History of Seaham - Stories and remarkable and memorable events in the history of Seaham Seaham and the Boer War Recruitment of volunteers for the Boer War campaign
**** The Boer War Volunteers from Seaham ****
By March 1900 the War Office had posted a notice in the Army and Navy Gazette that Her Majesty the Queen had accepted the voluntary offer made by companies of the Militia Artillery to serve at stations outside the United Kingdom. This list included the 2nd Durham Militia based at Gilesgate Barracks and Barnard Castle Barracks but not the 2nd Durham (Seaham) Royal Garrison Artillery Volunteers based at Seaham Harbour.
Many of the Seaham Artillery Volunteers were disappointed that they could not join the war in South Africa. However, many of them including young men in their early twenties who envisaged thrills and adventure fighting for their country were not to be deterred. If the 2nd Durham (Seaham) Artillery Volunteers were not allowed to fight against the Boers then the only option for some was to resign and enlist in a Company that would take them to the Transvaal and the Orange Free State. Although there were many Durham men, including Seaham men, enlisted in the colours in professional regiments such as the Hussars, Fusiliers, Lancers, Rifle Corps, Durham Light Infantry (DLI), Royal Field Artillery, Royal Horse Artillery, etc. they were regular soldiers who had enlisted for terms of seven years or more.
The Seaham men who resigned from the 2nd Durham (Seaham) Artillery Volunteers to seek adventure found their route to South Africa by taking a short service enrolment lasting for one year, or until the end of the war in South Africa, whichever came sooner. Some chose to join the 2nd Durham Artillery Militia which had been approved by Queen Victoria to serve in South Africa. This would have been almost a seamless transfer for Seaham Artillery Volunteers who would have been trained in the use of the same artillery pieces, tactics, and manoeuvres as the Durham Artillery Militia. Others joined new Regiments that had just been formed to support the above named mainstream British Army Regiments. One of the new short-term service regiments that found favour with Seaham men was “The Imperial Yeomanry” which was a mounted infantry regiment that was created in 1900.
Mounted Imperial Yeomanry c1901
Many of the young men that listened to the stories of life in the army from the Recruiting Sergeant at the bottom of Church Street had never travelled beyond the colliery districts of Durham. Five months before war was declared these young men had read in the local newspapers of the visit by Cecil Rhodes to Seaham Harbour. Cecil Rhodes was the former Prime Minister of the Cape Colony who had overseen the formation of Rhodesia in the early 1890’s. He was an ardent believer in British imperialism and had made stirring speeches on his tour around Britain about the political situation in the Colony and against the Dutch Afrikaans Republics. His reported conspiracy theories and imperialistic views would have been fresh in the minds of the Seaham men listening to the recruiting officers in the town.
General Sir Redvers Buller, Commander in Chief of the South Africa forces confidently expressed his opinion that “the Transvaal campaign will be over by the close of the current year and I will be flying the British flag over Pretoria by Christmas day.” Instructions had been passed down the chain of command to recruiting teams. “Recruit on the spot – there are thousands of fit men willing and able to fight. Put placards and posters on the walls of alehouses and street corners where prospective recruits are likely to congregate. Tell them that the Boers are mobile because they are all mounted and only mounted men will vanquish them. Recruit mounted infantrymen and artillery men. Unfurl the Regimental Standard and the Union Flag and sing the National Anthem.”
The trained and mounted Seaham Artillery Volunteers who listened to the recruiting sergeants outside the Vane Arms at the bottom of Church Street, Seaham were ripe for recruitment. They could quickly undertake basic induction and training, embark on transport ships, and be despatched to the Cape Colony within weeks of recruitment.
Read more about the incredible true stories of the Boer War volunteers from Seaham ..... https://amzn.to/3Yx4qRU
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