Canadians on the Veldt

The story of Canada in the South African War is a complex one. How it even came about that the Canadian Government agreed to the dispatch of troops has its many talking points.

Serving as units integrated within a larger British force, several contingents were sent during the course of the conflict, the first being the 2nd (Special Service) Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment of Infantry. Subsequent contingents were made up mostly of mounted troops but also artillery and later a field hospital. The first mounted units were the 1st and 2nd Canadian Mounted Rifles, the first of these becoming the Royal Canadian Dragoons. Then there was the privately raised Strathcona’s Horse. Of considerable interest are the more than 1000 Canadians who enlisted in the South African Constabulary.

There was no single manner in which the Canadian Contingents were raised and paid for, though the men mostly served under fixed terms of enlistment. Those joining the South African Constabulary, however, frequently found themselves in action for longer periods as, though they were raised as a para-military police force, the unanticipated extended period of hostilities meant they were engaged in much more of a military role than had been expected.

Canada’s role in the changing and evolving conditions of the South African War was complex and varied, and Canadian troops rose to the task and performed well. The impact of the war on the development of the Canadian military is also of considerable interest.