Natal light horse

Natal Light Horse
Active	1914–1915
Country	Union of South Africa
Allegiance	British Empire
Branch	Army
Type	Mounted Infantry
Size	600 men
Engagements	First World War
Commanders
Notable commanders	John Robinson Royston

The Natal Light Horse was an irregular regiment of the South African Armed Forces formed by Colonel John Robinson Royston in August 1914 during the First World War after petitioning General Jan Smuts for special permission to do so. Opening recruiting offices in Pietermaritzburg and Durban a full roster of six hundred men was recruited within ten days. All of those enlisted had seen previous military service and included quite a number of Australians who had served under Royston during the Second Boer War and had opted to remain in South Africa at the end of that conflict.

Upon recruiting his full complement Royston received orders to entrain the Natal Light Horse (NLH) for Uppington, an area near the border of German South-West Africa and, in just a few days, complete with horses and machine guns the regiment detrained at De Aar Junction. Shortly after this arrival the regiment was ordered out to fight the rebel Boer General Maritz who had recruited men to the German cause and was going out in open rebellion of the South African Government. Moving north from Uppington to Bechuanaland the NLH engaged Maritz and his rebels at Kakamas mid-afternoon the next day. In this engagement the NLH successfully captured the rebel camp but failed to capture Maritz who, though wounded, got away.

After this action the NLH took up position at Kheis Drift on the Orange River with the intention of stopping General Kemp and his large rebel commando from crossing through to German territory. While at this station Royston's observation post reported a large body of men approaching carrying a white flag and wearing white arm bands such as those displayed by the South African Forces. Taking this group as being members of a detachment he was expecting Royston allowed the group into his outpost. Unfortunately this was actually an advanced guard of Kemp's commando who suddenly dismounted and began to send volley fire into the ranks of the NLH, five of whom were killed ( JA Antel, WJ Bands, CV Daly, W Speight and EV Wentworth) and another seven wounded. The NLH response was swift. Returning fire they repelled the commando with losses of forty to fifty men at the same time successfully defending Kheis Drift and preventing Kemp from crossing into German South-West Africa.

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