Battles
Israel's Poort
25 April 1900
The 2 RCRI on Bloemfontein Common, South Africa, 1899-1901,
NAC 003477
On 21 April 1900, 27 officers and 584 men of the
2nd (Special Service) Battalion, Royal
Canadian Regiment of Infantry, left the Orange Free State capital of
Bloemfontein, where they had endured a devastating epidemic of enteric
fever. They marched eastwards as part of a British offensive to cut off
Boer forces operating to the south-east.
The route from Bloemfontein followed a long valley which
progressively narrowed until the road was commanded by a line of kopjes
(small hills) at Israel's Poort. The Boers held this position in
strength, lining both the left (northerly) wall of the valley, and the
kopjes plugging the bottleneck at the valley's end. The British force
arrived at this position on 25 April.
The British commander decided to outflank the Boers with his mounted
infantry, rather than undertake a deliberate frontal attack. However, as
a prelude to this manoeuvre, he used his infantry to hold the Boers in
place. The Canadians were the lead battalion. Advancing under heavy
fire, they reached a wire fence 800 metres from a kopje.
Lieutenant-Colonel W.D. Otter, the
Canadian commanding officer, decided to pull the men back a short
distance into the cover of a ravine. The situation became confused and
some of the troops began to waver. The officers and non-commissioned
officers restored order and the manoeuvre was completed successfully.
In the process, Colonel Otter was struck by two bullets: one clipped his
badge of rank from his left shoulder strap, while the second grazed his
chin and then hit his neck, causing a flesh wound.
In the meantime, the British flanking movements began to lever the
Boers out of their strong position. With resistance lessening, two
Canadian companies advanced up a narrow ravine running obliquely across
the field, and suddenly appeared to the rear of the Boers. This settled
the matter, and the Boers abandoned the position. Casualties were
remarkably light considering the length of time the men had been under
fire. One man was killed, and three wounded, including Otter, who would
be out of action for a month. Israel's Poort, the first major engagement
for the Canadians since
Paardeberg, firmly established
the Royal Canadians as a veteran battalion.
Mounted medical orderly and regimental
transport of 2
RCRI on
the move.
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