The British Flag

The British Flag "Women and Children First" A folio size booklet produced in 1899 and sold for the benefit of British forces serving in South Africa. This slim publication is centered around the story of the wreck of the troopship Birkenhead in 1852 when, on its way to South Africa with British troops and their families, it was wrecked and the soldiers on board stood resolutely aside when their commander called for “Women and Children First” when using the inadequate number of lifeboats. Very good in card wrappers with a frontispiece depicting M. M. Hemy’s portrait of the wreck. The publication also contains two of Kipling’s poems “Soldier an’ Sailor Too”, with a reference to the Birkenhead and “The English Flag”. Uncommon with no reference to this publication in the online COPAC. No indication of publisher but its cost of publication was stated to be defrayed by a “Mr Theobalds” with the intention of providing for the benefit of troops serving in South Africa.