Original Item. Only One Available. This is an incredibly rare piece of headgear, the first of its kind we have ever seen, and likely the last, an Afrikaans Boer hat as worn by Boer Kommandos during the Boer Wars. The hat, constructed of straw, is in rough service-worn condition, with both original cockades still intact on the sides. There are areas of heavy material loss, with a period patch to the front. There is no trace of these hats online, with only photographs & paintings of Boers wearing them. 

The hat is of a very large size, but due to the aging of the material, it has no pliability. There are two metal grommet vents on each side, with both slouches affixed with a cockade and small leather washer under it. The brim of the hat is very well-retained. The interior is in good condition with the real leather sweatband entirely retained but very worn. The chinstrap has broken off of one side and now hangs as shown.

We really don’t think we’ll ever see another example of this type of hat again, with almost none in existence. This example is in rough condition but still retains its shape well, and truly is a step back into one of the first modern conflicts in history. You’ll never see another again, so do not miss out on this one.

Comes ready for further research and display.

History of the Boer Wars:
The Boer Wars is the name used to refer to the armed conflicts in South Africa between descendants of Dutch settlers (the Boers) and British colonists. Following the first Boer War of 1880-81, the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister, William Gladstone, granted the Boers self-government in the Transvaal.

However, the Boers, under the leadership of Paul Kruger, resented the policies of Colonial Secretary Joseph Chamberlain and High Commissioner and Governor-General of the Cape Alfred Milner. Fearing the Transvaal would be denied independence, the Boers acquired military equipment from Germany. Between October 1899 and January 1900, Boer insurgents conducted a series of successful raids across the Transvaal border into the Cape Colony and Natal. Although the Boers only fielded 88,000 soldiers, they were able to successfully besiege the British garrisons at Ladysmith, Mafeking and Kimberley.

After Army reinforcements arrived in South Africa in 1900, British command launched a series of counter offensives to relieve the garrisons. In addition, British forces seized control of the Boer capital, Pretoria.

For the following 21 months, bands of Boer commandos conducted a series of bitter raids against isolated British troops. Lord Kitchener, the Chief of Staff in South Africa, reacted by destroying Boer farms and moving civilians into prison camps. Leading Liberal politicians (and most of the independent Labour Party) strongly opposed British actions in South Africa calling them the worst excesses of imperialism.

Finally, in May 1902, a peace was achieved with the signing of the Treaty of Vereenigin. The settlement dissolved the Boer Republics of Transvaal and the Orange Free State. However, the British conceded to the Boers £3 million for restocking and repairing farm lands and promised eventual self-government (that was finally granted in 1907).