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These pictures echo the text in your post, Berenice.

Christmas Day has always been punctiliously observed in the Army and every effort seems to have been made to render it a happy time for our soldiers in South Africa. The plum puddings sent out amounted to some tons. There is a touch of pathos in one of the illustrations in that the sacks of plum puddings there shown were intended for the men of the 18th Hussars, who are at present prisoners in Pretoria. The other photograph shows men of the RAMC seated around their cask of Christmas beer. In South Africa beer is a luxury not to be had every day and the men appreciated their Christmas fare all the more because their beer was a treat.





Source: The Graphic, 3 February 1900

A superb image, the dog appears rather expectant.

LinneyI wrote: Forum stalwarts
Here is a pic from Vol.II of APGW which shows Christmas on the veldt, December 1901. The artist here, I feel, caught the "feel" of the occasion quite well.
Merry Christmas to all Forum members.
IL.

Sadly, I appear to still be in the naughty book this year, a happy Christmas to all.

QSAMIKE wrote: Tonight on the longest night of the year here in North America I would like to wish everyone a

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SAFE NEW YEAR

and good luck collecting in the new year...…

Santa Mike

Five, possibly six, different types of headgear in the plum pudding picture. What's the one that the man on the upper far-right of the picture has on? You can see the upper two-thirds of his face, topped with what resembles an American lift boy's pillbox hat.

That type of forage cap was certainly still being worn in South Africa, normally by members of the cavalry, they were tailored in melton cloth with a lace band, which was a particular pattern unique to each regiment.

BereniceUK wrote: Five, possibly six, different types of headgear in the plum pudding picture. What's the one that the man on the upper far-right of the picture has on? You can see the upper two-thirds of his face, topped with what resembles an American lift boy's pillbox hat.