Edward Brabant

 

Major-General Sir Edward Yewd Brabant, KCB, CMG, born 1839, was a South African colonial military commander. He served in the 9th Xhosa War (1877–1878), First Matabele War(1893–1894), and other campaigns. During the Second Boer War (1899–1902), he commanded the Colonial Division in 1900, and the Colonial Defence Force of Cape Colony in 1901. He was knighted for his services. After the war, he served as Commandant-General of the Cape Colonial Forces (1903–1904).

Second Anglo-Boer War

As a Brigadier General of the Eastern Cape troops, his command included: Cape Mounted Riflemen, the 79th Battery, RFA, theKaffrarian Rifles, the Queenstown Volunteers, part of the 1st Battalion, Royal Scots, and Brabant’s Horse. His units operated round the Queenstown/Dordrecht area and moved north to hold the Jammersburg Drift at Wepener, which they did under appalling rain and cold against a superior Boer force led by Christiaan De Wet.

Brabant’s Horse

On 5 November 1899, Brabant raised the Light Horse 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.

Brabant’s Horse was disbanded in Cape Town on 31 December 1901.