6th Regiment - King's African Rifles

[nhclark]

Just trying to obtain a little basic information about this unit. The information I have is that the formation of 6 KAR started in April 1917 at Morogoro, and that two battalions of this regiment were raised. (Moyse-Bartlett, The King's African Rifles, Vol 1., p. 335.)

The December 1918 Army List shows this unit, and alongside each officer's name is the number 1, 2, or 3, or the letter "d"; I take these to be the numbers of three battalions (in conflict with Moyse-Bartlett?) and the Depot. My man of interest is Lt. Robert Vernon Talbot, shown with a "d", and whom I have therefore taken as serving at the Depot. My questions concern whether my interpretation of 1,2,3 and "d" is correct, and if so where the unit Depot might have been.

I have by chance found a Company Sergeant Major D. Smyth of the "6th KAR Depot" who died in January 1918 and was first buried at Tabora European Cemetery before being re-interred in Dar-es-Salaam (Kenya Gazette and CWGC). This seems to imply that the Depot was at Tabora.

I have so far been unable to find any further information on where the 6th KAR Depot might have been.

I have downloaded the short War Diary of the 2/6 KAR (September to November 1918). It's Acting CO was Captain C.S. Nason, and CO was Colonel Freeth (both shown in the Army List with a "2" alongside their names, suggesting that my interpretation of the notation in the Army List is correct) and for most of the daily entries the "place" is shown as Tabora. So was the 6th KAR Depot at Tabora?

I would welcome any comment on the above. My knowledge of the East African Campaign is very limited indeed.

Thank you.

Noel