The only known photograph of the Founder of the Legion of Frontiersmen, Roger Pocock, without his beard, which he was not permitted to wear in the British army. He is wearing his uniform as a Captain in the 178th Labour Company in which her served in France in the First War, where he earned quite a reputation for rebelliousness on the Ypres salient.

Lt. Col. D.P. Driscoll earned a name for fearlessness in the Boer War with his unit, Driscoll's Scouts. He became a hero figure for such magazines as "Boys of our Empire" and was the subject of a novel by A.G. Hales. After a rough period, Pocock gave him a paid job in the Legion and Driscoll rose to be Chief Executive Officer. Under his outstanding leadership the Legion thrived. Many of his ideas on managing fighting men were years ahead of his time. After the First War, Driscoll purchased some land in East Africa where he eked out a living coffee farming until his death in 1934.

Driscoll and Pocock

Early in the War, Frontiersmen from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, joined P.P.C.L.I. Later on, the 210th (Frontiersmen) Battalion C.E.F. was formed there under the command of Lt.Col. W.E. Seaborn.

The First British Troops in action in 1914 were Frontiersmen

The headline in the London Daily Sketch of November 14th, 1914 read "These men paid to get in the firing line".

Trooper Roberts maintains that London Headquarters of the Legion of Frontiersmen had received a request from Belgium for volunteers to help in the event of an invasion. According to Roberts he was riding with a “Buffalo Bill Cody’s Circus”, as were a number of Frontiersmen. This could not have been the genuine Buffalo Bill Cody Circus, as Buffalo Bill Cody’s Circus had not visited England since 1904. He had joined the Manchester Troop when working at Manchester Docks. He says that King Albert visited the circus at Earls Court, London, on July 24th and asked for volunteers himself as the Belgian Army would need scouts. Roberts went to see the Belgian Consul in London who signed the Frontiersmen on "in case of trouble".

In August 1914, Dr. Percy McDougall was 43 and he offered himself to the army but was told he was too old. He joined the Manchester Troop of the Legion of Frontiersmen. His family were away on holiday so he put up several members of the troop at his house and picketed their horses in his garden. He and Dick Reading (one time editor of the newspaper "The Sporting Chronicle" ) went to try and see Kitchener and persuade the great man to take the Frontiersmen into the British army. He says he heard through the door Kitchener saying "Oh give them passes to the Belgian Army". Perhaps this explains how British citizens gained permission to serve in a foreign army?

On the 2nd August the Manchester Troop embarked at Folkestone for Ostende with their horses and wearing Frontiersmen uniform. Things there were understandably confused. At 2 minutes past 8 a.m. on the morning of 4th August the first German troops crossed the border into Belgium. Ostende came under heavy bombardment and Roberts says that they set to and helped with the wounded. He reports that they were told to make their way to exchange their horses, following instructions from the King, for trained horses at his stables at De Haan. Dr. McDougall and Reading tell how they went to help with dog teams drawing light guns from Antwerp to Ostende. They managed to "liberate" (a British army soldier's term) some British motor-cycles loaded on a boat and put them to use.

Later on Reading was badly wounded and had both legs shattered. He died in Australia, but his widow's plight was brought to the attention of King Albert who granted her a pension.

By 5 p.m. on 4th, Roberts heard that some Germans had broken through so barricades were built and the Frontiersmen fired from behind them. Although historians state that, having declared war on Germany on August 4th, Britain had no troops on the continent, in fact the Manchester Troop of the Legion of Frontiersmen were in action as the first British troops and fighting in defence of Belgium. The history of the 3rd Lancers says that the Frontiersmen were accepted on 16th October, ten days after they had disembarked at Ostende, but Roberts reports it as being in August. At De Haan they got their horses and equipment and were enrolled in the 3rd Lancers as the "British Colonial Horse". Roberts reports that more Frontiersmen from London joined them at the depot.

There are many stories about the exploits of these men. The Founder of the Legion wrote about one, Pat Cowan, who preferred German rifles, so he had to capture prisoners to keep himself supplied with the proper ammunition. In one pursuit on foot, he lost his rifle, but chased his victim into an estaminet, disarmed him, bought the man a drink, and then marched him into captivity. Some of the stories about these Frontiersmen seem far-fetched, but many have been proved to be true!

Roberts reports of the scouting activities of their men. His story is the somewhat confusing one of an old man, but he does refer to the battle at the Yser Canal and the 3rd Lancers holding the Yser Bridge. He refers to a fight with six German Uhlans. "We got mixed up and I made for one and one of them made for me with his sabre behind me, but our chaps caught the one in front and took him off me, but the one behind caught my sabre and came down to the hand breaking my sabre off and cutting through the guard.

I rode for two days with it on my hand until the Doctor found a blacksmith who cut off the guard. My hand was only cut a little and the Doctor bandaged it up and put a few stitches in it and it soon healed up." What can one say about men like that!

Just before Christmas, 1914. King Albert made contact with the Frontiersmen serving with the 3rd Belgian Lancers. Charles Thompson, Regimental Q.M. recalled that King Albert, after tasting their rations and pronouncing them good, spoke to the men in perfect English. He told them that he was much touched that a troop of gallant English sportsmen should have rushed overseas to join his army and had made a point of coming to talk to them.

Dr. McDougall found himself working as a dispatch rider,. but was called on to do emergency treatment on a General who promptly got him transferred to the Army Medical Corps - he was no longer too old!

At the end of January, 1915, an order came through (probably originating from the British War Office) to disband the detachment. They were transferred back into the British Army but they were awarded the honour of being permitted to wear the ribbon of the Belgian colours on their uniform.

Driscoll and the 25th Bn. Royal Fusiliers (Frontiersmen)

When War was declared, Driscoll, who had the Legion running as a well-oiled unit, came up with a revolutionary idea - too revolutionary for the War Office. We wrote to the W.O. stating the Legion membership as 10.500 throughout the world. He offered to land with 1,000 of his men on the French coast to work behind German lines "to clear the country of all detached bodies of the enemy." This was not such a crazy idea as it seems at first sight. The German lines of supply in the first months of war were very stretched and they were in a hostile country. There was no way that the W.O. of those days would agree to Driscoll pursuing the Frontiersmen brand of independent guerilla warfare. They did go as far as to ask Driscoll to parade his men, which he did on 8th September, 1914 in front of Gen. Bethune, whose report was favourable, saying that Driscoll had a good hold on his men, typical "toughs" who would do excellent work as irregulars. Sadly, the W.O. declined this unusual body of men, but changed its mind in January 1915, by which time many Frontiersmen had been snapped up by other units. Driscoll had until April to make arrangements when he took the 25th Fusiliers (Frontiersmen) to East Africa. Because of the quality of the men, the Battalion was most exceptionally formed and sent into action without previous training in Britain.

New Zealand

History of the Frontiersmen in New Zealand tells us that "...membership increased rapidly, and in a short period of time as fine a body of picked men as could be found anywhere in the world had been attracted to the Legion, which was in a well organized state on the outbreak of war in 1914. On August 3rd, 1914, prior to the rupture between Britain and Germany, an offer was made to the New Zealand Government to have two squadrons of Legionaires with reserves, fully equipped, available at 24 hours notice. A further offer of some hundreds of Legionaires with reserves, fully equipped, horsed and saddled, was forwarded to the Government, which was to supply arms ammunition and a ship to transport the troops, the Legion to provide the ship's crew, from captain to greasers. While the offer was appreciated by the authorities, it did not coincide with Defence Department procedure, and a request was made that all Legionaires wishing to enlist should do individually. The fact that as many as 40 members entered camp as a group gives an indication of the response of the Legion."

Throughout the Empire

Throughout the British Empire this story was repeated, with Frontiersmen volunteering and wishing to serve as a unit, with comrades who they trusted with their lives. Nowhere would the authorities accept them as they wished, until Driscoll's persistence in Britain brought eventual results. In Colonies such as British East Africa, units of the Legion had existed since 1907 and Frontiersmen formed an important part of many volunteer units.

Canada

Throughout Canada, members of the Legion enlisted keenly. Many men joined the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry and later in the war the 210th (Frontiersmen) Battalion, C.E.F. was formed.

More details on Canada and New Zealand are to be found on their respective pages.

The Summer of 1914
Frontiersmen Remount Depots 1914-15

Next Page

The Manchester Troop of the Legion of Frontiersmen in action in Belgium in 1914, where they were known as the British Colonial Horse.

Major-General Sir Sam Steele was an early member of the N.W.M.P. where he earned himself an enviable reputation. He served in the Boer War as Lt.Col. in charge of Strathcona's Horse, further enhancing his reputation and becoming a hero to Canadian citizens. His influence aided the Legion of Frontiersmen to form in Canada early in its history. In the First War, as a Major-General, he commanded Canadian troops at Shorncliffe. Pocock became a family friend.

Some of "C" Squadron Poverty Bay (Gisborne) New Zealand Legion of Frontiersmen. Large numbers of New Zealand's Frontiersmen volunteered and very many lost their lives in various theatres of war. New Zealand Frontiersmen were well represented at Gallipoli and in Egypt.

Edmonton:

The Legion of Frontiersmen were the first to join up. D Company of the 49th Bn C.E.F. was under the local commandant of the Legion of Frontiersmen, Major J.D. Willson. Willson was responsible for the dispatch of 300 recruits to Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry.

Vancouver:

The local unit of the Legion of Frontiersmen early in the First War.

Copyright 2002-2008 Geoffrey A. Pocock. All rights reserved.