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EARLY NATAL VOLUNTEER UNITS

ROYAL D'URBAN RANGERS

Inaugurated 23 March 1854

Officers chosen at the inaugural meeting as reported in Natal Mercury 19 April 1854:

James Proudfoot*	Captain
Henry Milner	1st Lieutenant
P J Maxwell (ex Austrian Army)	2nd Lieutenant
Wm Wood	Cornet
J D Koch	Sergeant
J L Feilden**	Sergeant
Ed. Smith	Corporal
Frank Beningfield	Corporal

* James Proudfoot was born 1819, Moffat, Scotland; he was elder brother of William Proudfoot, farmer of Riet Vlei. James arrived at Port Natal on the brig The Lively, in November 1843. He left Natal in 1862, returning to his family's estate and becoming First Provost of Moffat (1864-1867).

** John Leyland Feilden, husband of Eliza Feilden whose letters and diary, illustrated by her own pen and ink drawings, were later published as 'My African Home'; their home was the farm Feniscowles on Durban's Berea.

In September 1860 the Rangers formed part of the official escort, from Pietermaritzburg to Durban, for the visit of Prince Alfred, Queen Victoria's second son. The distance of over 50 miles was covered in a day.

31 December 1861 the Natal Blue Book gives the numerical strength of the Royal D'Urban Rangers as 58:

His Excellency the Lieut-Governor of Natal	Colonel
W G Taylor	Surgeon
J Proudfoot	Captain
R F Bennett	Captain
R B Tatham	Adjutant
H E Stainbank	Lieutenant
J D Koch	Lieutenant
B S Munro	Cornet
Beningfield	Quartermaster
Rev W H C Lloyd	Chaplain

In 1864, Bennett and Stainbank resigned. Dr Taylor became Commanding Officer and Dr G C Hyde was nominated Surgeon. The Corps took part in several functions including the opening of the Queen's Bridge over the Umgeni in September 1864 and also the laying of the foundation stone of the Bluff Lighthouse in November of that year, the members providing a guard of honour on both occasions.

The Rangers were disbanded in 1869.

Uniform: Full dress - dark green frock coat with black velvet facings at cuff and collar. Cuffs were edged with scarlet ribbon pipings carried up into the sleeve to form three rosettes. Edges of opening of pockets were piped with scarlet ribbon carried to the sides to a similar pattern. Epaulettes of scarlet twisted cord held by metal buttons, stamped with R.D.R. and crown. Frogs on either side of the front of the coat. Trousers had a strap under the instep, and a scarlet stripe two inches wide down the leg. A black leather cross-belt was worn over the left shoulder and a sword carried. The service headdress was a brass helmet with brown plume. A forage cap was worn in undress order. The horse equipment was a royal blue saddle and navy-piped, with red saddle blanket. In the corner of the saddle-blanket was a device probably a crown or the letters R.D.R. surmounted by a crown. Members provided their own horses, uniforms, saddlery and all other equipment; the Colonial Government issued arms and ammunition. The Rangers carried muzzle-loading Enfields and cavalry swords.

George Russell in his 'History of Old Durban' states: "The authorities did not look graciously upon the volunteers. The utmost concession red-tape could be made to stretch was in the shape of Surplus Stores, another name for obsolete arms and accoutrements. The carbine was a heavy article, Brunswick pattern, of two grooves, carrying a belted ball which had the trick of jamming halfway down. The swords were dragoon sabres, clumsy and old, practically useless."

Ammunition was carried in a powder-flask slung to a black leather cross-belt, and the bullets, together with the large bell topper percussion caps were carried in a pouch on the waist-belt of the same material. The rifle was carried in a gun bucket slung to the saddle. The badge of the Corps was the monogram of the unit R.D.R. surmounted by a crown, worn on the front of the helmet, the forage cap and on the corners of the saddle blanket.