THE South African, or Boer War, from 1899 to 1902 was the first time that South Cumbrian volunteer soldiers could elect to service overseas in battle with members of the professional, Regular Army.

Because of the involvement of these weekend soldiers in a foreign conflict the battles and sieges were avidly followed back in Millom, Furness and the Lake District by newspaper readers.

This group of six men were members of the Barrow Old War Veterans' Association and were among the last survivors of the Boer War by 1948.

They were pictured wearing their medals in The Mail on May 24.

The paper noted: "One, at least, can look back on service in three wars."

On the back row, from left, was J. Pickthall (5th Lancers and served in the First World War); A. L. Culley (2nd King's Own Royal Regiment) and G. W. Bromley (2nd Border Regiment, plus service in the First World War and back in uniform with the Home Guard in the Second World War).

On the front row, from left, was A. Bramham (Royal Army Medical Corps and First World War service with the Royal Navy); R. D. Henry (2nd King's Own and service in the Home Guard from 1940 to 1943) and R. Makepeace (Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry and service with the Border Regiment in the First World War).