Monuments to a distant war

SECOND BOER WAR HAS LEFT A LASTING IMPRINT ON CITY, SAYS CLAIRE SKINNER

HE second Boer War of 1899-1902 is a conflict prob- ably few of us know much about. It lies just beyond living memory, yet it has left a permanent imprint on Plymouth in monuments of stone.

The war can be summed up as a conflict between two white colonial forces Dutch and British) over control of South Africa’s rich mineral resources.

In 1899, the British sent reinforcements to their garrisons, alarming the Boers, who decided a pre-emptive strike was the best form of defence. Initially, they were successful; their troops mainly comprising farmers experienced at rifle-shooting. From October 1899 to early 1900, they defeated the British in a number of engagements and laid siege to the towns of Ladysmith, Mafeking and Kimberley.