Absent Minded Beggars: Volunteers in the Boer War (Hardcover)

Britain's enemies were few in number during the Boer War of 1899-1902, but the wily Boer horsemen were adept at hit-and-run tactics and operated over a vast territory including much of present-day South Africa. British mobile columns and garrisons for fixed defenses eventually required a larger army than had fought Napoleon or any previous enemy.

For the first time in British history, volunteer units were asked to go on foreign service. Particularly associated with the campaign are the Imperial Yeomanry, drawn from cavalry volunteers in rural areas. It was hoped that mounted rifle units drawn from the Yeomanry would offset the vast distances involved in the campaign. While there were numerous examples of courage and endurance, the overall results were rather mixed. Officers of Regular units charged (not entirely fairly) that the volunteers mainly served as a source of horses and rifles for the Boers when captured, and that the same man was often captured and released two or three times. The Boer War experience led to a major re-organization of the volunteers in 1908, which made possible their valuable contribution during the two world wars.