Natal Light Horse

The Natal Light Horse was an irregular South African Armed Forces regiment 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.

Shortly after this arrival, the regiment was ordered to fight a rebel Boer, General Maritz, who had recruited men to the German cause and was going out in open rebellion against the South African Government.

Unfortunately, this was 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.

Returning fire, they simultaneously repelled the commando with losses of forty to fifty men, successfully defending Kheis Drift and preventing Kemp from crossing into German South-West Africa.

After successfully defending the Kheis Drift, the NLH entered Cape Town, where they spent Christmas before being shipped to Lüderitz in South-West Africa to join an army group in the southern sector known as Central Force.

With the bulk of the resistance in South-West Africa ending by May 1915, the NLH ceased to take part in any further fighting and remained camped at Fish River where they enjoyed shooting game.

Royston, however, was still keen to help the British cause and, with the support of friends in Pietermaritzburg, raised funds that enabled him to recruit a contingent of men to travel overseas to assist Great Britain.