Boer War photographs kept under a bed show glimpse of life for British soldiers
Unseen Boer War photographs kept under a bed have given a fresh insight into what camp life was like for British soldiers.
The brutal conflict in South Africa claimed thousands of lives nearly 120 years ago, but a photograph album shows a side of military existence that may never have been witnessed before.
British soldiers are seen in a football team, eating lunch, mixing with the local community, resting in their tents and playing with ‘Charlie, our monkey’.
The pictures also feature handwritten captions mentioning ‘HRH’, indicating a member of royalty may have visited the troops.
The album of more than 100 Boer War images, plus some family photos from the period, was taken along to a free Hansons Auctioneers valuation day in Retford, by Michelle Pepper, 46, a church conservator from Newark.
She said: “I’ve had the album under my bed for six years.
"They were passed down through my mother’s side of the family. They belonged to my mum before me.
"I don’t know if the album belonged to an ancestor who fought in the war.
“The images are fascinating but I decided it was time for them to be seen publicly and, hopefully they will be bought by a collector of Boer War memorabilia who will truly appreciate them.”
Adrian Stevenson, militaria expert at Hansons Auctioneers in Derbyshire, said: “This album is an absolute treasure trove of historical images.
"There is huge interest in the Boer War across the world.
"Earlies this year, Hansons sold a collection of Boer War images and memorabilia for £4,000 from an original estimate of £400.
“These newly-discovered pictures provide yet more new insight into what life was like for both British soldiers and captured Boers.
"Many of the images are razor sharp and of a high quality for the period. It is exceptional.
"I would expect huge interest from military enthusiasts in the UK and internationally when this goes under the hammer.”
The eclectic mix of images show Boer prisoners eating lunch, bridges blown up by Boers, a campsite of British soldiers’ tents and tribal dancers.
There is also the odd picture and caption which would be found abhorrent by today’s standards, such as a chained money and a native being simply called ‘a black boy’.
The images are from the Second Boer War, which lasted from 1899 to 1902.
It was fought between the British Empire and two Boer states, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State, over the Empire’s influence in South Africa.
Britain was overconfident and under-prepared and more than 55,000 British soldiers were killed, captured or wounded.
The Boer War album, which has an estimate of £400-£600, will be sold at Hansons Auctioneers, Heage Lane, Etwall, Derbyshire, on Wednesday, of next week.
To find out more, email astevenson@hansonsauctioneers.co.uk or call 01283 733988.
