Worse living conditions in board of the British transport Jelunga according to the Dutch newspaper Vlissingse Courant dated 18 December 1899

An item reported that two days earlier the transport Jelunga arrived at Southampton coming from Cape Town with 114 spouses of soldiers and 237 of their children coming from Ladysmith. They still were dressed in the same clothes as when they departed and suffering from coldness. Many women and children were sick and there was none nurse on board. Six children died underway. They were not able to eat the ships’ food and lacking money unable to buy canteen food. The newspaper Daily Mail was very upset and asked a investigation. The Department of War did not even send a representative to Southampton to receive the passengers and supply them with what they needed. The burgomaster of the town did his job.

Note

1. The Second Boer War found place between 11 October 1899 and 31 May 1902 and ended in a defeat of the Boers and regaining British sovereignty of the Orange Free State and South African Republic (Transvaal). In 1920 became the Union of South Africa part of the Commonwealth.