Mounted Infantry (MI) Battalions/Divisions

[brindlerp]

"For it was Robert's plan to mount fifteen thousand men as MI. Where were the horses to come from?"

p. 381, Chapter 31, The Plague of Bloemfontein, The Boer War by Thomas Pakenham.

"Colonel Henry took command of the Battn. The Shropshire, Cornwall, Warwick and Yorkshire Regiments each supplying one Company. The whole was designated the 4th Battn Mounted Infantry." From a diary by a soldier in the Yorkshire Regiment.

It appears that the regiments of the day donated at least one company to the composite battalions of Mounted Infantry during the South African War 1899-1902.

Both the 3rd and 4th Battalions of the Royal Warwicks sent companies/several sections of M.I. to serve in South Africa over two years.

My Grandfather was posted from the 3rd Battalion Royal Warwicks to the 4th battalion 24.02.1900 and posted to South Africa from 28.02.1901 to 13.10.1902.

I would like to know which Mounted Infantry Battalion and Division he served with where and when, before he was posted to the 1st Battalion in India (14.10.1902).

Does anyone know the relevant reference numbers of the files to search at the National Archive and the Imperial War Museum, which may have this information?

Are these any other sources of information worth exploring?

I have yet to discover a source(s) of information that gives:-

1. Date of creation and disbanding,

2. Composition,

3. War diary/record

Of all the M.I. Battalions/Divisions in the South African War

Regards

Richard

[Stuart Brown]

Richard,

I cannot answer any specifics but for information I have a page on The Malta Mounted Infantry which includes:-

"and was made up of compliments from the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, The Lancashire Fusiliers and Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, plus a mixed section under Lieut. H.K. Attfield of the 2nd Battalion..."

I forget how I came by this but its main reference relates to The Sherwood Foresters. There is no further mention of Warwickshire Regt. I can paste it here if wish?

Stuart

[Staffsyeoman]

A friend of mine's PhD was on the Mounted Infantry in South Africa, I'll see if he can point us in the right direction.

[brindlerp]

Richard,

I cannot answer any specifics but for information I have a page on The Malta Mounted Infantry which includes:-

"and was made up of compliments from the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, The Lancashire Fusiliers and Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, plus a mixed section under Lieut. H.K. Attfield of the 2nd Battalion..."

I forget how I came by this but its main reference relates to The Sherwood Foresters. There is no further mention of Warwickshire Regt. I can paste it here if wish?

Stuart

Stuart, yes please.

I am collecting whatever I can, which at the moment is very little.

My Grandfather was posted from 2nd Battalion Royal Warwicks to 3rd Battalion Royal Warwicks 06.09.1899. He served in Malta from 06.09.1899 to 23.02.1900.

I think he gained his Mounted Infantry Certificate in Malta, but have no further details.

Regards

Richard

[Stuart Brown]

Stuart, yes please.

THE "MALTA MOUNTED INFANTRY"

by Deanis Darmanin (Malta)

Having seen much service in South Africa, Sir Francis Grenfell, Governor

and Commander-in-Chief of Malta, had great conviction that war in South

Africa was imminent. Every available mounted man or those who could

ride would be needed there, so he suggested to the War Office that he

should be permitted to establish a training school for mounted infantry

in Malta. The War Office gave the necessary sanctions and some time

towards the end of December 1899, Captain W.R. Marshall, was given orders to buy ponies and to take the necessary

steps for the formation of a Mounted Infantry School. Although

unconfirmed, its location is very likely to have been at the Pembroke

Camp, which later became known as St. Andrew's Barracks.

The 1st and 2nd Sherwood Foresters were stationed in Malta and various

records exist to the regiments' stay and connection with the Malta

Mounted Infantry. As certain victualling and consumables were not

catered for by the military, a number of private firms were contracted

to supply such needs on regular basis. One particular was 'Messrs J.E.

Mortimer & Co., Army and Navy Agents and Contractors'. Mortimer was

also one of Malta's leading producers of 'aerated water' and other

beverages, whose Eagle Works were quite famous at the time. His

production plant is believed to have been located in the vicinity of

Il-Menqa or Lighters Wharf in Marsa. One particular source had even

suggested that Eagle Alley in Marsa, which is also in this particular

area, could have been named after Mortimer's Trademark, an eagle perched

on a bar. An entry in the company's 'Recent Testimonials' records that

Captain P. Rigby of the 1st Battalion, The Sherwood Foresters had

written from his office at the Auberge de Baviere on November 20, 1899,

to complement the firm for catering to the needs of the Officers Mess on

their arrival in Malta and their departure.

As for the 2nd Battalion, all ranks were greatly disappointed to find

that they were not going to proceed home to England after a prolonged

tour of foreign service, and still more so that as a battalion it was to

take part in the South African Campaign then just commencing. It was

well understood that the Second was the more matured battalion from the

two, and the one with having the larger and more recent experience of

active service. However, if it was to be denied the good fortune of

proceeding to the seat of the war as a complete unit, many of its

officers and men had the good luck of being sent to South Africa with

the different sections and companies of Mounted Infantry which were

organised in Malta. Records compiled by some of those officers who had

commanded, raised or served with these units in the field have served to

learn more about the story of the stay of the Battalion in Malta.

The Sherwood Foresters were not the only to train in Malta at the new

school. Two months after its formation, about the middle of February

1900, orders were received for No.1 Malta M.I. Company to sail in the

Pavonia, which left Malta on the 20th. The Company was under the

command of Captain J.E. Pine-Coffin of the Loyal North Lancashire

Regiment, and was made up of compliments from the Royal Warwickshire

Regiment, The Lancashire Fusiliers and Loyal North Lancashire Regiment,

plus a mixed section under Lieut. H.K. Attfield of the 2nd Battalion

The Sherwood Foresters composed of something of over a dozen men from

the same Battalion. The remainder belonged to Captain Pine-Coffin's own

battalion. Sergeant Dames of the 2nd Btn. was the Section Sergeant, and

was alone in having some previous experience in the country, having

served as a bugler with the late Major F.S. Evans' Mounted Infantry

Company of the 1st Battalion during the Matablele trouble.

Captain Pine-Coffin was a man who kept records of events and of how the

title of Malta Mounted Infantry had originated. The following is a

particular entry in his diary:

"Cape Town. March 20th. Pavonia arrived and the M.I. were ordered to

proceed to East London. The Pay Office at Cape Town decided to christen

us "the Malta M.I." - hence our name', and the result of this appears to

have been that the authorities laboured for some time under the

impression that the Company was composed of Maltese; and when later on

the Company was ordered to join the Colonial Division, then forming

under General Brabant for the relief of Wepener, that commander

expressed his regret to Captain Pine-Coffin that the only languages he

knew were English and Dutch!"

The Training Camp in Malta must have remained to supply fresh troops in

duration of the war in South Africa. Another letter addressed to Mr

Mortimer, dated February 6th, 1901, and written by Captain W.L. Loring,

thanking and praising his firm for having always supplied a Mess for the

Officers of the Mounted Infantry with stores, including wines, cigars,

and other luxuries when in camp in Malta during the last year. At this

time, Captain Loring was the Commanding Officer of the Depot.

[brindlerp]

Stuart, many thanks indeed for the Malta M.I. article.

Its also interesting that Captain W.L. Loring was Commanding Officer of the depot.

In 1914, then Lieut-Col W.L. Loring was Commanding Officer of the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment.

"The 2nd Royal Warwickshire, under Lieut.-Colonel W.L. Loring, arrived in England from Malta on September 19. It was then assigned to the 22nd Brigade † under Brigadier-General Lawford, in the 7th Division, which was commanded by Major-General T. Capper. On October 6 it landed at Zeebrugge as part of the force under Lieut.-General Sir Henry Rawlinson, which was intended in the first instance to cover the retreat of the Belgian Army and Naval Brigade from Antwerp. .... ...

In the afternoon the Germans attacked the rest of 22nd Brigade on the ridge east of Zonnebecke, and the 2nd Royal Warwickshire was hastily brought up. There whilst forming a defensive left flank to the brigade Colonel Loring was wounded by a stray bullet in the heel.

Just before dark the Coldstream Guards (who had just come from the Aisne) arrived, and at midnight the Royal Warwickshire were able to close to their right to billets at Zonnebecke.

On October 21 the Germans made another heavy attack on the 22nd Brigade, and the Royal Warwickshire were thrown in near the cross-roads east of Zonnebecke to restore the fight. At the end of the day the battalion still held the ridge, but there were gaps in the line and the casualties had been severe. Captain Methuen was killed, Captain Whaley wounded, and Lieuts. Collins and Somerville were wounded and missing. All that day Colonel Loring, in spite of his wound, had ridden, regardless of danger, even in close proximity to the front line. The night was exceptionally dark, and it was with difficulty that at midnight the troops were mustered in the rear of the ridge and marched back through Zonnebecke, now deserted and battle-worn. Though the men had scarcely able to keep awake whilst on the ridge, they had at once to dig trenches in the rear of the village.

On October 22 the Germans did not advance through Zonnebecke, and the battalion was able to rest and improve its new line. On October 23 the enemy threatened to push their attack through Polygon Wood to the south of Zonnebecke, and a company of the Royal Warwickshire was consequently detached to assist the South Staffords. At dawn on the following day the remaining three companies were sent to recover lost trenches where the Germans had broken through our lines at Polygon Wood. The wood was very thick and it was difficult to keep direction, but after hard and close fighting the Germans were driven back. Then the three companies came under heavy machine-gun fire from a small farm-house. Nevertheless the house was assaulted and captured, and after the line had been reformed they advanced another mile and recovered the lost trenches, which they held till evening. Colonel Loring, who in spite of his wound still remained with his regiment, rode that day at the head of his men, encouraging them to greater efforts by the example of his fearless bearing. Twice his charger was shot under him, and at last he fell himself on the assault on the farm. He was one of three noble brothers,* all alike conspicuous for character and courage, who were killed in the first year of the war. Earlier in the day 2nd Lieut. Deane had been killed, and the other casualties were over a hundred. It was the price of a fine achievement, which, as General Rawlinson told the regiment next day, had saved the situation at a critical moment.

* The other two were Major C.B. Loring of the 37th Lancers, Indian Army, and Captain William Loring of the Scottish Horse, who was mortally wounded at Gallipoli. " by C.L. Kingsford.

CWGC 1914 Roll of Honour:

Name: LORING, WALTER LATHAM

Initials: W L

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Lieutenant Colonel

Regiment: Royal Warwickshire Regiment

Unit Text: 1st Bn.

Date of Death: 23/10/1914

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 8

Cemetery: YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL

Regards

Richard

[Stuart Brown]

Thank you.

Lots of pieces of jigsaw. I hope you achieve the full picture .

regards

Stuart

[HERITAGE PLUS]

Richard

This site may be of interest:

http://www.regiments.org/milhist/uk/cav/mountinf.htm

Dave

[brindlerp]

Many thanks for the link Dave.

This jigsaw is going to be rather interesting!

The site also has a Warwicks page with bibliography, now where am I going to get :

1st Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment, Quetta, Baluchistan, 1903. Lahore : F. Bremner, 1907.

2nd Battalion The Royal Warwickshire Regiment, Malta, 1913. [Valletta? : s.n., 1913?]

All great stuff!

Regards

Richard