Flag, Union Jack flag

Ernie Lewis bought this flag from a street seller outside the Mansion House in the City of London, on May 19 1900. It was here that it was officially announced that Mafeking in South Africa had been relieved. For 217 days it had been under siege from the significantly larger and better equipped Boer forces.

The raising of the siege of Mafeking was one of the most celebrated events of the second Anglo-Boer War. The news of the British victory, led by General Baden Powell, aroused great public rejoicing in London where celebrations, both spontaneous and organised, attracted large crowds. Many waved flags, like this one.

Baden-Powell’s controversial decision to arm large numbers of African defenders at Mafeking was seen by the Boers as a gross violation of the sacred principle of fighting a ‘white man’s war’. It presented a major challenge to the white South African minority coercive dominance over a black South African majority.

More recently, Baden-Powell has attracted criticism for alleged gross neglect of the Mafeking African population, leading to a significant number of unnecessary deaths from starvation.