Battles
Zand River
10 May 1900
By 6 May 1900, the British advance northwards from Bloemfontein to
the Transvaal capital of Pretoria was well underway. They encountered a
Boer defensive position based on a line of kopjes (small hills) north of
the Zand River, about 130 kilometres north of Bloemfontein.
The British commander planned to envelop the Boer position. On the
left flank, the cavalry division would loop behind the Boer lines. On
the right flank, the infantry would force a crossing of the river to
allow another mounted infantry force to cross and get behind the Boer
positions in an encircling manoeuvre.
The
2nd (Special Service)
Battalion, Royal
Canadian Regiment of Infantry, by this time reduced to approximately
half strength through disease and casualties in earlier actions, would
kick off the advance on the right. Before dawn on 10 May, "B" Company
of the Canadians advanced towards the river. It soon came under heavy
fire by a strong party of Boers in the river bed. "D" Company
reinforced "B", with two more companies in support.
No one had appreciated the strength of the enemy position. There
were over 800 Boers firing from protected positions. Against them were
no more than 70 or 80 Canadians firing from the open veldt, although
other Canadian companies were fed into the battle as they became
available. The Canadians were on their own for several hours, until the
threat created by the other British crossings forced the Boers to break
off the engagement.
The Royal Canadians, despite having been outnumbered by better than
ten to one at some stages of the battle, stood fast. Canadian casualties
were remarkably light - two killed and two wounded.