This film is part of Free
C.I.V. Procession. Cyclists and Infantry
A very patriotic heroes' welcome for men who volunteered to fight for their country in the Boer War
Overview
Volunteers who left their homes and families in London and Middlesex to fight in the Boer War return to celebrate a job well done - and crowds line the streets to congratulate them. Garlands and flags add to the patriotic atmosphere, and according to the Hepworth catalogue one of the men is brandishing a treasured token from the field: "In their midst proudly marched a trooper who carried the flag of the late United Dutch Republic, the flag which was captured by the C.I.V.'s at Jacobsdaal."
After the Second Boer War broke out in 1899, volunteer corps were established across the country. There was no forced conscription in Britain until the later stages of WWI. Most of the City of London Imperial Volunteers left to assist with the relief of Kimberley in January and February 1900 and were back in October that year - with the unit disbanded in December.
Related
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This close view of departing troops gets up close and personal with soldiers off to the Boer War.
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