Sir Redvers Buller

Sir Redvers Buller was a British military commander, whose heroic actions in the Second Boer War earned him fame and adulation. This biography explores what made Buller into a respected and brave officer.

Buller’s early years and education reveal a man independent of mind and spirit, but also a capable student with fondness for classical education. His uncompromising spirit was revealed at sixteen: after injuring his leg and being told by a doctor he must undergo amputation, Buller declared he’d sooner die with two legs than live with one – in time, his leg healed. Soon after, he was able to enlist in the army as a junior officer, which had become his greatest and most singular ambition.

As a young soldier, Buller soon made his mark – exacting in his desire for competence, he would argue with his superiors about company tactics and courses of action. Serving in India, Hong Kong and later Canada, it was in these far-flung countries that the young Buller became accustomed to military life. The soldiers beneath him found Buller charming and likeable, but also resolute – by the time he was a mature Colonel-commander in the Boer War, Sir Redvers Buller commanded respect for his heroics, and was also a favorite of Queen Victoria.