Photograph Album "East Africa 1914 - 1916. 1". Sinclair. 3,Whitehall. London. S.W.

[GWF1967]

Hi,

 I purchased an album of 50 photographs "East Africa 1914 - 1916. 1".  The album has a retailers stamp for (James A.) Sinclair. 3 Whitehall. London S.W.   Unfortunately the book will not lie flat for scanning.

 The first photograph is of "Fort of Jesus, Mombasa. July 1914".  

Attached is -

1.   "B" Company, 4th K.A.R leaving Voi. Aug. 1914".

2. "Woodhouse and Davies at Maktau,  August 1914"  (Lt. A.F. Woodhouse?. KIA 13/4/18. - Lt. C.Davies?).

3. Davis on his pony camouflaged with Condy's Fluid".

4. "Officers at Mzima".

5. "Sunrise at Mzima, Tsavo River".

6. "Harries and Donaldson make tumblers"  (Lt./Capt. Herbert Michael Harries?) - ( Capt.Stewart Hay Marcus Donaldson?).

7. "Machine Gun, "B" Company, 4th. K.A.R."

8. "Group of K.A.R. Officers during affair at Mbuyumi".

Other locations include-  "Crater Hill", "Campi Ya Tembo", "Kilakuni", "Bura Camp", "Serengetti", "Bombo, Uganda", and "Lanjoro Drift". 

Officers pictured include,   "Dean?",  "Cholmley" (Lt./ Capt. Robert Strickland Cholmley?),  "Verbi?"  "Hickson and Berkeley",  "Wilkinson and Musson" (Lt.Col. Edward Lionel Musson?),  "Snell" ( T/Maj. Eric Aylmer Goldney Snell. KIA 16/11/1917?),  "Darling" (A/Maj. Douglas Darling?), and the funeral procession of  T/Maj. Ralph Henry Leeke. (Rifle Brigade) D. 5/11/1915. 

 

 Can anyone please tell me if  all the place names/ officers names relate to "B" Company, or a mix of different units?

I found a War Diary for "1/4th K.A.R", but it appears to cover "E" Company;  Could someone point me towards the correct diary covering "B" Company please. 

 

 

[David Filsell]

I love the camouflaged horse!

[Holger Kotthaus]

Hi GWF1967,

. . . many thanks for posting these photos. (I also think that this horse was painted.)

Cheers Holger

[SteveE]

On 10/10/2021 at 23:35, GWF1967 said:

Hi,

 I purchased an album of 50 photographs "East Africa 1914 - 1916. 1".  The album has a retailers stamp for (James A.) Sinclair. 3 Whitehall. London S.W.   Unfortunately the book will not lie flat for scanning.

 The first photograph is of "Fort of Jesus, Mombasa. July 1914".  

Attached is -

1.   "B" Company, 4th K.A.R leaving Voi. Aug. 1914".

2. "Woodhouse and Davies at Maktau,  August 1914"  (Lt. A.F. Woodhouse?. KIA 13/4/18. - Lt. C.Davies?).

3. Davis on his pony camouflaged with Condy's Fluid".

4. "Officers at Mzima".

5. "Sunrise at Mzima, Tsavo River".

6. "Harries and Donaldson make tumblers"  (Lt./Capt. Herbert Michael Harries?) - ( Capt.Stewart Hay Marcus Donaldson?).

7. "Machine Gun, "B" Company, 4th. K.A.R."

8. "Group of K.A.R. Officers during affair at Mbuyumi".

Other locations include-  "Crater Hill", "Campi Ya Tembo", "Kilakuni", "Bura Camp", "Serengetti", "Bombo, Uganda", and "Lanjoro Drift". 

Officers pictured include,   "Dean?",  "Cholmley" (Lt./ Capt. Robert Strickland Cholmley?),  "Verbi?"  "Hickson and Berkeley",  "Wilkinson and Musson" (Lt.Col. Edward Lionel Musson?),  "Snell" ( T/Maj. Eric Aylmer Goldney Snell. KIA 16/11/1917?),  "Darling" (A/Maj. Douglas Darling?), and the funeral procession of  T/Maj. Ralph Henry Leeke. (Rifle Brigade) D. 5/11/1915. 

 

 Can anyone please tell me if  all the place names/ officers names relate to "B" Company, or a mix of different units?

I found a War Diary for "1/4th K.A.R", but it appears to cover "E" Company;  Could someone point me towards the correct diary covering "B" Company please. 

GWF1967

Great photos, thanks for sharing.  I suspect you're going to be out of luck with a war diary covering the period you want.  East Africa wasn't particularly well organised on that basis in the early part of the war...

As the photograph album appears to cover a period of time up to the end of 1915 (at least) then it would seem that the 1914/1915 Star Medal Rolls would be an appropriate source to check for the names.  On that basis it would appear that there is the possibility of a mix of units, not just 4th K.A.R., and my best guess at the names would be...

2.  "Woodhouse and Davis" = Lieutenant C. W. Woodhouse (Intelligence Department) and Lieutenant Hedley Home Davis (Royal Welsh Fusiliers & 3rd K.A.R.)

3. "Davis" = Lieutenant Hedley Home Davis (Royal Welsh Fusiliers & 3rd K.A.R.) again

6. "Harries and Donaldson" = Lieutenant Herbert Michael Harries (Royal Artillery, East African Regt. & 4th K.A.R.) and Lieutenant Stewart Hay Marcus Donaldson (4th K.A.R.)

"Dean?" = Lieutenant Guy Marriott Dean (King's Liverpool Regt. & 3rd K.A.R.)

"Cholmley" = Lieutenant Robert Strickland Cholmley (West Riding Regt. & 4th K.A.R.)

"Verbi" = Lieutenant & Reverend Valdimir Vassil Verbi (East African Unattached List)

"Hickson and Berkeley" = Major L. H. Hickson (Royal West Kent Regt. & 4th K.A.R.) and Captain R. E. Berkeley (2nd Loyal North Lancashire Regt.)

"Wilkinson and Musson" = Captain John Shann Wilkinson (Sherwood Foresters & 4th K.A.R.) and Captain Edward Lionel Musson (Manchester Regt. & 4th K.A.R.)

"Snell" = Lieutenant Eric Aylmer Goldney Snell (Bedfordshire Regt. & 4th K.A.R.)

"Darling" = Private/Captain Douglas Darling (East African Mechanical Transport Corps & K.A.R.)

"Leeke" = Major Ralph Henry Leeke (Rifle Brigade & 4th K.A.R.)

 

Regards

Steve

[James A Pratt III]

The camo horse. From what I have read about hunting big game in Africa the zebra stripes camo do work very well.

[stiletto_33853]

Major Ralph Henry Leeke, Rifle Brigade att'd 4th Kings African Rifles died of Blackwater Fever at Mzima on the Isavo River 5/11/15. Educated Eton & Sandhurst, passed R.M.C. 1902, gained a distinguished mark at Hythe Musketry course at Hythe 1908, attended signalling course at Aldershot passing on 9/11/06.

Born 8/12/1883. 2nd Lieut. 23/10/02, Lieutenant 29/6/06, Captain 1/2/13. 2nd RB Cairo 1902, seconded to Colonial Office 1910 Captain KAR 1912. North Ugandian Expedition 1912-14. Major 4th KAR 1914, British East African Capaign 1914.

 

Andy

Edited 14 October , 2021 by stiletto_33853

[GWF1967]

On 12/10/2021 at 14:21, SteveE said:

Regards

Steve

 

On 12/10/2021 at 16:57, stiletto_33853 said:

Andy

Apologies for my late reply. Many thanks for your help.

[zaalf]

Many thanks for adding to knowledge by posting these valuable photos in such a nice large clear format!

[Askari]

Hi there, I have just joined this forum, as I am a medal collector to the East African territories, Kenya, Uganda, Tanganyika, Nyasaland and Zanzibar. I was googling Ralph Henry Leeke as I have his medals, AGS East Africa 1913, East Africa 1914 and WW1 trio. As a Kenya born collector with both grandfathers in the EAMR, as well as a Great Grandfather and a Great, Great Grandfather and two great uncles in the unit and a father in the Kenya Regt in WW2 and Mau Mau it seemed a logical specialisation. I have paid my respect at Major Leeke's grave in Taveta in 2010. 

I would love to see the photograph of his funeral. I found his memorial scroll and that of his brother online with some photos of them both about 2 years ago, and bought them.

I also hold Leeke's batman's AGS, Somaliland 1908-10, EA 13 and EA14, sadly without his trio. Mentioned in the report of the EA 1913 campaign severely wounded in the buttock by a spear. 

I have long been a member of the BMF with the same name.

 

Looking forward to reading thru all the East African material. 

Cheers

Askari 

[GWF1967]

44 minutes ago, Askari said:

Hi there, I have just joined this forum, 

Askari 

Welcome aboard.

 I'm glad you found my post.  I'd be interested to see the photographs of Leeke and a photograph of his medals if possible.

 My photograph album has a photograph of "Leeke on a Serengetti patrol" and another captioned "Ralph Leeke , (Rifle Brigade) passes". I've also attached a couple more photographs of KAR officers from the book; I hope they are of interest.

[Askari]

Hi GWF 1967, thank you for the welcome and for these photos. As you request here are some photos of Leeke, his medals, his CWGC Grave at Taveta in Kenya and his memorial scroll. Also a photo of the AGS of his batman, Pte Unyango 4/KAR.

I see I bought his medals almost 20 years ago now, December 2002. 

Very good (but poignant) to see his funeral procession. Thanks.

Cheers

Askari  

 

[helpjpl]

Ralph Henry Leeke - Lords Cricket Ground MCC Roll of Honour:

http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Middlesex/Lords-WW1-L.html

JP

[Askari]

Helpjpl, thanks very much for these additional bits on Major Leeke.

 

Regards

Askari 

[GWF1967]

On 14/02/2022 at 12:07, Askari said:

 

Many thanks for adding your photographs Askari. 

[Tsavo Guerrilla]

I have just found tehse photos, which are amazing. I do battlefield tours with James Willson (author of Guerrillas of Tsavo) and we visit all of these places. Going down the Tsavo River from the most upstream fort:

Fort Mzima -is still there and in good condition, still with some barbed wire entanglements around it.

Crater Fort -the only fort actually signposted by the Kenya Wildlife Services who run Tsavo west National Park. Much of the entrenchments, and terraces inside the fort are still clearly visible.

Kitchwa Tembo Fort (what you have referred to as Kampi ya Tembo -tembo meaning an elephant, and the fort is below a rock that looks like an elephant's head, hence the name 'Kitchwa Tembo'. Barring one part, this fort is almost in immaculate condition. This is potentially the most downstream fort, however, we have recently found a fortification, that remains to be identified.

Kilaguni (what you have as Kilakuni)... we have always known about some OPs on a hill, but currently Kenya is being afflicted by a drought, and the lines of the defensive position around the camp itself have just become visible (no vegetation to hide them). We have yet to visit the site, so all quite exciting as we have been looking for it for years!

Seregeti. This fort was originally built by the Germans. A coupe of years back, there was a fire in the area, and it exposed the ground. It seems very extensive (5-10 acres) and would have been difficult to defend, as it is on pretty much flat ground. There are a couple of abandoned cemeteries that we are looking for here.

Bura. This is between Voi and Maktau, where there was a watering point (vital for the draft animals and porters).

Nyoro Drift (what you have as Lanjoro Drift). This was the last significant feature between Serengeti and Salaita Hill. It was and still is a very steep sided, dry river bed, that only had limited crossing points. It effectively served as the front line between the British and South Africans on one side, and the Germans on the other.

In terms of people. Woodhouse in Maktau in Aug 1915. That is very early on, and must be before  Maktau started to build. Woodhouse had been at Bura mission, when the the Germans advanced into Taveta on 15th Aug. The retreating DC, Hugh La Fontaine, with his policemen reported to Woodhouse.

The "Leeke on Serengeti Patrol" photo is an interesting one, as there are very few high-up rocky positions like that in that area. I can only think he was quite far in amongst the Germans, or was possibly at Murka Hill, or that was taken from Maktau Hill. There is one other small kopje that i have not been to, but it seems to high up to be that one.

The 'B' Coy Machine gunner. That is most likely to be on the Tsavo River, because you can see palm frond leaves as part of what I am assuming is camouflage for the MG position. The tree is a baobab.

The "Mbuyuni Affair" I would assume is the "Battle of Mbuyuni", in which the KAR were out on the right flank waiting to be given instructions by Malleson to attack, which never came, despite the frontal advance struggling and information that was sent to him saying that the trenches on that side were empty. I think this would be the KAR boys sitting waiting for the command? 

 

Tom

 

[stiletto_33853]

Bit more on Leeke for you.

 

Andy

[Tsavo Guerrilla]

...there is one photo there marked "Musson, G.C.H. Wilkinson". I have looked hard to try and find who G.C.H. might be, and can only find the following:

WO 372/9/186775    Hill, George C.    Wilts. Regt.    KAR        Capt. Maj. & A/Lt. 

I assume that he must be the original owner of the album?

[GWF1967]

On 13/10/2022 at 09:26, Tsavo Guerrilla said:

I have just found tehse photos, which are amazing. I do battlefield tours with James Willson (author of Guerrillas of Tsavo) and we visit all of these places. Going down the Tsavo River from the most upstream fort:

 

Tom

 

 

On 16/10/2022 at 06:07, Tsavo Guerrilla said:

...there is one photo there marked "Musson, G.C.H. Wilkinson". I have looked hard to try and find who G.C.H. might be, and can only find the following:

WO 372/9/186775    Hill, George C.    Wilts. Regt.    KAR        Capt. Maj. & A/Lt. 

I assume that he must be the original owner of the album?

Hi Tom,

my apologies for the slow response.     Many thanks for digging, and for your very informative reply.   I’m glad you found the photographs interesting. 

On 14/10/2022 at 10:38, stiletto_33853 said:

Bit more on Leeke for you.

 

Andy

 

Thanks Andy.