TOPIC:

"HERE'S WISHING YOU / A VERY MERRY XMAS"

"A DROP for you, / A DROP for me, / So Here's Good Luck to-day, / A DROP to all our / Dear Old Friends / Both near and far away, / A DROP to the Lads / In Red, and Blue / A DROP to One and All, / But a very different / DROP should be, / THE DROP for Old Oom Paul".



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Not entirely in the spirit of Christmas.

In an attempt to level things up a bit, here's a pro-Boer take on Christmas .......

A Boer clutches presents intended for British troops, looted from the wrecked train that can be seen in the distance. Postmark for Anvers [Antwerp], Belgium, 4th January 1902.

"Happy Christmas!"
"Leve de Helden van transvaal" [Long live the heroes of the Transvaal]



Neville

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Christmas at the Imperial Yeomanry Hospital, Deelfontein.

1900 Christmas card from Lieutenant-Colonel Sloggett (Commandant), and the the programme for the Deelfontein Christmas Play "The Prude's Progress".










The Players:

Sister Florence Isobel Audrey COATES, Princess Christian's Army Nursing Service (Reserve)
Sister Ellen Elizabeth VINCENT, Princess Christian's Army Nursing Service (Reserve)
Sister ROGERS
Sister Hilda ROOKE, Princess Christian's Army Nursing Service (Reserve)
Sister Florence Barraclough “BARRIE” LAMBERT, Princess Christian's Army Nursing Service (Reserve)
13208 Trooper A. HAWKINS, 52nd (Paget’s Horse) Company, 19th Bn. Imperial Yeomanry
13130 Trooper Arthur HARE, 52nd & 73rd (Paget’s Horse) Companies, 19th Bn. Imperial Yeomanry
8344 Trooper D. DEANE, 49th (Montgomeryshire) Company, 9th Bn. Imperial Yeomanry
13024 Trooper William Storrs FRY, 51st (Paget’s Horse) Company, 19th Bn. Imperial Yeomanry
4111 Trooper William FORD, 30th (Pembrokeshire) Company, 9th Bn. Imperial Yeomanry
3316 Trooper William Hornsby PUTNAM, 15th (Northumberland) Company, 5th Bn. Imperial Yeomanry


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"The Nation's Gifts", or nurses' wallets, were given as Christmas presents to all nurses serving in South Africa in 1901. The wallets were paid for out of the London Morning Post's "Field Force Fund", of which Queen Alexandra was patron. She consented to having her double "A" monogram stamped on the wallets, which "enhanced the value of the gift in the eyes of all, as a witness of the patronage she has graciously accorded to the work being carried out on behalf of those serving their country at the front" (London Morning Post, 18 Nov 1901).
The few I have seen have been in pristine condition, and I suspect many recipients put the wallets away and kept them as precious mementoes rather than using them in the field.

Blocked in gilt with Queen Alexandra's double "A" cypher and the words "'THE NATION'S GIFT' / SOUTH AFRICA, / CHRISTMAS 1901". Reverse stamped “W.H. BAILEY & SON / 38 OXFORD ST. / LONDON W.” Contained in original red cardboard box, with the above words duplicated on the lid. Inside of lid with paste-down advertisement for "Bailey's 'Ideal' Wallet. / W.H. BAILEY & SON, 38, OXFORD STREET, LONDON, W."


Morning Post, 18th November 1901

THE FIELD FORCE FUND.
PATRONESS THE QUEEN.
THE NURSES’ GIFT.

We are able to announce this morning that her Majesty Queen Alexandra has been graciously pleased to permit her Crown and monogram to be stamped on the wallets to be forwarded to all the nurses serving in South Africa as a testimony of the interest and sympathy she takes in the work of the Field Force Fund. The Queen has ever shown a kindly feeling not only to those who suffer, but to those who attend the suffering. It would be invidious for us to point out how greatly her Majesty’s command will enhance the value of the gift in the eyes of all as a witness to the patronage she has graciously accorded to the work being carried out on behalf of those serving their country at the front.













Photograph of Nursing Sister Julia Nettie Underwood, R.R.C., carrying one of the wallets. Photograph originally posted by Rory




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In 1901, the Field Force Fund alone sent in excess of 350 tons of Christmas gifts to troops serving in South Africa.


St James Gazette, 21st November 1901

THE FIELD FORCE FUND.

Amount Collected £27,396.

Today the “Morning Post” brings to a close the series of appeals on behalf of the Field Force Fund, which is going to provide a Christmas Box for every soldier serving in South Africa. Not only people at home, but British people in France, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Austria, the Channel Islands, Malta, Gibraltar, Egypt, Canada, the United States of America, etc., all sent their quota. The fund has realised a total of £27,396. Of this amount the “Glasgow Evening News” has collected £1,500. With the sum which has been placed at its disposal of the Field Force Fund Committee trusts to be able to carry out satisfactorily the arduous task which the nation has entrusted to its hands. With the exception of the nurses’ wallets the whole of the Christmas gifts, amounting to considerably over 350 tons, have now been despatched to South Africa. The “Post” adds: We would remind our readers in conclusion that the work of the Field Force Fund Committee does not cease with the provision of Christmas gifts, and the value of that work may be gathered from Lord Kitchener’s statement on the subject: “I cannot exaggerate my appreciation and praise of the work done by the Fund, and I think that so long as hostilities continue, so long will its usefulness be undiminished, and I should be very sorry indeed to hear that I could no longer look to it for the comforts which it has so long and so generously bestowed on the troops under my command”.
Donations of money will continue to be thankfully received and acknowledged by the members of the committee, and gifts in kind may be sent to Mrs F.A. Currey, the Pit House, Ewell, Surrey.


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