1900 - 1901
Former CO's
Former RSM's
Honourary Appts
In January 1900, Lord Strathcona and Mount Royal offered to raise and equip a mounted Regiment in Canada at his own expense for service in South Africa. The offer was enthusiastically accepted, and the Regiment was recruited from the North West Mounted Police and cowboys of western Canada. Command was given to Superintendent S.B. Steele of the North West Mounted Police. Organization was complete by 25 February and on 18 March the 537 officers and men as well as the 599 horses of Strathcona's Horse sailed from Halifax.
The Regiment arrived in Cape Town on 10 April 1900 after a voyage that was marked by the death of 120 horses. LCol. Steele immediately began training the Regiment in the climate and terrain of South Africa.
A month later, orders were received for the Regiment to proceed to the east coast of South Africa by sea and then inland to blow up a bridge and cut Boer communications to the sea. On 2 June it was discovered that the Boers had learned of the plans and the Regiment was withdrawn to Durban. The Regiment joined the 3rd Mounted Brigade in Natal on 20 June 1900 and took part in General Buller's pursuit of the Boers into the Transvaal. They were scouts for the advancing army, often the first to make contact with the enemy and suffered numerous casualties.
Buller's force was broken up in early October 1900, and the Regiment was transferred to the 6th Mounted Brigade, then operating in the southern Transvaal. They saw action along the Vaal river and south into the Orange Free State before leaving the front lines on 15 January 1901.
The spirit of the Strathcona's in South Africa can be illustrated by recounting the episode in which Sgt A.H.L. Richardson won the Victoria Cross. On 5 July 1900, at Wolve Spruit, a party of Strathcona's Horse were ambushed by a group of Boers. Cpl McArthur was wounded and fell from his horse. Sgt Richardson, seeing that the man was in danger of being taken prisoner, retrieved him, threw him across his saddle, and rode off under a hail of Boer fire. Richardson's clothing was pierced by several bullets and his horse was so exhausted that it died soon after he reached friendly lines.
Strathcona's Horse embarked at Cape Town on 20 January 1901 and on 14 February arrived in London where they were met for the first time by their patron, Lord Strathcona. They were accorded a Royal welcome and were presented their medals by King Edward VII personally. The sovereign also presented the Regiment with a King's Colour, an unique honour for mounted units of the British Empire. Upon its return to Canada on 9 March 1901, the Regiment was disbanded.
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1900 - 1901
1902 - 1913
1914 - 1918
1919 - 1939
1940 - 1945
1946 - 2000
Moreuil Wood
Melfa River
