The Siege of Ladysmith was a key moment in the Boer War, also known as the South African War.
In 1899, British troops and civilians were trapped in the besieged South African town for 118 days. Using a BBC archive recording, James Dalton, a British Army bandsman with the Gordon Highlanders, recalls shelling, hunger, disease and the dramatic relief of Ladysmith.
Produced by Helen Ledwick in collaboration with BBC Archives.
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(Photo: Siege of Ladysmith, South Africa, Boer War. Credit: Ann Ronan Pictures/Print Collector/Getty Images)