NAM.2017-09-7-61-44

Photograph of a formal ceremony at Wellington Barracks, possibly when the Duke of Cambridge said farewell to the 2nd Battalion, Grenadier Guards before their departure for South Africa, March 1900. The battalion is formed up in a square with the officers in the centre and the other ranks in neat lines surrounding them. They are wearing Slade-Wallace equipment with their personal belongings, and pith helmets. A crowd, including women and children, can be seen surrounding them as they watch the ceremony. Several soldiers on horseback and carriages can be seen in the road outside the railings. The 2nd Battalion sailed for South Africa to take part in the Boer War, leaving on the 18th March 1900 and arriving in mid-April. From a photograph album of 111 photographs entitled '2nd Battalion 1897-1909', relating to the 2nd Battalion Grenadier Guards in the UK, South Africa and Gibraltar from 1897 to 1909. Mostly group photos and individual portraits.