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So quite to the contrary then! Instead of being perceived as pro-Boer they were in hot water for championing the cause of the other side!

There's a book on the history of The Star*, which shows that the paper was strongly anti-Kruger before the war, so much so that Kruger banned the paper for three months in 1897. In March 1899, the editor, Monypenny, was assaulted by a young lawyer named Theron**, for publishing an editorial calling for the UK colonial secretary Chamberlain to intervene in Transvaal affairs. In September, Monypenny had to flee the Transvaal, one step ahead of the police. The paper ceased publication on 10 October 1899, and did not resume until 2 January 1902.

So the story that the Star was pro-Boer during the war is evidently incorrect. It was not published during the war, except for the last few months, when Johannesburg was under British administration.

* James Clarke (Ed); Like It Was (1987).
** Danie Theron, soon to become the famous Boer scout and war hero.

Thank you and apologies for delay but we have had extensive power cuts and I am in between broadband suppliers! Africa!!!!

The answer was not what I expected and I can only wonder how my informant got it so wrong. I hope the rest of his book was more accurate.

The exploits in the Boer War of my great uncle are well documented but the attached will not be in the public domain. He was colonel of the Durban Light Infantry at the time of his death and a much loved and respected character in Durban.The sentiments shown in the attachment survived him and I was stopped by a stranger who heard my name and said he had been in the regiment and emphasised how much all ranks respected him.

I hope this works

Thank you for this especially the photograph of my great grandfather.. Seems that my informant got it wrong, I hope the rest of his research was better.

I have a medal belonging to Thomas the bar has the date 1877-8 so it must have been one of the frontier wars. Th edge inscription reads; Sergt T Sheffield !st City Grahamstown R Vols.
On his return from the war in 1945 my father joined the Star and worked for the group until retirement in the accounts department.