984 replies to this topic

[bushfighter1]

Harry,

Private 9721 George Henry Heaton served with the LNLR in East Africa:

http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/i...ge+henry+heaton

Regards
Gavin

Gavin
Please excuse the tardy reply (I was temporarily re-deployed) but thanks for this very useful information.  Your Great-Uncle is now on my list.

On 12 April 1915 the 2nd Loyal North Lancashires had its HQ in Nairobi but its companies dispersed around British East Africa.  The Bn also provided a daily escort consisting of 1 NCO & 7 men for the mail train between Nairobi & Mombasa (unit War Diary dated 07 April 1915).

When the Bn sailed for East Africa from India in October 1914 two Field Post Offices & a Base Post Office sailed, as part of Indian Expeditionary Force "B", in the troopship "Khosru".

During the construction of the railway line Makindu was a staging point & hospital location. Then the rail line was called the Uganda Railway.  It terminated in Kisumu on Lake Victoria where passengers & goods were transferred to steam vessels for the onward move to Uganda.  The two dated post marks show just how effective the postal system was up & down the railway.

The Germans targeted the railway quite successfully with long-distance foot patrols from across the German East Africa border to the West.  In fact the first damage they caused was on 20 April 1915 when they tried to demolish a three-span 120-foot girder bridge at Mile 218/12 near Makindu ("Permanent Way", by M.F. Hill, page 361).

Please could you send me a scan of both sides of this postcard, as I'd like to use it in a manuscript I'm working on?

For your interest, in the Queen's Lancashire Regimental Museum in Fulwood Barracks, Preston there is an Army Book 358 which on or near page 158 lists 5 men with service in East Africa from 1914 to 1916 or 1917, they are Bird, Wilson, Ginger, Tester & Stear.  They were all discharged at Preston in 1921 from the Labour Corps.  So the trail your Great-Uncle followed must have been shared by many others whose service in East Africa resulted in medical downgrading & re-employment outside the infantry.

Your Great-Uncle's regimental number indicates that he was serving with the Bn in Bangalore before war was declared.  He may not have sailed with the Bn on the troopship "Karmala" in October 1914 because of his relative youth, as only "seasoned men" were taken ("Military Operations East Africa", by Lt Col Charles Hordern, page 520).  If he didn't sail with the Bn then he arrived on a draft from the Depot in Bangalore soon afterwards.  

Anyway, you can feel extremely proud of him & the military contribution he made.
Regards
Harry

[Fred W]

Harry,

Private 10351 Rennie Woodward DCM. Died, age 24 years, of pneumonia on 9 Dec 1916 at Dar es Salaam, and is buried in grave No2, Plot AA, Row 1 at Dar es Sallam WarCemetery. He was the son of Joseph and Rhoda Woodward of Nelson, Lancashire, and was the forst Nelson soldier to be awarded the DCM.

fRED

[bushfighter1]

Harry,

Private 10351 Rennie Woodward DCM. Died, age 24 years, of pneumonia on 9 Dec 1916 at Dar es Salaam, and is buried in grave No2, Plot AA, Row 1 at Dar es Sallam WarCemetery. He was the son of Joseph and Rhoda Woodward of Nelson, Lancashire, and was the forst Nelson soldier to be awarded the DCM.

fRED

Fred
Many thanks for that.
Rennie's parents' address, Avenue Parade, Accrington is where I was born.

The 2LNL CO, Lt Col Jourdain, refers to Rennie's gallantry at Tanga in the unit War Diary on 05 November 1914.

Rennie had helped Captain Charles to bring in two Maxim Guns belonging to Indian Regiments towards the evening of the previous day.

Captain Charles was the Staff Captain in Headquarters 27 (Bangalore) Brigade (see Hordern page 530).  He didn't flinch from getting involved at the sharp end as during the fighting on 04 November he had assisted Lt Col Jourdain "in trying to put the Imperial Service troops right" (unit War Diary 04 Nov 14).

Captain Charles also reported the good Machine Gun work of Privates 10073 Charles ARNULL (later died) & 7035 T. BOYLE, both of whom were also awarded Distinguished Conduct Medals.  These two lads recovered a machine gun abandoned by the 63rd Palamcottah Light Infantry, & although it was without a tripod they used it effectively in the battle (unit War Diary 05 Nov 14).
Regards
Harry

[GavinH]

Gavin
Please excuse the tardy reply...

Harry,
Many thanks for your reply and for all the additional information. I appreciate it. If you PM me with your email address I'll forward some scans of the postcard to you.

Regards
Gavin

[Theo]

Harry

Welcome to the rather exclusive club of East African researchers.

I will look through my stuff and extract what I can for  you when I get a spare day or two.

Roop

Not specifically related to the Loyal North Lancs but have you all heard of a book called 'East Africa by motor lorry', memoir of a driver. I read it in a Nottingham library, can't recall the author but think he was a Nottingham man.

[bushfighter1]

Not specifically related to the Loyal North Lancs but have you all heard of a book called 'East Africa by motor lorry', memoir of a driver. I read it in a Nottingham library, can't recall the author but think he was a Nottingham man.

Theo
Thanks

Yes, I have a copy.  It is:  "East Africa By Motor Lorry - recollections of an ex-motor transport driver"
Written by:  W.W. Campbell
Published by:  John Murray, London in 1928
It contains 53 photos & sketches plus a map covering ground between Dar Es Salaam & just North of Kilimane, Portuguese East Africa.

"My object in writing these reminiscences is to place on record a true account of work undertaken in a strange and savage country by inexperienced city men, called out from the comfort of their own homes and from the blessings of civilized surroundings, by the exigencies of war, to a new and littledreamt-of exploratory campaign the like of which, inasmuch as the motor car played such a unique part, will probably
never happen again – at least not as we knew it.”
[From the author’s Foreword]

It's a rare & interesting account written by a soldier.  However copies are not cheap.

An easier little paperback book to obtain is:
"I Was There"
by Gordon Wood
Published by Arthur H Stockwell Ltd, Ilfracombe, Devon in 1984.

Gordon came from North Yorkshire & was a Despatch Rider in the last two years of the East African Campaign.

For a good descriptive list of relevant books download Maggs Brothers (booksellers) Winterton Catalogue at:
http://www.maggs.com/pdfcatalogues/winterton%20maggs.pdf

The catalogue is well illustrated, & a pleasure to look at.

Regards
Harry

[KONDOA]

Harry

Have not forgotten your original reqest but time/ work has conspired to prevent my scanning bits an bobs yet.

Roop

[bushfighter1]

Not specifically related to the Loyal North Lancs but have you all heard of a book called 'East Africa by motor lorry', memoir of a driver. I read it in a Nottingham library, can't recall the author but think he was a Nottingham man.

Theo
A really good new book has just come out:  "Tip & Run: the untold tragedy of the Great War in Africa"
by Edward Paice,
publisher Weidenfeld & Nicholson.  488 pages.

This is a good informative read, much much better than the previous book on the Campaign: "The Forgotten Front".
In my opinion "Tip & Run" is well worth the reduced price that Amazon offers it at.

If you want a freee download of a good little book, go to:  
http://www.ebookmall.com/ebooks/sketches-o...lbey-ebooks.htm

and download "Sketches of the East Africa Campaign".  The author, Robert Valentine Dolbey, was a Medical Officer in the Campaign & a veteran of the South African War.  He writes well about the conditions in the bush.

Regards
Harry

[Theo]

Theo
A really good new book has just come out:  "Tip & Run: the untold tragedy of the Great War in Africa"
by Edward Paice,
publisher Weidenfeld & Nicholson.  488 pages.

This is a good informative read, much much better than the previous book on the Campaign: "The Forgotten Front".
In my opinion "Tip & Run" is well worth the reduced price that Amazon offers it at.

If you want a freee download of a good little book, go to:  
http://www.ebookmall.com/ebooks/sketches-o...lbey-ebooks.htm

and download "Sketches of the East Africa Campaign".  The author, Robert Valentine Dolbey, was a Medical Officer in the Campaign & a veteran of the South African War.  He writes well about the conditions in the bush.

Regards
Harry

Thanks Harry. I have heard of 'Tip and Run' and will definitely get it and download Robert Dolbey's book. Do you also know of a book called 'Tanganika Guerilla' published in paperback in the 1960s?

[bushfighter1]

Thanks Harry. I have heard of 'Tip and Run' and will definitely get it and download Robert Dolbey's book. Do you also know of a book called 'Tanganika Guerilla' published in paperback in the 1960s?

Theo

"Tanganyika Guerilla" by Major J.R. Sibley, publisher:  Pan/Ballantine in 1971 as part of their paperback History of the First World war Series

It's a great read with lots of photos you don't see elsewhere.  It appears on Amazon quite a lot.

DVD's worth watching are:

"The African Queen"
"Shout at the Devil"
"Out of Africa"

Paperback novels for light reading are:

"An Icecream War" by William Boyd.  Penguin.

"Shout at The Devil" by Wilbur Smith.  Pan.

"The Ghosts of Africa" by William Stevenson.  W.H. Allen.

"The African Queen" by C.S. Forester.  Phoenix

"Momi & Toutou Go Forth" by Giles Foden.   Penguin.

"Jim Redlake" by Francis Brett Young.  (You can get it cheap on Amazon in hardback.)

"The Alpha Raid" by Alan Scolefield.  Macmillan.

Regards
Harry

[Theo]

Theo

"Tanganyika Guerilla" by Major J.R. Sibley, publisher:  Pan/Ballantine in 1971 as part of their paperback History of the First World war Series

It's a great read with lots of photos you don't see elsewhere.  It appears on Amazon quite a lot.

DVD's worth watching are:

"The African Queen"
"Shout at the Devil"
"Out of Africa"

Paperback novels for light reading are:

"An Icecream War" by William Boyd.  Penguin.

"Shout at The Devil" by Wilbur Smith.  Pan.

"The Ghosts of Africa" by William Stevenson.  W.H. Allen.

"The African Queen" by C.S. Forester.  Phoenix

"Momi & Toutou Go Forth" by Giles Foden.   Penguin.

"Jim Redlake" by Francis Brett Young.  (You can get it cheap on Amazon in hardback.)

"The Alpha Raid" by Alan Scolefield.  Macmillan.

Regards
Harry

Harry

Another light novel I have a copy of, but not yet read, is 'So Many Loves' by a chap called Leo Walmsley, who I believe was from east Yorkshire. My copy is published by The Reprint Society in 1945. From a brief scan it seems the narrator served with the RFC in Africa. Am not sure how autobiographical it is but a mate picked it up for me while on holiday in Robin Hood's Bay.

Theo

[bushfighter1]

Harry

Another light novel I have a copy of, but not yet read, is 'So Many Loves' by a chap called Leo Walmsley, who I believe was from east Yorkshire. My copy is published by The Reprint Society in 1945. From a brief scan it seems the narrator served with the RFC in Africa. Am not sure how autobiographical it is but a mate picked it up for me while on holiday in Robin Hood's Bay.

Theo

Theo
Thanks - I'll get hold of a copy.

Leo Walmsley became an author, but during WW1 he was an observer with 26 Sqn Royal Flying Corps which initially operated with 7 Squadron Royal Naval Air Service from Mbuyuni, British East Africa.
(See "Cross & Cockade"'s current series of articles.  Website:  http://www.crossandc...de.com/main.htm)

Later 26 Sqn RFC moved to Songea in south west German East Africa to support General Northey's advance.
If you can obtain a copy of the excellent little booklet:
"Corporal Haussman Goes to War - armed with a motor-cycle & camera" written & published by Colin Martin you will see photos of the plane Walmsley used & a sketch map of enemy positions north of the Lewugo River, produced after a reconnaissance flight.

Leo Walmsley (of the East Yorkshire Regiment) was Mentioned In Dispatches on 8 February 1917 & 7 March 1918, by which time he had been awarded a Military Cross.
After the War he wrote an article: "An Airman's Experiences in East Africa" for Blackwood's Magazine (Nov/Dec 1919 & Jan/Feb 1920),
& a book:
"Flights & Sport in East Africa", which is very hard to find.  I am still searching for a copy.

Regards
Harry

[Theo]

Theo
Thanks - I'll get hold of a copy.

Leo Walmsley became an author, but during WW1 he was an observer with 26 Sqn Royal Flying Corps which initially operated with 7 Squadron Royal Naval Air Service from Mbuyuni, British East Africa.
(See "Cross & Cockade"'s current series of articles.  Website:  http://www.crossandc...de.com/main.htm)

Later 26 Sqn RFC moved to Songea in south west German East Africa to support General Northey's advance.
If you can obtain a copy of the excellent little booklet:
"Corporal Haussman Goes to War - armed with a motor-cycle & camera" written & published by Colin Martin you will see photos of the plane Walmsley used & a sketch map of enemy positions north of the Lewugo River, produced after a reconnaissance flight.

Leo Walmsley (of the East Yorkshire Regiment) was Mentioned In Dispatches on 8 February 1917 & 7 March 1918, by which time he had been awarded a Military Cross.
After the War he wrote an article: "An Airman's Experiences in East Africa" for Blackwood's Magazine (Nov/Dec 1919 & Jan/Feb 1920),
& a book:
"Flights & Sport in East Africa", which is very hard to find.  I am still searching for a copy.

Regards
Harry

What would 26 Sqdn RFC have been flying in Africa? BE2cs? Reconnaisance only or contact patrols? Did the German Army Air Service have any units in this theatre? Any known air combats? I must admit I didn't the RFC had a unit there and thought there was only the odd isolated spotter plane sent specifically to hunt for the Konigsberg in the Rufuji Delta

Cheers

[KONDOA]

7 Sqdn RNAS undertook recon. and bombing attackes on German positions. First supporting 2nd Division at Kondoa Irangi flying Voisins.

Roop

[bushfighter1]

What would 26 Sqdn RFC have been flying in Africa? BE2cs? Reconnaisance only or contact patrols? Did the German Army Air Service have any units in this theatre? Any known air combats? I must admit I didn't the RFC had a unit there and thought there was only the odd isolated spotter plane sent specifically to hunt for the Konigsberg in the Rufuji Delta

Cheers

26 Sqn RFC
Flew BE2c & Henry Farman.  Recce & ground attack.

Schutztruppe
When war started a Pfalz was in GEA on demonstration.  It was used for recce until it crashed.
An improvised sea plane was built but it crashed also.
(Images of both planes are in:  "Lettow-Vorbeck's Soldiers" by Walther Dobbertin.  Reprinted by Battery Press.)

No known air combat.

A civilian contractor, Dennis Cutler from Durban, flying a Curtiss F flying boat first located Konigsberg in the Rufiji Delta.  Cutler later came down & was taken prisoner.
No 4 Expeditionary Sqn RNAS was sent out to BEA with Sopwith 807 seaplanes.  These were unsatisfactory & Short Folders were sent out.  They photographed Konigsberg but one was hit by groundfire & wrecked on landing at Niororo Island.
The British captured Mafia Island & developed an airstrip, bringing out two Henry Farmans & two Caudrons, one of each being lost very quickly in accidents.
The remaining Caudron was used to bomb Konigsberg on 6 July 1915 (but missed) whilst the Henry Farman was wireless-equipped for naval gunnery control.
On 11 July 1915 the Henry Farman directed the RN gunnery that sank Konigsberg but was hit by a German shell & brought down in the Rufiji.  The Caudron confirmed Konigsberg's death & then crashed on landing.

Then a RNAS party moved inland to Maktau where it received more Caudron GIIIs & was tasked to recce & bomb.  A RNAS Kite Balloon unit was also deployed, but its results if any are not known.

Another RNAS party operated from Chukwani Bay in Zanzibar, tasked with coastal recce & bombing.

[stiletto_33853]

Major Francis Joseph BRAITHWAITE, 2nd Battalion.
Son of Rev. F.J. Braithwaite, R.D., Rector of Great Waldingfield, Sudbury. Born on December 5th, 1872.
He went to Sandhurst in 1891 and two years later was gazetted to the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. He served throughout the South African War, being mentioned in despatches, and on the conclusion of peace was appointed to the Claims Commission in the Orange River Colony.
At the outbreak of the European War he was with his battalion in India. Two months later they were ordered to East Africa, where matters were at that time going badly for the British. He fell in action near Tanga on November 4th following.

Andy

Attached Files

•  Braithwaite.JPG   40.95K   2 downloads

[bushfighter1]

Major Francis Joseph BRAITHWAITE, 2nd Battalion.
Son of Rev. F.J. Braithwaite, R.D., Rector of Great Waldingfield, Sudbury. Born on December 5th, 1872.
He went to Sandhurst in 1891 and two years later was gazetted to the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. He served throughout the South African War, being mentioned in despatches, and on the conclusion of peace was appointed to the Claims Commission in the Orange River Colony.
At the outbreak of the European War he was with his battalion in India. Two months later they were ordered to East Africa, where matters were at that time going badly for the British. He fell in action near Tanga on November 4th following.

Andy

Andy
Many thanks for the image & details, which I will use if I may.

Lt Col Jourdain, CO 2LNL, after the Tanga battle put forward Major Braithwaite's name:
"(Killed in Action) For gallant leading & judgement in face of hot fire"  (War Diary 05 Nov 14)
However higher authority only approved awards for NCOs & men.

Later in the war when Tanga had been captured a Memorial Service was held for the remains of the 750 bodies that could be retrieved.  White ants had eaten most, but one Loyal North Lancashire officer was recognised because of the gold fillings in his teeth.
These teeth probably belonged to Francis Braithwaite as he was by far the oldest LNL officer killed in the action.

I hope to be in Tanga next month.  Please advise if you would like an image of the Memorial.
Regards
Harry

[stiletto_33853]

Harry you are welcome to use the photograph and details, if you would like a full size image rather than the cropped image for the forum let me know.

Andy

[stiletto_33853]

Harry,
If you are there I would love an image of the memorial. Many thanks.

Andy

[bushfighter1]

Harry you are welcome to use the photograph and details, if you would like a full size image rather than the cropped image for the forum let me know.

Andy

Andy
Yes please, if you send the full image to:
harryfecitt@yahoo.co.uk
I can then use it & get a copy into the Queen's Lancashire Regiment Museum archives.

Have you a connection with Francis Braithwaite?
I will get you the image at Tanga.
Regards
Harry

[bushfighter1]

7 Sqdn RNAS undertook recon. and bombing attackes on German positions. First supporting 2nd Division at Kondoa Irangi flying Voisins.

Roop

Roop
Are you familiar with the diary of Serjeant C Ryder, listed in the IWM Documents as 96/23/1 ?

The IWM describes him as a signaller on HMS Kinfaun, but he was a Sjt in The South Lancashires who also spent much time on the ground in charge of signal stations, advancing to Kondoa Irangi & then moving on the southern axis.
It is a 43 page handwritten diary, with lots of interesting comments.

Regards
Harry

[bushfighter1]

Harry

Have not forgotten your original reqest but time/ work has conspired to prevent my scanning bits an bobs yet.

Roop

Roop
I really enjoyed reading your GEA tour diary.
Maybe you didn't come across these two guns outside Fort Jesus, Mombasa:

THE KOENIGSBERG GUN
This 4.1" gun was one of ten guns that made up the
armament of the German cruiser S.M.S. Koenigsberg
built in 1907 and sunk in 1915 by British naval action
in the Rufigi River, Tanzania.  After the action the
guns were salvaged and taken to Dar Es Salaam where
the carriages were built in the railway workshops.
The guns were used by General von Lettow Vorbeck  in
his campaign against the British and South Africans
from 1915 - 1918.

THE PEGASUS GUN
H.M.S. Pegasus a 2000 ton British Cruiser was
undergoing boiler repairs in Zanzibar Harbour on 20th
September 1914 when the German cruiser Koenigsberg
sank the ship at its moorings.
The eight 4" guns were salvaged, mounted on wheels and
used as coastal defence batteries in Zanzibar and
Mombasa.

Those are the captions, however some of the Pegasus
guns were used well inland

Regards
Harry

Attached Files

•  Konigsberg_Gun__Mombasa.JPG   32.86K   1 downloads
•  Pegasus_Gun__Mombasa.JPG   32.5K   0 downloads

[KONDOA]

Hello Harry,

No I have not seen Ryder's diary, I shall seek it out now you have highlighted it. The signal stations were quite a feat to establish and maintain.

I didnt get to Mombassa having landed at Kilmanjaro . I had heard that they were there but  am pleased with your photos which certainly show the guns as described. Another Konigsberg gun is in Pretoria.

The Pegasus guns of 10th Heavy Battery RMA were used at Kondoa and were positioned on North Hill. They later joined the 2nd Div on its trek to Dodoma and thence Morogoro although along with the 11th Howitzer Battery (11th Hull HB Lx) ran out of fuel so stayed for a long time on the central railway before demobilising from East Africa.

Roop

[stiletto_33853]

Hi Harry,
No connection with Braithwaite, I will get the image sent to you this week.

Andy

[bushfighter1]

What would 26 Sqdn RFC have been flying in Africa? BE2cs? Reconnaisance only or contact patrols? Did the German Army Air Service have any units in this theatre? Any known air combats? I must admit I didn't the RFC had a unit there and thought there was only the odd isolated spotter plane sent specifically to hunt for the Konigsberg in the Rufuji Delta

Cheers

Theo
If you are interested in the aviation side IWM has a short film, Catalogued as IWM 84:
OPERATIONS OF THE BRITISH EXPEDITIONARY FORCES IN EAST AFRICA / OUR GRIP ON THE HUNS : Cherry Kearton War Series / IN EAST AFRICA   IWM 84 (?) 1915
  The British campaign in German East Africa, 1915 (?).

It shows, amongst other things, a Caudron starting drill, take off, & landing at Maktau.

SteveE
You will be very interested in the European Bn shown marching very much at ease down a track, clearing bush, fortifying a camp & practising stand-to.
Cherry Kearton will have moved from 25 RF to Aviation Photography Duties by now, but he has included his old Bn in the film.
Regards
Harry