 Ramba uchinyora ndima iyi - Achitarisira kuvengana kwemauto, Thorneycroft akanga ari mumwe wevakuru vanoverengeka vakatumirwa kuSouth Africa kunotora mapoka evanozvipira nguva pfupi Hondo yechipiri yeBoer isati yatanga muna October 1899. Akasimudza boka revarwi, rakazozivikanwa seThorneycrofts Mounted Infantry, iro rakashanda mumatanho ekutanga ehondo, kusanganisira mushandirapamwe wekubvisaLadysmith, iyo yakanga yakakomberedzwa nemauto anobva kuBoer republics. Muhondo yeSpion Kop mukupera kwaNdira 1900, akasarudzwa kutungamira kurwisa kwekutanga. Mangwanani asati asvika, mauto eBritain akanga atora zvaaifunga kuti yaiva nhongonya yekop, kana kuti chikomo. VaBoers, avo chaizvoizvo vakanga vaine nzvimbo yakakwirira, vakakurumidza kurwisa, vachiparadza nzvimbo yeBritain, uye vakuru vakuru veBritain vakaurayiwa kana kuti vakakuvadzwa zvakaipisisa, vachisiya Thorneycroft ari mukuru mukuru mukuru aivapo. Kurwisa kweBritain kwakakundikana mukutarisana nemoto wakaoma kubva kumaBoers, asi Thorneycroft akaramba kubvumira chero upi zvake pasi pemirairo yake kuti azviise. Vasingazivi kuti chaizvoizvo vakanga vawana simba mukati mezuva racho, uye vachishaiwa zvose zviri zviviri mvura nezvombo, mauto eBritain akadzokera shure akavharirwa nerima. Hondo yeSpion Kop yakaonekwa sokukundwa kukuru, asi vaBritain vakaunganazve uye vakakwanisa kubvisa Ladysmith masvondo mana gare gare. Thorneycroft akagamuchira kukwidziridzwa kwebrevet kune lieutenant-colonel, uye akagadzwa Companion yeOrder yeBhati CB muna Kubvumbi 1901 South Africa Honours runyorwa mubairo uyu wakanyorwa musi wa29 Mbudzi 1900. Akagara muSouth Africa muhondo yose, iyo yakapinda muchikamu chekurwisana kwevarwi kubva pakupera kwe1900. 