Place Name
Named after the Battle of Colenso which was fought between British and Boer forces in Natal, South Africa on December 15, 1899. It was the third and final battle fought during the so-called Black Week of the Second Boer War (October 11, 1899 – May 31, 1902) in which inadequate preparation, poor reconnaissance and uninspired leadership led to a British defeat. The British, under General Sir Redvers Buller, Commander-in-Chief of all British forces in South Africa, suffered heavy loses. Four soldiers were awarded the Victoria Cross, including the Lieutenant the Honourable Frederick Roberts, the son of Field Marshal Lord Roberts, who suffered fatal wounds as he and others attempted to recover big guns.
