TOPIC:

From the Sunderland Daily Echo, Saturday 18th August 1900:—

...."Private W. H. Steele (4281), of the 3rd Durham Light Infantry, writing to a friend at the East End of the town, says:—"I have sent some Kruger money home with Ralph Watson, who is on his way home to Sunderland. He used to play for the Black Watch F.C. The Kruger shilling he has got has a little story attached to it. I bought it from a German Boer, who keeps a farm at the bottom of the hill where we camp. He used to sell us eggs, and while I was buying some off him I asked if he had any Kruger money, and he showed me the shilling. I bought the shilling, and then he started to tell all about the battle they had here—Dewetsdorp—and all about him killing 11 English himself and bragging about it. I had the dozen eggs in my hands which I had bought, and as soon as he was finished I let him have the eggs back in the face (free), and, mind, not one missed his real German nose. You talk about the colours of the rainbow, but it had no chance. He went straight to the commandant and showed him his face, but the commandant, who is a major in the Royal Scots, gave him a lesson, and ordered him to give me my 3s back or the 12 eggs."

I think that particular Boer got off lightly, perhaps he was fortunate he was not dealing with members of an Irish regiment.

BereniceUK wrote: From the Sunderland Daily Echo, Saturday 18th August 1900:—

...."Private W. H. Steele (4281), of the 3rd Durham Light Infantry, writing to a friend at the East End of the town, says:—"I have sent some Kruger money home with Ralph Watson, who is on his way home to Sunderland. He used to play for the Black Watch F.C. The Kruger shilling he has got has a little story attached to it. I bought it from a German Boer, who keeps a farm at the bottom of the hill where we camp. He used to sell us eggs, and while I was buying some off him I asked if he had any Kruger money, and he showed me the shilling. I bought the shilling, and then he started to tell all about the battle they had here—Dewetsdorp—and all about him killing 11 English himself and bragging about it. I had the dozen eggs in my hands which I had bought, and as soon as he was finished I let him have the eggs back in the face (free), and, mind, not one missed his real German nose. You talk about the colours of the rainbow, but it had no chance. He went straight to the commandant and showed him his face, but the commandant, who is a major in the Royal Scots, gave him a lesson, and ordered him to give me my 3s back or the 12 eggs."

Anyone who brags, truthfully or making it up, to a soldier about how many of the soldier's comrades he's killed, deserves anything he gets in response.