Knowing No Fear: The Canadian Scouts in South Africa 1900 - 1902

This book tells the story of the Canadian Scouts, a small, well-armed, aggressive unit of scouts formed in South Africa in1900 by a group of Canadians who had finished their tours with other units. It was not an official Canadian unit but a mounted irregular force raised in South Africa by the British. As time went on it had many members from Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Britain. The original members imbued the unit with a bit of a wild west attitude and the Scouts fostered this swashbuckling image. Unlike some other units they made no attempt to emulate Imperial units and eschewed British Army spit and polish and parade ground discipline. Rumours of unorthodox behaviour ran rife throughout the unit s short eighteen-month life, leaving the story of the Canadian Scouts surrounded by myths, some founded in fact and others the product of an active imagination. Nobody questioned the Scouts ability to fight and any general would have been thankful to have them under his command in wartime. The book is based on official records, newspaper reports, personal reminiscences and letters. To the extent possible the story is told in the words of those taking part. The book contains lists of casualties and honours and awards as well as a complete combination nominal roll and medal roll. There are a number of maps and photographs.

Jim Wallace was born and raised in British Columbia. He served with the Canadian Army and Canadian Armed Forces in Canada, Korea, the United States, Britain, Germany and the Soviet Union. Enlisting in the ranks, he was commissioned from the rank of sergeant and retired as a lieutenant colonel. He is a graduate of Carleton University, Queen0/00*as University at Kingston, the Canadian Army Staff College and the U.S. Army Language School. He has had a life-long interest in Canadian history and is the author of three books about the North West Mounted Police 0/00*Ò A Double Duty; The Decisive First Decade of the North West Mounted Police; A Trying Time; The North West Mounted Police in the 1885 Rebellion and Forty Mile to Bonanza: The North West Mounted Police in the Klondike Gold Rush. After considerable research in South Africa he wrote a previous book about the Anglo-Boer War 0/00*Ò No Colours, No Drums: Canadians in the South African Constabulary. Jim Wallace can be contacted at jimwallace@shaw.ca