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The Frontier Light Horse, a mounted unit of 200 volunteers, was raised at
King William's Town Qonce, formerly King William's Town, is a town in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa along the banks of the Buffalo River (Eastern Cape), Buffalo River. The town is about northwest of the Indian Ocean port of East London, South Africa, ...
, Eastern
Cape Colony The Cape Colony (), also known as the Cape of Good Hope, was a British Empire, British colony in present-day South Africa named after the Cape of Good Hope. It existed from 1795 to 1802, and again from 1806 to 1910, when it united with three ...
in 1877 by
Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...
Frederick Carrington. It is often referred to as the Cape Frontier Light Horse and served under Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Burmester Pulleine.


Military service

The unit served in the 9th Frontier War under Major
Redvers Buller General Sir Redvers Henry Buller, (7 December 1839 – 2 June 1908) was a British Army officer and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. He served as Commander-in-Chief ...
. In July 1878 the unit of 276 officers and men marched from King William's Town to
Pietermaritzburg Pietermaritzburg (; ) is the capital and second-largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa after Durban. It was named in 1838 and is currently governed by the Msunduzi Local Municipality. The town was named in Zulu after King ...
and then to
Sekhukhuneland Sekhukhuneland or Sekukuniland () is a natural region in north-east South Africa, located in the historical Transvaal zone, former Transvaal Province, also known as Bopedi (meaning “land of Bapedi”). The region is named after the 19th-century ...
for service there. They fought under Captain Robert Johnston Barton in
Wood Wood is a structural tissue/material found as xylem in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulosic fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin t ...
's Column during the
Anglo-Zulu War The Anglo-Zulu War was fought in present-day South Africa from January to early July 1879 between forces of the British Empire and the Zulu Kingdom. Two famous battles of the war were the Zulu victory at Battle of Isandlwana, Isandlwana and th ...
. They acted as rearguard at
Hlobane Hlobane is a town in Zululand District Municipality in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. Coal-mining centre 27 km east of Vryheid and 31 km south-west of Louwsburg. The locality was known as such in the 19th century and the na ...
on 28 March 1879 where 20% of the 156 members were lost. Captain Barton, the
commanding officer The commanding officer (CO) or commander, or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually give ...
was killed. They then served in the battle of Khambula on the next day and took part in the forward advance of their column into Zululand; present in the battle of Ulundi on 4 July 1879. At the end of that year the unit was disbanded.


Victoria Cross

Two members of the Frontier Light Horse,
Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
Cecil D'Arcy and Sergeant Edmund O'Toole were awarded the
Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...
for their acts of valour in endeavouring to save the lives of soldiers during the
reconnaissance In military operations, military reconnaissance () or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, the terrain, and civil activities in the area of operations. In military jargon, reconnai ...
made before the
Battle of Ulundi The Battle of Ulundi took place at the Zulu capital of Ulundi () on 4 July 1879 and was the last battle of the Anglo-Zulu War. The British Army broke the military power of the Zulu Kingdom by defeating the main Zulu army and capturing and bu ...
on 3 July 1879.


Other units

The name Frontier Light Horse was also applied to an
Eastern Cape The Eastern Cape ( ; ) is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, and its largest city is Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth). Due to its climate and nineteenth-century towns, it is a common location for tourists. It is also kno ...
Province unit established in 1899 as the District Mounted Rifles. Designated Frontier Light Horse in 1900, it served in the Colonial Division during the
Second Anglo-Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic an ...
.


Medal Roll 1877-8-9

Dutton in 2010 prepared a Zulu and Basuto Wars Medal Roll.


Noteworthy members

*
Corporal Corporal is a military rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The rank is usually the lowest ranking non-commissioned officer. In some militaries, the rank of corporal nominally corr ...
William Smith, born at
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,
Northamptonshire Northamptonshire ( ; abbreviated Northants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It is bordered by Leicestershire, Rutland and Lincolnshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshi ...
, enlisted in the
12th Regiment of Foot 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...
at
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in 1848. He survived the wreck of HM Troopship ''Birkenhead'' in 1852 and served in the Frontier Light Horse in the
Anglo-Zulu War The Anglo-Zulu War was fought in present-day South Africa from January to early July 1879 between forces of the British Empire and the Zulu Kingdom. Two famous battles of the war were the Zulu victory at Battle of Isandlwana, Isandlwana and th ...
of 1879. *Corporal George Ashby, born at
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, Kent. In Pulleine's Rangers in the Frontier Light Horse, Baker's Light Horse. In an interview with the ''
South Australian Register ''The Register'', originally the ''South Australian Gazette and Colonial Register'', and later ''South Australian Register,'' was South Australia's first newspaper. It was first published in London in June 1836, moved to Adelaide in 1837, and ...
'' newspaper of
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,
South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...
, dated 2 June 1917, Trooper George Ashby's experiences were reported in full:
Soon afterwards came the most exciting incident in Cpl. Ashby's career. The force he was attached to was ordered to capture Umbeline's stronghold, on the top of Zhlobane Mountain. They were 500 strong, and in charge of Col. Weatherly. The only chance of reaching the summit was by scaling a narrow pass. The
Zulus Zulu people (; ) are a native people of Southern Africa of the Nguni. The Zulu people are the largest ethnic group and nation in South Africa, living mainly in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. They originated from Nguni communities who took p ...
, armed with rifles and assegais, fought bard to prevent the British force reaching the top. but by making the attack at day break, the latter, in the face of tremendous obstacles, attained their object. A rapid breakfast was being partaken, when it was discovered that the mountain was surrounded by a vast horde of Zulus. An attempt was made to descend on the side opposite to the pass. Cpl Ashby and his little party endeavoured to fight their way down, and at last he and a man named Andrew Gemmell, now living in New Zealand, were the only ones left. With their faces to the foe, firing as they retired, they kept the Zulus at bay. Then an unfortunate thing happened, Cpl. Ashby's rifle burst, but, fortunately for him, Col. Buller, afterwards
Sir Redvers Buller General Sir Redvers Henry Buller, (7 December 1839 – 2 June 1908) was a British Army officer and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. He served as Commander-in-Chief o ...
, who was one of the, party, came galloping by, and offered to take him up behind him. Col. Buller was a heavy man, and his horse was a light one, and realizing this, Cpl. Ashby declined his generous offer. But the Colonel stayed with him, and, Cpl. Ashby having picked up a rifle and ammunition from a fallen comrade, the two men retired, firing whenever a foeman showed himself. They eventually reached the main camp, and for this service, as well as for saving the lives of two fellow-officers on the same occasion, Col. Buller received the
Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...
. Out of 500 men who made the attack on the Zhlobane Mountain, more than, 300 met their death. The next day the battle of Campbell's Hill was fought, and shortly afterwards the
battle of Ulundi The Battle of Ulundi took place at the Zulu capital of Ulundi () on 4 July 1879 and was the last battle of the Anglo-Zulu War. The British Army broke the military power of the Zulu Kingdom by defeating the main Zulu army and capturing and bu ...
took place, when the British force, under
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, inflicted a terrible defeat on the enemy. This was Cpl. Ashby's last fight. Within 12 days Cetewayo was captured and the war was over. Cpl. Ashby subsequently came to Australia.


Killed in Action

BAKER'S HORSE Troopers. Killed in Action at Inhlobane, 28 March 1879 *John Campbell *M. Christianson *J. Darwin *R. David *W. Dubar *PG. Rossam *W. Van Niekerk *W. Walters *C. Ward FRONTIER LIGHT HORSE *250 Sergeant J. Tippett - killed in action at Kambula 29 March 1879 Troopers. Killed in Action at Inhlobane, 28 March 1879 *251 A.J. Burton *288 P.W. Caffin *367 W. Cherry *228 A.W. Dobson *83 G. Dodwell *227 A.W. Dobson *247 W. Gordon *177 J. Grills *112 T. Halliday *24 J. Hasseldine *200 H. Helwig *332 E. Higgins *113 G. Horn *87 J. Kerween *317 W.H. Livingstone *295 C. Lyndon *266 J. May *312 C. Merk *369 G. Pearce *57 H. Plante *296 M. Prendergast *248 W.A. Rogan *375 J.A. Roubenhamer - killed in action near Ulundi 3 July 1879 *16 H. Runciman *311 A. Schermal *279 G. Seymour *214 L. Shearer *236 W. Tirrill *273 G. Williams


References

{{Authority control Military units and formations established in 1877 Military units and formations of the British Empire Anglo-Zulu War Military history of South Africa Regiments of South Africa Qonce 1877 establishments in the Cape Colony