Captain Hervey Greathed was attached to his old Regiment, the 8th (King's Royal Irish) Hussars, during the South African War. He had been commissioned into the 8th Hussars in 1887, promoted Captain in 1894 and retired in 1898. On retiring he was commissioned into the 4th (Militia) Battalion, Durham Light Infantry. Having served attached to the 8th Hussars in South Africa he was appointed Captain in the Hertfordshire Imperial Yeomanry in July 1902.