Canadian Infantry in the Boer War

[RattlesnakeJack]

Recently, on the "Victorian Wars Forum" a chap asked for photos of the Royal Canadian Regiment in South Africa during the Boer War.

The Royal Canadian Regiment of Infantry was the sole "full time/professional" infantry component of  Canada's armed forces (called the "Permanent Militia") at that time.  The rest of our infantry units were "Active Militia" - i.e. part-time soldiers.  When Canada agreed in 1899 to send a contingent of 1000 infantry to South Africa, it was composed of a core of "regulars" from the RCR augmented by volunteers from various other Active Militia units, and was designated as the "2nd (Special Service) Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment".  All subsequent Canadian contingents raised for South African service were, at the specific request of the British, equipped and designated as "Mounted Infantry", such units being better suited for the conditions and nature of fighting on the veldt.  Nevertheless, the men of the Royal Canadian Regiment served with bravery and distinction during the war ....

I have responded to the request for photographs by posting quite a few images, and thought visitors to Chinook Country might be interested in looking them over.  If so, you  can see them here - http://www.victorianwars.com/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=4325  (Note: I actually posted two batches of photographs in separate posts there ....)

To whet your appetite here is one of them,  showing officers and men outside the Royal Canadian Regiment Guardroom at their camp at Belmont.  The distinctive Oliver Pattern infantry equipment (with its single, large cartridge pouch worn "front and center") was adopted only be Canada, and is accordingly an excellent indicator that a Boer War "British" infantryman is actually Canadian -

[PJ Hardtack]

Great pic, Grant!

Are you sure it's an 'ammo' pouch? Why are they then also wearing bandoliers? My practical wife took a look at the photo and said - "They probably pack a lunch in it ......"

[RattlesnakeJack]

No question that it is an ammunition pouch ..... In fact, it was the only such pouch with the Oliver Pattern load-bearing equipment ..... at a time when most such gear included two ammunition pouches - like the standard Pattern 1888 Slade-Wallace equipment in use by British infantry during the Boer War -



The bandoliers were supplementary equipment for active service, permitting them to carry many more cartridges.  Matter of fact, the bandoliers they have are the same type used by American troops during the Spanish-American War - i.e. having a double layer of cartridge tubes, which held twice as much ammunition as the earlier single-row type.  More evident in this detail .....



Follow the link in the post above .... you'll see various other photos of RCR infantrymen, with the Oliver Equipment visible from different angles .....

Canada's newly adopted Oliver Pattern equipment got its first service use with the Yukon Field Force, a special unit drawn primarily from the Royal Canadian Regiment and sent to that territory in 1898 to supplement the NWMP during the Gold Rush - see below.  Let your wife know  that, throughout the British Empire, soldiers had for a very long time "carried their lunch" (and other items, like a change of socks) in the standard white haversack slung over the right shoulder and riding on the left hip .... as visible in this rendering of a Royal Canadian Regiment Private on service with the Yukon Field Force, and also carried by the British troops above ....  

 

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[Virginia Gentleman]

I am guessing some of the handguns some of them were carrying were not only Webleys, but North American made Colts and Smith & Wessons.  During the Boer War, what caliber were most Canadian units using, .45 Colt or .455 Colt/Eley?  As for Colts which model was most popular, the SAA, New Serivice or Alaskan?

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

RSJ will a better answer, but the first contngents to South Africa carried the 1878 Colts purchased in 1885 in .45 Colt. After that, the official sidearm was the Colt New Service, also in .45 Colt, with a total purchase of 1,000.  Later contingents were officially part of the British Amy and were supplied with British equipment.  I think you are right in guessing that a number of different side arms were used as officers were still responsible for arming themselves.

One notable example was the C96 Mauser carried by Sam Steele who commanded the Strathcona's Horse.  The LSH rankers carried New Service revolvers.  When my son was serving in this regiment during their Centennial, they tried to find the purchase documentation but failed.  As this contingent was not yet Canadian (but recruited in Canada). it was equipped privately by Lord Strathcona, one of the main financiers of the CPR.

[FriscoCounty]

Which is not to be confused with The Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians).  That was an Irish regiment formed in 1881 when the 100th (Prince of Wales' Royal Canadian) Regiment of foot and the 109th Regiment of Foot (Bombay Infantry) were amalgamated.  It also fought in the 2nd Boer War. 

[RattlesnakeJack]

Sir Charles has summarized it nicely.

Although officers at that time were required to purchase their own weapons and other kit, and thus had wide latitude in what they chose, our "issue" handguns were the Model 1878 Colt Double Action and the Colt New Service, both chambered in .45 Colt.

Matter of fact, Canada has never adopted a British design as its primary-issue military handgun - they have always been American designs  all the way up to the Browning High Power, albeit manufactured by Inglis here in Canada in 1944 and 1945 .... and still our primary-issue military handgun!  (Although the Government has just within the past few weeks finally announced they are seeking a new one.)  I cover Canadian military-issue pistols in greater detail here - http://www.canadiansoldiers.com/weapons/pistols.htm

As mentioned Colonel Sam Steele (who was released from duty as a Superintendent with the NWMP to command Strathcona's Horse in the Boer War) used a C'96 Mauser, and was in fact so pleased with it that he recommended its adoption by the Mounted Police.  Here is a studio portrait of him with his Mauser .....

[PJ Hardtack]

With high praise from Winston Churchill and Sam Steele, it's a pity that the Mauser '96 Broomhandle wasn't adopted by the Canadian military.

A little known or appreciated fact about the Inglis-made Browning Hi-Powers is that Inglis had plans and drawings that were metric, necessitating conversion to North American standards. I found this out when I was gifted with a supply of Inglis parts by a retired armourer. At the time, I was shooting two commercial models in IPSC matches.

I won a Bar-Sto barrel as a prize and the first thing that Irv asked me was - "Is your Browning current commercial or Inglis-made?"
When I asked why, he told me that the dimensional differences, however slight, mattered.

This explained why we had troubles using some of those parts.

[RattlesnakeJack]

..... Inglis had plans and drawings that were metric, necessitating conversion to North American standards.

Actually, according to Clive Law's deeply researched "Inglis Diamond: The Canadian High Power Pistol", the problem was that Inglis did not have any plans or drawings to work from!  What they did was reverse-engineer the necessary plans and specifications from six sample FN-manufactured pistols supplied by China (which had adopted the tangent-sighted model as their official handgun shortly before WWII.  China was instrumental in getting the pistol manufactured in an Allied nation after the Germans occupied Belgium and FN High Powers became unavailable.) As a result, the Inglis measurements were all Imperial, that being the standard North American system at that time.  They did, however receive Belgian drawings after they had completed their own, for comparison purposes.

This is one of the 6 pistols they worked from, the personal weapon of General Kinag Pia -

[PJ Hardtack]

Ah, the rest of the story .....

I knew that somewhere along the line, FN plans and drawings were made available to Inglis, smuugled out by Belgian FN employees.

It speaks well of the Inglis folks as their pistols have served the Canadian Army well for decades. I shot many with the Chinese export decal on the grip in my Regular Army service, tangent rear sight and cut for the butt stock. We never had any of those.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Which is not to be confused with The Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians).  That was an Irish regiment formed in 1881 when the 100th (Prince of Wales' Royal Canadian) Regiment of foot and the 109th Regiment of Foot (Bombay Infantry) were amalgamated.  It also fought in the 2nd Boer War. 

Thanks to the link posted by RSJ, I found that there was a Canadian Militia regiment named the "3d Prince of Wales Canadian Dragoons"

I own an Inglis type II pistol.  Son has a Belgian WWII piece and has a Canadian made shoulder holster which differed from the FN type, by being a fully countoured wooden holster with a hinged top/butt.

[Charlie Bowdre]

Although a bit OT I recently found and re read an old copy of 'Rags of Glory' written in 1963 by Stuart Cloete . Although the style is very Victorian the novel is a grand depiction of the struggle between the Dutch (Boer) commando and Imperial Britain Some of the comments on tatics and the horror faced by all is very compelling.

Sorry to jump in , but this thread is a fasinating story line in itself . Thank you RJ and all contributors.
dutchy