About This Unit
2nd Battalion, Australian Commonwealth Horse
(extract of Wikipedia article)
The Australian Commonwealth Horse (ACH) was a mounted infantry formtion of the Australian Army formed for service during the Second Boer War in South Africa, in 1902. As such it was the first expeditionary military formation established by the newly formed Commonwealth of Australia following Federation in 1901.
Over 4,400 men enlisted in the ACH in three contingents, with troops and squadrons raised in each state and combined to form battalions. Eight battalions were raised, with the first arriving in Durban in March 1902.
The 1st and 2nd battalions saw limited active service, conducting patrols against the Boers during the last great operations that ultimately ended the war. The war ended before the remaining battalions arrived to see action, and by the time peace came on 31 May 1902, the majority of the third contingent, consisting of the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th Battalions, still remained at sea bound for South Africa.
The ACH suffered no fatal casualties in action, although 28 men died from illness.
The 1st and Second Battalions were formed into an Australian Brigade, with an Australian Army Medical Corps element.
1st Battalion 560 all ranks from NSW, QLD, TAS CO Lt Col. J. S. Lyster
2nd Battalion 613 all ranks from VIC, SA, WA Lt Col. Duncan McLeish
Australian Army Medical Corps 183 all ranks from NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, WA Maj. T. A. Green and Maj. Neville Howse
Active service in South Africa, March – April 1902
The 1st and 2nd Battalions, Australian Commonwealth Horse arrived in Durban in March 1902 and together with the AAMC were formed into an Australian Brigade. From Durban the Brigade was sent north by train via Ladysmith, Elandslaagte and Dundee to Newcastle. By 22 March over 1,000 Australians moved into camp with another 1,000 New Zealanders in the vicinity of Mount Majuba. The brigade subsequently took part in the great Eastern Drive which aimed to encircle de Wet and Louis Botha in northern Natal, however severe weather allowed the Boers to escape. At any rate the ACH Brigade played only a secondary role in the drive, consigned mainly to holding the Drakensberg ranges. During late March and early April they were deployed to outposts to block the mountain passes, while a large column drove the Boers towards a line of blockhouses. Apart from minor skirmishes with unseen Boer snipers the Australians saw little action.
The Australians were subsequently sent to western Transvaal, joining Colonel Thornycroft's Field Force at Klerksdorp. The column—which was predominantly Australian and included the Third New South Wales Bushmen, Haslee's Scouts (an irregular unit composed of Australians), the AAMC, the Eighth New Zealand Brigade and Thornycroft's own regular mounted infantry—advanced as part of General Ian Hamilton's force numbering 20,000 men in the great Western Drive. The advance aimed to drive de la Rey back against a chain of blockhouses between Klerksdorp–Ventersdorp and proved to be the last of the war. The drive began on 19 April, but halted soon after, following news that peace negotiations were progressing. On 21 April the ACH moved out of camp and turned away from the blockhouse line towards the western railway, with orders to destroy crops and mealie fields and to push theBoers back towards the railway barrier.
On 7 May the Australians again advanced, driving forward over four successive days across dry and open country over a large front. Ultimately the drive succeeded with few incidents, significantly diminished the Boer supplies in the area, and leading to the capture of thousands of head of livestock, nearly 200 wagons and 7,000 rounds of ammunition. Although hundreds escaped, 367 Boers were captured after becoming trapped, although only one was killed. There were no Australian casualties.
The continued success of the blockhouse system, coupled with the approaching winter and shortages of food and clothing forced the Boer leaders to re-open peace negotiations. As such with the war all but over the ACH set up camp along the Klerksdorp–Ventersdorp blockhouse line, and although they continued to send out patrols they had little to do but await the inevitable peace. Despite seeing limited combat, Australian conduct in the field was considered to have been of a high standard, both in terms of military efficiency and discipline. Indeed, the ACH showed a level of professionalism perhaps unseen in previous Australian contingents.
Negotiations continued, with the Boer leaders again meeting their British counterparts at Vereeniging, between Pretoria and Kroonstad. Meanwhile, at Elandsfontein the second contingent of the ACH was concentrating after having landed at Durban in late April.
Elements of the third contingent sailed aboard the transport Manhattan, departing Australia in late April, and arriving early the following month, while others followed later in May aboard the Manchester Merchant, Custodian, Columbian and St Andrew. They would arrive too late to see combat, though, as on 31 May the Treaty of Vereeniging was signed and the war came to an end, even while elements of the third contingent of the ACH remained at sea, bound for South Africa.
Return to Australia, August 1902.
Source: Wikipedia Principal Source (en.wikipedia.org)