Rimington's Guides

Rimington's Guides (also known as Rimington's Tigers or Rimington's Corps of Guides) were a unit of light horse in the British Army active in the Second Boer War. They were led by Major M. F. (Mike) Rimington, later Colonel Rimington. He also led a column in the later stages of the war. The Rimington's Guides also had the name Rimington's Tigers due to the leopard skin hatbands worn on their slouch hats.^[1] Rimington gave his Corps of Guides the nickname "catch-'em-alive-o's while other forces gave him the nickname "The Night Cats" because of their night marches and stealth like movement.^[2]

Composition

The unit was recruited from English speaking South Africans. Every man in Rimington's Corps of Guides was obliged to speak Boer and at least one of the local African dialects, with many speaking both. They were armed with carbines and pistols, riding light ahead of the main army.^[2]

References

1. ^ Duxbury, G. A.. Queen's South Africa Medal with 10 clasps. 2.Issue 3. http://samilitaryhistory.org/vol023gd.html. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "The English "Night Cats."" (PDF). The New York Times: p. 27. 1900-03-25. http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=9C01EEDE1E3CE433A25756C2A9659C946197D6CF. Retrieved 2009-01-07.