In a fight with the Boers at Colenso on 15 December 1899, Colonel Thackeray found himself left behind on the battlefield with some other British soldiers after a general retirement was ordered. At about one pm, an ambulance approached, and the Red Cross was raised. Fire ceased.
Some of the Boers pushed forward while Thackeray and his men were moving towards the rear. The Boer leader called to Thackeray that he was a prisoner with the rest of the soldiers. "On no!" said Thackeray. "We were firing all the time. You advanced under the Red Cross as if it were a flag of truce, and we let you." "Well, now, you must lay down your arms," said the Boer. "No, why should we?" asked Thackeray. "Let's go back and begin again." He clearly gained the respect of the Boer, who said, "Perhaps you're right. I'll turn my back and won't see you. So you can clear off with all your men."
一八九九年十二月十五日，薩克萊上校和其他一些英兵在科倫索和波爾人交戰，英國大軍奉命退卻，他們未能隨行，留在戰場。下午一時左右，來了一輛救護車，紅十字標誌舉起之後，雙方停火。
薩克萊和同袍往後方撤退，一些波爾軍人則向前進，他們的領袖叫住薩克萊，說他和同袍已成戰俘。薩克來說：「不對，我們本來沒有停火。你們是在紅十字之下前進的，似乎把紅十字當作休戰旗，我們因此才不阻止。」那波爾人說：「嗯，你們現在必須放下武器。」薩克萊說：「不行，為什麼要放下？我們各回戰線，再打過吧。」那波爾人顯然對他心生敬意，就說：「也許你說得對。我現在轉過身，看不見你。你快和同袍一起走吧。」