Jubaland Campaign & Capt Laurence Devereux

[corisande]

Another of the campaigns that I never knew existed!

Capt. Laurence Devereux (who makes life difficult in enlisting under Lawrence/Laurance and Devereux/Devereaux/Deveraux and adding a Joseph to his Christian names on being commissioned) served in Jubaland from 1915 to 1918 when he requested to return to UK

My notes on Devereux are click this link and include his MIC and his service record

Can anyone with knowledge of the Jubaland campaign add anything or is there anything in local press or histories.

[bushfighter]

According to the History of 5 KAR (WO 106/279) Captain L.J. Devereux (General List, New Armies) served in 5 KAR from 1.9.16 to 13.11.17.

He started in 5 KAR as a Lieutenant.

There is no indication as to where he went after 5 KAR. He would have served in Jubaland or thereabouts during his time with the regiment.

5 KAR had an interesting time fighting cattle raiders and recalcitrants in the British East Africa (now Kenya) and Abyssinian border area.

I am interested in his first theatre of war on the MIC: South Africa.

Harry

[corisande]

first theatre of war , South Africa

Difficult to prove other than by time-line, but I think this is a mistake, probably by someone who had (like me until yesterday) no idea where Jubaland was.

1915 May 25. Lieutenant L. J. Devereux, 9th (Reserve) Battalion, The Lincolnshire Regiment, is transferred .to the General List whilst employed with The King's African Rifles. He arrived in East Africa on 12 June.

A later Medical Board 1917 Jan 8.at the British General Hospital, Nairobi, found “… that this officer is suffering from the effects of numerous attacks of malaria during 19 month's service in Jubaland. The Board is of the opinion that he is at present unfit for service and recommend that he be invalided to England for further treatment.“

[bushfighter]

As 5 KAR was not yet formed when Devereux joined the KAR I believe that probably his first unit was 3 KAR, the British East Africa (now Kenya) regiment.

"F" & "H" Companies of 3 KAR were transferred into the new 5 KAR in mid-1916 to assist in forming the new regiment.

Harry

[corisande]

Yes, My assumption was that he must have been with 3 KAR, but what was the Camel Corps as in

A War Journal of the 5th battalion KAR records The (5th) Battalion was raised again in 1916 during the expansion of the KAR. It was the only battalion to remain a single battalion as it was intended for duty in Jubaland and the Northern Frontier District where it fought a tedious campaign against one Abduraman Marsaal who had raised his standard in revolt. The battalion was made up from the former Camel Company of the 3rd KAR then in Jubaland, one and a half companies of the 3rd KAR then in the Northern Frontier District, men from the Police Service Battalion, then being disbanded, Somali and other recruits from irregular forces.”

Was there a demand for ex-cavalrymen to command Camel Companies? Or would he more likely have been in one of the "normal" 3 KAR companies