Collection of Boer War photographs, the photos belonged to Colonel Reginald Brittan DSO of the Derbyshire Regiment and relate to his time while serving as Adjutant to the 4th Battalion 1900-1901, the photographs were taken at Fort Nottingham, Port Elizabeth and some are annotated to the reverse, they include outside and interior photos of the officers quarters (huts), Christmas dinner (outdoors), Brittan with remount at the horse lines, New Brighton Race Course, Port Elizabeth, Brittan with a lady and a Naval officer in khaki service dress, soldiers entrenching at Fort Nottingham, Brittan with horse and groom, Careys Grave, Irish informer, Port Elizabeth (James Carey was a member of The Invincibles, a splinter group of the Irish Republican Brotherhood. In May 1882, Carey, with others, murdered Thomas Henry Burke, Permanent Under Secretary at the Irish Office and Lord Frederick Cavendish, the Chief Secretary, at Phoenix Park in Dublin. Carey was arrested in January 1883, he turned Queens evidence and gave details of the Invincibles and the killers in Phoenix Park resulting in five of his former associates being hanged. Fearing for his life, Carey and his wife and family embarked for South Africa, he befriended a fellow Irishman by the name of Patrick O' Donnell. who, finding out Careys true identity, murdered him at sea on the passage between Cape Town and Natal. The Roman Catholics of Natal refused Carey Christian burial and he was buried in unconsecrated ground outside Port Elizabeth. In the photo Careys grave appears to be marked by a horsehair fly whisk), photo of Brittan with fellow officers, most of whom, Harris (Capt.), Wilmot (Capt.), McGuire (Lt. & QM), Piers (Capt.), Becke (2nd Lt.), Milward (2nd Lt.) were captured by a Boer Commando under Christian De Wet during the raid at Roodval on 7th June 1900 and released by British forces on 12th June, photo of Colonel 'Salmon' (a Lt. Col. Salmond of the regiment is shown as having died of wounds August 1902, sustained at the Battle of Stormberg in January 1902), 20 photographs, (Reginald Brittan was born at Clifton, Gloucestershire on 26th January 1865, educated at Clifton and Marlborough Colleges, after attending the Royal Military college joined the 1st Battalion Derbyshire Regiment (The sherwood foresters) with the rank of Lieutenant in August 1885, and promoted Captain in July 1892, he was married to Alice Gisborne on 22nd November 1893 at Derby, he was appointed Adjutant 4th Battalion Sherwood Foresters on 1st March 1895 and served in the South African War in that role from January 1900 to May 1901, he was Mentioned in Despatches, London Gazette, September 1901, created Companion of the Distinguished Service Order , London Gazette 27th September 1901, 'Reginald Brittan, Captain, Derbyshire regiment. In recognition of services during operations in South Africa', gazetted Lieutenant Colonel July 1908 and command 4th Battalion Sherwood Foresters, at outbreak of war in 1914 given command in UK of 14th Battalion Sherwood Foresters which was later renamed 13th Battalion, Training Reserve, and then 53rd Battalion Sherwood Foresters, demobilised in April 1919 he was awarded the O.B.E. 'In recognition of services in connection with the war', there are no campaign medals for WW1 as all of his service was in the UK, he passed away on 22nd September 1949 and is buried at St Bartholomews Church, Failand, Somerset, Colonel Brittans daughter Olive was married to Colonel John Clervaux Chaytor whose items are also in this auction, the photographs come direct from family)
