Guerre des Boers 1899-1902. Ambulances.

Guerre des Boers 1899-1902. Ambulances.

This image is an ambulance wagon in the second Boer War. This would have been when fighting was focus in guerilla conflict with roughly 5,000 Boer fighters holding out at this time in small groups. At this stage of fighting many women and children from the Boer communities were interred as a means of forcing the surrender of the Boer men who were still out fighting in the field. The warfare had also halted food production and distribution. These Ambulance wagons would bring food and supplies as a relief effort for the local population of predominantly women and children. The war exacerbated the fact that medical treatment and medical centers were rare and lacking in modern equipment and supplies so these ambulances would also serve as healthcare to the women and children. Most of the aid itself was sent from Europeans who sympathized with the white population in South Africa. The british war effort was divided as the Boers themselves were of white heritage and many white europeans could sympathize with the idea of independence so they did not want to go to war with them or at the least were the people who sent aid to South Africa. Others shared sympathy with the Boers but still saw the war as a necessity. The majority black population in South Africa were largely absent in humanitarian efforts as the white populations did not cover or express interest in aiding this population, at least not on a large global scale; more support was shown by frontline individuals operating in South Africa.

animal-powered transportation; medical personnel; ambulance; wagon; Second Boer War; South Africa; Red Cross; British

ICRC Audiovisual Archives

1899-1902

photograph, black and white, print

HIST-00269, ICRC Audiovisual Archives, https://avarchives.icrc.org/Picture/3506

Copyright, ICRC Archives (ARR), https://avarchives.icrc.org/