King's African Rifles

A History

Malcolm Page

• Publisher: Pen & Sword Military
• Year: 2011
• Print ISBN:
  9780850525380
• eBook ISBN:
  9781473815780
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: African History
• Index: History

"This comprehensive and complete history charts the story of the East Africans from their formation in 1902 through to the drawdown of the British Empire." —Soldier

Whatever one may think about the rights and wrongs of colonial rule, it is hard to deny that during the first half of the 20th century those African countries, which then came under British administration, enjoyed a period of stability which most now look back upon with a profound sense of loss. Paradoxical though it may seem, one of the bulwarks of that stability was each country's indigenous army. Trained and officered by the British, these forces became a source of both pride and cohesion in their own country, none more so than the King's African Rifles, founded in 1902 and probably the best known of the East African forces.

In this, the first complete history of the East African forces, Malcolm Page, who himself served in the Somaliland Scouts for a number of years, has had access to much new material while researching the history of each unit from its foundation to the time of independence.

Historians in several fields will be grateful to him for having put on record this very important period in the annals of both Great Britain and East Africa while the memories of many who served there were still fresh, and they themselves will perhaps be most grateful of all for this lasting tribute to the men they served and who served them, for in that shared sense of duty lay the true spirit of East African Forces.

CONTENTS

Foreword
Introduction
Glossary
Foreword to Second Edition
Chapters
1.	How It All Began
2.	The “Mad Mullah’ Campaign 1900–1920
3.	From German East Africa to Tanganyika 1914–1918
4.	Between the Wars 1919–1940
5.	Italian East African Empire – Part I
6.	Italian East African Empire – Part II
7.	Madagascar and Mauritius
8.	Burma
9.	Victory and Afterwards
10.	Malaya
11.	Kenya and Mau Mau
12.	Imperial Twilight
13.	The Kenya Regiment – by Len Weaver CBE
	Epilogue
Appendices
	A.	Lt Col H Moyse-Bartlett MBE MA PhD – a personal tribute by Professor Anthony Allott
	B.	“They Went Singing’ – by Professor G. G. Shepperson CBE
	C.	The Royal East African Navy – by Lt Cdr Barry Mitchell
	D.	East African Artillery
	E.	The Royal Wajir Yacht Club
Bibliography
Index

FOREWORD

by The Rt Hon The Lord Alport PC TD DL

A generation has passed since the King’s African Rifles and East African Forces ceased to exist. Yet for those British ranks who served with them before, during and after the Second World War the bonds of comradeship remain strong, as does the affection felt by the officers for the Ascaris whom they trained in peace and led in war.

Brigadier Malcolm Page served with one of the most attractive and volatile units of the East African Command and his experience has encouraged him to write a history of the King’s African Rifles and East African Forces covering the whole span of the years when they existed.

The attraction of service in East Africa was of course also generated by the marvellous countries stretching from the Horn of Africa to the Zambesi. It is good to know that the contribution of KAR and the East African Forces have made to the success of the independent African countries which are now in existence has been immense and enabled those countries, at any rate to some extent, to avoid the disasters which have occurred elsewhere in post-colonial Africa in recent years.

It is right that, while the memory of that service is still fresh in the minds of those who served in East Africa, a comprehensive history should be published and I am delighted to think that future generations, who will not have the opportunity and advantage of serving with Her Majesty’s Forces in East Africa, will be able to obtain from the following pages some idea of the history and achievements of this remarkable part of the fighting forces of the British Crown.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I am indebted to the following for the loan of, and permission to reproduce, photographs in their possession: By permission of the Syndics of Cambridge University, from the Royal Commonwealth Collection, 1, 19; G.B. Lambert Esq, 2, 3; Lt-Col Peter Mulloy, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12; Brig Michael Biggs, 5, 6, 34; Capt John Watson-Baker, 17; Capt R.E. Vanderpump, 18; Lt-Col J.A. Gibb, 22; Col H. J. Lowles, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27; Major John Spurway, 28; Major Geoffrey Whitworth, 29; Major B.J. Lambert, 31, 32; Rhine Link, 33; Officers of the Kenya Regiment, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39; Professor George Shepperson, 41; Lt-Cdr Barry Mitchell, 42, 43. The map on p. 98 has been redrawn from a sketch kindly loaned by Brig Michael Biggs.

INTRODUCTION

The idea for this book came from my colleagues of the Rhino Link team, as we surveyed the growing quantity of material sent in by members for publication in Rhino Link, the newsletter of the KAR and EA Forces Dinner Club. With the Club approaching its fiftieth anniversary it seemed appropriate to mark the event and to capture and to put before a wider audience the experiences of our members. These are in many cases rare, sometimes unique, and almost certain never to be repeated. At the same time it was necessary to set them in a historical context; this extended to include social, economic and political considerations, as so much has changed since these events took place.

The book, as it has emerged, is an end-to-end history of the KAR and the East African Forces. It does not aspire to be another Moyse-Bartlett; it covers a longer period, until after Independence for the territories involved, and is wider in scope, as it has covered many non-KAR Corps, organizations and units which were excluded from Moyse-Bartlett’s book by his terms of reference. It draws on individual experiences to a large extent, but relies heavily on published works, particularly Moyse-Bartlett, for those events which lie outside the scope of the living testimonies available to me. Versions of events sometimes vary. When there has been doubt about dates, places and other details, I have relied on Moyse-Bartlett and the Army Commander in Chiefs’ Despatches, particularly those of FM Lord Wavell. For political and strategic settings I have drawn heavily on Churchill’s The Second World War. For colonial history the two main sources were Thomas Pakenham’s The Scramble for Africa, and Jan Morris’ Pax Britannica trilogy. For the rest I have been wonderfully supported by members of the Club – and others – who have ransacked attics, rummaged in memories and plundered photograph albums to produce much previously unpublished material. Notes on other sources and suggested further reading are given in the Bibliography on page 275.

I would particularly like to thank Brigadier Michael Biggs, the Club President, Major General “Rowley” Mans (who also appears as “Toto” in the book), Lt Col Richard Corkran and Captain Peter Stocken of Rhino Link, Brigadier Ken Timbers of the RA Historical Trust, members of the Kenya Regiment Association – especially Ken Weaver and Carol Gurney, Professor George Shepperson, Lt Cdr Barry Mitchell REAN, J.A.L. Hamilton Esq in respect of the West African connections in Burma, Roger Perkins, the author of Regiments and Corps of the British Empire and Commonwealth (an invaluable work of reference), plus all those who sent me material or submitted to being interviewed by me. Iris Norton kindly assisted with the maps, and I am most appreciative of the patience of my brother-in-law, Ronald Meacham, for his careful reading of the drafts.

With so much to cover, I have concentrated on the major campaigns: against the Mullah, German East Africa, Italian East Africa, Madagascar, Burma, Malaya and Mau Mau, with linking narrative, followed by the runup to Independence and a little beyond, plus some specialized appendices. But this does not give the full picture. Units of the KAR were in West Africa in the early days of the century, rounding the Cape to get there. Their furthest north is probably represented by some men who were prisoners of war in Germany during World War II. Their furthest east was to reach the Irrawaddy in Burma, also in World War II. I have sought to tell a story of military prowess, initiative, fortitude, gallantry, improvisation, loyalty and heroism, together with occasional light relief. I hope that something of the spirit of the age, and of the dedication and comradeship of the KAR and EAF have come through. It has – to my regret – not been possible to be able to tell it all, and balance may be lacking in places. With so much to cover, some omissions are unavoidable. The faults are mine alone.

Malcolm Page
Henley on Thames, Jan 97

GLOSSARY

ABVAT	All Burma Veterans’ Association of Japan
AD	Air Despatch
ADOS	Assistant Director of Ordnance Services
AKC	Army Kinema Corporation
AOC	Air Officer Commanding
AOP	Air Observation Post
askari	(Arabic/Swahili) literally “soldiers” (ie: plural) describes African soldiers trained by Europeans. Sometimes incorrectly pluralized as “askaris”
“Askari”	Swahili language newspaper for African soldiers
A.Supt	Assistant Superintendent of Police (equivalent to Chief Inspector in British Police Forces)
AT	Animal Transport
AOR	African Other Rank (ie; below commissioned rank)
Banda	Italian irregular Somali or Ethiopian troops
BCFG	Burma Campaign Fellowship Group
Bde	Brigade
Bn	Battalion
Brig	Brigadier
Brig Gen	Brigadier General
BEM	British Empire Medal
Bhang	(Arabic/Swahili) Cannabis
BNCO	British Non-Commissioned Officer (ie; excluding warrant officers)
BOR	British Other Rank (ie; below commissioned rank)
BURCORPS	1 Burmese Corps
Burma	Myanmar
Bwana	(Swahili) Sir
BWO	British Warrant Officer
Capt	Captain, RN or Army
CCF	Combined Cadet Force
CDRC	Coast(al) Defence Rifle Company
Ceylon	Sri Lanka
CF	Chaplain to the Forces (eg; a padre)
chai	(Urdu/Swahili) tea
chaung	Burmese waterway
CIGS	Chief of the Imperial General Staff
CO	Commanding Officer (usually a Lt-Col)
Cpl	Corporal
CPO	Chief Petty Officer
CQMS	Company Quartermaster Sergeant
CRA	Commander, Royal Artillery
CT	Communist Terrorist (in Malaya)
DC	District Commissioner
DCM	Distinguished Conduct Medal
DDT	An insecticide
DIMCOL	An ad hoc column of 28 (EA) Bde, formed for its advance to the Irrawaddy, commanded by Brig WA Dimoline
DO	District Officer
DOS MELF	Director of Ordnance Services, Middle East Land Forces
DRAFORCE	5 KAR Companies grouped under the 2ic, Maj WD Draffan, to cross the Chindwin
Dubas	(Somali – “red fire”), tribal police in the NFD, so called because of their red pagris (turbans)
DZ	Dropping Zone
EA	East Africa (n)
EAA	East African Artillery
EAAC	East African Armoured Corps
EAAEC	East African Army Education Corps
EAAMC	East African Army Medical Corps
EAASC	East African Army Service Corps
EAAEME	East African Army Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
EAMR	East African Mounted Rifles
Effendi	(Arabic/Swahili) Sir. Respectful form of address, Egyptian tide, rank of junior African officer
ENSA	A Services entertainment organization
FANY	Female Auxiliary Nursing Yeomanry
FARELF	Far East Land Forces
FG	Fighting Group
Field Company	Basic unit of the Schutztruppen and of SA and EA Engineers
FOO	Forward Observation Officer, for artillery or mortars
FOWCOL	Fowkes’ Column, 22 (EA) Brigade, reinforced and tasked for specific operations
French IndoChina	Laos
GC	Gold Coast
German East Africa	Tanganyika, now part of Tanzania
GHQ	General Headquarters
GOC	General Officer Commanding
GOCinC	General Officer Commanding in Chief
goose-necks	Portable airfield landing lights
Gp Capt	Group Captain (RAF)
GR	Gurkha Rifles (eg; 10 GR)
G(R) Force	Formation from Aden which re-occupied Berbera
habash	(Somali/Swahili) Ethiopian (not a popular term with Ethiopians)
habari	(Swahili) News
Haji	Title of a man who has made the haj (pilgrimage) to Mecca
HA-GO	(Japanese) Plan Z
HMEAS	H...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Full Title
• Copyright Page
• Contents