3211 Corporal A Blackman, 6th Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers). The Regiment deployed to South Africa for the Second Anglo Boer War, arriving in the beginning of Dec 1899, and joined General French in the Colesberg district. Along with the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons and 2nd Dragoons (Royal Scots Greys) they formed the 1st Cavalry Brigade. They moved from Colesberg to the Modder River in with General French in the beginning of Feb 1900 in preparation for the move on Kimberley. After the relief of Kimberley they were part of the advance on Bloemfontein and took part in the action of Karee Siding. They were part of the advance to Johannesburg and Pretoria. On 3 Jun 1900 Lord Roberts began his march on Pretoria, whilst French left Bergvlei and at Diepsloot realised that he must cross the 'Yokskei' and Crocodile rivers, and his goal that day was to control the known ford over the Crocodile at Welgegund, near Broederstroom. Encountering light resistance he was approaching the Kalkheuvel pass in the Witwatersberg by the late afternoon and his advance patrols found themselves in a race with a 25-wagon and two— gun convoy of Commandant du Toit sent to block the pass. The leading sections were the 6th Royal Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers) and the 6th Inniskilling Dragoon Guards who were ambushed as they entered the jaws of the pass'. Two Carabiniers were killed (Sergeant Belshaw and Private Hall), and Corporal Blackman was wounded and died of his wounds the next day. He is also commemorated on the 6th Dragoon Guards Boer War memorial at Ranelagh Gardens, Chelsea Embankment, South East Corner opposite Chelsea Bridge, Chelsea, London (see: https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/111552).
3211 Corporal A Blackman, 6th Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers). The Regiment deployed to South Africa for the Second Anglo Boer War, arriving in the beginning of Dec 1899, and joined General French in the Colesberg district. Along with the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons and 2nd Dragoons (Royal Scots Greys) they formed the 1st Cavalry Brigade. They moved from Colesberg to the Modder River in with General French in the beginning of Feb 1900 in preparation for the move on Kimberley. After the relief of Kimberley they were part of the advance on Bloemfontein and took part in the action of Karee Siding. They were part of the advance to Johannesburg and Pretoria. On 3 Jun 1900 Lord Roberts began his march on Pretoria, whilst French left Bergvlei and at Diepsloot realised that he must cross the 'Yokskei' and Crocodile rivers, and his goal that day was to control the known ford over the Crocodile at Welgegund, near Broederstroom. Encountering light resistance he was approaching the Kalkheuvel pass in the Witwatersberg by the late afternoon and his advance patrols found themselves in a race with a 25-wagon and two— gun convoy of Commandant du Toit sent to block the pass. The leading sections were the 6th Royal Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers) and the 6th Inniskilling Dragoon Guards who were ambushed as they entered the jaws of the pass'. Two Carabiniers were killed (Sergeant Belshaw and Private Hall), and Corporal Blackman was wounded and died of his wounds the next day. He is also commemorated on the 6th Dragoon Guards Boer War memorial at Ranelagh Gardens, Chelsea Embankment, South East Corner opposite Chelsea Bridge, Chelsea, London (see: https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/111552).
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