Dear all

As some of you may be aware from an earlier post, I am working on the memory of the East African campaign. More specifically it is about the role of the historian in using memory and their impact on memory, using East Africa as a case study.

One of the aspects I'm addressing is how people came to be interested in the campaign given that when I started working on the campaign in 1998, there was very little interest or knowledge of it in the public domain.

I'm keen to hear how you became interested in the East Africa campaign in particular, as well as any other campaign in Africa or concerning South African troops. I'd also be interested to hear your thoughts on why the campaign is becoming more popular all of a sudden. I'd be happy to receive a PM and explain how I intend to use the material etc if you've got any concerns.

Many thanks
Kind regards
Anne

PS: to put me in some perspective, Harry reviewed my book on the East Africa Campaign on the Forum in about July 2008 - I'm grateful to him for pointing out the errors on troop formation as this is definitely not my area of specialism!

My grandfather was there with DeVenter and he used to tell me about being there.



Roop

Anne

My interest in GEA and South Africa troops is really only peripheral to my interest in the (old) Heavy Artillery in the GSWA campaign and the (new) South African Heavy Artillery in Europe.

For others here is a summary on the military archives prepared by van der Waag

http://academic.sun.ac.za/mil/mil_history/...ry_archives.htm

Harry's review is here

http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/i...showtopic=99646

Carl

Anne

Greetings. It is nice to see you on the Forum, I think that you have much specialised knowledge that we could all benefit from.

In 1961 I was commissioned into the 1st Bn The Loyals (North Lancashire) and immediately became intrigued by the Battle Honour "Kilimanjaro".

Forty-eight years later, although the Loyals (North Lancashire) no longer exists, I'm still intrigued!

It is my own personal opinion that there is new interest in the Great War East African Campaign because:

1. The internet, and Fori like this, make it much easier for younger inquisitive people to discover more facts.

2. In a similar way that some people are looking for alternative leisure pursuits etc "to get away from the herd" so some of today's military enthusiasts want to get away from the Western Front which occupies, for very sound reasons, such a large part of Great War recorded history.
(In this argument Anne, you are a historical equivalent of a bungee-jumper over Victoria Falls!)

Harry

Thanks for the responses already and especially to Harry for his words of encouragement.
I've been following the discussions on East and GSW Africa for quite some time but have felt quite daunted with all the military knowledge out there, and being 'a girl' (Harry, I wasn't even born when you were in the Loyals!).

My interest in the campaign arose from a minor comment in the biography of Smuts by his son JC Smuts jnr about him leading the campaign there. This just begged for investigation as all my pre-MA historical studies had been done in South Africa and I hadn't heard about the campaign at all. Having since visited the area specifically to get a feel for it (2000) and since for other reasons, I have become passionate about 'my boys' and ensuring they don't get forgotten.

I look forward to being a more regular contributor in future.
Best wishes
Anne

Anne

Welcome to the forum, it's always nice to welcome fellow researchers of this 'minor' theatre of operations.

In answer to your original post my own interest stemmed from family history research and my GGFather's military service, firstly in the 2nd Anglo-Boer War and then, as a natural progression, to the Great War with the 25th Royal Fusiliers in East Africa. The East African theatre of operations has fascinated me ever since and I've always wanted to learn more, I do wonder sometimes if it would have been quite the same if my GGF had served in another more 'popular' theatre.

Regards

Steve

Despite being a member of the WFA, I have gradually become interested in the GW in all respects. When I started researching men on war memorials, I came up agains such questions as what the heck were we doing in Mesopotamia? Like most, I suppose, we concentrate on the western Front, but then become aware that death was as real all over the place, whether it be France, Belgium, of Nauru or Tanganyika.
As I started reading, I became aware of gaining something of a new hero. Von Lessow Vorbeck seems to me to be something of a forgotten hero. He fought exactly the right war, in the circumstances, whilst also behaving correctly, returning home afterwards and retiring into anonymity.
I have never been to East Africa, and doubt I could afford to do so, but there are so many aspects of the war there that are of interest. How did they manage to get the guns off the konigsberg? How did they keep carrying the ammunition? To fight a campaign for four years, with absolutely no hope of ever getting any reinforcements or supplies, and still be undefeated by the end of the war.....what a record! Throw in African Queen, and mimi and Toutou and you have a campaign that has just about everything to interest anyone with an interest in the Great War.

Dear Anne

My interest started as a general desire to know more about the full extent of the war - so many texts simply mention East Africa only in passing. I recently read "Tip and Run" by Edward Paice - fascinating. I agree with Bruce's comments about just how extraordinary the entire war in East Africa was. It was not only a forgotten war, but created many thousands of forgotten victims especially amongst the Carriers.

Regards

Andrew

I read a book entitled 'East Africa by Motor Lorry', the memoir of a driver in the ASC and also accounts in a German book called 'Heja Safari' about the exploits of Paul von Lettow Vorbeck and the Schutztruppe. For those who read German and don't know of it already, there is a good site about all the German colonies, both in Africa and the Pacific.

http://jaduland.de/kolonien/afrika/tanzania/index.html

Hello Anne

welcome to the Forum. I'm sure we will all be interested to read the result of your researches

I have been interested in the GW since the age of 13 but never really appreciated the Africa perspective -- though I had visited the South African memorial at Delville Wood -- until I found Byron Farwell's book (in the library of the Hong Kong Football Club, by the way) and became fascinated by the saga of Von Lettow-Vorbeck.

I agree with Bushfighter that people in Europe at any rate whose interest is aroused in the War tend to start with the Western Front as closest to home and easily visitable then spread their wings into other areas of the conflict. People are also travelling more and coming into contact with other theatres; I have a daughter currently working in Botswana, and visited her last year. We went to Victoria Falls (but no bungee-jumping!) and I was interested to see the memorial to the soldiers of Northern Rhodesia there, having just read 'Tip and Run'.
This year we plan to go back, but on the Namibian side this time. I am looking forward to seeing Windhoek.

Good luck with your project

cheers Martin B

Will be in Tanzania again come April. Hopefully this time will get to Dodoma and Morogoro, possibly down to the Mgeta, we shall see how the weather and time work out.


Roop

Hello Anne,
I too look forward to reading results of all your research. I grew up in East Africa, but knew nothing about the War in that part of the world so I am very interested in the various campaigns. From memory my school history lessons focussed on Europe and touched on early East African settlement.

My husband's uncle was killed in Portuguese East Africa, and through this forum I have discovered much about his life. My interest in this area of the Great War continues.

Cheers
Shirley

Many thanks all!
It's fascinating seeing how you've all come to know about the campaign and the hold it takes. When I finished my initial study on East Africa I thought I'd be able to easily move onto WW2 and other aspects, but the EA (and WW1) hold is still strong.

Roop, I'll be in EA at the same time as you - however, I'll be on Kilimanjaro (Marangu) where I'm overseeing a primary school education project. It astounds me everytime I visit the village just above Himo, looking over the Pare, Usambara and Tsavo mountains how the troops survived and managed, and that the locals don't seem to know anything about how their lives were disrupted not so long ago. - Shirley, my investigations on the ground so far, accord with your school experience, as does Giles Fodden's research for Mimi and Toutou (2004). For some reason, the memories in Zambia seem much stronger - both in terms of memorials and amongst the white population.

Martin, we were in Namibia for Christmas 2007, my first visit and found it an incredible country. Considering how long it was controlled by South Africa, I was surprised at the still strong German influence. If you get the opportunity to go on the desert drive http://www.namibweb.com/welwitschia.htm, you might be interested in stop "7: It comes as a surprise to find remnants of a human sojourn in this desolate landscape. On this spot South African troops made camp for a few days in 1915 during the First World War. Along with the broken bottles and rusted cans, one can also see the tracks of an early form of tracked vehicle. Please do not remove anything." From my knowledge, track vehicles (tanks) were used on the Western Front from 1916 which makes their use in 1915 in SWA very odd particularly given the paucity of other weapons in the theatre. The cynic in me disputes this being a genuine WW1 site.

Best wishes
Anne

Anne

I will also be around Moshi and Himo so theres a chance of a beer if you are around.

Roop

Sounds good Roop, I've sent you a PM.

Many thanks to everyone for your comments. It's fascinating seeing how people have come to know about the sideshows...
Best wishes
Anne

Dear Anne,
I have only just 'found' this thread, but hope that my Fathers' brief Memoir will be of use. He wrote it down in 1973 and was a bit 'crook' at the time, so details are not for the pedant. I have just picked a few bits out.

Sailed from Southampton December, 1915. Troopship[Trafford Hall]. Reached Las Palmas in 7 days. Ship took on coal and then set off for journey to Durban, South Africa, which lasted 5 weeks. By-passed Capetown, but had a wonderful view of Table Mountain.

Arrived at Kilincline[?] Mombassa, where we were concentrated into a Division, and proceeded by slow train to Voi, a journey taking 24 Hours.

VOI. We split into tracking units, and moved to Maktau, with our 4 guns, ammunition, etc., 12 Oxen pulling each gun, and 10 Oxen pulling the ammunition wagons plus rations.

First engagement in action took place at Sailita[?] Hill. We did not have any casualties; these were confined to the infantry, whose losses were slight. My particular work was forward observation, seeking out exact positions of machine gun units, not easy by any means. We pushed forward to Tavita Hills where the Germans were strongly entrenched and put up a very strong resistance. Casualties were heavy on both sides, but after 5 days of continuous fighting, we were able to advance and capture the hills.
I committed my first murder of a German soldier here. I felt quite sick after it, but it was war and a case of kill or be killed in order to survive.

ARUSHA---Lower slopes of KILIMANJARO---MOROGARO---REPUGI RIVER.

Enemy firing was rather heavy here but by good fortune I was able to direct our Battery fire on the machine gun nests...........

One of my best friends, Dick Pooley, who came from Penzance killed in this action. [Dad was MID].

Lions, Hyeanas, wild dogs, baboons, monkies, elephants, poisenous snakes.[Plus his story of being kept up a tree all day with a Rhino underneath]


There are two and a bit A4 pages of his East African War, and these are just a taster. The usual stuff about food and water shortage,foot slogging, clothes boiling with lice, is in there too. He even learnt Swahili, and taught my brother.

Kwa heri,

Phil.