The Ribble bridge was not defended so the advance to Preston was easier than expected. Wills, unwilling to wait for Carpenter’s army, sent 200 infantry into Church street but, despite their cautious approach, they came under fire and were forced to retreat leaving 120 casualties. Another attack made by 300 men captured two large houses but 140 men were killed. Houses were set on fire by the redcoats. Some of the Jacobites made their escape under cover of darkness if they were able, by Fisher Gate. The next day Lt-General Carpenter arrived from Clitheroe with 2,500 troops. His force contained three more regiments of dragoons, those of Lord Cobham (Royal Dragoons), Churchill and Molesworth. Fisher Gate was closed and the Jacobites were trapped. The defenders surrendered and gave themselves up as prisoners.

Buenos Aires 1806

The 9th Light Dragoons left Ireland and arrived in Liverpool in May 1803. Their stay in England was short because they were sent to South America to attack the Spanish on the River Plate (Rio de la Plata) in 1807. Spain had joined forces with France in 1796, so were at war with Britain. But there was an opportunity for the British to seize the Spanish towns on the River Plate, a task made easier because of Spain’s neglect of their colony. The British under Sir Home Riggs Popham had successfully captured the Dutch colony of the Cape of Good Hope in January 1806 and crossed the Atlantic to patrol the east coast of South America. Britain had considered plans to invade Buenos Aires and Montevideo but nothing was approved. Popham, however, took it upon himself to capture Buenos Aires with a force commanded by William Carr Beresford. This was successfully achieved on 27 June 1806 as there was little military resistance in the town. But a force under Santiago de Liniers recaptured Buenos Aires after 46 days of British occupation. The British besieged Montevideo in February 1807 and occupied the town. In May Lt-General John Whitelocke arrived to take command of the British forces and attempted to recapture Buenos Aires.

The 9th Light Dragoons were sent out at this stage of the campaign, but were without horses. The commanding officer was Thomas Mahon who was given command of a brigade consisting of the 9th LD, four troops of Carabiniers, also dismounted, and the 40th and 45th Regiments. Mahon, with part of the brigade, remained at Reduction to guard the heavy artillery so did not take part in the failed attempt to recapture Buenos Aires. Whitelocke was also responsible for surrendering and losing Montevideo, so was court-martialed. It is not clear if the 9th Light Dragoons sustained casualties, however, the regiment suffered badly on the return voyage. The transport was shipwrecked off Mount’s Bay, Cornwall during a storm. The casualties were 29 men and two children drowned, and the loss of all the baggage.

The Walcheren Campaign 1809

Six Troops of the regiment formed part of the army that sailed to the Netherlands in 1809 under the command of the Earl of Chatham. The cavalry numbered 15,000 but the fighting during the siege of Flushing actually caused far fewer casualties than sickness. Walcheren fever struck down 200 men of the regiment out of 500. But they were not free of it after leaving the place. Even after they arrived in the Peninsula two years later the disease continued to decimate their ranks.

Arroyo Molinos 28 Oct 1811

The 9th Light Dragoons arrived to join Rowland Hill’s division in the Alentejo, brigaded with the 13th Light Dragoons and the 2nd Hussars, Kings German Legion, the brigade commanded by Major-General Robert Long. Their first action was at Arroyo Molinos, but their strength was reduced to a little over 100 men because of the effects of Walcheren fever. Hill commanded British, Spanish and Portuguese troops in south west Spain. He caught up with the French, commanded by General Girard, at Arroyo Molinos and sent the 71st and 92nd Highlanders into the town to attack and drive the enemy out. The French formed squares to the south of the town but they were cut down with artillery. Spanish cavalry blocked the road to Merida to prevent the French escaping to the south west, but Girard ordered two cavalry regiments to clear the way to Merida. The 9th Light Dragoons and 2nd Hussars were sent to reinforce the Spanish. This part of the battle was successfully concluded with the defeat of the French cavalry and the capture of 200 prisoners. Amongst the captives was Brigadier General Bron who shot two men of the 9th dead before he was caught, He eventually surrendered to a trumpeter of the 9th. Brigadier André François Bron de Bailly was the highest ranking prisoner, the next being Prince D’Arenberg, Colonel of the 27th Chasseurs à Cheval who were fighting against the 9th Light Dragoons. The bulk of Girard’s army were surrounded and gave themselves up. The 9th was employed in pursuing Girard’s brother, Brigadier Dombrowski and others who tried to escape.

Service in Spain and Portugal 1811-1813

9th Light Dragoons 1812

Following the battle at Arroyo Molinos, the 9th Light Dragoons fought at Merida and took part in skirmishes at Rivera, Ocana and Alba de Tormes. But they were reduced to only two squadrons as a result of Walcheren sickness and shortage of horses. The regiment were part of the retreat into Portugal and were in a sorry state when they reached winter quarters in November 1812. The long retreat had cost them 75 men killed, wounded or captured while the loss in horses was even greater. In the spring of 1813 they were ordered back to Britain, but without their remaining horses which were desperately needed for other regiments. Wellington expressed his regret at sending them home, saying that he was ‘deprived of the assistance of these brave troops.’ For their efforts and losses the regiment had the consolation of knowing that they had gained their first battle honour, PENINSULA.

‘A detachment under the command of Captain Peters marched from London for the purpose of being instructed in the Exercise of Lancers…By His Royal Highness the Commander-in-Chief’s Order dated 19th January 1816.’

Lance Exercises

The instruction in the use of the lance took place at the Riding Establishment in Pimlico. All four of the regiments sent detachments there for instruction under the supervision of Captain John Godfrey Peters of the 9th Light Dragoons. A pamphlet was published that explained the Lance Exercises which came to be known as the three Pimlico Divisions.

One British officer had made a serious study of lance drill, having had a good opportunity to observe the Polish Lancers in Napoleon’s army while he was a prisoner in France. Lieutenant-Colonel Reymond Hervey de Montmorency had been captured in Spain, while serving with the 13th Light Dragoons, and taken back to France where he seemed to have enough freedom of movement to hang around the barracks and training areas of the Polish Lancers. He became obsessed with the weapon and prepared a treatise on the subject. When he was released in 1814 he attended a levée at Horse Guards on 23 May and took his treatise with him. On seeing the Duke of York, he presented him with the manuscript.

However he was in competition with Captain Peters, an officer of German origin, a protegé of the Prince Regent. It was humiliating for de Montmorency to be superseded by Peters, and excluded from the lance instruction. He had written Proposed rules and regulations for the Exercise and Manoeuvres of the Lance which became the standard authority on the subject, but it was not published until 1820. The first edition had a preface that revealed de Montmorency’s frustration at being the main instigator of ‘an advantageous improvement’ but who had been sidelined in favour of many who ‘hasten to imitate it’. He joined the 9th Light Dragoons in 1814 after his return to Britain but was not appointed commanding officer. He left the regiment and went on half pay in December 1816, no doubt in a fit of pique, and died in Rome in October 1827.

Transporting Horses by Sea

Voyages to Ireland

The Regiment’s improved Royal Status did not exempt them from duty in Ireland. They were sent there in 1832 for a three year period. In the regimental history there is no mention of any problem with the voyage but there must have been uneasiness amongst the veterans who had experienced previous voyages to Ireland. In November 1814 the regiment embarked at Bristol, and because of contrary winds did not reach Cork until the end of December. By that time most of the horses were sick and lame. In 1823 they faced another three-year term in Ireland and the three HQ transports were blown around by ‘contrary and boisterous winds’ driving them back to England so that they had to seek the safety of Ilfracombe and Milford Haven, the whole voyage taking ten weary and uncomfortable days.

Punniar Star

The Battle of Punniar, 29 Dec 1843

Two columns advanced on the Maharatta State of Gwalior, one commanded by Sir Hugh Gough, the other under Major-General Grey. The 9th joined Grey’s column at Kunch on 25 Nov 1843. On 29 Dec the long train that followed the army was attacked at the rear while the front of the column halted to set up camp. The 2nd Cavalry Brigade and a Troop of Horse Artillery was sent to help the wagons under attack. Meanwhile the Maharatta army had been moving parallel to the column on the north side of a ridge but stopped on the heights of a second ridge to take up position overlooking the Punniar Pass. Grey ordered an infantry attack led by the Buffs and the 50th Regiment. The Horse Artillery was to cover their advance. One squadron of the 9th escorted the guns while the other supported the infantry. The attack had to cross the first ridge, descend into a ravine and climb the second ridge to reach the enemy. The Maharattas fought bravely to defend their own guns but the tenacious infantry forced them to give up and flee. The cavalry were unable to cross the ravine and could not pursue the retreating enemy. By the time they were able to find a way round it was dark and the fleeing enemy were long gone.

Gough’s column fought the second Maharatta army at Maharajpore on the same day. Both battles brought victory to the British/Indian force and an end to the campaign. The 9th Lancers suffered no casualties and were the only British cavalry regiment to gain the battle honour PUNNIAR. The officers and men of the two squadrons were given the Punniar Star made from the bronze metal of captured guns.

Battle of Sobraon, 10 Feb 1946

Sobraon

The regiment was stationed in Meerut when they were ordered to join the Army of the Sutlej under Sir Hugh Gough. The battles of Mudki and Frozeshah had already been fought in this first war against the Sikhs, but the enemy had entrenched themselves at Sobraon on the Sutlej river. Gough’s army assembled in February 1946 when Sir Harry Smith’s division arrived after their victory at Aliwal and the siege train was ready. The 9th Lancers were detailed to escort the elephant battery of 24-pounders into position on 10 Feb and then placed on the right of the line. Hope Grant’s Squadron was sent forward in the smoke and mist to draw the enemy fire to establish where the Sikhs were. The infantry were then able to storm the entrenchments, but under a heavy fire. The 9th moved up un support ‘in the best order, under a heavy cannonade’ according to Gough’s despatch. The Sikh artillery fire came over the heads of the infantry and according to one trooper, ’came fizzing and whizzing about our ears most unpleasantly, and rattling amongst the lances and horses’ legs, and in less than five minutes upwards of 20 horses were disabled.’ The 9th kept changing position to reduce the casualties, but lost two men. One man, Private Patrick Nugent, had his beloved horse killed, so ran forward to join the infantry assault. He was with the 50th Regiment as they stormed the trenches and was so reckless in his anger towards the enemy that he inspired the men around him to fight with more determination. He was praised for his zeal and bravery, and promoted to corporal after the battle. The 9th followed up the infantry success and the retreating Sikhs abandoned huge quantities of equipment and supplies. The British casualties had been very high but the 9th had lost only two men. The Sikhs retreated to Lahore where Gough forced them to make peace and sign a treaty.

Chillianwallah, 13 Jan 1849

The Second Sikh War of 1848-49 broke out in May 1848, and the regiment joined Gough’s army at Ferozepore. They were at the battle of Ramnuggur on 22 Nov 1848 on the Chenab. The Sikh leader, Sher Singh, set up a strong defensive position near the Jhelum towards which Gough marched with his army. On 12 Jan the army entered the thick jungle at Dinga and camped for the night. The next morning they moved forward and shortly after midday, having forced out a Sikh outpost at Chillianwallah, they settled down for a further camp, but the Sikh batteries opened fire, and they deployed for battle. The 9th Lancers were in the 2nd Cavalry Brigade with the 14th Light Dragoons and the 1st and 6th Bengal Light Cavalry. The Brigade, placed on the right wing, was commanded by the 62 year-old CO of the 6th BLC, Lt-Col Alexander Pope, not experienced in handling a brigade and physically infirm.

Sher Singh

He ordered the brigade to advance in line which prevented the Horse Artillery from having a clear field of fire. But the line hesitated when a party of around 50 Gurchurras suddenly charged at the Bengal cavalry. Pope was mortally wounded with a sword cut to the head. There was an order ‘Threes About’ given by someone, and some of the men retreated, causing others to follow. The whole line was pushed back against Major Christie’s Artillery and great confusion followed, causing the death of Christie and many gunners, and the loss of guns.

Command of the brigade devolved upon Lt-Col Bradford of the 1st BLC, but in the confusion he was unable to control the retreat. The pursuing Gurchurras came within a short distance of Lord Gough. He had a personal escort of a Troop of the 5th BLC commanded by Henry Stannus. Blame for the retreat was put on the 14th LD, men who had fought so bravely under Colonel Havelock at Ramnuggur.

However, the 9th Lancers fought bravely in another part of the battle. On the extreme right of the line of battle, a large force of Sikhs were repelled by four squadrons, two of the 9th Lancers and two of the 6th BLC, commanded by the Hon Charles Powys and Major Abercromby Yule. This action was successful but did not feature prominently in the dispatches. The Sikhs were driven off but retained their artillery so the result, at a great cost in British lives, was a Pyrrhic victory, and Gough was heavily criticised. The 9th casualties were 4 men killed and 8 wounded.

Battle of Goojerat, 21 Feb 1849

The cavalry in Sir Hugh Gough’s army was commanded by General Sir Joseph Thackwell, consisting of three brigades. The 9th Lancers were in Brigadier White’s 3rd Brigade with the 3rd Light Dragoons, the 8th Bengal Light Cavalry and the Scinde Irregular Horse. The brigade was positioned on the left of the British/Indian line, facing Narawalla, one of five villages in front of the Sikh line that had been fortified by the enemy. The artillery of both sides opened up on each other, and as the fire slackened Gough’s infantry advanced on the villages of Bara Kalra and Chota Kalra, both captured with the help of batteries of the Bengal Horse Artillery.

As the advance progressed the Sikhs, after some bitter fighting, were starting to fall back. But the enemy cavalry, mostly Afghans, tried to circle round the left flank. This was checked, again by the Bengal Horse Artillery, and Thackwell ordered a cavalry charge which consisted of the Scinde Horse and a squadron of the 9th Lancers all under the command of Hope Grant. They were supported by another squadron of the 9th. The charge was conducted in close order and at high speed ‘exciting great admiration from onlookers’. Two enemy standards were captured and they drove everything before them. Gough and Thackwell praised this action in their dispatches, writing of ‘the most gallant, most brilliant, and most successful charge.’ By this fine achievement:

‘the whole of the right of the Sikh line was turned, and the day decided. The victory was ours, and the hostile army rapidly dissolved into flying fragments, before a relentless pursuit.’

The cavalry pursued the Sikhs beyond Goojerat for 12 miles towards the Jhelum, halting only when the artillery horses were exhausted. The battle ended the plans of the Sikhs to control the Punjab, resulting in British control of the region and the absorption of Sikhs into the East India Company’s army.

Wazirabad 1849-50

After the fighting in the Second Sikh War the regiment were sent to Wazirabad to recover from the hardships of the campaign, but their accommodation was very damp and unhealthy. It was unbearably hot in summer and bitterly cold in winter. In 1849 seventy men of the regiment died in hospital. In 1851 they were moved to better quarters in Ambala.

The Delhi Field Force

The Mutiny broke out in Meerut but word spread to other military stations so that the British officers were caught unawares and had to take measures to form a fighting force. The mutineers headed for Delhi to organise themselves and enthrone the last descendant of the Mogul royal house as King. The Commander-in-Chief, General George Anson, formed the Delhi Field Force, and the cavalry was put under the command of Hope Grant. The 9th Lancers were seriously undermanned, as officers were either on leave in England or on furlough in the hills. Ninety-five men were on leave so the total strength was 14 officers and 493 other ranks. The Field Force was divided into 4 Divisions, a squadron of the 9th allotted to each Division. They set off from Ambala, one Division at a time, between the 17th and the 25th May 1857. General Anson was initially in overall command, and his son, Captain Octavius Henry St George Anson, was given temporary command of the 9th Lancers. However, the General contracted cholera and died on 27 May.

Budli-ki-Serai, 8 June 1857

Budli-ki-Serai

The rebels had established a strong position at Budli-ki-Serai, 5 miles from Delhi. At 1am on the night of 8 June the force went on the offensive. Three squadrons of the 9th and 10 guns under the command of Hope Grant, worked their way around and attacked the enemy flank. The regiment was now commanded by Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Yule who had returned from leave two days previously. The mutineers, in the face of determined cavalry, started to retreat in an orderly manner, but the three squadrons of the 9th Lancers charged them so fiercely that their retreat turned into a rout. They abandoned all their stores, baggage and guns. Lieutenant Alfred Jones earned himself the VC when he captured a 9-pounder gun and its team. The gun was used to fire on the village where rebels were sheltering.

But the rebels still had artillery in action. The Commander-in-Chief, Sir Henry Barnard, who had taken over after the death of General Anson, was escorted by Cornet John Evans and 16 men of the 9th. A round shot from a rebel gun came amongst them, killing the Adjutant-General and another officer who were on either side of Evans. Three horses were killed in this incident. The fighting was fiercer than expected so that the casualties in the regiment were heavy; 14 men were killed and 11 injured. The loss of horses was 20 killed and 4 wounded. The rest of the battle was fought by the infantry who drove the rebels into the city so that Budli-ki-Serai became a base from which the siege of Delhi could be conducted.

Delhi, 19 June 1857

The 9th were in camp on 19 June when the mutineers made an attack. Hope Grant took a squadron of the 9th and six guns to confront the enemy. They were reinforced by the Guides cavalry, and a further incident on the Subzi-Mindi road to protect the guns resulted in the death of the CO of the 9th, Lt-Col Yule. As darkness set in, the rebels threatened two guns, so Hope Grant collected a few men and charged them. His horse was shot and he was left dismounted and in danger. Three men stuck with him and managed to get him away, Privates Hancock and Purcell, and Rooper Khan from another unit, all were awarded medals, the VC to the two men of the 9th and the Order of Merit for Rooper Khan.

Saving the Guns

Saving the Guns, 9 July 1857

The siege of Delhi required heavy artillery which was brought up and installed in batteries. Some rebels managed to infiltrate the camp and threatened the guns but they were thwarted by a picquet of 30 men of the 9th commanded by Lieutenant Arthur Bell-Martin, responsible for the protection of the guns. The enemy were driven off and praised by the battery commander, ‘The bold front and steadiness of the Troop of the 9th Lancers under Lieutenant Martin saved my guns. Nothing could be steadier.’ Bell-Martin distinguished himself throughout the Mutiny campaign and was mentioned in despatches four times.

The Regiment Employed as Artillerymen

The 9th Lancers earned a reputation as gunners during the siege of Delhi. Sixty men were detailed to be trained as gunners as there was a shortage of artillerymen. Five officers volunteered their services and Lt Blair and Cornet Evans were accepted. Ten men out of the 60 did permanent duty in Turner’s Troop of Bengal Horse Artillery. The force that besieged Delhi was commanded by Brigadier-General A Wilson of the Bengal Artillery, and it was to him that this glowing report was sent:

‘Every officer commanding a battery has reported most favourably of the men of the above detachments—their steadiness of conduct, their alacrity and earnest desire to render themselves useful. In No.2 Battery especially, the officer commanding reports that on the morning of the 14th, from a paucity of artillerymen, the guns were worked entirely by men of H.M.9th Lancers. I consider it incumbent upon me to bring to the special notice of Major-General A. Wilson, the officers and men of the 9th Lancers who were employed in the batteries as artillerymen under my command and observation. Lieutenants Evans and Blair were deserving of honourable mention for the zealous and cheerful performance of their duties. The coolness and bravery of officers and men in situations of extreme danger whilst engaged in a novel duty, called forth the admiration of all who witnessed it.’

The final assault on Delhi began on 14 Sep but the breach had been repaired by the defenders. A 24-pounder gun was needed to break through at the Kashmir Gate. Only two sergeants of artillery were available, so 30 men of the 9th Lancers put their skills to use and performed well ‘like trained artillerymen’. One column was sent to the Lahore Gate and a force of cavalry under Hope Grant consisting of 200 of the 9th Lancers and 400 Sikhs, provided protection and support. There was a threat from the Mori Bastion where the rebels had artillery. When the bastion was taken some men of the 9th used the captured artillery to fire on the rebels.

However, the assault on the Lahore Gate failed which meant that Grant’s cavalry was exposed to fire from muskets and artillery. The 9th Lancers suffered heavy casualties; 42 men killed or wounded and 61 horses killed or wounded. This did not cause any panic, ‘The courage of the 9th Lancers was never surpassed, when Grant commended their sturdy gallantry under fire, they replied that they were ready to take as much more of it as he liked.’ For two hours the brigade stood firm. The city of Delhi was finally captured on 20 Sep 1857.

Bulundshahar, 28 Sep 1857

After the capture of Delhi the rebels dispersed, and a column was formed to chase fugitives in the Gangetic Doab. The 9th Lancers, Hodson’s Horse and detachments of the 1st, 4th and 5th Punjab Cavalry, together with infantry and artillery were put under the command of Colonel E H Greathed. Major Henry Aime Ouvry of the 9th commanded the cavalry, and the regiment was under the temporary command of Captain William Drysdale. They left Delhi on 24 Sep and caught up with the rebels at Bulundshahar. A three hour battle ensued in which the regiment suffered casualties and earned 5 Victoria Crosses. In the course of the battle Lieutenant Robert Blair and ten men were sent to retrieve an ammunition wagon but were surrounded by 50 rebels causing Blair a shoulder injury that later required major surgery. Private Donohoe earned a VC for rescuing him. When Drysdale was leading a charge he had his horse shot so that he broke his collarbone and was in need of help. Trumpeter Robert Kells and Private Henry Jordan stepped up and brought him to safety; and Private Roberts rescued Farrier Stillman. All three earned the VC for their actions. The battle resulted in the capture of three guns and a large quantity of baggage and ammunition.

The Delhi Spearmen at Agra, 10 Oct 1857

Delhi Spearmen

The wounded were sent to Meerut and on 3 Oct, Greathed’s column marched to Lucknow to join Havelock’s column, but on the way he received an urgent plea to rescue families at Agra, so took a detour away from his objective. But on arrival the danger had been averted and the column set up camp. It was here that Sergeant Hartigan went to the aid of another sergeant who was being killed by four insurgents. The rebels attacked the camp in force soon after and took the men by surprise. Enemy cavalry attempted to capture the guns but prompt action by Captain Lucius French and his squadron caused them to retreat, although French was killed. In the ensuing battle the regiment made a furious charge down on the rebel army with lances ready. This caused panic amongst the mutineers who fled and named the 9th Lancers as the Delhi Spearmen. The fugitives were pursued for 10 miles or more. The enemy lost 13 guns, 400 carriages and a quantity of ammunition. The charge earned Private Freeman a VC for rescuing Lieutenant Jones.

Operations, Nov 1857 - Feb 1858

During the relief of Lucknow the regiment protected the rear of the column and kept open the lines of communication with Dilkoosha. 27 Nov escorted the convoy of wounded and families to Cawnpore. 6 Dec defeated rebels outside Cawnpore 8 Dec pursuit of the Gwalior rebels. Captured 15 guns 11 Dec they destroyed the palace and temple of Nana Sahib at Bithoor 15 Jan the action of Gungaree, a detachment of the 9th with the Carabiniers. 17 Jan action at Pattiali. Pursued rebels for 13 miles. 2 Feb action at Goorsaigunj Bridge. 3 Feb action at Shamsabad. Lt James Goldie and RSM Spence recommended for VC.

Meangunge, 23 Feb 1858

On 8 February 1858 Sir James Hope Grant was placed in command of the whole force operating between Cawnpore and Bunni. They established themselves on the east bank of the Ganges and from there dealt with isolated bands of rebels to the west of the Lucknow-Cawnpore road. The fort of Meangunge was stormed on 23 Feb and the garrison fled the place. One officer of the 9th, Captain Octavius Anson, wrote about the pursuit of the mutineers:

Mutineers Surprised

‘No resistance was offered and no sooner were the infantry well into the place than the enemy came pouring out in all directions, and then our fun commenced, We cantered about three quarters of a mile, when, coming within range of their muskets, we gave a shout and charged with all our might. In a minute we were in the middle of them. I nearly tumbled off my horse in a vain attempt to cut down a man who dodged me, then deliberately proceeded to shoot me. However, I went at another, but he dodged me too, and stood at bay with his drawn tulwar inviting me to come on. I was just preparing for a rush when Gough came charging down and felled him with a powerful blow on his head. Fawcett’s horse then tumbled in consequence of a man running right between his legs. Fawcett got up, cut the man’s head open, and mounted up again just in time to charge with me and nine or ten men through a patch of trees alive with brutes hiding in it. There were 14 men killed in it. Evans of his Troop started off with eight men after some wretches and killed about sixty, Evans himself, armed with a lance, killed seven, and each of the men seven or eight. Cole, also was armed with a lance, being used to pig-sticking, killed two right and left with great skill just before he lost his horse. After this exploit the force moved on across Bunni bridge to Bantheera, to join the main body of the army in its advance on Lucknow.’

Moosa Bagh, 19 Mar 1858

On 6 March a squadron of the 9th together with two squadrons of the Bays, chased rebels beyond the river Gomtee. In a skirmish, Private Goat earned the VC when he retrieved the body of an officer of the Bays. On the 19th two squadrons dislodged rebels from Moosa Bagh where they had gathered after the fall of Lucknow. The regiment was highly praised by Sir James Outram, ‘as they undauntedly charged masses of the enemy’. In the fighting the regiment earned two more VCs; Troop Sergeant-Major Rushe and Private Newell both performed well against rebel infantry. Captain Josias Coles’ squadron captured 12 enemy guns.

Rohilcund, April-May 1858

The regiment left Lucknow on 7 April and headed into Rohilcund. They were with Walpole’s Division at the attack on Roorja Fort. At Sirsa, Lieutenant A Wilkinson’s Troop captured 3 guns. At Bareilly the town was besieged on 5 May, but the heat was so bad that Sir Colin Campbell halted activity for the rest of the day. The next day they found that Bareilly had been evacuated. Part of the regiment fought at Panhat on 18 May, and on 24 May they pursued the rebels for 20 miles as far as Mahoom Dee. By the end of May the rebels had been cleared from Rohilcund.

Last Days of the Mutiny, Sep 1858 - Jan 1859

In June the regiment returned to their base at Umballa under the impression that their 13 months continuous active service was over. But in early September they were ordered to march towards Cawnpore. They reached Delhi on 5 Oct and were given the task of escorting the King of Delhi and his family to Allahabad from where he was sent into exile in Peru. On 25 Oct the regiment was engaged at the passage of the Gogra where the rebels were defeated. They then had to endure a series of long forced marches in which there was only occasional action. Their final battle was at Kumda Kothi on 4 Jan 1859.

Advance to Kabul

However, on 3 Sep 1879, Cavagnari and his escort of the Corps of Guides, were killed at Kabul by the orders of Yakub Khan. So hostilities were resumed and the regiment advanced towards Kabul. The detached squadron was in the advance-guard and in September involved in an action at Taga Thana.

Charasia, 6 Oct 1879

On 6 Oct a party of 20 men of A Squadron, 9th Lancers under Captain Herbert Apperley moved from Charasia at daybreak to reconnoitre the pass. They were almost immediately fired on and the battle of Charasia began, involving 90 men of the 9th together with the 8th Hussars, 14th Bengal Lancers, 12 Bengal Cavalry and 5th Punjab Cavalry as well as artillery, and British and Indian infantry. The fighting lasted all day but by sunset all the main positions had been secured and the tribesmen driven off. A cavalry force which included 102 men of the Ninth were sent to cut off the retreat of the enemy who were abandoning Sherpur. The town was found to be deserted and 75 guns were captured.

On 4 Nov 1879 the headquarters and other two squadrons of the regiment joined Apperley’s squadron at Sherpur cantonments. One squadron accompanied a small force under Brigadier-General Macpherson and took part, on 9 Dec, in the defeat of Mir Butcha near Killa Kazi. The next day, acting as escort to four horse artillery guns, this squadron moved off early and was later overtaken by Brigadier-General Massy with another squadron under Lt-Colonel Cleland and 44 men of the 14th Bengal Lancers under Captain Neville. It was intended by Roberts that this force of artillery and cavalry should act in cooperation with Macpherson’s infantry, but the action at Killa Kazi on 11 Dec was unsupported by infantry.

Killa Kazi, 11 Dec 1879

The battle of Killa Kazi was a defeat that caused the loss of four guns and the retreat of the British Indian force. It took place in the Chardeh Valley near Kabul. General Massy commanded the force of cavalry and artillery heading towards the Ghazni road, was confronted unexpectedly by 10,000 tribesmen led by Mohamed Jan. General Roberts arrived on the scene, and anxious to prevent the Afghans’ advancing on Kabul, ordered the cavalry to charge; 126 men of the 9th Lancers and 44 of the 14th Bengal Lancers, led by Lt-Col Cleland. They charged into the mass of tribesmen and were joined by Captain Gough’s Troop who were the advance guard. Cleland fell, dangerously wounded and the charge was impeded by terraces and nullahs, so made little impression on the enemy. They were forced to retreat and another attempt by Captain Stewart-Mackenzie was ordered to go in again.Trumpeter Charles Duly described the battle from his point of view:

Battle of Killa Kazi

‘We circled around Cabul until we came to the gorge, the same one we went over on the 8th of October. We got into the Chardeh Valley and it was here our troubles commenced. We advanced towards the top of the valley by the road, and the enemy came down in swarms from the hills into the valley . The artillery opened fire on them at 1700 yards, but in a very short time they were in the valley like a swarm of bees. All this time the artillery was firing, we were formed up in line waiting for the order to “Charge”. It was a curious experience as we sat in our saddles waiting, with those black beggars shooting at us, and we could do nothing. My feelings were not much to boast of on that occasion, I can tell you. I felt as though I had not an ounce of strength in my whole body. I was dead to the world as it were. I saw men and horses dropping on either side of me and the bullets whizzing past my head. The question you know, was, who was to be next.

‘All that limp feeling passed away however, when I was ordered to sound charge. I came to myself and close behind Captain McKenzie. We charged a good distance when the General’s trumpeter sounded the recall. We rallied back and formed up again. We had another charge at them but it was only to try and get the guns away. Three of the guns retired about 2,000 yards back leaving one gun behind. I sounded the recall again. We rallied back to the guns and [30 men] with carbines dismounted and opened fire at them, but it did not do much good as there was something like 10,000 to about 200 [of us] all told. We made another dash to try and save the guns, but it was no go. This made the third time we had charged the enemy. We had to retire leaving the guns behind us.’

There were many acts of great bravery that day but two we know about are Trumpeter Duly’s rescue of Private Cavanagh and Rev James Adam’s rescue of some men of the 9th Lancers. Trumpeter Duly had been cut off after the third charge and was being chased by Afghans. His horse was wounded but managed to jump a nullah and evade them for a while. He came across Private Cavanagh, a lancer in his own regiment, who asked for his help. At great risk to himself, he got him onto a stray horse and brought him to safety.

Rev James Adams, a military padre, saw some men of the 9th lancers in a wide deep ditch, having fallen from their horses, and trapped under them. He rushed into the water, dragged the horses off and got the men out. He was up to his waist in water and being fired on by tribesmen from a short distance. He lost his own horse in the process and had to escape on foot. He was awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery.

The 9th Lancers lost Lieutenants William Ricardo and Charles Hearsey, and 16 men killed. They had 13 men wounded and 34 horses killed, 37 wounded. The CO, Lt-Colonel Cleland, died of his wounds on 7 Aug 1880 after months of suffering. The lost guns were retrieved by Colonel Charles Macgregor, Chief of Roberts’s staff, with the help of Trumpeter Duly who acted as scout.

The Siah Sung Heights, 13 Dec 1879

There was a ceremony on 13 Dec for the burial of the men killed at Killa Kazi, but while it was going on they were called out to attack Afghans who had been driven off the Takht-i-Shah peak on the Siah Sung Heights. They joined up with Indian cavalry and caught the enemy on both flanks. In one charge the regiment sustained heavy casualties. Captain Strange Gould Butson who was commanding the regiment, was shot through the heart; Captain John Scott Chisholme was shot in the thigh but remained in the saddle and brought the regiment out of action. Five men were killed and 7 wounded; 4 horses were killed.

Kabul, December 1879

Squadron at Kabul 1880

General Roberts’ army had entered Kabul in October but were in a dangerous situation so had concentrated at the Sherpur Cantonments outside the city. Sherpur came under a serious attack on 23 Dec during which the Afghans suffered heavy casualties but the British/Indian force suffered lightly and victory was declared. The next day reinforcements arrived, commanded by Brigadier-General Hugh Gough, so that Kabul was re-occupied. The regiment remained based at Kabul until August 1880.

Second Battle of Charasia, 25 April 1880

Sir Donald Stewart’s Column had been in Kandahar but moved out with the intention of establishing lines of communication with Kabul. On 19 April the column fought a battle at Ahmed Khel and defeated the Afghans. However they were short of supplies and unable to advance further. Roberts ordered a force of 4,000 to make contact with Stewart and bring him what he needed. Major Abadie commanded a squadron of the 9th in this force. A detachment from Stewart’s force under Colonel Jenkins had found itself surrounded at Charasia. The column from Kabul reached Jenkins and a second battle of Charasia took place on 25 April. The enemy was defeated and the cavalry pursued them for 4 miles.

Kabul to Kandahar, 8 - 31 Aug 1880

Kandahar, garrisoned by British and Indian troops under Lieutenant-General James Primrose, was under siege from the Afghan army of Ayub Khan. Brigadier-General Burrows had fought them at Maiwand on 27 July, suffering a disastrous defeat. The remnants of his force withdrew to Kandahar, 45 miles distant, followed by the Afghans who established themselves along a ridge outside the city. When General Sir Frederick Roberts received news of this he decided to risk taking 10,000 of the Kabul garrison on the perilous 320-mile march at the hottest time of the year, to the relief of Kandahar. The 9th Lancers, commanded by Lt-Colonel Henry Bushman, was the only British regiment in the Cavalry Brigade, leaving Kabul on 8 August. An account of the journey was written by Private Samuel Crompton of the 9th Lancers, and was included in Ian Knight’s compilation of eyewitness memoirs Marching to the Drums (Greenhill, London and Stackpole, Pennsylvania 1999)

‘It was my birthday when we began the march from Kabul to Kandahar. That is one thing which fixes the start indelibly in my memory. There were 10,000 fighting men of us all told, and more than 8,000 followers - doolie-bearers, servants and so on. Then we had 2,300 horses and gun-mules, and something like 8,000 camels, ponies, mules and donkeys for transport…. By far the greatest number of the forces consisted of native troops - 7,000 odd to about 2,500 British. We had 18 mountain guns, which are carried in sections and put together when wanted for use. You will understand how light we marched when I tell you that each British soldier was only allowed 30lb for kit, and each native soldier 20lb. Everything had to be carried either by men or animals.

‘…crawling with its sick and footsore through a gloomy, barren land of mountains, intensely hot by day, and perishingly cold at night, ceaselessly harassed by a cruel foe that hung on to it to capture and destroy the stragglers. If you could have commanded a view of it you would have seen it stretching for miles, just moving over crag and plain, its progress regulated, like a fleet of warships, by its slowest members.

9th Lancers, 1880

‘We of the cavalry brigade - the 9th Lancers and three native regiments - covered the movement at a distance of about 5 miles…Two of our cavalry regiments led the way, and another regiment was on either flank. Two infantry brigades followed, a mountain battery with them, and field hospitals, the treasure - precious possession! - and baggage, and so on, came next. The rearguard was formed of the 3rd Infantry Brigade, with a mountain battery, and a Troop or two of cavalry. Hard as the work was which fell on the main body, it was, I think, more severe on the cavalry, because we had to take turns in going to the front and flanks and forming a screen round the main body which was marching in the middle.

‘We had bread-stuff for 5 days, preserved vegetables for 15, and rum, tea, salt and sugar for 30. Those were the supplies for the British troops. The natives were just as well provided for - indeed, so perfect was the foresight of our chief [Roberts], that when at last we got to Kandahar, we had 3 days’ supplies in hand.'

The first few days were not difficult as the country was fertile and rich enough to supply the army. Roberts was careful to pay the going price for animal feed and other provisions so as not to antagonise the local population. As well as the sheep they started out with, 5,000 more sheep were purchased along the way. Indian corn was bought when it could be found, for feeding the horses…Water and fuel were scarcest and it was hard work to find either. Water could be reached by digging but it was usually salty. Sometimes houses were bought to provide wood for fires, otherwise they had to find roots to burn. And fires were needed at night.

‘By day we frizzled, and by night we froze. And with all the heat of the march there was the ever-present cloud of sand which the column raised - sand which got into our eyes, our mouths, our ears, our boots, our clothes - everywhere, until with the heat and irritation of it we were almost maddened. But torturing though it was, it was the same for all, and you can get used even to keeping your clothes on for the best part of a month.'

The marching day lasted 15 or 16 hours, from 3am until 7 or 8 at night. There was a halt of 10 minutes every hour with longer breaks for meals. For some, the pace was too hard and an Indian follower would fall behind and beg to be allowed to remain and die. But they could expect no mercy from the tribesmen. Private Crompton was appalled when they reached Ghazni, 100 miles from Kabul, to see that the graves of British soldiers had been dug up and bones scattered. They also came to Kelat-i-Ghilzai where they received news that the garrison at Kandahar was still managing to hold out although a sortie had been carried out resulting in heavy losses. Roberts requisitioned the garrison at Kelat-i-Ghilzai, adding almost another 10,000 men. After a march of 220 miles, a day’s halt was ordered which was obeyed with deep gratitude.

On reaching Kandahar, on 31 August, it was difficult to know who was more relieved, the garrison or the relief column. There were 1,000 British troops there, along with 3,000 Indian soldiers. Sir Frederick Roberts, although weary and suffering from the after effects of a bout of cholera, rode in on his horse, Vonolel, and immediately set about preparing for battle. That day, a reconnaissance was sent out under General Hugh Gough which was involved in a fight with the enemy.

Battle of Kandahar, 1 Sep 1880

The battle began at 9am on 1 September, the day after Roberts’s arrival. Ayub Khan had withdrawn his forces to the village of Mazra, but other defended villages had to be cleared, Gundi Mulla Sahibdad was attacked by Macpherson’s 92nd Highlanders and 2nd Gurkhas, and Gundigan attacked by Baker’s 72nd Highlanders, 5th Gurkhas and 2nd Sikhs. The battle was fought by artillery and infantry. While cavalry elements were to cover the Murcha and Babawali passes, the bulk of the cavalry under Gough, moved around, across the Urgundab, in a wide circuit, to cut off the Afghan retreat. The infantry had cleared the villages and went on to Pir Paimal, fighting near the Babawali Pass. The Highlanders suffered heavily but routed the Afghans in a bayonet charge. Gough’s cavalry were not placed in time to confront the retreating enemy, so avoided the action. The 92nd Gordon Highlanders had the highest number of casualties, 19 killed and 71 wounded, while the 9th Lancers had no recorded casualties. The defeat of Ayub Khan’s army effectively ended the 2nd Afghan War.

Ranelagh Team 1910

The first Inter-Regimental Polo Tournament in India took place at Meerut in 1877. The 9th Lancers reached the final and played against their old rivals, the 10th Hussars, beating them 1-0. By this time the teams were four-a-side, playing at either Meerut or Umballa. They nearly always reached the final, except in 1882. Of the six finals they played between 1877 and 1885, they lost only one, to the 10th Hussars. There was no tournament in 1879-80 because of the Afghan War.

In 1886 one of their officers, Captain Malcolm Orme Little, played polo for England in the International matches against America at Newport USA. A quarter of a century later, another officer, Captain Arthur Noel Edwards, played for England against America in 1911 and 1913 but was killed in WW1 at Ypres on 25 May 1915. After the war, Major Geoffrey Phipps-Hornby played for England against the USA in 1924, and in 1936 Captain G E Prior-Palmer played in the International polo matches against America at Hurlingham.

At the Inter-Regimental Polo Tournament at Hurlingham the 9th reached the finals every year from 1887 to 1891, winning the last three of those finals. During their posting to Ireland from 1890 to 1894 they won the Irish Military Polo Tournament and the All-Ireland Open Cup.

The regiment was posted to South Africa from 1906 to 1910 during which time the polo team won the Beresford Cup in 1908 and 1909, the Inter-Regimental Cup 1909 and the Subaltern’s Cup 1908, 1909 and 1910. Riversdale Grenfell, Francis Grenfell and George Cholmondley, the Earl of Rocksavage were members of the Ranelagh Team which won the Open Championship of America in 1910, the only time this has ever been won by an English team.

On their posting to England the 9th Lancers won the Subalterns Polo Tournament in 1911 and 1912 but were knocked out in the semi-finals of the Inter-Regimental both these years. The Subalterns again reached the final in 1913 and 1914 but were defeated by the 12th Lancers.

After the war the regiment was in Germany in 1919 and began playing polo again, reaching the final of the Inter-Regimental Tournament and winning the Subalterns Cup at Cologne. They were then posted to Ireland and in 1921 sailed to Egypt. From 1922 to 1925 they won the Inter-Regimental cup every year but in 1926 they reached the final against the 15th/19th Hussars but lost 9 - 5.

Officers, September 1899

Disastrous Voyage 1899

On 8 Sep 1899 the regiment was ordered to mobilize for active service in South Africa. The CO, Bloomfield Gough, was on leave in England so the regiment was commanded by Major Little, consisting of 16 officers, 475 other ranks (plus a bakery detachment of 30), with 518 horses and 36 mules. They travelled by train to Bombay and sailed to Durban on the 24th and 25th Sep on three ships, the Wardha, the Nairung and the Nowshera. They had a good voyage, and arrived on 10 Oct. But they were redirected to Cape Town, and it was the Wardha, carrying C Squadron, that ran into a terrible storm with catastrophic results. A letter written by Lieutenant Lord Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood described what happened:

‘The horses of my Troop were in wooden stalls on the upper deck, all the others down below between decks. The rolling got worse and worse, and my Troop’s horses began to fall down. Every man was told to hang on to his horse so as to keep its chest away from the front board when the animal was thrown forward by the roll. At last the seas became enormous. All my Troop was drenched over and over again. One man got washed off his feet and was thrown with great violence four times up and down the deck. At last the wooden framework of the stabling began to crack, and the squadron-leader gave the order for no.1 Troop horses to be abandoned. Five minutes after that the entire side of the woodwork gave way; two of my chargers and four others were at once washed overboard. Now came the most horrible scene I have ever witnessed. The deck was covered with one struggling mass of horses and mules mixed up with broken woodwork of the stables, the whole being hurled first to one side of the deck and then the other. Out of 50 horses and mules on my deck only three were saved….Out of 150 horses we have lost 92 horses and mules. Tuesday, October 10th 1899 will never be forgotten by ‘C’ Squadron, 9th Lancers, not if we live to be Methuselahs!’

By 20 October, C Squadron were able to rejoin the rest of the regiment in camp at Orange River Station. War had been declared on 11 Oct and Ladysmith was besieged. The 9th were part of Lord Methuen’s column ordered to relieve Ladysmith. However it took time to assemble 10,000 troops so the regiment rested in camp. On 28th Oct a violent storm washed their camp away, and it wasn’t until 21 Nov that the column could get moving.

Belmont, 23 Nov 1899

The Boers were in a strong position at Belmont and the column attacked them on 23 Nov, sending the infantry in for a frontal attack. The mounted troops were split into two divisions and sent around the enemy’s flanks. The regiment was at this time under the command of Bloomfield Gough and he led A and C Squadrons to the west while D Squadron was with the division that went to the east intending to cut off any Boer retreat, but instead continued eastward to the main enemy laager although they failed to find it. Gough’s division achieved very little as they were halted by a Boer flank party, so the Boers were able to get away.

Enslin, 25 Nov 1899

Two days after Belmont the regiment’s fortunes took a further downturn. The Boers were on the Enslin kopjes and a similar tactic was used to attack them, this time D Squadron were forced to retreat from their western approach and Lt-Col Gough’s division, taking the eastern route, came under artillery fire and spent a stressful day trying to dodge the shells. When at last, the Boers withdrew in an orderly fashion the 9th were in no condition to chase after them. A fresh party of Boers threatened the regiment’s rear and they only managed to get away under cover of Lt Allhusen’s machine gun section. Half the regiment’s horses had become temporarily or permanently unfit. The whole affair caused Lord Methuen to be extremely dissatisfied with the cavalry and he took the unusual step of relieving Bloomfield Gough of his command and replacing him with Major Little. As Sheppard’s History of the regiment says; ‘This was indeed a sad ending to an honourable career of 26 years in the regiment.’

Modder River, 27 Nov 1899

Officers, Dec 1899

The Boers, under the command of De la Rey, chose to make a stand at the Modder River where Methuen’s column engaged them in a scrambling, confused battle in which the Boers held their ground all day. The 9th Lancers were on the right wing and not directly involved in the fighting. The terrific heat and lack of food and water made it a very unpleasant day but only one casualty occurred when a man was wounded by shell fire. They patrolled the next day and reported that the enemy had vacated their position and fallen back on the high ground at Magersfontein.

Magersfontein, 11 Dec 1899

The battle of Magersfontein is well known as one of three major defeats suffered by the British in Black Week, the others being Stormberg in Cape Colony, and Colenso in Natal. De la Rey had sited his Boer trenches at the foot of the Magersfontein kopjes and this fact could have been established with a more probing reconnaissance but the cavalry sent out for that purpose gained little information and were tricked into thinking that the Boers were on the high ground. The 9th lancers covered a partial withdrawal on Saturday 9 Dec, and the army suffered a very wet night. On Monday morning, after a heavy bombardment, the Highlanders advanced at dawn in close formation, ‘more or less massed like a church parade’ according to Lieutenant Allhusen:

‘We were on the right flank advancing towards a long ridge. Whenever we got within range we were hotly fired at. We couldn’t get around the right flank on account of the river. At 6.45 no progress had been made, and things were in an awful muddle.’

Allhusen was in charge of the Maxim Gun section. They were sent, along with two squadrons, at 9 am, to support a RHA battery on a ridge, and remained there till dark. They were able to fire on the enemy at 1,500 yards but suffered from sniper fire so that any movement was dangerous. The squadrons managed to withdraw but the Maxim Gun section remained to support the battery.

‘About 12 our artillery fire slackened and the infantry in front kept coming back in twos and threes. We tried to rally those that came near us, but it was no use — they had had more than flesh and blood could stand. Their blood was not up, and never has been. No troops in the world could have recovered from the morning’s disaster and gone on with hardly any officers to lead them.’

At 1.45pm there was an effort by the Boers to capture the ridge but the RHA battery and the Maxim gun silenced the concentrated enemy fusillade. They were running out of water and the horses were sent off to the river. At 5.30pm the enemy opened a barrage which caused the Highland Brigade to retreat but the British artillery silenced these guns. Only Allhusen and two men manned the Maxim, and his account continued:

‘I had by now practically used up all the ammunition we carried, so I had to withdraw at dusk and go right back to the supply column. It took a long time to fill the maxim belts by hand. We did not lie down till 10.30. About this time the supply column was moved back towards the camp, so we were left all alone on the veldt — quite safe of course. We got up at 2.30am, Tuesday, so as to get back to the firing line by daylight. It was most bitterly cold, and we set to work to build ourselves protection. There was no firing — a sort of mutual understanding. Everything went on in peace, and the doctors and ambulances were terribly busy, while the two armies watched each other.’

They were ordered to hold the ridge and entrench themselves, but later the order came for a general retirement which began at noon on Tuesday, 12 Dec, the Boers allowing them to get away more or less unmolested. The losses of the 9th Lancers were 2 men killed and 8 wounded. Eight horses were killed and 19 wounded.

Koodoosberg Drift, Feb 1900

There was a lull in the fighting while the British army altered the command structure. Lord Roberts was sent out from England to take command, and his plan was to advance from the west, relieving Kimberley and then turning east towards Bloemfontein. To conceal his intentions, Roberts ordered ‘demonstrations’ to deceive the Boers. The 9th Lancers were not seriously involved for 5 weeks but on 3 Feb 1900, C and D Squadrons were sent, as part of a force under Major-General Macdonald to demonstrate at Koodoosberg Drift, 15 miles west of Modder River Station. After two days of hard marching the drift was captured and D Squadron seized a hill to the north. Attempts by the enemy to recapture the hill were fought off and on 7 Feb the squadrons rejoined the main army which was now preparing for Roberts’s Offensive.

Passage of the Riet and Modder Rivers, Feb 1900

Reinforcements from Britain meant that the cavalry and mounted infantry were organised into a strong division under Lieutenant-General French. The 9th and 16th Lancers, and O and R Batteries RHA formed the 3rd Brigade under Brigadier-General J R P Gordon. They headed east and crossed the Riet River at De Kiel’s Drift. Two squadrons of the 9th then guarded Waterval Drift for the infantry crossing, and rejoined the cavalry division for the passage of the Modder River. They crossed at Klip Drift unopposed, but the 3rd Brigade continued north to Rondeval Drift where, on 13 Feb, they came into action against a Boer laager on the far side of the river. The unprepared enemy did not put up a fight and fled. The abandoned forage and water at the laager provided much needed replenishment for the hungry and thirsty horses. They remained on the Modder until 15 Feb, during which time outposts of the regiment took measures to deal with Boer snipers.

Cavalry Charge at Klip Drift, 15 Feb 1900

The Boers occupied two ridges that blocked the route north from the Modder and French ordered Gordon’s brigade to charge the nek between the ridges. There were only two squadrons from each of the lancer regiments available for the charge. The following is an account taken from the Official History of the War in South Africaby Sir Frederick Maurice:

Charge at Klip Drift

‘These four squadrons were deployed in extended order, 8 yards between files, with the 9th Lancers on the right, under Major M O Little, the 16th Lancers on the left under Major S Frewen. The rear ranks formed a second line 20 yards behind. Placing himself at the head of his brigade, Gordon led it forward at a pace of about 14 miles an hour, which he judged to be the fastest that the horses in their enfeebled condition could keep up; the nek was about two miles off, the ground was good, and fortunately free from wire. The squadrons came at once under a shower of bullets both from the front and flanks, yet few fell. The extended formation, the pace of the charge, and the thick clouds of dust puzzled the burghers, while the supporting fire of the batteries shook their aim. Though bullets knocked up jets of dust all round the extended files, the casualties of the main body of the leading brigade were slight. As the lines of lancers approached the crest of the nek at a steadily increasing pace, the burghers manning it became nervous, shot worse and worse, and then mounted their ponies and galloped off in headlong flight. The few staunch men who stayed to the end were struck down or made prisoners. It was the most brilliant stroke of the whole war, alike in the prompt decision with which it was ordered and the consequences which followed from it.’

Relief of Kimberley, 15 Feb 1900

Kimberley was relieved on the same day as the action at Klip Drift, General French entering the town on the evening of 15 Feb. But there was still the pursuit of the retreating Boers to consider. The enemy rearguard was very effective and fought off any attempt at pursuit. The 9th Lancers were engaged at MacFarlane’s on the railway. A Squadron made a charge which cost them dearly in casualties. Their horses were exhausted so that when the enemy retreated they were unable to follow. Five days earlier, the 9th had left Modder River Station with 422 horses; now only 105 were fit for service. The whole relief operation had caused the regiment the loss of one man killed and 20 wounded.

Paardeberg, Feb 1900

Paardeberg

The relief of Kimberley caused the Boer leader, Cronje, to retreat eastwards and entrench his 4,000 strong army on the banks of the Modder River near Paardeberg. The 9th Lancers, with the rest of Gordon’s Brigade had to ride 40 miles in 18 hours to reach Koodoosrand, driving off Boers threatening the rear of the British line on 18 Feb, the day that the infantry were decisively beat off by the Boer defenders. A force under De Wet came to relieve Cronje, positioning themselves on a nearby hill. On 21 Feb the regiment, mustering 88 mounted men, moved round the flank of De Wet while the infantry attacked, and drove them off. Most of them escaped, but C Squadron made a charge that caused several Boer casualties due to lance thrusts. There was a counter-attack on an outpost squadron on 23 Feb, but it was beaten off by Lt Allhusen’s Maxim Gun team. Cronje’s army capitulated on 27 Feb, the anniversary of the British defeat at Majuba Hill in 1881. The regiment had suffered only six men wounded, one of which was Captain David Campbell, and earned them the battle honour PAARDEBERG.

Poplar Grove, 7 Mar 1900

Reinforcements of 120 men and horses brought the regimental strength up to 300 men and 266 horses. The infantry were to face the enemy on the Modder River while the whole cavalry division took a circuitous sweep around the rear of the Boers to cut off their retreat. But they did not complete the movement and at daybreak the Boers began to retire. The 9th, on the left of the line, were sent to turn the right flank of the enemy rearguard, in position on the south slope of a ridge covering their main line of retreat. C Squadron began to dismount 450 yards from the Boers but the enemy counter-attacked and fired on the squadron before they could remount. Two men were killed and 13 wounded, as well as 32 horses being hit. The Boers then retreated and the regiment pushed on to Poplar Grove to bivouac.

Brandfort, 25 & 29 Mar 1900

Whilst the regiment were staying in Bloemfontein a report stated that hostile Boers were found to be in the area of Brandfort, beyond the Modder River. C Squadron was sent, with a squadron of the 16th Lancers, to reconnoitre the situation on 25 March. However, they ran into trouble and were fired on from the front and both sides. They had to make a fighting retreat to Glen Siding, having lost 4 men wounded and 4 missing. A much greater force was sent to clear the enemy from Brandfort on 29 Mar. The 7th Infantry Division and all the available cavalry (650 men) assembled at Glen Siding. The 9th were again subjected to a long march around to the enemy rear at Karee Siding while the infantry attacked their front. Horse Artillery and Maxim guns were brought into action and the Boers retreated from Brandfort. The 9th were ordered to pursue but the order was countermanded by General French as there were several wire fences obstructing the pursuit and the 9th’s horses were exhausted.

Leeuw Kop, 24 April 1900

The Free State was still a turbulent war zone and Wepener was besieged. The infantry was sent to relieve the place and the 3rd and newly formed 4th Cavalry Brigades were sent to cut off the retreat of the Boer besiegers. The 9th had 378 all ranks and 327 horses, heading towards Dewetsdorp. They encountered the enemy at Leeuw Kop on 24 April and D Squadron was ordered to secure a high ridge above the enemy position. But they came under fire from their flank at short range losing 5 men killed and 13 wounded, including 2 officers.

Thabanchu, 29 April 1900

Dewetsdorp was found to have been abandoned by the enemy so the cavalry went on to Thabanchu, the place to which the Boers had fled. On 28 April a patrol under Second Lieutenant Stanley Theobald was captured after pursuing too far at Springhaan’s Nek. The regiment was bivouacked at Thabanchu, and the next morning, the 29th, a large force of Boers attacked the 3rd Brigade camp. The retreat was sounded and the cavalry had to pass through a gorge to the open ground to the west. The 9th formed the rearguard and fell back by alternate squadrons, moving as if on parade, despite continuous shelling. An eyewitness wrote that it was ‘one of the prettiest pieces of work done so far’. Two days later two squadrons chased off a party of Boers threatening a detachment on Thaba mountain, northwest of Thabanchu. Within the space of two weeks the regiment had sustained 30 casualties, however, the advance along the railway to Kroonstad and beyond, in May, caused 60 men and horses to fall sick.

Botha’s Attack, Johannesburg, 30 May 1900

General Louis Botha

The army crossed the Vaal river almost unopposed and the 3rd Brigade, now joined by the 17th Lancers, covered the front and right flank. Eight miles east of Johannesburg the brigade was bivouacked and temporarily under the command of the 9th’s CO, Lt-Col Little. A Squadron was on outpost duty on 30 May, and was suddenly attacked ferociously by 500 Boers under Louis Botha. The enemy were armed with artillery and drove the picquets back. One squadron of the 16th Lancers came up to assist them and a Horse Artillery gun was temporarily captured by the enemy. The rest of the brigade was sent into action and after a sharp fight Botha’s men retired.

The Failed Mission 1-2 June 1900

A raid was organised with the objective of destroying a railway bridge at Bronkhorst Spruit. It consisted of 250 all ranks drawn from the 3rd Cavalry Brigade and commanded by Major Aylmer Hunter-Weston RE who had a team of engineers specialising in bridge blowing. It involved a 70-mile trek on tired horses which had to be led at night. At dawn on 2 June they mounted up, but a recce patrol reported a force of 1,000 Boers ahead of them. The order was given to retire, which they did Troop by Troop as the Boers moved to each flank to surround them. The retirement was accomplished with great discipline so that the enemy was kept at a safe distance. This continued until a suitable defensive position was reached at Bapstfontein. They were able to concentrate the force there and discourage the Boers so that reinforcements were not needed. The horses were rested and the enemy dispersed so that they could return to camp. Three officers of the 9th were wounded, one of whom, 2nd Lt John Pollok, later died. One man was killed, four wounded and one missing. The horse casualties were 29.

Diamond Hill, 11-12 Jun 1900

Lord Roberts led his triumphant army into Pretoria on 6 June 1900 but this time without the 9th Lancers who had escorted him into Bloemfontein three months previously. The regiment was sent to the southeast where Boers were reported to be in strength, commanded by Louis Botha. The positioning of the enemy astride the railway at Diamond Hill prompted Roberts to offer battle with 16,000 men against 6,000 Boers. The 9th played a minor part in this, the last pitched battle of the war. The cavalry were divided so that they covered both flanks of the infantry. The 2nd and 3rd Brigades were on the right, tasked with clearing the way for Maj-Gen Ian Hamilton’s infantry through the passes of the range west of and facing the main enemy position. The 2nd Brigade had most of the fighting while the 3rd held the ridge and escorted Hamilton’s supply convoys. On the second day of the battle they guarded the right flank of the infantry attack. By 13 June the Boers had pulled back during the night and the fighting was over.

Hunting De Wet, Jun - Jul 1900

Boer War Map 1900

The 3rd Brigade set off from Pretoria on 19 June towards the newly named Orange River Colony as part of a force under Hamilton in pursuit of de Wet. The CO, Lt-Col Little was promoted to take charge of the brigade, and Major Colvin took command of the 9th Lancers. The brigade caught up with the rearguard of de Wet’s force of 2,500 near Lindley on 19 July. Boer artillery opened fire on them but the brigade pom-pom silenced their guns. The brigade transport was threatened by a dismounted group but this was dealt with when C Squadron dismounted and exchanged fire. The 2nd and 3rd Brigades joined up and followed the enemy towards the Vaal river where de Wet’s men would be trapped, but they escaped in early August and headed to the Magaliesberg mountains which were guarded by the British and thought to be impassable, but the Boers found a way through and doubled back to the Orange River Colony.

Quaggafontein. 31 Aug 1900

August was the height of the South African winter and the regiment was subjected to cold wet weather which depleted the spirits on the long hard marches through barren landscapes. The 9th Lancers was reduced to 100 mounted men, whittled down by snipers. Colonel Little was wounded on 25 Aug in a small skirmish. On 31 Aug they met up with a strong enemy force at Quaggafontein. The 17th Lancers bore the brunt of the confrontation and were pinned down until nightfall. The 9th were in support and, although the brigade casualties were heavy, they only suffered one officer and two men wounded. The expedition ended at Johannesburg with only 35 horses fit for service.

The regiment was brought up to strength in September so that they had 300 men and horses. The work was hard over the next 6 weeks, with marching around the region of Vredefort, Heilbron and Bloemfontein. In mid October they trekked west to the upper Vaal but still had no chance of catching de Wet. This arduous trek cost them 96 horses put out of action. They arrived at Bloemfontein on 10 Nov where they were told that the 3rd Brigade was to be broken up and distributed among the mobile units for sweeping the country.

Smithfield, 2 Dec 1900

The lancers were re-armed at this stage. Carbines and lances were put aside and the men issued with rifles. A and D Squadrons were allotted to a column under Lt-Col Barker and C Squadron was placed in Lt-Col Herbert’s column. They set off on 22 Nov on yet another hunt for de Wet. The Boers were reported to be laying siege to Dewetsdorp. As they advanced, news came that the British at Dewetsdorp had surrendered and the enemy was heading for Bethulie Bridge. De Wet was soon caught in what was thought to be a watertight trap in the rugged inhospitable area east of the lower Caledon River. There was an encounter southwest of Smithfield on 2 Dec where both columns were kept busy in a firefight in which Lt Theobald was wounded. He was in a dangerous situation and after several brave attempts, was rescued in the dark by Privates Leutchford and Vincent. The Boers were still there the next day and the battle continued as the rain began to fall heavily and carried on for the next 36 hours. By nightfall the Boers withdrew and the columns found their return hampered by flooded rivers. Food supplies were depleted so they were relieved to reach the wagons at Smithfield.

The rest of December was spent in more fruitless pursuit of de Wet. C Squadron, attached to Lt-Col Herbert’s column was helping to clear the area between Smithfield and Rouxville, during which process Captain Lord F Blackwood was severely wounded in a skirmish on 24 Dec. On 1 Jan 1901 Barker’s column was involved in an exchange of fire with a squadron of Irish Yeomanry who were mistaken for the enemy. On 9 Jan A and D Squadrons were allotted to another column commanded by Lt-Col White. There was action on 17 Jan when D Squadron, acting as rearguard came under attack, and on the following day A Squadron in the advance guard were also attacked. A week later there was another change so that the regiment was placed in Lt-Col Maxwell’s column. This was part of a force under Bruce Hamilton sent to prevent de Wet reaching Cape Colony and linking up with commandos led by Brand and Hertzog. Hamilton’s force did not engage with the enemy but de Wet was prevented from joining forces with the other commandos so the mission was declared a success.

A new and controversial tactic was devised by Lord Kitchener who had taken over command from Lord Roberts. This was the herding of civilians into concentration camps and removing all livestock, in effect a scorched earth policy. In March the force under Hamilton was given the onerous task of rounding up Boer families in the areas of Aliwal North, Wepener, Edenburg and Springfontein. Within 3 weeks they had brought into Edenburg 1,100 Boer civilians, 900 black people, 33,000 sheep and 1,000 head of cattle.

Boer Ambushes, April - May 1901

On 3 April 1901 the regiment was reunited at Springfontein but a tragic loss occurred on 17 April. A patrol under Second Lieutenant Hon A MacDonald was ambushed at Vertkraal west of Helvetia. A couple of Boers decoyed the patrol so that they charged at them up a kopje. They were led into an area where they were fired on at point blank range. All eleven men were shot. MacDonald and 5 men were killed, the others wounded. On 27 May Lieutenant Stirling’s Troop was fired on in a pass near Edenburg. Five men were killed and three wounded. Lt Stirling escaped but rode back to rescue his sergeant whose horse had been killed.

Abbot’s Ann, 6 June 1901

At the end of May the regiment was railed south to Cape Colony where they were to operate for the next 10 months. On arrival at Dordrecht they were attached to a column under Colonel H J Scobell, along with the Cape Mounted Rifles (CMR). The column was sent out towards Jamestown to hunt the commandos of Kritzinger and Fouche, 700 strong. After a perilous night march they caught up with them at a farm at Abbot’s Ann. The CMR attacked their front while the 9th slid their horses down a steep slope to come at them from the flank. Many of the Boers escaped from the farm and were pursued by D Squadron for two miles. The regiment suffered no casualties and captured 18 Boers along with 163 ponies and a large quantity of saddles and rifles. The enemy were local rebels and this victory acted as a deterrent to others who considered joining up.

The Graaf Reinet Area, July 1901

C Squadron was once more separated and worked with Major Lund’s column formed at De Aar. The rest, under Scobell, set off from Molento and had a difficult train journey to Graaf Reinet. A successful attack on Scheepers’ commando at Elandsport on 12 July gained them 11 prisoners and 30 horses. They then escorted a slow convoy of ox wagons to Middleburg where they were inspected by General French. On 31 July the column rode towards Cradock to seek out Kritzinger’s and Lotter’s commandos. They found them on a high ridge beyond Visch River station. The CMR and 9th attacked from different directions but were both held up, and the 9th lost one man killed and two wounded. Lieutenant Theobald, having recovered from injuries suffered in Dec 1900, was badly wounded and died two days later.

The Capture of Lotter’s Commando, Sep 1901

Hans Lötter

Scobell’s column started out on 1 Sep from Visch River Station and caught up with Lotter’s rearguard near Paardefontein. A further circuitous march brought them to within 9 miles of the commando laagered at a farm at Groenkloof. The column was wet, hungry and tired after a march that had taken them over steep hills. Scobell appealed to them to make a final effort before returning to Graaf Reinet. They moved out at 1am on a cold wet night and arrived at the Boer laager at dawn. The guides leading the column were very competent and brought them to the least defended side of the laager consisting of two open kraals and a farmhouse. The Cape Mounted Rifles approached from high ground while A Squadron under Lord Compton and D Squadron under Captain Gordon rode past the kraals which were alerted and opened fire at close range. Compton led some of his men in a heroic charge against this fusilade while others flung themselves at the wall of the kraal. Gordon’s men were on the other side so that the kraal was surrounded, and the CMR fired down from the hill. The Boers surrendered after half an hour and the whole commando of 120 men became prisoners. Two hundred ponies and 30,000 rounds of ammunition were collected. The casualties were 9 killed and 8 wounded, of these 7 of the killed and 5 of the wounded were from Compton’s Squadron.

Sweeping the Veldt, Sep 1901 - Jan 1902

The rest of September was spent sweeping the country eastwards from Graaf Reinet, without any sighting of the enemy. In early October they were railed south to Klipplaat to take part in another drive under the direction of Douglas Haig. The Boer leader they were seeking this time was Jan Smuts. During Sept and Oct the time spent in the saddle was disheartening and tiring, covering almost 600 miles in 4 weeks. In November they went by train back to patrolling north of Dordrecht to chase commandos under Fouche’s leadership. From 14 to 26 Nov they covered 235 miles, mostly at night with only one skirmish at Burghersdorp on 29 Nov. After another incident near Barkly East on 7 Dec involving a long chase, Scobell’s column was split into groups to comb the area. By the end of December the column, consisting of the CMR and the 17th and 9th Lancers, was assembled at Dordrecht for a rest. The strain on men and horses had been severe so that even Scobell himself had to take sick leave.

Boer War Map 1901

Major S W Follett who had been in temporary command of the 9th Lancers took over command of the column which combed the area between Dordrecht and the Orange River without success. At the end of January 1902 they returned to the Graaf Reinet region to seek out Boers commanded by Cornelius Wessels. They finished up, on 14 Feb, at Three Sisters Station on the Kimberley—Cape Town Rail line. It was here that they were astonished to receive the order to hand over 200 of their horses to the 5th Lancers. However, when the CO of the 5th Lancers saw the poor condition of the horses he declined to take them. This was a sign that their time in South Africa was coming to an end, but they were sent out on one more trek.

The Last Trek, Feb - Mar 1902

On 23 Feb 1902 they set out in a column commanded by Major F Wormald and made contact with enemy groups under Wynand Malan on 25th and 27th Feb. At Vogelfontein on 1 March Malan’s Boers were driven out of a strong defensive position. On 3 Mar they encountered them again at Tafelberg where D Squadron galloped at them on a high ridge under heavy fire. They had to dodge an unexpected wire fence, but the charge was successful and the enemy dispersed, pursued by the rest of Wormald’s column. One man was mortally wounded in this battle which turned out to be the last day of active service in the Boer War for A and D Squadrons.

C Squadron, Jun 1901 - Mar 1902

C Squadron had been detached from the rest of the 9th Lancers for 9 months. The squadron commander, Major Lund, was given command of a column consisting of his own C Squadron, Brabant’s Horse and some Yeomanry, 600 men in all. He rushed them to the relief of the garrison at Richmond which was being besieged by Malan’s commando. This relief operation was successful, driving the fleeing besiegers as far as Vogelfontein where they were cornered and defeated.

The column stayed at Nelspoort for a refit and then took part in a large-scale drive northward. On 18 July they made contact with a group under Smit at Karren Bosch and another group under Scheepers which managed to escape over the railway near Nelspoort. The drive came to an end with C Squadron halting at Rietfontein Station southeast of De Aar. The pursuit of Smit and Scheepers was called off when reports came in that fresh commandos were approaching the Orange River to slip into Cape Colony. The column was employed along Orange River for several weeks without seeing action.

Voyage to India, Mar 1902

Lund’s column arrived at Victoria West Road in early March 1902 and the 9th Lancers’ squadrons were reunited. Horses, transport and equipment were handed over in preparation for the move to the coast. On 11 March the whole regiment entrained for Cape Town, embarking on the SS Mohawk on 16 Mar. The ship sailed up to Durban where the 5th Dragoon Guards were picked up on 23 Mar, and then headed for India.

The 9th’s War Record, 1899 - 1902

The 9th Lancers had taken 203 casualties by the end of the war. The total killed or died was 6 officers and 65 other ranks. Wounded: 15 officers and 115 men. Missing: One officer and 23 men. These figures represent 55 per cent of the officers and 22 per cent of the men. Of the 40 officers, only 18 returned to India; six remained on the staff in South Africa and the rest were ‘non-effective’. Honours for the officers were: 6 DSOs, 8 brevet promotions, 30 mentions in despatches. Ten DCMs were won by the other ranks, including a bar for Sgt F Andrews. There were 3 special promotions and 33 mentions in despatches for the other ranks. The distances covered, measured along the route taken by regimental transport from camp to camp, and without taking account of the extra mileage covered with patrols and reconnaissance, added up to 8,530 miles.

Historical Record of the Ninth, or the Queen’s Royal Regiment of Light Dragoons, Lancers (1715 - 1841)
by Richard Cannon