The Second Battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers in the South African War Part 16

On the 9th Lieutenant Britton and fifty men of the regiment proceeded to Middelvlei to relieve a party of the Border regiment.

On the 17th Lieutenant Robinson had to perform the unpleasant duty of carrying out the sentence of death on a Boer prisoner, who had been tried and condemned for shooting three of our men after having surrendered.

General Cooper arrived on the 19th, to say good-bye to the regiment, as he was on his way home. He brought the very welcome intelligence that we were shortly to be relieved, but of course this was only made known to the Colonel at the time.

Lieutenant Renny, who had been A.D.C. to General Cooper, rejoined on the 27th, and brought further rumours to the effect that the regiment was shortly to leave the country, and as orders had come to get in all our employed men, and men from forts, blockhouses, and stations all over the country, it began to look as if there was some truth in the rumours.

On the very last day of 1901 a severe thunderstorm pa.s.sed right over headquarters, two of our men being struck by lightning.

1902.

On the first day of the New Year the order for the battalion to leave South Africa arrived at the brigade office, its destination being Gibraltar, the best of the Mediterranean stations; but next day a wire arrived cancelling the move.

On the 5th, however, Lord Kitchener pa.s.sed through Krugersdorp, when the Colonel saw him and ascertained that the regiment was to go to Aden.

At 8.30 p.m. on the 11th, part of the 1st Battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers, under Majors Shadforth and Gordon, Captains Swift and Maclear, and Lieutenant Le Mesurier, with some other officers, arrived to take over the defences from the 2nd Battalion.

On the 14th, 300 of the 1st Battalion, under Major Gordon, proceeded down the Pochefstroom line to take over the posts at present held by us.

[Ill.u.s.tration: KRUGERSDORP from Kilmarnock House. Shewing the Gold mines Monument, Camps &c. From a sketch by Col. H. Tempest Hicks, C.B.]

On the 20th, Captains Kinsman and Rowlands (now serving in the S.A.C.) arrived to say good-bye, and on the 23rd, Colonel Mills and Major Bromilow, 1st Battalion, arrived.

[Ill.u.s.tration: The 'Blue Caps' relieving the 'Old Toughs.']

On January 26th the regiment fell in for the last time at Kilmarnock, and marched through Krugersdorp to the station. They had made many friends during their stay, and the entire town, Boers as well as Britons, turned out and enthusiastically cheered the corps as it marched out of the town it had first marched into on June 19th, 1900.

The night was spent at the railway station, and a start made at 4 a.m.

on the 27th. A good view of Talana, from a distance of about five miles, was obtained on the morning of the 28th, and it may easily be imagined with what mixed feelings our thoughts flew back to that grey morning of October 20th, 1899, and our well-loved comrades who had given their lives to gain that gallant victory. Ladysmith was reached about 1 p.m., and Maritzburg in the small hours of the 29th, which was unfortunate, as the regiment had so many friends there. In spite of the hour, however, a large number of the inhabitants were on the platform with various small presents of cigarettes, &c., for the men.

Durban was reached a few hours later, when an illuminated address was presented to the regiment, as well as refreshments to officers and men, after which the battalion embarked on board the S.S. _Sicilian_ for conveyance to Aden.

PART III.

CHAPTER I.

THE ADEN HINTERLAND

'For this relief much thanks.'

_Hamlet._

The voyage from Durban to Aden was a welcome change, but quite uneventful, with the exception of one sad event, the death of Sergeant Pearson, who had embarked in a state of collapse, with little or no prospect of recovery. He was a most promising N.C.O., and his father had served in the regiment before him. Aden was reached on February 11th, 1902, and the battalion disembarked that afternoon.

The year pa.s.sed without any incident calling for remark, and on October 1st the following notice appeared in battalion orders:--'It is notified for general information that the battalion will leave Aden for home in H.M.T. _Syria_, on or about the 11th of February, arriving home on 24th February, 1903.' 'There is many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip,' however, and the old adage was once more to be exemplified.

For some time past rumours of approaching trouble with regard to the delimitation of the Turkish frontier in the Hinterland had been rife.

A force of Turkish troops was encamped near Dthala, about one hundred and ten miles from Aden, and the Sultan of Dthala finally appealed to the British for support. The result was that instead of going home, a column was organized under the command of Brevet-Lieutenant-Colonel F.

P. English, 2nd Royal Dublin Fusiliers, to watch the frontier.

The following is an extract from the Aden District Orders:--

DISTRICT ORDERS BY LIEUTENANT-COLONEL H. T. HICKS, C.B., 2ND ROYAL DUBLIN FUSILIERS, COMMANDING ADEN DISTRICT.

No. 450. _Aden, Friday, December 12th, 1902._

In supersession of previous instructions, a column composed as under will be held in readiness to proceed, on field-service scale, from Aden into the interior of Arabia:--

In Command: Lieutenant-Colonel F. P. English, 2nd Royal Dublin Fusiliers.

Staff Officer: Major S. M. Edwards, D.S.O., 2nd Bombay Grenadiers.

Supply and Transport Officer: Captain W. C. W. Harrison, Supply and Transport Corps.

Staff Medical Officer: Captain I. A. O. MacCarthy, Royal Army Medical Corps.

2nd Royal Dublin Fusiliers (including section of maxim gun and twelve signallers) 225 N.C.O.'s and men.

No. 45 company, Royal Garrison Artillery (with two seven-pounder mountain guns and four nine-pounders) 80 "

{25 hors.e.m.e.n.

Aden Troop {12 camelmen.

2nd Bombay Grenadiers A double company.

Section A. No. 16 British Field Hospital.

" " 68 Native " "

If the column is required to move out, they will be joined _en route_ (if necessary) by a detachment of No. 3 company Bombay Sappers and Miners.

(By Order) C. H. U. PRICE, _Major_, _D.A.A.G. Aden District_.

The following officers of the regiment accompanied the column:--Lieutenant Haskard, Lieutenant Wheeler, Lieutenant Smith, Second Lieutenant Tredennick, Second Lieutenant W. F. Higginson.

The following standing orders are quoted in full, as they give a good idea of the scope of the operations, the difficulties likely to be met with, and the precautions taken to overcome those difficulties:--

COLUMN STANDING ORDERS BY LIEUTENANT-COLONEL F. P. ENGLISH, COMMANDING ADEN COLUMN.

_December 24th, 1902._