Monument to a forgotten conflict

EVERY Rememberance Sunday the parade in Omagh passes a tall monumental column to salute in respect of two conflicts that ended over 120 years ago, and is perhaps forgotten by many.

Tucked away within the hedgerow of Drumragh Avenue is the Boer War Memorial, a tribute to local soldiers who lost their lives in these South African campaigns.

A grand granite pillar, it is a symbol of war and peace, as shown by the statues that stand at the top of the structure.

‘War’, with its sword in hand, sits on the left, while ‘Death’, holding a cloth for coffins known as a pall, sits on the right. What separates them is ‘Fame’, who stands above them triumphant, holding the palm of victory and the honour wreath of laurels.

This monument is just one of many across the United Kingdom and Ireland that remembers the servicemen killed during the first and second Boer Wars.

They began in the 1880s in South Africa (made up of multiple colonies under British and German areas). While the UK wanted to unify the Cape Colony, the Orange Free State and Natal regions, this plan was met with resistance from the native Boers, Afrikaans-speaking farmers who wanted to maintain their independence.

The Boers were initially successful in resisting British rule in 1880 to 1881, however a soon-to-be-found material lying below the contested land would shift Britain’s drive to reclaim the territory.

In 1886, gold was discovered in the caves of South Africa and the news of this spread back to the mainland, prompting English-speaking ‘outlanders’ to move in. This caused concern for the Boers who saw this influx as a threat to their way of life.

The Second Boer War would last for three years, from 1899 until 1902.

Recognising that British forces were not looking for a peaceful resolution, or acceptance of independence, the Boers delivered an ultimatum to Britain, ordering the complete withdrawal of troops and reinforcements from their borders. However thinking that a battle against the Boers would lead to an easy win, the proposal was rejected.

Full-scale war broke out in October 1899. The rapid loss of British territory in the early stages shocked people at home, who were used to seeing victories.

The British Empire would strike back, deploying over 400,000 troops from Canada and Australia, as well as troops from mainland Britain, to push back against the tide.

During the bitter conflict, the first concentration camps appeared, as British forces established them to house Boer families and black Africans. Their aims were to remove support for the guerrillas, and it was believed the presence of Boer families in the camps would make soldiers in the field surrender.

Accommodation in these camps was poor. Water and food were in short supply, and medical and sanitary facilities almost non-existent. Sickness became widespread.

In all, 28,000 Boers, mainly women and children, died in the camps. Around half that number of black Africans died in separate camps.

But the policy proved to be counter-intuitive, as it aroused widespread criticism throughout the Empire due to the amount of deaths recorded. Emily Hobhouse was instrumental in raising public awareness of the camps, organising a relief effort to aid the victims.

By May 1902, the Boer guerillas were defeated and agreed to treaties with the British Empire to allow sovereignty over the country, but with a self-sufficient government put in place. The remaining Boer republics were absorbed into Union of South Africa by 1910.

In the aftermath, it wa sestimated that the Boer campaigns cost the British government £210 million – the equivalent of over £25 billion today. It resulted in more than 120,000 British and Imperial casualties, including 22,000 dead.

A majority of the deaths were caused by disease and inadequate medical provision.

Part of the casualties came from Ireland, through regiments such as the Ulster Rifles, Dragoons, and more locally, the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. The names of 194 officers and soldiers appear on the memorial in Omagh.

The statue was first erected in front of the courthouse in High Street, two years after the conflict ended. It was sculpted by English artist Sydney March and unveiled by the Duchess of Abercorn, Louisa Jane Hamilton.

While it represented the dead from the Boer conflicts, it would soon become a site to remember casualties from a further war just under two decades after.

In 1919, a large funeral commemoration event was held in Omagh as returning troops from the front lines of World War One surrounded the statue, draped in a Union Jack, to remember their fellow townsfolk who died in the conflict.

As the town grew and automobiles lined the streets, a decision was taken by the council in 1963 to move the memorial to Drumragh Avenue after concerns it may be a driving hazard. It cost £3,147 to move the monument, despite protests from councillors within Omagh at the time.

Then, at the turn of the century, there were calls to move the memorial back to its original location. The Royal British Legion in Omagh took it upon themselves to restore the Boer memorial to a good standard and the chair at the time, David Givens, said, “In its present position, the memorial is hidden from view and people walk and drive past it and don’t even realise it exists.”

He added, “This is a wonderful monument which has been virtually forgotten about.”

Yet to this day, veterans, officers and cadets all pay respects as they pass the memorial on Remembrance Sunday, paying homage to the many Irishmen who gave their lives in these colonial wars of the past.