After the outbreak of the Second Boer War in October 1899, the 1st Dragoons was sent to South Africa where it arrived at Durban in November. Under the command of Lord Basing, the regiment formed part of the force sent to relieve Ladysmith, taking part in the battles of Colenso (December 1899), Spion Kop (January 1900), and the Tugela Heights (February 1900). From June 1900 to April 1901 the regiment was employed guarding the Buffalo River and the Transvaal approaches to the Drakensberg. Lord Basing received the brevet rank of lieutenant-colonel on 29 November 1900, and in late Spring 1901 he was given an independent command, composed of his own regiment and the necessary complement of artillery. Lord Basing's column was the only purely regimental column formed during the war. In July and August 1901 the column operated in the country of the Magaliesberg and Western Transvaal. During the rest of the war they were employed in the Orange River Colony. On 2 February 1902 Lord Basing was promoted to the full rank of lieutenant-colonel and appointed formally in command of the regiment. For his service in the war, he was mentioned in despatches twice and earned the Queen's South Africa Medal with six clasps: Transvaal, Orange Free State, Cape Colony, Relief of Ladysmith, Tugela Heights, Laing's Nek, and the King's South Africa Medal with both clasps. He was also appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1902.