Battle of Laing's Nek
Laing's Nek pass, Drakensberg foothills, on the old Natal-Transvaal road, South Africa
What happened
A British force under Major General Sir George Colley fought Transvaal Boers under Commandant-General Piet Joubert. Britain had annexed the Boer republic of the Transvaal in 1877, and in 1880 the Boers rose up. Colley tried to force his way through the mountain pass of Laing's Nek into the Transvaal. The British attacked uphill against Boers firing from hidden trenches, and by noon they had been driven back.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It was a serious British defeat early in the First Boer War. It was the last time a British regiment carried its flags (colours) into battle.
What came next
Colley was defeated and killed at Majuba Hill a month later. The Transvaal regained self-government under the Pretoria Convention of August 1881.
Did you know?
Lieutenant Alan Hill won the Victoria Cross for carrying wounded soldiers down the hillside during the attack.
Timeline
- 1877Britain annexes the Transvaal.
- 16 December 1880The First Boer War begins.
- 28 January 1881The Boers win at Laing's Nek.
- 27 February 1881The Boers win at Majuba Hill.
- 3 August 1881The Pretoria Convention is signed.