No. 6 Topographical Sec. R.E.. [German East Africa].

[KZNChris]

Please consult the following web page for my source for reference to this unit

http://www.abcbook.co.za/auction.htm

Morogoro - Kissaki. Part 1 compiled by No. 6 Topographical Sec. R.E.. [German East Africa]. 1st Printing Co., R.E., "B" Army Sec. No. 47, (c. 1915). First edition (?).

Lithographed map on a single sheet of paper, folding. Size: 39 x 30 cm.

A very detailed map of a portion of Tanzania, including parts of the Rufiji & Ruwu rivers as well as part of the central railway to Dar es Salam.

Some landmarks are given in German, but place names are mostly African.

This and the other military maps on this auction belonged to Captain Harry Rissik who was in the artillery in the South African forces during the First World War in East Africa.

Does anyone know anything about this unit ?

Was it a South African manned unit in the British Army or a purely British Unit of the Royal Engineers ?

I have looked but can find no information on them -- they are not mentioned in "Tip & Run"

[KONDOA]

Landed May 1916, British Royal Engineers, the records will be at Chatham RE Museum.

Roop

[Terry_Reeves]

I have a record that No 6 Topo Section was with East African Army Troops from 14.1.1917, that is not to say that Roop's information is wrong.

TR

ps. Roop, there is only one Corps of Royal Engineers, the national identifier is not needed

[KONDOA]

LOL as they say!

Army troops at your date would be correct, prior to that they may have been HQ staff for Smuts.

Roop

[bushfighter]

The History of the Corps of Royal Engineers (Volume VII) devotes most of page 127 to this unit.

(Sorry, but I've just lost 30 minutes of my life failing to upload a copy of that page - and 30 minutes is my limit for any IT nonsense!)

Harry

[KZNChris]

No problem Harry,

Came out fine my side -- many thanks

I think that there is a DVD available from the RE at Chatham containing their whole history

OK

Here

http://www.instre.org/pages/information/publications/current-publications/corps-history-cd-rom.php

Pity I am not in Blighty

[KZNChris]

LOL as they say!

Army troops at your date would be correct, prior to that they may have been HQ staff for Smuts.

Roop

Deja Vu -- as they say

As per Harry's info on RE

In 1918 Lieutenant A J A Drake took over command of No 6 Topo Section

Family Roop ?????

[KONDOA]

Deja Vu -- as they say

As per Harry's info on RE

In 1918 Lieutenant A J A Drake took over command of No 6 Topo Section

Family Roop ?????

I suggest not, probably one of those Devon,Dorset or worse still Yorkshire lot.

Roop

[johannrissik]

Mwalimu,

Captain Harry Rissik was my grandfather, born and bred South African.

Why the maps were up for auction, I have no idea. My grandfather died in 1979.

He first fought in then German South-West Africa under General Louis Botha.On completion of that in about July 1915, they moved to Portugese East Africa/German East Africa. He fought under General Smuts in a long drawn-out campaign. He ended the war with the rank of Captain.

I have been told that he won a Military Cross for his endeavours in German East Africa, as kids we could never get him to talk about it. All he would say is that the only shots he fired were to put horses out of their misery.

Off topic: Is there a way to find the details of the MC and possibly the citation?

PS Apologies for replying to such an old thread

[Whalebone]

Awarded MC New Years Honours 1918 Edinburgh Gazette 2 January 1918, no citation given

[johannrissik]

Awarded MC New Years Honours 1918 Edinburgh Gazette 2 January 1918, no citation given

Thank you sir!

I have previously tried to find out, without any luck.

Does the fact that there was no citation mean that we won't be able to find out what the MC was awarded for?

[bushfighter]

Johann

Here's a photo taken at Lindi.

Harry

[johannrissik]

That's uncanny!

The internet has made the world a smaller place indeed.

I'm going to print that and give it to my father (Harry's son) (85) as a surprise.

Thank you

Do you have family in the image?

My apologies to Mwalimi for the off-topic tangent this has taken.

Mods: Pse let me know if we should start our own thread?

[bushfighter]

Negative - no family there.

I think that I found this on the internet. H.

[johannrissik]

Negative - no family there.

I think that I found this on the internet. H.

Thanks again, that picture came as a very welcome surprise.