East African Protectorate Telegraph Section Options

[eyman]

Good afternoon, all

Has anyone come across this unit before? Only 9 men appear in the medal cards index, either with the unit as shown above or East Africa Protectorate Telegraph Section. I'm guessing they were involved in the campaign against the Germans portrayed in "Out of Africa" but would welcome any expert info.

One of this select crew was 6 Pte Cyril H Terry who, I believe, had previous service with Essex Yeomanry (Cyril Harold Terry).

Looking forward to hearing more!

Thanks in advance

Ian

[Ron Clifton]

Hello Ian

The East African Protectorate was what we know today as Kenya, and was the main base from which the campaign against German East Africa, later Tanganyika and now Tanzania, was conducted.

There are a number of more or less ad-hoc signals units in this theatre and, although I have found no specific details of an official establishment for this particular unit, it must have been involved in that campaign. "Telegraph Section" suggests a unit of something like 20-30 men under an officer, but it may have contained African natives as well, for whom there are no medal cards.

Ron

[Terry_Reeves]

Ian

It is interesting to see most of these men had previously served in the Royal Engineers Volunteers and Telegraph Section. Although the Volunteer units in the UK disappeared on the formation of the TF, many lingered on under their old title in the colonies. I have a feeling that some of these men may have been Marconi engineers working in Africa and had been pre-war members of this unit.

TR

[bushfighter]

 IMG_7613.JPG ( 74.31K ) Number of downloads: 2

Ian
To support what Ron & Terry have already told you, above is part of a page from the British East Africa Gazette.
Look at the bottom.

There are three War Diaries for "Protectorate Telegraph Section" but they all relate to Uganda and communications work on the Kagera Line, which ran along the Kagera River in German East Africa (now Tanzania) just south of the Uganda border.

I am trying to track all units raised in British East Africa and Uganda, so please send me a Personal Message if you learn anything further.

Harry

[bushfighter]

Ian

I have come across one Mention in Despatches for East Africa that appears relevant:

Signals Service Volunteer Telegraph Section. Peters, No. 25 Corpl. F. G. 29938 8 Feb 17

Harry

[eyman]

Many thanks to Ron, Terry and Harry for their responses on this topic - very helpful

I don't have anything to prove that the Cyril Harold Terry who was in the Essex Yeomanry (for the record, enlisted as 602, B Squadron on 2 May 1910) is the same as the man in East Africa although the names are not common and are the only match in the medal card index. The Essex Yeoman was the son of a police superintendent. He was born in Chelmsford and living in Braintree in 1901 and in Dunmow in 1911. Since Marconi had its HQ in Chelmsford, it's not inconceivable that he might have worked there but that is only speculation.

If they are the same man, we know that he was out in Kenya only a couple of years later!

If I come across anything else, I'll add a posting.

Ian

[Terry_Reeves]

Ian

His service record is available for his time the Essex Yeomanry. He was a clerk with the General Post Office and was given a free discharge from the EY for "appointment under the Colonial Office" on 12.10.1914. Looking through the National Archives catalogue, it appears some transfers from the GPO to the Colonial Office were made for sorting clerks and telegraphists.

TR

[eyman]

Dear all

Many thanks to Terry for spotting that CH Terry's pension papers are available - I hadn't looked that far!

I can confirm that the former Essex Yeoman is the man in East Africa: his full name appears in the medal roll for the BWM/VM in WO329/2343. The 1914-15 Star roll for this unit is in WO329/2939. The roll is headed "Field Telegraphs & RE Volunteers and Protectorate Telegraph Section" and seems to be an amalgam of small units. Three officers (1 deleted) and 32 ORs (1 deleted) are listed, including some Indian ORs. The roll shows that Terry entered the war theatre on 24 November 1915 and was later transferred to civil duties.

I had a vision of CH Terry having decided to leave Essex for an adventurous life in the colonies. It now seems he was "persuaded" to go overseas during the war, perhaps not expecting that he would be serving in a military capacity.

Thanks again to forum members for their help in response to my request.

Ian

[eyman]

Just to say that a group to this scarce unit is on DNW's desktop auction - No 9 in the EA Protectorate Tel section

http://desktop.dnw.co.uk/medals/desktopauc...il.lasso?lot=39

Ian