The Journal of the C. I. V. in South Africa: The Boer War Record of the London Volunteers by Their Commanding Officer

By Major General W H MacKinnon

“London men at war against the Boers

The turn of the 19th century to 20th was a time of popularity for the military volunteer movement in the British Empire. When the Anglo-Boer War broke out the City Imperial Volunteers quickly filled its ranks with the men of the City of London anxious to serve their country in South Africa. The venture was supported by the Lord Mayor and the popularity of London's effort had widespread appeal. All manner of men hurried to join the C. I. V's ranks and many of them were professionals from the city's law firms and financial institutions, artists, writers or gentlemen of private means. The author of The Riddle of the Sands, Erskine Childers was one of their number. This book is comprised of the journal entries of the officer commanding the regiment and it follows the C. I. V's wartime experiences from recruitment to its return home. The C. I. V was well regarded on campaign and earned the praise of peers and senior officers alike. This book delivers its information in the sober manner one might expect of its author in the circumstances, but is nevertheless essential source material about each part of the unit-the infantry, mounted infantry, cyclists, medical staff etc. Included as an appendix is a substantial honour role that will be of special interest to genealogists.”-Print ed.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Porirua Publishing
• Release date: Apr 18, 2024
• ISBN: 9781991141668

Book preview

cover.jpgimg1.png

© Porirua Publishing 2024, all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted by any means, electrical, mechanical or otherwise without the written permission of the copyright holder.

Publisher’s Note

Although in most cases we have retained the Author’s original spelling and grammar to authentically reproduce the work of the Author and the original intent of such material, some additional notes and clarifications have been added for the modern reader’s benefit.

We have also made every effort to include all maps and illustrations of the original edition the limitations of formatting do not allow of including larger maps, we will upload as many of these maps as possible.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1

DEDICATION 5

PREFACE 6

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 7

MAPS AND PLANS 8

CHAPTER I — RAISING OF REGIMENT—VOYAGE OUT 9

CHAPTER II — LINES OF COMMUNICATION 19

CHAPTER III — ORANGE RIVER TO THE VAAL 31

CHAPTER IV — FIGHT AT DOORN KOP 42

CHAPTER V — DOORN KOP TO PRETORIA 45

CHAPTER VI — ROUND PRETORIA 48

CHAPTER VII — DIAMOND HILL 50

CHAPTER VIII — BACK TO PRETORIA 56

CHAPTER IX — TO HEIDELBERG 58

CHAPTER X — HEIDELBERG TO HEILBRON 61

CHAPTER XI — AT HEILBRON 67

CHAPTER XII — HEILBRON TO FREDERICKSTADT 77

CHAPTER XIII — AT FREDERICKSTADT 81

CHAPTER XIV — BETWEEN FREDERICKSTADT AND BANK 86

CHAPTER XV — WITH KITCHENER AFTER DE WET 88

CHAPTER XVI — LORD ALBEMARLE’S MOVEMENT 94

CHAPTER XVII — AT PRETORIA FOR THE THIRD TIME 99

CHAPTER XVIII — HOME 107

APPENDICES 112

APPENDIX A 112

APPENDIX B 114

APPENDIX C 115

APPENDIX D 117

APPENDIX E 120

APPENDIX F 121

APPENDIX G 122

APPENDIX H 123

APPENDIX I 143

APPENDIX K 145

THE JOURNAL OF THE C. I. V. IN SOUTH AFRICA

BY

MAJOR-GEN. W. H. MACKINNON

COMMANDANT OF THE CORPS

WITH PLANS AND ILLUSTRATIONS

img2.png

DEDICATION

DEDICATED

TO OUR COLONEL

FIELD-MARSHAL

EARL ROBERTS

V.C., K.G.

ETC. ETC. ETC.

War Office, London,

13th February, 1901.

Dear General Mackinnon,—I very gladly accept the dedication of your Journal of the C.I.V. in South Africa, and I am very glad to think that this interesting record of the corps, of which I had the honour to be Honorary Colonel, is to be published.—Believe me, yours very truly,

ROBERTS.

PREFACE

ORIGINALLY intended for private circulation only, this Journal has been published at the request of many members of the Regiment.

It has been kept regularly from day to day, and the distances, &c, have been checked with the notes made by Staff and other Officers.

It was matter for great regret that the three parts of the Regiment were, owing to the exigencies of the service, so scattered, and, in consequence, this book deals chiefly with the Infantry battalion, with which the Commandant was mostly associated.

A complete roll of the whole corps is given, which it is thought may be of interest.

My acknowledgments and thanks are due to Messrs. Underwood & Underwood, London, for permission to reproduce their copyright stereoscopic photographs, and also to Captain J. Orr and Mr. L. Green Wilkinson for assistance in the preparation of the book.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

CROSSING THE VAAL AT VILLIERSDORP

GROUP OF C.I.V’s

OUR MAXIMS

WRECKED BRIDGE AT NORVAL’S PONT

OUR WATER-CART

CROSSING RHENOSTER RIVER

(1) IN CAMP. (2) DIAMOND HILL, FIRST DAY. (3) DIAMOND HILL, THE ARTILLERY GOING INTO ACTION

DIAMOND HILL. PART OF THE BOER FINAL POSITION FROM WITHIN

SOME OF THE CYCLIST SECTION

OUR AMBULANCE

EVACUATING HEILBRON

WRECKED TRAIN, FREDERICKSTADT. STEAM STILL ISSUING FROM FUNNEL

OUR STRETCHER-BEARERS

WAITING THE ORDER TO DISMISS

C.I.V.’s SHEDDING TEARS (PEELING ONIONS)

TRANSPORT BY TRAIN

MAPS AND PLANS

BATTLE OF DOORNKOP

DIAMOND HILL

From Mr. Winston Churchill’s account of the battle, by permission of Messrs. Longman & Co. and the proprietors of the Morning Post.

MAP TO ILLUSTRATE THE MARCH OF THE INFANTRY BATTALION OF THE C.I.V.

THE JOURNAL OF THE C.I.V. IN SOUTH AFRICA

CHAPTER I — RAISING OF REGIMENT—VOYAGE OUT

[At this time Buller had been checked at Colenso, Methuen at Magersfontein, and Gatacre at Stormberg, and there was a feeling of depression in England, though not in any way one of despair.]

On December 22, 1899, I was summoned to the War Office, and was offered by Lord Wolseley the command of the City Imperial Volunteers, which I accepted. The Lord Mayor had previously been to the Commander-in-Chief, and had offered to raise a regiment of infantry, with mounted infantry attached; to clothe, equip, and transport them by sea to Cape Town, where they were to be taken over by the War Office. This offer had been accepted, the Commander-in-Chief reserving to himself the right to nominate the Lieutenant-Colonels and certain of the officers.

Colonel Cholmondeley and Sir Howard Vincent were the two Lieutenant-Colonels appointed; but the latter officer failing to pass the medical examination, Colonel the Earl of Albemarle was selected in his place to command the infantry, the command of the mounted infantry being intrusted to Colonel Cholmondeley.

From Christmas till the end of the year preparations were made for accepting the services of the required number of men from the list of those volunteering.

January 1, 1900.—On this day 365 men were sworn in at the Guildhall by the Lord Mayor and five aldermen and sheriffs. Leave was given for the H.A.C. to send a field-battery to join the regiment.

January 4, 1900.—900 more men were sworn in at the Guildhall. About 80 men of the H.A.C. were sworn in at Finsbury, and also 15 or 20 details for the remainder of the regiment.

January 11.—General Trotter, commanding the Home District, inspected the mounted infantry at the Drill Hall, Bunhill Row.

January 12.—Clothing and equipping the 500 men for embarkation tomorrow were carried on all day at the Guildhall; all ranks received the Freedom of the City of London, the presentation of which to the officers was made with much ceremony and picturesqueness, in the presence of the Duke of Cambridge. The men also drew their rifles from the Tower. At 8 P.M. the detachment attended a farewell service in St. Paul’s, subsequently marching through dense masses of people to the Temple, where they were entertained at supper by the Inner Temple. The enthusiasm of the populace was very marked, and the formation of the ranks could not be kept. After supper the detachment returned to Bunhill Row, where they slept.

January 13.—The detachment marched out of Bunhill Row at 7 A.M., but, owing to the enormous crowds lining the streets, it took three hours and twenty minutes, instead of seventy minutes, to get to Nine Elms. Several of the men were exhausted, and many articles of equipment were lost.

The detachment arrived at Southampton at 12.45, and immediately embarked; 250 on the Briton under Colonel Cholmondeley, and 250 on the Garth Castle under Captain Shipley. Both these ships sailed during the afternoon.

January 17.—The 800 men for embarkation next Saturday received their boots and rifles today from the Guildhall and Tower respectively, and were also presented with the Freedom of the City of London.

January 19.—They were clothed and equipped at the Guildhall, and took up quarters at the two drill halls in James Street, whence they marched at 6.45 P.M. to St. Paul’s, where a very impressive farewell service was held, the Bishop of London giving a short address. Thence they marched through crowded streets to Gray’s Inn, which took in 200, the remaining 600 proceeding to Lincoln’s Inn. After supper, which had been generously provided by the Benchers, the whole detachment marched back to James Street and slept there. Rain fell heavily.

January 20.—The detachment marched by companies at 6.30 A.M. to Wellington Barracks, where they had breakfast: leaving there at 7.30 A.M., they arrived at Nine Elms at 8.30 A.M. Much enthusiasm was shown, especially near Westminster Bridge. H.R.H. the Duke of Connaught was present to see the detachment start. The two specials left at 8.45 A.M. and 8.55 A.M., arriving at Southampton in 2½ hours, where C., D., F., and H. Companies embarked on the Ariosto, A. on the Gaul, and B. and part of C. on the Kinfauns Castle. It rained heavily all the morning and during the embarkation. The Ariosto sailed at 2.15 P.M.

January 21.—After passing the Needles the sea became choppy, and most of the officers and men succumbed. There was a decided roll on all day. I held divine service in the saloon at 11 A.M., which was attended by eight officers and about twenty-five men. Most of the officers were ill, Captain Edis, Lieutenant Green and myself appearing to be the best sailors. Distance run up to noon 246 miles, which was very good, considering that we only started at 2.15 P.M. yesterday, and did not go full speed till 3.15.

January 22.—Still a nasty Atlantic roll on, with a head-wind; but a bit of sun cheered the men, though they lay like logs most of the day. Did not attempt to get any parade out of them. I asked a sentry what his profession was, and he replied, I have none, sir, but my amusement in life is archæology, and I was going this very week to Athens and the Levant.

Run up to noon, 249 miles. Wind and sea going down. Weather milder.

January 23.—A lovely morning, with a slight S.E. breeze. Sea calm. A morning worth waking for, and truly, as a Western cowboy once said to me, God’s own private morning, sure. Quite a different look on all faces today.

Had a general parade at 9.30 A.M. to get all ranks out, the orderly men meantime cleaning up all the quarters. At 11.30, the sergeant-major drilled the officers in physical drill, and, at another time, he drilled the sergeants. Seeing one of the latter very steady on his pins, I inquired about him, and ascertained that he was the possessor of a yacht of his own. The drill was not very impressive, as standing on tip-toe is not easy during the first few days at sea, even in smooth water. We are now hovering between Europe and Africa. Run up to noon, 283 miles. Wind light Sea calm.

At 2 P.M. I start a class in Dutch, Bellairs of the cyclist section being instructor.

Captain Newman is very agreeable, and as his usual runs are to Russia and Sweden, he tells me much of countries of which I know very little.

January 24.—Sick report, six men. Nothing serious. One case of erysipelas from a fall on deck, one suffering from alcohol, for which some of his send-offs are responsible; certainly not the ship; for although mistaken friends have sent me over 2000 bottles of whisky, and enough beer to give each man five gallons, it is locked up, and only issued under strict supervision, one pint of beer at noon, and a tot of whisky at 8 P.M. Out of our 500 men 147 are teetotallers.

Very close this morning, as we are in the N.E. trades, which are moving in the same direction as we are.

Two complaints today, (1) insufficient washing accommodation; (2) the dry canteen not open long enough. Have inquired into both. The former will be remedied tomorrow by the hose being turned on early each morning, and the latter is already rectified.

I find some of the volunteer sergeants very deficient in the knowledge of how to instruct, or even drill their men without instruction; and some of the men are ignorant of the most elementary knowledge of drill. I am sure we must make the sergeants efficient first, and I have started sergeants’ classes, at which each one will be taught how to call out his words of command; if they can once get confidence in that, they will soon become of value. The conversational style in which some of them give commands to strong squads of men is not conducive to efficiency. I look for great improvement,