In November 1899 the 1st Battalion Essex Regiment were stationed at Warley when they were ordered to prepare for duty in South Africa  to make good the casualties suffered in the early exchanges of the Boer War.

They were to accompany the Suffolk Regiment and the Sherwood Foresters to South Africa.

To make up the full Battalion strength of 1010 they called up 585 Reservists who were required to report for duty by Monday 6 November 1899.

The Officers were

Lt Col Stephenson

Majors Brown (2 IC), Massey and Spencer

Captains Broadmead, Warry, Godfrey-Faussett, Hebden, G M Tuffnell, Milward, Rice and  Captain Winter (Adjutant)

Lieutenants Boothe, Pratt, Ardley, Newman, Churchill and Parsons

2nd Lieutenants  Roberts-West, G W Howard, A B Coddington, W A Jacomb, H L Matthews and A G N Wood

Quartermaster T Piper