The Boer or South African War between Britain and the Boer Colonies of the Transvaal and the Orange Free State was declared on 11 October 1899. Within 4 weeks, the nascent Gramophone company released a number of patriotic recordings. The most famous of these was a poem, written by Kipling and put to music by Arthur Sullivan entitled
The Absent Minded Beggar. In conjunction with The Daily Mail, a fund was set up to support soldiers families during the War. As the war continued there was a progressive change of mood, and in 1901 the recording of
The Boers have got my Daddy was issued:
'The Boers have got my Daddy
My soldier Dad;
I don't like to hear my Mammy sigh,
I don't like to see my Mammy cry;
So I'm going in a big ship
Across the raging main,
And I'm going to fight the Boers, I am,
And bring my Daddy home again!'
A Unique CD of 32 Tracks, restored from 1899 - 1902 period recordings.