TOPIC:

Can someone tell me more about the following snapshot? At the back of the photograph is written (in Dutch): “16 February 1900 Pretoria Station, a group of Boers going on Commando”. The rudimentary uniforms would suggest it was one of the few regular ZAR units (Police?). Interestingly, the men don’t carry arms, are all clean shaven and the inclusion of two black fellows seem at odds with the Boer policy not to involve natives in that white man’s war.

The kit (hats, gaiters, uniforms) looks as if they've just been issued it and it is unlike any Boer or Colonial kit I can recall. They don't look like ZARPs, Staatsartillerie or Vrywilligers.
The two Africans on the left don't look like agterryers to me, and thus to my mind it seems unlikely that these are Boers, unless they are foreigners like Irish. The "officer" has an American look about him.
I wonder.. how sure are you that this photo was taken in Pretoria in 1900?

Rob, thanks. The only indication I have is the contemporary pencil writing at the back. I agree that the man in the foreground looks like he knows more about hunting bears in Canada than directing traffic on Market Square in Pretoria. Perhaps someone recognises the uniform of the man in the train as a uniform of the ZASMl or Cape/Natal railways?

Everhard,

I'm not sure, but these guys look suspiciously like Philippine-American or Spanish-American War combatants. The hats, the blankets over the shoulders and even the tin mugs hanging from the haversacks are typically seen in photographs of US troops during those two conflicts. The gaiters also appear to be American issue.
If the above is correct, the lack of rifles and Mills Pattern waist-bandoliers would suggest these men are new recruits, only partially kitted out.

However, none of this fits with the inscription on the back of your photograph.

Neville




Spanish-American War Volunteer equipment (excuse the poor resolution)





Members of the 17th Infantry head for action in the Philippine Islands (US National Archives)


..

Thanks Neville for looking into this matter, your comments make a lot of sense and would a.o. explain the prominence of the black fellows in the photograph. Remains the fact that the photo came to me from an album in South Africa, the description is clearly contemporary and the specific place and date mentioned seem to suggest that the person making the annotation was not in doubt.