Information please, East Africa 1916

[skilpad]

Hi everyone, I am editing a memoir left by my grandfather, Steven Fourie, who served under Gen van Deventer in the First Mounted Brigade, Third Regiment ‘B Squad’. His account of the fighting is fascinating, but there are lots of frustrating holes, and I would be grateful if you all could point me towards fuller accounts ... I have already read some of Harry Fecitt's posts which are very helpful. My grandfather's unit, briefly, sailed from Durban to Mombasa on the Professor Wackman, arriving on 9 Jan 1916. On March 7 they left M'buni and "took" Taveta on March 10. They travelled via Lake Chala to Momba Mission, where they arriced on March 12.  Then New Moshi March 14; after leaving Moshi on or about March 15 they headed for a hill which my grandfather doesn't name, but which I suspect is Kahe Hill; my grandad says Gen Smuts had ordered that it be taken. My grandad (who often took the role of scout) says he and his horse had to first swim "the Kahe river", but I think this might have been the Pangani ... he says it was full of crododiles. He describes the battle for the hill on March 20/21 -- echoing other accounts that the British forces missed an opportunity to rout the Germans here --  then on March 24 they return to Moshi. Three days later to Arusha, and then on to Lolkisale, where they were involved in the fighting early in June. 

At some stage my bothers and I hope to make his full memoir available online, but we'd like to fill in as many of the gaps as possible.

[Open Bolt]

Hello, I'm sorry this topic has been rather quiet. I own but a copy of the Purnell history, but there are lots of titles out there, including Smuts.

[skilpad]

Thanks for the response, yes I must just get down to reading the volumes and volumes of the history of that period that are available. I did (still do) hope someone might have specific knowledge of the unit my grandad was in ...

[Open Bolt]

Agreed, the expertise hereabouts will surely find this.

I was mistaken, this is from the Pan/Ballantine title, Tanganyikan Guerrilla by JR Sibley.

[Open Bolt]

@KONDOA or @SteveE ?

[KONDOA]

Hello.

Probably a good starting point would be the official history, East Africa by Horden. However it too is limited in detail. Second download general Smuts' despatches to the War Office which are more detailed with respect to SA actions.

 

Roop

Edited 14 July , 2021 by KONDOA

[SteveE]

Echoing what Roop said really.. in addition to Hordern's Official History there is also Collyer's "The South Africans with General Smuts in German East Africa 1916" which covers the same period and is readily obtainable.

There is a 1st South African Mounted Brigade Operational Report for March 1916 at the National Archives (ref. WO 95/5342/13) that can be downloaded for free at the moment, all you need to do is register and sign in to obtain... https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/996155074f1d4d6b88fd92a2bb9e1eac 

If you want to read Smuts' despatches they are available in the London Gazette but I have also transcribed them and they can be found on my website, link is here...  http://25throyalfusiliers.co.uk/east_africa_despatches.html

I could be wrong but I don't believe there are any specific 3 South African Horse War Diaries held at the National Archives and that these are all their offerings, again free to download, that cover the South African Mounted Brigades... https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_cr=WO+95&_dss=range&_ro=any&_q=South+AND+African+AND+Mounted+AND+Brigade

Steve

[KizmeRD]

Might well have been Unterer Himo Hill and the Ruwu Himo River that your GF was referring to in his memoir (for 15th March).

In addition to the books and references already mentioned, you could also take a look at ‘Gen. Smuts’  Campaign in East Afrca’ by Brig. JHV Crowe, available to read online..

https://archive.org/details/generalsmutscamp00crow/page/n3/mode/2up?q=General+Smuts’+Campaign+in+East+Africa+Chapter+VI

MB

t daybreak on Ma

Edited 14 July , 2021 by KizmeRD

[skilpad]

Thanks so much everyone! This is brilliant. The map of the advance on Moshi is really helpful in understanding my grandad's purely verbal account.  Greatly appreciate all the input.

[Notes]

https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2405013/moshi-cemetery

The link takes you to what I think became the primary cemetery for this conflict.  There is some information about its history on the page, and links to all the men buried there (including one Pte Frans E Fourie, perhaps related?).  It may be possible to find some of their service records, which might be useful if your letters contain any names of fellow soldiers in your grandfather's unit.

Edited 14 December , 2021 by Notes
supplemental information

[Holger Kotthaus]

On 08/07/2021 at 14:12, skilpad said:

 . . . . .

My grandfather's unit, briefly, sailed from Durban to Mombasa on the Professor Wackman, arriving on 9 Jan 1916.

. . . . .

Hello skilpad

I've reread your post and try to identify the real question. The first thing I noticed was the name of the ship. At least for the beginning of your research, I can give you additional information here. It was the formerly German steamer of the DOAL (German East Africa Line) "Professor Woermann" with which your grandfather arrived in Mombasa. This was only called "Professor" in the British service after he was captured on August 27, 1914 by the "HMS Carnarvon" off Tenerife.

Here the ship in the harbour of Cape town: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professor_Woermann_(Schiff,_1912)#/media/Datei:Professor_Woermann.jpg

The Wikipedia entry is only available in German:

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professor_Woermann_(Schiff,_1912)

I'll get in touch with the other events.

Regards Holger

[skilpad]

Thanks very much, Holger and Notes. Fascinating information about the ship.  My "real question" is a bit broad, but what I want to do is place my grandfather's very personal account in the wider context of how the war was unfolding around him. His memoir contains many detailed descriptions of incidents in which he was personally involved, but as a lowly 21-year-old trooper he did not concern himself much with grand strategy, and his recollections are sparse in terms of how his experiences fitted into the bigger picture of the campaign. To make his memoir more interesting for a wider readership (not just his direct descendants) I would like to be able to portray some of the bigger picture. 

Thanks again to everyone for your help.