South Africa - Siege of Kimberley, Kimberley

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South Africa - Siege of Kimberley, Kimberley

Siege of Kimberley, Kimberley, near Bloemfontein, Frances Baard, Northern Cape, South Africa. Showing ration noticeboard Date: 1900

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Media ID 14203778

© The Wentworth Collection / Mary Evans Picture Library

Baard Bloemfontein Cape Frances Kimberley Noticeboard Ration Siege

EDITORS COMMENTS
This evocative photograph captures the somber atmosphere of Kimberley, South Africa during the Siege of 1900. The image, taken near Bloemfontein in the Frances Baard region of the Northern Cape, depicts a ration noticeboard, a stark reminder of the hardships endured by the town's residents during this pivotal moment in South African history. The Siege of Kimberley was a significant military engagement during the Second Boer War, which took place from November 1899 to February 1900. British forces, led by General Sir Robert Baden-Powell, were besieged by the Boer forces under the command of General Piet Cronjé. The siege lasted for over two and a half months, during which time the town's population of around 15,000 people was subjected to frequent shelling and food shortages. The ration noticeboard in this photograph reflects the desperate situation faced by the townspeople. It lists the meager rations that were being distributed, including a daily allowance of 1 pound of maize meal, 1 pound of flour, and 1 pound of beef or mutton per week. The notice also instructs that milk and sugar were only to be given to children under the age of 10, and that tea and coffee were to be rationed to one pound per month. Despite the hardships, the people of Kimberley remained resilient, and the town was eventually relieved when British forces managed to break through the Boer lines. This photograph serves as an important reminder of the sacrifices and struggles endured during this period in South African history.

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