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Siege of Mafeking: Difference between revisions
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Until reinforcements landed in February 1900, the war was going poorly for the British. The resistance to the siege was one of the positive highlights, and it and the eventual relief of the town excited the liveliest sympathy in Britain. There were immense celebrations in the country at the news of its relief (creating the verb ''to maffick'', meaning to celebrate both extravagantly and publicly). "Maffick" was a [[back-formation]] from ''Mafeking'', a [[place-name]] that was treated humorously as a [[gerund]] or [[participle]]. Promoted to the youngest major-general in the army, and awarded the [[Order of the Bath|CB]], Baden-Powell was also treated as a hero when he finally returned to Britain in 1903. | Until reinforcements landed in February 1900, the war was going poorly for the British. The resistance to the siege was one of the positive highlights, and it and the eventual relief of the town excited the liveliest sympathy in Britain. There were immense celebrations in the country at the news of its relief (creating the verb ''to maffick'', meaning to celebrate both extravagantly and publicly). "Maffick" was a [[back-formation]] from ''Mafeking'', a [[place-name]] that was treated humorously as a [[gerund]] or [[participle]]. Promoted to the youngest major-general in the army, and awarded the [[Order of the Bath|CB]], Baden-Powell was also treated as a hero when he finally returned to Britain in 1903. | ||
Three | Three Victoria Crosses were awarded as a result of acts of heroism during the siege, to Sergeant [[Horace Martineau]] and Trooper [[Horace Ramsden]] for acts during an attack on the Boer ''Game Tree Fort'', and to Captain [[Charles FitzClarence]] for Game Tree and two previous actions. | ||
In September 1904 [[Frederick Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts|Lord Roberts]] unveiled an obelisk at Mafeking bearing the names of those who fell in defence of the town. In all, 212 people were killed during the siege, with over 600 wounded. Boer losses were significantly higher. The siege established Baden-Powell as a celebrity in Britain, and thus when he started the [[Scouting|Scout Movement]] a few years later, his fame contributed to its rapid initial growth. | In September 1904 [[Frederick Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts|Lord Roberts]] unveiled an obelisk at Mafeking bearing the names of those who fell in defence of the town. In all, 212 people were killed during the siege, with over 600 wounded. Boer losses were significantly higher. The siege established Baden-Powell as a celebrity in Britain, and thus when he started the [[Scouting|Scout Movement]] a few years later, his fame contributed to its rapid initial growth. | ||
