Australian Commonwealth Horse

Australian Commonwealth Horse
Troops of 1st Battalion, Australian Commonwealth Horse in the Transvaal 1902.
Active	1902
Country	Australia
Allegiance	British Empire
Branch	Army
Type	Mounted Infantry
Size	Eight Battalions
Engagements	Second Boer War

The Australian Commonwealth Horse (ACH) was a mounted infantry unit of the Australian Army formed for service during the Second Boer War in South Africa in 1902 and was the first expeditionary military unit established by the newly formed Commonwealth of Australia following Federation in 1901. Over 4,400 men enlisted in the ACH in three contingents, with troops and squadrons raised in each state and combined to form battalions. Eight battalions were raised, with the first arriving in Durban in March 1902. The 1st and 2nd battalions saw limited active service, conducting patrols against the Boers during the last great drives that ultimately ended the war. The war ended before the remaining battalions arrived to see action, and by the time peace came on 31 May 1902, the majority of the third contingent, consisting of the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th Battalions, still remained at sea bound for South Africa. The ACH suffered no fatal casualties in action, although 28 men died from illness.

Following the federation of the Australian colonies into the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901, the new Federal government alone had the power to raise military forces and dispatch them overseas. As such it now took over the military establishments of the States and as a consequence, following an approach by the British government, the Australian Prime Minister Edmund Barton agreed to provide a contingent of 1,000 mounted infantry to the continuing conflict in South Africa. This commitment was endorsed in the House of Representatives on 14 January 1902 and the size of the contingent grew over the coming months as more volunteers rushed to join the new force, to be known as the Australian Commonwealth Horse. The formation of the ACH was overseen by the newly appointed General Officer Commanding, Australian Military Forces, Major General Edward Hutton, and was Australia's first expeditionary force. More than 4,400 men ultimately enrolled, and they were formed into troops and squadrons based on their state of origin, before being combined into battalions. Eight battalions were raised in three separate contingents, while a medical team from the Australian Army Medical Corps (AAMC) was also raised. Artillery was not required.