CAB9-1_PT1 — Page 151

Corps.

Head-quarters.

As per last Return. As Estimated by G.O.C.

Officers.

Men.

Officers.

Men.

Mounted Rifles

Garrison Artillery and Engineers Cape Town

12

275

Diamond Fields' Horse

Beaconsfield

24

382

:22

10

284

10

180

INFANTRY.

Duke of Edinburgh's Rifles

Cape Town

17

Cape Town Highlanders

Robertson Rifles

Robertson

Kimberley

";

Kimberley

19

Ondtshoorn

Oudtshoorn

13245

507

19

487

487

19

346

59

60

299

180

130

60

""

The Corps at Stellenbosch, Paarl, Wellington, and Worcester are :--

Corps.

Head-quarters.

Victoria College Volunteers

..

Paarl Rifles

Wellington Rifles

Worcester

Stellenbosch Paarl.. Wellington Worcester

*

•

Officers.

Men.

* ලූ යස

156

98

102

75

These latter are not reckoned on by the General Officer Commanding, and thus the remarks of the Governor are not understood. It is difficult, however, to understand why the General Officer Commanding has not reckoned on the first three corps and also on the Malmesbury Rifles, as the head-quarters of these four corps are only 30 to 40 miles distant by railway, whereas that of the Kimberley Rifles is over 600 miles distant by railway.

5. The importance of the co-operation of the local forces in the defence cannot be over-estimated, and the Colonial Defence Committee note with satisfaction the efforts made by the Governor to bring this about.

The possibility alluded to below in paragraph 7, of the Imperial troops being temporarily reduced to a very small number in the event of any delay occurring in carrying out the system of reinforcement gives the co-operation of the local forces additional importance.

6. The arrangements which the War Office have made for the distribu- tion of the Imperial Infantry in South Africa on war becoming imminent, as communicated to General Officer Commanding in War Office letter of the 20th December, 1892, are somewhat complicated and it may be useful to recapitulate them.

The ordinary peace distribution of the Imperial Infantry in the Command is as below :-

Established Strength.

Corps.

Distribution.

Officers.

Men.

No. 1 Battalion

7 Companies and Head-quarters, Cape Town 1 Company, St. Helena

25

757

3

107

No. 2

""

4 Companies and Head-quarters, Mauritius

15

436

""

Cape Town

13

428

No. 3

The whole, Natal

28

864

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