END OF BOER WAR

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 75, Issue 126, 31 May 1932, Page 6

END OF BOER WAR

THIRTIETH ANNIVERSARY To-day is tho thirtieth anniversary uf the end of the Boer War. There are in New Zealand to-day nearly 4000 veterans of the war, but no function has been arranged locally to commemorate the signing of the peace at. Pretoria on Al ay 31, 1902. In the latter months of 1899 enthusiam ran high in tho Dominion, for the Boers were making trouble in South Africa and war was imminent. Public meetings were held, and gifts poured in to augment the fund to send troops away, if necessary, when the order camo. Tho first of the New Zealand truop.s left Wellington in the steamer Waiwera on October 21. 1899, and there was a crowd of about £O,OOO to sec them off. The troopship arrived at Capetown a month later, and after waiting there for ton days to allow tho horses to become acclimatised, the First Contingent proceeded to Colesberg to join General Sir John French. On December 18. 1899, George Bardford, of Paeroa. was the first Now Zealander to be killed. Nine other contingents followed, the last leaving New Zealand in Afay, 1902. In all Now Zealand sent. 7000 mon out of an Empire total of 200,000. The total number of men killed in the war was 5774, ami 22,829 were wounded. About 1000 Boers were killed, and there were 40.000 prison ers in British hands at the eml of the war, which came after a meeting of delegates at Vereeniging, followed by the formal signing of pe ce at Pretoria. The war cost New Zealand £331.000, besides a pension list of £3OOO a yeax.