History of the War in South Africa 1899-1902 Part 11

[Sidenote: White Officers with natives.]

This total does not include the white officers employed with native troops, who numbered in all 1,814. The functions of these, however, will be best understood when the figures which follow have been considered, and the yet greater area of the earth's surface covered by those who served under the British flag has been taken into account.

They are not matters for an appendix, but for the close study with a map of every adult and every child in the realm.

[Sidenote: Total strength and dispersion.]

The effective strength of the armed land forces of the British Empire (exclusive of the Royal Marines, but inclusive of local colonial naval contingents for harbour defence), in September-October, 1899, was:--

Other All Officers. ranks. ranks.

_Regular Army (European) on Oct. 1st, 1899._ With Colours 9,173 217,986 227,159 Reserves 1,803 81,134 82,937 Royal Malta Artillery 31 802 833

_Regular Army_ (Colonial Corps, European Officers, Native Troops) 233 7,798 8,031 318,960 _Regular Army of India._ With Colours (European Officers, Native Troops) 1,460 171,216 172,676 Reserves -- 18,644 18,644 191,320 _Hyderabad Contingent._ (Officered by Europeans) 121 7,386 7,507 7,507

_Imperial Service Troops._ (A few European Officers) -- 18,289 18,289 18,289

_Auxiliary Troops of the United Kingdom._ Militia 3,036 106,515 109,551 Yeomanry 654 9,460 10,114 Volunteers 8,020 215,901 223,921 Honourable Artillery Company 39 497 536 344,122

_Indian Volunteers_ -- -- 29,219 29,219

_Indian Military Police_ -- -- 30,284 30,284

_Channel Isles Militia_ 150 3,278 3,428 3,428

_Malta Militia_ 60 1,755 1,815 1,815 _Cyprus Police_ 26 731 757 757

_Canada:_ Local regular troops 91 936 1,027 Militia 2,398 28,463 30,861 Police (including 92 Newfoundland) 105 1,191 1,296 Naval Forces 50 472 522 33,706

_Australasia: New South Wales._ Local regular troops 49 876 925 Militia 228 3,815 4,043 Volunteers 97 2,724 2,821 Reserves 111 1,535 1,646 Police -- -- 1,977 Naval Forces 39 576 615 12,027

_Queensland._ Local regular troops 22 265 287 Militia 198 2,801 2,999 Volunteers 50 758 808 Cadets -- -- 875 Police -- -- 869 Rifle Clubs -- -- 2,520 Naval Forces -- -- 584 8,942

_South Australia._ Local regular troops 3 31 34 Militia 72 625 697 Reserves 40 529 569 Police -- -- 349 Rifle Clubs -- -- 1,003 Naval Forces -- -- 120 2,772

_Tasmania._ Local regular troops 2 20 22 Volunteers 88 1,696 1,784 Cadets 8 250 258 Police -- -- 60 2,124 _Victoria._ Local regular troops 24 349 373 Militia 158 2,867 3,025 Volunteers 110 1,598 1,708 Naval Forces -- -- 286 5,392

_West Australia._ Local regular troops 15 261 276 Volunteers 46 883 929 1,205

_New Zealand._ Local regular troops 11 277 288 Volunteers 330 6,368 6,698 Naval Forces 30 682 712 7,698

_Fiji._ Volunteers 19 189 208 Police 16 143 159 367

_Cape Colony._ Local regular troops 38 1,028 1,066 Volunteers 186 3,486 3,672 Cadets -- -- 2,000 Police -- -- 1,401 Mounted Rifle Clubs 64 997 1,061 9,200

_Natal._ Volunteers 112 1,489 1,601 Cadets -- -- 1,062 Police -- -- 659 Naval Forces 6 116 122 3,444

_Rhodesia._ Protectorate Regt. raised by Col.

Rhodesian Regt. Baden-Powell 92 2,387 2,479 2,479 British South Africa Police

_Zululand._ Police -- -- 500 500

_Basutoland._ Police -- -- 260 260

_Bechua.n.a.land Protectorate._ Police 14 190 204 204

_West Indies._ Militia 23 574 597 Volunteers 122 1,845 1,967 Police 54 2,924 2,978 5,542

_Falkland Isles._ Volunteers 3 78 81 81

_Colonies in Asia._ Local regular troops (Malay State Guides) 9 623 632 Volunteers 93 1,556 1,649 Police 47 2,881 2,928 5,209

_St. Helena._ Volunteers 4 51 55 55

_West Africa._ Local regular troops 219 4,196 4,415 Volunteers 11 187 198 Police 40 2,202 2,242 Naval Forces 15 87 102 6,957

GRAND TOTAL 1,053,865

EAST AND CENTRAL AFRICA.

The local troops serving in Uganda, British East Africa, British Central Africa, and Somaliland, are not given. The aggregate area of these Protectorates is nearly four times that of Great Britain. The majority of their inhabitants were, and still are, but semi-civilised or wholly savage, and internal order has often to be maintained by serious fighting. In 1899 the force included three and a half battalions, but as it was then in process of reorganisation into one corps, the "King's African Rifles," its precise strength at that time cannot now be ascertained.

CHAPTER VI.

THE NAVY IN THE BOER WAR.[82]

[Footnote 82: For vessels serving on the Cape station during the war, see Appendix 5.]

SECTION I. THE GENERAL WORK OF THE NAVY.

The duty of the Navy in this, as in all war was:--

(1) To acquire and keep the command of the sea.

(2) To undertake, by full use of our great mercantile marine, all sea transport.

(3) To carry out the instructions of Government for stopping the enemy's supplies by sea.

(4) To render any local or temporary a.s.sistance to the Army that circ.u.mstances might require.

[Sidenote: Command of Sea.]

[Sidenote: Transport.]

[Sidenote: Stopping supplies.]

During the Boer War the command of the sea was never disputed, so that it gave rise to no anxiety after the first few months. The second duty, that of transport, at once a.s.sumed extreme importance owing to the 6,000 miles distance of the base of operations (Cape Town) from England, the large number of men and animals, and the great quant.i.ty of stores to be dealt with. The third duty, involving the much disputed matter of contraband, etc., was, and is always likely to be, a difficult one, owing to the rather nebulous state of International Law on questions which were likely to, and did arise, and to the many interests, belligerent and neutral, which might be involved. It was further complicated by the fact that the enemy possessed no seaport and no carrying trade of his own, so that all goods for him from over sea had to be landed either at a neutral port or in a British colonial port. The fourth duty, that of local a.s.sistance, was a simpler matter. Owing to causes recorded elsewhere, the armed forces of Great Britain in South Africa were not anything like adequate for the task before them when the war broke out on October 9th, 1899. The grave differences that existed between England and the Dutch Republics, and the absolutely vital British interests involved, had, as the year 1899 wore on, been realised not only by the Government, but by all the world. It was inevitable that the delay in strengthening the garrison, due to extreme unwillingness to present even the appearance of forcing on the quarrel, should throw an exceptional responsibility on the Navy. It became necessary to develop to the utmost limit the strength that could be spared for work on sh.o.r.e in order to gain time for the arrival of reinforcements. Happily our public services, both civil and military, have grown up in the traditions that each branch and department, while it has special grooves in which its own particular duty runs, is at all times on the look-out to help any other department. The Navy and Army are no strangers to this practice of mutual aid. Their special duties have in times past so often led to each helping the other in some way, that perhaps there exists between them in a rather special degree that feeling of comradeship which is engendered by sharing the same duties and the same perils and hardships; just as boys who have gone through the same mill at school, and got into and out of the same sc.r.a.pes together, are undoubtedly imbued with an _esprit de corps_ which is often a valuable possession in after-life.