William Penn Symons' first combat experience was in South Africa during the Ninth Xhosa War, 1877-78. In 1879 he took part in the Zulu war. He then served during the Burma Expedition (1885-89). In 1889 he received the Companion of the Order of the Bath. In 1898, following other campaigns, he was awarded the Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath. In 1899, Symons was given the staff rank of brigadier general and was to be General Officer Commanding of Natal. He was asked by the War Office to advise on the number of troops required to safely garrison the Natal from the threat of invasion from the Boer Republics of the Transvaal and Orange Free states. Cabinet decided to send ten thousand extra troop abut they also appointed Lieutenant General Sir George White to supersede Symons as Generat Officer Commanding in Natal. Penn Symons, on his own authority deployed one of his brigades to Dundee, a town north of Ladysmith. The position of Ladysmith anad Dundee was precarious as they stand in a triangle of Natal, Orange Free State and Transvaal. White wanted to recall the Dundee garrison to Ladysmith but because of political pressure from Sit Walter Hely-Harrison, the Governor of Natal, he agreed to leave them there. The Boers declared war on 11 October and began crossing the Natal borders the following day. On 20 October 1899 Boer troops on the nearby Talana Hill proceeded to open fire on the town. The British guns moved to return fire as the general surveyed the Boer positions and gave orders to his commanding officers. Symons believed in old fashioned military tactics of close order but these formations were not designed to be used against lonf range bolt action rifles and Symons' brigades would be the first of manyin this war to pay the heavy cost ofthe mistake, as many generals would repeat it. The infantry battalions set off from the east of the town. The first part of the advance went well and they reached a small wood at the foot of the hill where they found shelter. Beyond the wood was a wall and then open ground. Symons rode up to the wood to find out why the attack had halted. He ordered the men to proceed, rode through the wood then walked through the gap in the wall. After a few moments he returned and was helped to remount his horse. He rode back from the front lines until he was out of sight of his troops before he asked for assistance from the Indian stretcher bearers. He had been shot in the stomach. Symons was taken to the field hospital at Dundee. After a few wasted days Symons' replacement, Brigadier General Yule, decided to abandon the town and the worst-wounded to the Boers and steal away at night to Ladysmith. Symons became a prisoner of war along with many others. He felt betrayed by Yule and just before he died he implored the medical officer, Major Donegal, to "tell everyone I died facing the enemy". Individual image from photographed poster of tobacco and cigarette cards.william penn symons, south africa, ninth xhosa war, companion of the order of the bath, knigt commander of the order of the bath, general officer commanding in natal, dundee, ladysmith, orange free state, transvaal, sir walter hely-harrison, governor of natal, boers, brigadier general yule

Hard cover book,Queen of The Dawn Author: H Rider Haggard Publisher: Hutchinson & Co. London. W1. Date: 1925 Green Cloth hard covered book with a reinforced spine with a handwritten title, front cover has black text and Egyptian motif. Inscriptions include stickers and a stamp. fictionQueen of the Dawn is a story of old Egypt, a historical fantasy/romance novel by H. Rider Haggard, set in Ancient Egypt during a period of war and political turmoil, as the invading Shepherd Kings challenge the Egyptian Pharaohs. The protagonist in the story is Nefra, Princess of Egypt, born amid this chaos with her fate tied to her royal lineage. Prophecies and blessings from Egyptian goddesses mark her birth, foreshadowing her significant role in events to come. After the death of King Kheperra, Queen Rima (Nefra's mother) must navigate a dangerous political landscape to protect herself and her child, aided by loyal allies like her nurse Kemmah. The story opens at a breakneck pace, with Pharaoh deposed and killed and his family in hiding, while a secret religious order raises the princess, who falls in love with the disguised son of the usurper. The climax delivers traditional adventure-fiction excitement with battles and torture. The novel leans heavily on themes of prophecy, destiny, and romance.flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, pattison collection, ralph eric pattison, warrnambool mechanics’ institute, mechanics’ institute library, warrnambool library, free library, corangamite regional library service, h. rider haggard, 1925, hutchinson & co., queen of the dawn

Hely-Hutchinson served as Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Natal and Zululand between 1893 and 1901. He was appointed Governor of the Cape Colony in 1901 and was the last British Governor until the post disappeared when the colony joined the Union of South Africa in 1910. During the absence of Lord Selborne in 1909 he acted as High Commissioner to South Africa. He was awarded Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George.Individual image taken from photographed poster of tobacco and cigarette cardshely-hutchinson, commander-in-chief, governor, cape colony, natal, zululand, union of south africa, lord selborne, high commissioner, knight grand cross of the order of st michael and st george