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The 'Roslin Castle' (Troopship) Leaving for South Africa
The 2nd Battalion West Yorkshires head off to join the Boer War
Overview
Filmed on 20 October 1899 and showing the ‘Roslin Castle’ bearing the 2nd Battalion West Yorkshires to the front, the catalogue entry for this film confidently claims it as “the best of the series of transports leaving Southampton for South Africa”. Seeing the departing troops in the background as their families wave from the foreground captures the scene’s emotional resonance and hectic atmosphere. Where other transport films of the Boer War focus on famous generals largely forgotten by history, these glimpses of the crowd create a greater resonance for contemporary audiences.
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