 In response the British adopted counter @-@ insurgency tactics , including a <unk> earth policy involving the burning of houses and crops , the establishment of concentration camps for Boer women and children , and a system of <unk> and field obstacles to limit Boer mobility and to protect railway communications . Such measures required considerable expenditure , and caused much bitterness towards the British , however they soon yielded results . By mid @-@ 1901 , the bulk of the fighting was over , and British mounted units would ride at night to attack Boer <unk> or <unk> , overwhelming them with superior numbers . <unk> of warfare in last months of 1901 , the New South Wales Mounted Rifles travelled 1 @,@ <unk> miles ( 2 @,@ <unk> km ) and were involved in 13 <unk> , killing 27 <unk> , wounding 15 , and capturing 196 for the loss of five dead and 19 wounded . Other notable Australian actions included <unk> , Pink Hill , <unk> and <unk> . 
