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It was the 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles that was involved in the Wilmansrust incident on the 12th June 1901, when poorly led by British Officers, they were surprised in a night attack on their camp by Boers. 19 of the 5th VMR were killed and 36 wounded.
The fallout from the incident was when Genl Beatson, who had commanded the column stated "I tell you what I think. The Australians are a damned fat, round shouldered, useless crowd of wasters . . . In my opinion they are a lot of white-livered curs . . . You can add dogs too"
On hearing this, a disgruntled Aussie said "It will be better for the men to be shot than to go out with a man who called them white-livered curs" which was overheard by Officers. As a result 3 of the VMR were sentenced to death which was later commuted to more minor sentences and still later freed after KEVII was petitioned.
This incident, coupled with the trial and execution of Morant and Hancock ensured that after the Boer War no Australian soldier would ever be submitted to capital punishment by their own side.