The Natal Field Force (NFF) was a multi-battalion

field force A field force in British and Indian Army military parlance is a combined arms land force operating under actual or assumed combat circumstances, usually for the length of a specific military campaign. It is used by other nations, but can have a di ...

originally formed by

Major-General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

Sir

George Pomeroy Colley Major General Sir George Pomeroy Colley, (1 November 1835 – 27 February 1881) was a British Army officer who became Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Natal and High Commissioner for South Eastern Africa. Colley was killed in action, at the ...

Natal NATAL or Natal may refer to: Places * Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, a city in Brazil * Natal, South Africa (disambiguation), a region in South Africa ** Natalia Republic, a former country (1839–1843) ** Colony of Natal, a former British colony ( ...

for the

First Boer War The First Boer War ( af, Eerste Vryheidsoorlog, literally "First Freedom War"), 1880–1881, also known as the First Anglo–Boer War, the Transvaal War or the Transvaal Rebellion, was fought from 16 December 1880 until 23 March 1881 betwee ...

. It was later re-established for the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the South ...

(1899–1902) and commanded by Major-General Sir

Redvers Buller General Sir Redvers Henry Buller, (7 December 1839 – 2 June 1908) was a British Army officer and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forc ...

VC GCB

GCMG The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III. It is named in honour ...

(although after the failed attack at Colenso he was replaced as overall commander in South Africa by Lord Roberts).

First Boer War

The First Boer War broke out in December 1880 with the Boer Commando's in the Transvaal besieging British garrisons there. The Governor of Natal Sir George Pomeroy Colley raised the Natal Field Force which took part in the actions at

Laing's Nek Laing's Nek, or Lang's Nek is a pass through the Drakensberg mountain range, South Africa, immediately north of Majuba, at at an elevation of 5400 to . It is the lowest part of a ridge which slopes from Majuba to the Buffalo River, and before ...

, Schuinshoogte and

Majuba Hill The Battle of Majuba Hill on 27 February 1881 was the final and decisive battle of the First Boer War that was a resounding victory for the Boers. The British Major General Sir George Pomeroy Colley occupied the summit of the hill on the night ...

. It was composed of: *5 Companies of the

58th Regiment of Foot The 58th (Rutlandshire) Regiment of Foot was a British Army line infantry regiment, raised in 1755. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 48th (Northamptonshire) Regiment of Foot to form the Northamptonshire Regiment in 1881. Hist ...

*5 Companies of the 3rd Battalion,

60th Rifles The King's Royal Rifle Corps was an infantry rifle regiment of the British Army that was originally raised in British North America as the Royal American Regiment during the phase of the Seven Years' War in North America known in the United S ...

*About 150 Cavalry *A party of Royal Navy sailors *4 guns of the

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

After Schuinshoogte the NFF was reinforced by 6 companies of the 92nd (Gordon) Highlanders and two squadrons of the 15th (The King's) Hussars.

Second Boer War

At the outbreak of the Second Boer War General Sir

George White George White may refer to: Politicians * George White (died 1584) (c. 1530–1584), MP for Liverpool * George White (Liberal politician) (1840–1912), British Liberal member of parliament, 1900–1912 * George E. White (politician) (1848–1935), ...

was appointed Governor in Chief of Natal, superseding General Sir

Penn Symons Major-General Sir William Penn Symons KCB (17 July 1843 – 23 October 1899) was a British Army officer who was mortally wounded as he commanded his forces at the Battle of Talana Hill during the Second Boer War. While his forces won the bat ...

.Pakenham 1979, p.96 Symons had already split his forces chiefly into two garrisons at

Ladysmith Ladysmith may refer to: * Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa * Ladysmith, British Columbia, Canada * Ladysmith, Wisconsin, United States * Ladysmith, New South Wales, Australia * Ladysmith, Virginia, United States * Ladysmith Island, Queenslan ...

and Dundee.Pakenham 1979, p.98

Ladysmith garrison

* 1st Battalion

Devonshire Regiment The Devonshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that served under various titles and served in many wars and conflicts from 1685 to 1958, such as the Second Boer War, the First World War and the Second World War. In 1958 ...

* 1st Battalion Liverpool Regiment and Mounted infantry company *

19th Royal Hussars The 19th Royal Hussars (Queen Alexandra's Own) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, created in 1858. After serving in the First World War, it was amalgamated with the 15th The King's Hussars to form the 15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars in ...

(Detachment) * 5th Royal Irish Lancers * Brigade division,

* 10th Mountain Battery,

Royal Garrison Artillery The Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA) was formed in 1899 as a distinct arm of the British Army's Royal Regiment of Artillery serving alongside the other two arms of the Regiment, the Royal Field Artillery (RFA) and the Royal Horse Artillery (RHA) ...

* 23rd Company, Royal Engineers * 26th British field hospital * Colonial troopsLondon Gazette issue 27157, Friday 26 January 1900, p.197
/ref>

Dundee garrison

* 1st Battalion

Leicestershire Regiment The Leicestershire Regiment (Royal Leicestershire Regiment after 1946) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, with a history going back to 1688. The regiment saw service for three centuries, in numerous wars and conflicts such as both W ...

and Mounted infantry company * 1st Battalion King's Royal Rifle Corps and Mounted infantry company * 2nd Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers and Mounted infantry company *

18th Royal Hussars The 18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary's Own) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, first formed in 1759. It saw service for two centuries, including the First World War before being amalgamated with the 13th Hussars to form the 13th/18th Royal ...

* Brigade division,

Other garrisons

At Pietermaritzburg: * 1st Battalion

Manchester Regiment The Manchester Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 until 1958. The regiment was created during the 1881 Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 63rd (West Suffolk) Regiment of Foot and the 96th ...

* 2nd Battalion King's Royal Rifle Corps At Escourt: * Natal Naval Volunteers * Natal Royal Rifles At Colenso: *

Durban Light Infantry The Durban Light Infantry is a Motorised Infantry regiment of the South African Army. It lost its status as a Mechanised infantry regiment in 2010 in line with the rationalisation of resources. As a reserve unit, it has a status roughly equival ...

After the battles at Talana Hill and Elandslaagte General White recalled the Dundee garrison and concentrated his forces in defence of Ladysmith.

The Relief of Ladysmith

During the

relief operation of the besieged town of Ladysmith, the NFF comprised:

Cleary's Division

General Cornelius Francis Clery's (2nd & 3rd) Division although temporarily commanded by LytteltonChurchill, ''London to Ladysmith via Pretoria'', ch. XXI for a time due to illness. The 3rd division was General Gatacre's command but most was diverted to Natal leaving him with only two and a half Battalions. 2nd Infantry Brigade commanded by General Sir

Henry Hildyard General Sir Henry John Thoroton Hildyard (5 July 1846 – 25 July 1916) was a British Army officer who saw active service in the Anglo-Egyptian War of 1882 and the Second Boer War. He was General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, South Africa, fr ...

* 2nd Battalion,

* 2nd Battalion, West Surrey Regiment * 2nd Battalion,

West Yorkshire Regiment ) , march = ''Ça Ira'' , battles = Namur FontenoyFalkirk Culloden Brandywine , anniversaries = Imphal (22 June) The West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own) (14th Foot) wa ...

* 2nd Battalion, East Surrey Regiment 4th Infantry Brigade initially commanded by General The Hon.

Neville Lyttelton General The Honourable Sir Neville Gerald Lyttelton, (28 October 1845 – 6 July 1931) was a British Army officer from the Lyttelton family who served against the Fenian Raids, and in the Anglo-Egyptian War, the Mahdist War and the Second Boer W ...

and later by Colonel

Charles Norcott Colonel Charles Hawtrey Bruce Norcott, CMG (1849-1931) of the Rifle Brigade was a third generation officer of the Rifle Brigade who served between 1867 and 1901. During the Second Boer War he took part in the relief of Ladysmith, later being gi ...

.Churchill, ''London to Ladysmith via Pretoria'', ch. XXIV * 2nd Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) * 3rd Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps * 1st Battalion,

Durham Light Infantry The Durham Light Infantry (DLI) was a light infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 to 1968. It was formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 68th (Durham) Regiment of Foot (Light Infantry) and t ...

* 1st Battalion, Rifle Brigade 5th Infantry Brigade commanded by General Arthur Fitzroy Hart *1st Battalion,

Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers was an Irish line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 until 1968. The regiment was formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot and the 108th Regiment o ...

*1st Battalion,

Connaught Rangers The Connaught Rangers ("The Devil's Own") was an Irish line infantry regiment of the British Army formed by the amalgamation of the 88th Regiment of Foot (Connaught Rangers) (which formed the ''1st Battalion'') and the 94th Regiment of Foot (wh ...

*2nd Battalion,

Royal Dublin Fusiliers The Royal Dublin Fusiliers was an Irish infantry Regiment of the British Army created in 1881, one of eight Irish regiments raised and garrisoned in Ireland, with its home depot in Naas. The Regiment was created by the amalgamation of two Brit ...

*1st Battalion,

Border Regiment The Border Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, which was formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 34th (Cumberland) Regiment of Foot and the 55th (Westmorland) Regiment of Foot. After service i ...

6th Infantry Brigade commanded by General

Geoffrey Barton Major General Sir Geoffrey Barton, (22 February 1844 – 8 July 1922) of the 7th Regiment of Foot (Royal Fusiliers), served the British Army from 1862 until 1904. Although he saw service in Ireland, Hong Kong and India, the majority of his ...

*2nd Battalion, Royal Fusiliers *2nd Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers *1st Battalion,

Royal Welch Fusiliers The Royal Welch Fusiliers ( cy, Ffiwsilwyr Brenhinol Cymreig) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, and part of the Prince of Wales' Division, that was founded in 1689; shortly after the Glorious Revolution. In 1702, it was designate ...

*2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers

Cavalry Division

The (ad hoc) Cavalry Division commanded by Colonel

Douglas Cochrane, 12th Earl of Dundonald Lieutenant General Douglas Mackinnon Baillie Hamilton Cochrane, 12th Earl of Dundonald, (29 October 1852 – 12 April 1935), styled Lord Cochrane between 1860 and 1885, was a Scottish representative peer and a British Army general. Early life ...

1st The Royal Dragoons The Royal Dragoons (1st Dragoons) was a heavy cavalry regiment of the British Army. The regiment was formed in 1661 as the Tangier Horse. It served for three centuries and was in action during the First and the Second World Wars. It was amalgam ...

13th Hussars The 13th Hussars (previously the 13th Light Dragoons) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army established in 1715. It saw service for three centuries including the Napoleonic Wars, the Crimean War and the First World War but then amalgamated ...

14th Hussars The 14th King's Hussars was a Cavalry regiments of the British Army, cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1715. It saw service for two centuries, including the World War I, First World War, before being amalgamated with the 20th ...

(2 squadrons) arrived after the battle of Spion KopChurchill, ''London to Ladysmith via Pretoria'', ch. XIX *Bethune's Mounted Infantry *Thorneycroft's Mounted Infantry (4 companies) *

South African Light Horse The South African Light Horse regiment of the British Army were raised in Cape Colony in 1899 and disbanded in 1907. The commanding officer tasked with raising the regiment was Major (locally a Lieutenant Colonel) the Honourable Julian Byng ...

(4 squadrons) *The Composite Mounted Irregulars: ** 5th Squadron

Natal Carbineers The Ingobamakhosi Carbineers (formerly Natal Carbineers) is an infantry unit of the South African Army. History Origins The regiment traces its roots to 1854 but it was formally raised on 15 January 1855 and gazetted on 13 March of that year, ...

Imperial Light Horse Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imperial, Nebraska * Imperial, Pennsylvania * Imperial, Texas ...

** Detachment Natal police ** One Mounted Infantry Company

Artillery

Artillery commanded by Lieutenant-colonel Charles James Long, RA 1st Brigade

commanded by Lieutenant-colonel Henry Vaughan Hunt, RA *7th Field Battery *14th Field Battery *66th Field Battery *One Naval Twelve Pounder Battery (10 x 12-pounders) () 2nd Brigade

commanded by Lieutenant-colonel Lawrence Worthington Parsons, RA *63rd Field Battery *64th Field Battery Naval Artillery Brigade commanded by Captain Edward Pitcairn Jones, RN () *One Heavy Battery 2 x 4.7" guns *One Section, Twelve Pounder Battery (2 x 12-pounders) () Misc unit's that joined after the battle of Spion Kop *A Mountain Battery *A Battery

Royal Horse Artillery The Royal Horse Artillery (RHA) was formed in 1793 as a distinct arm of the Royal Regiment of Artillery (commonly termed Royal Artillery) to provide horse artillery support to the cavalry units of the British Army. (Although the cavalry link r ...

*2x Great Fortress Guns.

Warren's Division

General Sir

Charles Warren General Sir Charles Warren, (7 February 1840 – 21 January 1927) was an officer in the British Royal Engineers. He was one of the earliest European archaeologists of the Biblical Holy Land, and particularly of the Temple Mount. Much of his mi ...

's (5th) Division (later succeeded by Hildyard) joined up with the main body of the force shortly after the Battle of Colenso. 11th Infantry Brigade initially commanded by General

Edward Woodgate Sir Edward Robert Prevost Woodgate (1 November 1845 – 23 March 1900) was an infantry officer in the British Army. Family and education Woodgate was born in November 1845 at Belbroughton, Worcestershire, the son of Rev Henry Arthur Woodgate, ...

but he was wounded at Spion Kop and died shortly afterwards. He was succeeded by General Arthur Wynne who was later wounded at the

Battle of the Tugela Heights The Battle of Tugela (or Thukela) Heights, consisted of a series of military actions lasting from 14 February through to 27 February 1900 in which General Sir Redvers Buller's British army forced Louis Botha's Boer army to lift the Siege of Lady ...

and succeeded by Colonel

Walter Kitchener Lieutenant-General Sir Frederick Walter Kitchener (26 May 1858 – 6 March 1912), also known as Walter Kitchener, was a British soldier and colonial administrator. Military career Kitchener was the youngest son of Henry Horatio Kitchener (1805� ...

.Churchill, ''London to Ladysmith via Pretoria'', ch. XXII *2nd Battalion Kings Own Royal Lancaster's *2nd Battalion

Lancashire Fusiliers The Lancashire Fusiliers was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that saw distinguished service through many years and wars, including the Second Boer War, the First and Second World Wars, and had many different titles throughout its 28 ...

*1st Battalion

South Lancashire Regiment The South Lancashire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 to 1958. The regiment, which recruited, as its title suggests, primarily from the South Lancashire area, was created as part of the Childers Re ...

*1st Battalion

York and Lancaster Regiment The York and Lancaster Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that existed from 1881 until 1968. The regiment was created in the Childers Reforms of 1881 by the amalgamation of the 65th (2nd Yorkshire, North Riding) Regiment ...

10th Infantry Brigade commanded by General

John Talbot Coke Major-General John Talbot Coke (1841–1912) of Trusley in South Derbyshire was a British Army officer who served in the 25th Foot (King's Own Scottish Borderers) between 1859 and 1901. He wrote a family history book called "Coke of Trusley, i ...

. * Imperial Light Infantry *2nd Battalion

Dorset Regiment The Dorset Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 to 1958, being the county regiment of Dorset. Until 1951, it was formally called the Dorsetshire Regiment, although usually known as "The Dorsets". In 1 ...

*2nd Battalion

Middlesex Regiment The Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge's Own) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 until 1966. The regiment was formed, as the Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment), in 1881 as part of the Childers R ...

*2nd Battalion

Somerset Light Infantry The Somerset Light Infantry (Prince Albert's) was a light infantry regiment of the British Army, which served under various titles from 1685 to 1959. In 1959, the regiment was amalgamated with the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry to form the Som ...

*( Yorkshire's and Warwickshire's being left at

Cape Colony The Cape Colony ( nl, Kaapkolonie), also known as the Cape of Good Hope, was a British colony in present-day South Africa named after the Cape of Good Hope, which existed from 1795 to 1802, and again from 1806 to 1910, when it united with t ...

10th Battalion
/ref>

Support troops

Royal Engineers commanded by Lieutenant-colonel George Hamilton Sim (''may not have been present'') *17th Field Company *"A" Pontoon Troop

References

Sources

Natal Army
www.legionwargames.com *{{cite book, last=Pakenham, first=Thomas, authorlink=Thomas Pakenham (historian), title=The Boer War, publisher=Weidenfeld & Nicolson, year=1979, isbn=0-7474-0976-5 Military history of South Africa Military units and formations of the Second Boer War 19th-century history of the British Army