The Railways in German East Africa

[bushfighter]

Remembering Today features 16489 Guard Carroll, East African Railways, whom the CWGC site identifies as W. Carroll who is buried in a grave in the Dar Es Salaam War Cemetery.

East African Campaign followers may be interested in these two images. They show damage caused when a withdrawing German demolition party dropped a bridge with a train on it, and rolling stock that other withdrawing Germans buried in 1916 but which was not discovered by the British authorities until 1957.

"Permanent Way Volume 1 - The Story of The Kenya & Uganda Railway" and "Permanent Way Volume 2 - The Story of the Tanganyika Railways", both by M.F. Hill, describe railway activities in East Africa during the Great War years.

Harry

[JPAE]

Harry,

Do you know if these massive items were buried with assistance of any heavy plant, or were they simply interred by gangs of labourers or non-combatents.

The first picture looks to me as if there was a fire after the event. Powerful picture.

Phil.

[bushfighter]

Phil

No heavy plant - just the local village headman who was told to supply a number of men and women with digging tools.

Harry

[ShirlD]

Thanks Harry,

As always, much appreciate the gems you find and give us

Cheers

Shirley

[bushfighter]

Here are two images of destroyed stock on the Central Line from Dar Es Salaam to Lake Tanganyika.

[matteyre]

very interesting Harry, hope you are well. Where was the bridge?

[bushfighter]

Matt

Greetings

Presently I'm away from my reference library for two or three weeks so it will be next month before I can reply.

Harry

[Holger Kotthaus]

The Attached photo shows the Railway Bridge of the Central railway between Kigoma and

Tabora over the Malagarasi River. Destroyed at the 14^th August 1916 by the retraction of

the German detachment “Moeve” by Commander Gustav Zimmer. The photo was taken by

the Belgians at the 18th December 1916 at the start of the reconstruction of the bridge.

Holger