The Call Of Battle Far From Home

 Returning to my series from the War Museum. The next gallery looks at wars for empire. At the end of the 19th century, the British empire was marking the diamond jubilee of Queen Victoria.

At this time, unrest in South Africa was happening, with militants seeking their own path. The result was the second Boer War, or the South African War. 

Canadians would go to serve in the conflict. Prime Minister Laurier had to balance the issue at home, as not everyone agreed with the idea of sending soldiers overseas.

Gone were the days of bright uniforms. This mannequin sports the typical uniform of that war.

This hat has its own story. A Canadian soldier put it out to test the skill of a South African sniper. A bullet hole near the top of the hat speaks to that skill.

This display case includes a scarf, given to a Canadian soldier for bravery. It was one of a handful personally knitted for that purpose by the Queen herself.

It became a guerilla war, one eventually won by the British and Canadians.

This field gun is a veteran of that war.

As the 20th century dawned, the country took more responsibility for its own defenses, building armouries, founding a navy, and training cadets.

World War One broke out, and from the beginning, Canadian soldiers were part of it.

This large painting is Canada's Answer, by Norman Wilkinson, depicting the first sailing of Canadian soldiers bound for Europe in the fall of 1914.