Boer War Recruitment March

Come face to face with the Victorian age in this Boer War-era parade film with an unexpected ending

British soldiers march down a high street in their dress uniforms, to drum up volunteers for the conflict in South Africa. If you're more distracted by the busy Victorian street scene, including a girl in a fancy white bonnet, that's understandable. As soon as the young boys following the soldiers see the camera, they find that more diverting than the march. As the parade passes by, the boys lean in for a closer look. Their interest in new technology reflects our own fascination with the past.

After the Second Boer War broke out in 1899, volunteer corps were established across the country. There was no forced conscription in Britain until the later stages of WWI.