Darrell Raubenheimer

Major-General Sir Edward Yewd Brabant, KCB, CMG Edward Brabant was born on 31 May 1839 at Kinderton Lodge near Middlewich, Cheshire, England. He started his military career as ensign in the 2nd Derby Militia,and then served two terms in the Cape Mounted Riflemen in SA. In 1876 he founded the Buffalo Volunteer Rifles, (later Kaffrarian Rifles,) in East London, which comprised two companies, with Brabant as captain of one and Captain Baron von Linsingen (ex-German Legionary) as captain of the other, and Brabant in overall command. During the Gcaleka, and later Ngqika, unrest in 1877, Mr (later Sir) John X Merriman, the unofficial Secretary of War, instructed Brabant to form a cavalry troop and to recruit officers from the existing volunteer corps, the result being the Frontier Mounted Riflemen. When Lieutenant-General Thesiger arrived to take overall command of the combined Imperial and Colonial forces in King William's Town, Brabant was ordered with his corps to Bailie's Grave Post, halfway between King William's Town and Keiskamahoek. At Bailie's Grave Post, Brabant's force comprised 169 men of his own 291-strong unit, as well as 125 Mfengu. After several campaigns culminating in the death of Chief Sandile in May 1878 and the surrender of other chiefs, Brabant participated in mopping-up operations. Soon afterwards, he was ordered to lead the first regiment of the newly-raised Cape Mounted Yeomanry - also known as the CMY Troops, which comprised the Grahamstown, Bathurst and Maclean men as well as the famed rough-and-ready East London 'boatmen' who had fought under Brabant in 1877 and assemble the 1 st Battalion against the Sotho Chief Morosi in the so-called Basuto War. On 5 November 1899, Brabant raised the Mounted regiment known as Brabant's Horse.. The top strength of the unit was 600, all ranks, including South African colonials, Australians, British, Canadians. The unit saw much action against Boer commandos including the siege of Wepener. They were considered one of the best irregular units. Brabant's Horse was disbanded in Cape Town on 31 December 1901 At the conclusion of the Anglo Boer War, during which Brabant served with his unit, he rose to the commandant-generalship of the Cape Colonial Forces.