THE HEREFORDSHIRE RIFLE VOLUNTEER CORPS AND THE THE BOER WAR
The Anglo Boer War was fought by Britain and her Empire against the Boers in South Africa. The Boer
Republics declared war on 11th October 1899 and the conflict ended on 31st May 1902, a duration of 2
years and 8 months. There were three distinct phases to the War:
Stage 1 - Boer offensive. At first, the Boer republican fighters were successful in three major
offensives. Their commandos (battalions) invaded northern Natal and besieged the town of
Ladysmith, invaded Cape Colony to lay siege to the British garrisons in Kimberley and Mafeking.
Stage 2 - British response. With heavy reinforcements and the assumption of overall command by
Lord Roberts with Lord Kitchener as his Chief of Staff, the British turned the situation
around. Imperial troops eventually relieved the besieged towns of Ladysmith (28th February 1900),
Kimberley (15 February 1900) and Mafeking (18th May 1900).
Stage 3 - Guerrilla war. Under the leadership of Louis Botha, Christiaan de Wet, Jan Smuts and de
la Rey, the Boers abandoned the British style of warfare and increased their reliance on small and
mobile military units. The mobility of these units enabled them to capture supplies, disrupt
communications and undertake raids on the army of occupation. The British embarked on a policy
to deny supplies to the fighters. Farms were burnt and Boers movement restricted by blockhouses
and miles of wire fencing guarded by 50,000 troops. These measures were largely responsible for
bringing the Boers to the negotiation table to end the War.
The need for British troops to sustain the operations was critical. Many regular troops were distributed
throughout the world ‘policing the empire’ and were unavailable. Local units were formed in South Africa
and volunteers called for from the reserve forces in Britain – Militia, Rifle Volunteers and Yeomanry.
A Volunteer Service Company (VSC) was formed to support the 2nd Battalion King’s Shropshire Light Infantry
(KSLI). The VSC comprised 116 men approximately ⅔ from Shropshire and ⅓ from the Herefordshire Rifle
Volunteers (HRVC). The VSC deployed to South Africa for 12 months on 3 March 1900.
Circumstances were such that a 2VSC was required, and again 116 men sailed for South Africa in March
1901.
VSC, outside the Officers’ Mess Copthorne Barracks Shrewsbury before deployment.
The Queen’s South Africa Medal (QSA), with
campaign bars: South Africa 1902, South Africa
1901, Transvaal, Orange Free State and Cape
Colony; as awarded to men on the 1 and 2 VSCs.
The following volunteers from Herefordshire lost their lives in South Africa, whilst serving with the KSLI and
their names are recorded on the South Africa War Memorial, outside St Chads Church in Shrewsbury:
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HRVC serving with 1VSC:
LCpl FR Oakley, Pte HH Adams
HRVC serving with 2VSC:
Cpl A James, Pte JP Smith
4 (Herefordshire) Militia serving with 2KSLI:
LCpl WJ Morgan, Pte A Gingell, Pte A Goodwin, Pte
D Mountain, Pte J Russell, Pte G Tinson, Pte W Vicarage, Pte C West.