Units
Royal Canadian Dragoons
A party from the Royal Canadian Dragoons on patrol on the South African
veldt, October 1900.
Canada's first contingent, consisting of the
2nd (Special Service) Battalion,
Royal Canadian Regiment of Infantry, had barely sailed for South
Africa when, on 2 November 1899, the Canadian government offered a
second contingent consisting of horse-mounted infantry and field
artillery. At first, Britain declined Canada's offer, believing there
was no need for additional troops. However, London changed its mind in
mid-December after a series of disastrous defeats at the hands of the
Boers. In raising the new mounted unit, the Canadian government searched
for men who were already experienced horsemen and good shots.
The unit was originally named the 1st Battalion, Canadian Mounted
Rifles, and comprised a total of 19 officers and 371 men and their
horses, organized into two squadrons. The core of each squadron was
provided by experienced regular officers and men from the Royal Canadian
Dragoons, the cavalry unit of the Canadian Permanent Force. For
this reason, in August 1900, at the unit's own request, the 1st Canadian
Mounted Rifles were renamed the Royal Canadian Dragoons. The volunteers
comprising the remainder of the battalion came from cities and towns in
Manitoba and the eastern provinces. Many were members of cavalry
regiments of the part-time militia.
The battalion disembarked at Cape Town on 26 March 1900 and was soon
on its way to the front to join the 1st Mounted Infantry Brigade. The
Dragoons fought a number of engagements in the advance to Pretoria, and
subsequently participated in operations on the high veldt east of that
city. In one of these, at
Leliefontein on 7 November
1900, a detachment from the unit, with two
12-pounder field guns of "D" Battery,
Royal Canadian Field Artillery,
fought off a series of mounted charges by a superior Boer force. Three
Dragoons won the Victoria Cross for this action.
A number of factors contributed to the success of the Royal Canadian
Dragoons. First, its voyage to South Africa was delayed by a month
because of sickness in the crew of the troopship. This allowed the unit
to train properly before its dispatch into battle. Secondly, in addition
to some very fine soldiers and a popular and spirited commanding
officer,
Lieutenant-Colonel François-Louis Lessard,
the unit also possessed more than its share of brave and able officers
who led from the front – a trait reflected in battle casualties of
two killed and four wounded among the ten lieutenants. Unlike most other
units, moreover, the Dragoons used their machine gun section very
aggressively. The Royal Canadian Dragoons was, in fact, perhaps the
most effective Canadian unit to serve in South Africa, and among the
best on either side.