Gallery Title
Gallery Title
Christmas Greetings
Accession Number NWHRM : 1712
Description
Framed sketch on khaki sent as a Christmas card to friends and family in England from William Earl, serving with the 2nd Battalion, Norfolk Regiment in South Africa during the Boer War 1899 - 1901. It was rescued when found in some scrap received from Germany in 1951.
Read MoreChristmas Greetings
Signaller William Earl sent home this Christmas greetings poem: Friends and relations in our land of the free, Christmas Greetings I send on this strip of khaki./ Tis not a Christmas card, nor sweet scented parcel /For twas torn from the back of my old Khaki jacket./ It has carried me long in storm and in calm/ the hardships I've bourne, I've come to no harm. I trust that the day may not remote be/ when you'll welcome again your lad in khaki. Boer War '99-'00-'01. Rustenburg S.A. Although khaki had been worn for some years in India (the word 'khaki' is derived from the Hindu word for dust or dirt) it was during the Boer War that scarlet was discarded for active service.
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