ARMY ORDNANCE AND OTHER
DEPARTMENTS.

Extract taken from 'Our Regiments in South Africa' (page 524-525) by John Stirling
published by Naval and Military Press Ltd

ACCORDING to the Army List of December 1900 the companies of the Ordnance Department in South Africa were the 1st to the 6th and the 9th to the 11th. In his final despatch Lord Roberts said “This department has had an immense amount of work during the campaign, and under the capable direction of Colonel R. Noel Clarke has carried it out in a very satisfactory manner. The military operations covered a vast area, and only two single lines of railway were available, and these were so congested with troops, horses, and material of all sorts, that to get stores to the front in good time was always a matter of uncertainty. That they were able to cope with these difficulties and keep the army supplied with all the various stores that are dealt with by the department, reflects great credit not only on Colonel Clarke, but also on the officers, warrant officers, non-commissioned officers, and men under him.” Lord Roberts gives some figures show¬ing the stores passing through the department up to the time his lordship left South Africa. Two little items are 122 million rounds of small-arm ammunition, 2 million pairs of horse and mule shoes.

The mentions in the principal despatches are as follows —

		Officers	N.C.Os. and Men.
Sir George White		1	5
General Buller		4	10
Lord Roberts		20	26
Lord Kitchener		10	16

The invaluable services of the Army Pay and Vet¬erinary Departments were handsomely acknowledged by Lord Roberts, General Buller, and Lord Kitchener, and each general gave numerous commendations.

Last updated 23 July, 2025