During the second phase—that is, after Lord Roberts had given over the command to Lord Kitchener, and while the enemy were reinvading Cape Colony and were making serious efforts to get at the lines of communication passing through the Colony—an immense number of small forces were formed, some to protect a district from invasion, others to guard towns and villages. Although these troops were most inadequately trained and had few officers of any experience, the most of them behaved well when the enemy appeared, and many did really excellent service. Within the limits of this volume it would be impossible, as it would be fruitless, to recount the numberless skirmishes in which one or other of those locally raised bodies took part; suffice it to say that they had at times to bear sharp casualties, as for example in March 1901, near Tarkastad, where the Colonial Defence Force had Captain John Rennie and 1 man killed and Lieutenants A Troppell and A W Pringle and 8 men wounded. The New England Mounted Rifles suffered on many occasions during 1901 in their endeavour to keep their district clear; and on 23rd September, near Laurieston, 1 man was killed and Lieutenant J Geddes and 4 men were wounded. On 21st November 1901 a body coming under the generic title, South African Irregular Forces, when clearing the enemy from the native districts about Tembuland, lost Captain Drummond Elliot killed, Captain H P Everett and Lieutenants A Baxter and A Burmister wounded. The Sutherland district troops were often engaged, and suffered casualties on many occasions. On 29th May 1902, almost the last day of the war, the Jansenville District Mounted Troops were fortunate enough to capture Malan, one of the enterprising commando leaders who for a long time caused no little concern to Cape Colony.
Some of the Mentions gained by the Defence Forces were as follows:—
LORD ROBERTS' DESPATCHES: 2nd April 1901.—Tembuland Mounted Rifle Corps, Captain Q F Smith; Transkei Territories, Sir H E Elliot, awarded CB; Lieutenant Colonels J G Leary, W E Stamford, awarded CB; Captains O M Blake way, E J Hargreaves, W W Smith; East Griqualand Mounted Rifle Volunteers, Lieutenant Colonel F W Armstrong; Captains E E Dower, A S Leary, J S King; Transkei Mounted Rifles, Major S J Henley, Surgeon Captain C P B Wall.
4th September 1901.—Knysna Rangers, Major W Scott.
LORD KITCHENER'S DESPATCH: 8th July 1901.—Koffyfontein (Orange River Colony) Defence Force, Corporal H J Jellard, promoted Sergeant on October 11th, 1900, for exposing himself to heavy fire at sixty yards' range when getting on to a debris heap to connect a wire from a battery to a mine, and also for holding an advanced position with one native.
8th December 1901.—Adelaide District Mounted Troops, Captain Welsh, for coolness and good leading, operations in Cape Colony, September. Bedford District Mounted Troops, Captain E J, T Pringle for same. Colonial Defence Force, Captain H S S Harden for his defence of Sutherland, September 7th. Sutherland District Mounted Troops, Corporal Sales, promoted Sergeant, and Lance Corporal Jouste, promoted Corporal, on September 7th, on patrol, on meeting enemy advancing to attack village, by their coolness alarmed the garrison, and got all their men to safety. Tarkastad Mounted Troops, Major H T Nickalls, 17th Lancers, attached, good service near Vaal Vlei, October 8th.
th March 1902.—Piquetberg District Mounted Troops, Corporal F James, promoted Sergeant, in defence of Piquetberg, November 7th, volunteered to carry ammunition to blockhouses at great personal risk from both sides. South African Mounted Irregular Forces, Captain Ross for good services in operations north of Middelburg, Transvaal, in February.
23rd June 1902.—South African Mounted Irregular Forces, Major C A Tremeer, Captains C Parker, P T Blakemore; Cape Colony Defence Force, Major Nourse, Captain Nettleton; Warrington Town Guard, M Van der Hooven; Willowmore Town Guard, Lieutenant H Rees; Barkly West Town Guard, Sergeant E Mansfield; Prince Albert's District Mounted Troops, L B Liddell; Fraserburg District Mounted Troops, Sergeant W Evans. Lieutenant Colonel Southey, described as Cape Local Forces, got the CB Lieutenant M C Foxcroft, described as of the South African Mounted Irregular Forces, got the DSO; and Sergeants C Muller and J Steevens, and Corporals C Davies and G Davidson, similarly described, were awarded the DCM.
