This film is part of Free

Troopship Nubia Leaving Harbour

The Nubia sets sail from Southampton as the crisis in South Africa escalates.

Non-Fiction 1899 2 mins Silent

From the collection of:

Logo for Media Archive for Central England

Overview

This short piece of actuality film produced by the Fuerst Brothers shows the P&O troopship Nubia leaving Southampton on 21 October 1899. Bound for the war against the Boer forces in South Africa the ship had on board the 1st Battalion Scots Guards and the 2nd Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment. Ten days after war was declared chartered ships were leaving British ports daily for a war that would drag on until May 1902.

The Nubia arrived at Cape Town on 13 November 1899. The soldiers on board initially saw action at the Battle of Belmont on 23 November.