were attacked at several points. On the right, A, E, F, and H Companies with fixed swords drove the Ermelo commando out of two sangars, respectively, 100 and 150 yards in front of our line of outposts, and firing continued all night at about 70 yards range. Captain the Hon. R Cathcart was killed and Lieuts Blundell and Maclachlan wounded.
23rd February. A determined attack by the Bethel, Swaziland, Zoutpansburg Commandos, under Christian Botha, but were beaten off. Our doctor, Captain Campbell, went out to try to get to the men who had been wounded, when we charged the Ermelo men in order to take up our outpost line on the night of the 22nd, but he was wounded immediately.
24th February.—The firing all day was too hot for any men to show themselves, and we had to send out food and water to the picquets under cover of darkness each night.
25th February.—During a cessation of hostilities for burying the dead, I noticed the Boer leaders on our left flank giving directions for some movement. We accordingly took the ranges, and when they attacked during the night the maxim did good execution.
26th February.—Very heavy firing on our picquets all day and night.
27th February.—Majuba Day. The Colenso position was forced under cover of the fire of all our guns, by a movement outflanking the Piet Retief Commando, which was on the Boer left, and we all swept forward occupying the trenches so long held by the Boers. F. Potgieter, who had commanded the Middelburghers with such gallantry, repeatedly bringing them back to the trench on Railway Hill under a terrific artillery fire, was found amongst the killed. He was a splendid fellow, about 6ft. 5in. in height.
Total casualties, 24th to 28th February :—17 killed and 54 wounded.
1st March.—3rd Battalion K. R. R advanced guard in the march to Nelthorpe.
3rd March.—Marched through Ladysmith and camped under Surprise Hill.
4th March.—Found some interesting correspondence in Joubert's Laager under Bell's Kopje.
7th March - Marched to Modder Spruit in support of the cavalry, who were under fire all day.
9th March - Marched to Sunday River and camped under Elandslaagte battle field.
10th April - Boers opened fire with five guns from the hills north of our camp, and three from the west. Most of the shells buried themselves in the ground. The camp was moved back to Krigman's Farm during the night. 11th April.—Boers still shelling our outposts. 17th April.—Moved to the west to protect Dundonald's camp.
7th May.—Marched to Vlak Platz.
9th May.—Started to turn the Biggarsburg, via Helpmakaar.
12th May,—Reached the Ibusi Spruit, the Boers harassing our left flank en route.
13th May.—Boers fired a few rounds from two big guns from the heights above Van Tonder's farm.
14th May.—Commandant Ferreira was out-manoeuvred and the passage of the Biggarsburg forced by the Helpmakaar Pass.
16th May.—The force under Major Bewicke-Copley, consisting of 3rd Battalion K. R. R., two squadrons of cavalry under Major Fanshawe, and one battery of artillery under Major Fox, reached Dundee at daybreak, after a hard march all night. Sir Redvers congratulated the men on their good march.
18th May.—Reached Newcastle.
19th May.—Camped at Ingogo, on the ground we occupied in the Ingogo fight in 1881.
28th May.—Marched to Inkwelo. The Boer 94-pounder was firing on us with shrapnel at a range of 11,000 yards; very few men were hit.
29th May to 2nd June.—Artillery duel until the armistice on June 2nd, when the 3rd Battalion K. R. R. put into order the cemetery we had made in 1881 (in which Colley's grave is), at Mount Prospect.
5th June - Armistice ended. The Boers refusing Sir R. Buller's terms.
6th June. Bombardment of Majuba. Laing's Nek reopened.
12th June.—Crossed Laing's Nek.
19th June.—Marched through Volksrust to Joubert's Farm.
20th June.—Marched to Zandspruit. 21st June.—Marched to Paardekop. 22nd June.—Marched to Katbosch. 23rd June.—Marched to Standerton. The 3rd Battalion K.R.R. took over the town from Gough's M.I. were first in.
30th June.—Marched to Vlakplatz. 1st July.—Marched to Wachout Spruit. 2nd July.—Marched to Greylingstad. 5th July.—A force under Lieutenant-Colonel Bewicke-Copley, consisting of half Battalion K.R.R., 50 Strathcona's Horse, and 50 of Thorneycroft's M.I. took over Zuikerbosch Bridge.
11th July.—Returned to Greylingstad.
12th July.—Circular tour, under General Clery, on the north of the Natal Railway, moving every day until the 24th July.
28th July.—Marched to Heidelberg.
29th July to 11th October.—Fortifying Heidelberg and making posts on the railway from Zuikerbosch to Roodekop,
to protect the line and the Nigel Mines.
12th October.—Marched to join General Clery at Vlakfontein.
13th October.—Marched to Eden's Kop.
19th October.—Marched to Mc Hatties Nek.
20th October.—Marched to Greylingstad.
26th October.—Marched to Grootspruit.
27th October.—Marched to Smith's Store.
2nd November - Lieut, Colonel Bewicke-Copley took over command of the mobile column from General Clery, which included the 3rd Battalion K.R.R.
6th to 10th November.—Swept the country north of the railway, bringing in everything. Boers tried to work round our flank, but came under fire of the five-inch gun and could not be induced to face the guns again. Reached Standerton.
12th November.—Started south for the Vaal, and swept everything in between the Klip and Vaal Rivers, and twelve miles into the Orange River Colony over De Langers Drift, with only five casualties.
19th November.—Marched back into Standerton. 21st November.—Swept country as far as the Rooikopjes, south of Greylingstad, sending in everything. On the 24th and 25th the mobile column had two sharp fights, endeavouring to surround Stephanus Buys. The Boers owned to seven killed and twenty-seven wounded. 26th November.—Marched to Eden's Kop. 28th November.—Returned to Heidelberg. Up to the end of the year the 3rd Battalion K.R.R. was engaged in minor operations from Heidelberg and guarding the line.
1901.—The Battalion was employed in building and occupying blockhouses on the Natal line from Botha's Kraal to Roode Kop, and in minor operations until July, when it joined Lieut.-Colonel Bewicke-Copley's column at Springs, which was acting in conjunction with other columns in clearing the country east of Springs. Lieut.-Colonel Bewicke-Copley handed over command of the column on 30th October, and the Battalion returned to Springs on 4th November. The Battalion was under command of Major Henniker till 24th September, when it was taken over by Major Thistlethwayte.
