UNDER TWO FLAGS Tonga Ambulance from the Boer War
This next set was a Christmas present from my great friend Sam in Texas.
The set had been on my wants list for several years and was turning into a bit of a Holy Grail quest, on a par with the "Dr. Watson at Maiwand" set.
This is what Len Taylor told us about the set back in January 2011
Info from Len Taylor – Owner of Trophy of Wales
“It was oxen drawn, the two wheeled cart had a large canvas cover which in turn was covered by a metal shield with large red cross. Two Indian stretcher bearers carried a wounded British soldier. The set was made early 70,s for Under Two Flags. I put a little extra into the wounded figure.one knee drawn up and his holding his chest, told Jock Couts it was a scots soldier with his hand on his wallet ! Must have caught him on a bad day, "I want him lying to attention with bandaged head and a worried expression".
Over the years we did several restoration jobs, mainly the canvas that had rotted around the metal supports.The hardest part of this set was making the metal shield, I couldn’t buy metal sheet thin enough, so we resorted to Heinz bean cans. A section was cut out brass rods were soldered to each corner, the panel was formed around a wood template, primed painted green with a red cross. This was prior to reference numbers, and before you ask !! I made less than thirty !.Jock set up a window display including the Tonga it was during the summer, he reported that the metal canopy flew off and wiped out some of the troops, what can you expect from a bean can.”
Cheers
Martyn
