The
British Army in the Anglo-Boer War
1st Battalion, Royal Scots, Northern
The Boer
War was a watershed event for the British Army, the Boers employed hit-and-run
tactics that not only caused losses the British could not afford, they did not
conform to the usual "gentlemanly" rules of war.
The
British Army started off with 12,546 men in
It became
clear to the British that they had to adopt new tactics to defeat the Boers.
They needed to fight a series of battles over a long period of time covering
wide areas of ground, this involved marching in long columns for days at a time
across the vast plains or "veldt", often without proper uniforms or
rations. The weather caused problems, with freezing temperatures and storms in
the winter and very hot summers.
The Boer
War, according to Rudyard Kipling, taught the British "no end of a
lesson".. over 20,000 British Troops were laid to rest in the heat and
dust of the South African veldt, with another 22,829 being wounded.
Removing the dead
British Forces
Killed in Action or Died of Wounds
7,582 including 712 officers (7,894; 706 officers).
Died
of Disease
13,139 including 406 officers (13,250; 339 officers).
Total Deaths 20,721 (21,942, includes
accidental deaths).
The following Casualty
figures have been extracted from 'With the Flag to
South African Field Force |
Casualties |
11 Oct 1899 - Oct 1900 |
|
|
Officers |
Men |
|
Killed in Action |
302 |
2,902 |
|
Died of Wounds |
89 |
893 |
|
Died of Disease etc |
155 |
6,115 |
|
Prisoners who died in Captivity |
3 |
90 |
|
Accidental Deaths |
4 |
145 |
|
Total deaths in |
553 |
10,145 |
10,698 |
Prisoners and Missing |
7 |
822 |
|
Sent home as invalids |
1,422 |
33,077 (See end column) |
Wounded 5,196 Sick 26,800 Not specified 1,081 |
South African Field Force |
Casualties |
11 Oct 1899 - 31 May 1902 |
|
|
Officers |
Men |
|
Killed in Action |
518 |
5,256 |
5,774 |
Died of Wounds |
183 |
1,835 |
2,018 |
Died of Disease etc |
339 |
12,911 |
13,250 |
Prisoners who died in Captivity |
5 |
97 |
102 |
Accidental Deaths |
27 |
711 |
738 |
Total deaths in |
1,072 |
20,810 |
21,882 |
Prisoners and Missing |
|
105 |
|
Sent home as invalids |
3,116 (8 Died) |
72,314 (500 Died, 5,879 Discharged as unfit for further service) [See end column] |
Of 72,314 men; Wounded 8,221 Sick 63,644 Not specified 449 |
Total casualties in |
4,188 |
93,229 |
97,417 |
New Zealanders burying a casualty
Casualty
Searches, for both British and Imperial forces, charged at £5.00 per name can be
made using the following categories;
Surname,
Initials or Regiment. Often it is possible to state where the grave is located
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