Northern Rhodesia

[KateJ]

I'm not sure if I'm posting this in the correct area at all. I'm after more information about one of my Great Dunmow lads - actually he was my grandfather's cousin so it's a bit of a personal quest as well.

This is his details on CWGC

Name: KEMP

Initials: H J

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Private

Regiment: British South African Police

Date of Death: 28/05/1916

Service No: 164

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: 2. A. 18.

Cemetery: NDOLA (KANSENSHI) CEMETERY

And this is the details of the cemetery

Cemetery: NDOLA (KANSENSHI) CEMETERY

Country: Zambia

Locality: unspecified

Location Information: The war graves plot is located in Kansenshi Cemetery. From the roundabout by Ndola General Hospital proceed up Broadway Road on the route signposted Luanshya. At the first right, a few hundred metres from the roundabout, take the road marked Cross Crescent for a few metres. The Ndola Tennis Club is on the right and the gates (broken down) to the cemetery are opposite. Proceed to the cemetery office and follow the path to the left. The plot is just around the bend in the path.

Historical Information: This cemetery contains 23 War Dead concentrated from Abercorn European Cemetery and 2 concentrated from Livingstone Cemetery. It also contains a special memorial to 1 casualty known to be buried in Chikuula Military Grave and special memorials to 2 casualties formerly commemorated on the Ikawa (or Old Fife) Memorial, whose graves are not known. There are also 42 burials of the 1939-1945 war and 1 Belgian burial.

No. of Identified Casualties: 71

__________________________

Can anyone help out about what was going on in the area? If he was in the British South African Police, how come he's on CWGC? If it's any further help, this is his obit in the local paper

___________________________

Mr J N Kemp of the Golden Lion, The Conge, Great Yarmouth for many years resident in Dunmow has received information from the British South Africa Co that his son Harold has been killed in action with the Northern Rhodesian Force. Harold was educated at the Dunmow Church Schools. He started in life with the late Mr F J Snell and at his death continued with Mr Gifford, under whose instructions he became very proficient and acting on Mr Gifford’s advice obtained a situation in the Council offices at Sidcup where his instructions stood him in good steed. From there he joined the R.S.A. Police and became the manager of the Police Review. When he had served his time he obtained a good situation with Messrs. Arnold and Co of Salisbury and London. On the outbreak of the war he volunteered for active service and now, alas, his end. He was a member of the Dunmow church choir from his school days up to the time of his leaving Dunmow and he will be remembered as singing solo in the old church the Sunday before his departure for South Africa.

[Terry Denham]

All British colonial police forces count as an armed Commonwealth military force as they were either full or quasi-military units. Many of them saw action - particularly in Africa.

The same CWGC rules apply to them as any other soldier casualty.

There are 174 BSAP casualties listed by CWGC. Many other colonial police forces also feature (including the St Lucia Police with three casualties!)

[KateJ]

Thanks for the clarification Terry

Kate

[SteveE]

Kate

This is from memory so please ignore any inaccuracies but your Grandfather's cousin was killed at the commencement of the campaign in Mid-1916 that effectively removed the German forces under Von Lettow-Vorbeck from the Central Railway region of German East Africa.

The campaign was launched from several different points but the one you would be interested in was the one launched from Rhodesia and Nyasaland at the end of May 1916. This force, under the command of General Northey, commonly referred to as 'Norforce' comprised of the British South African Police, Rhodesian Police, 1st King's African Rifles and a couple of South African units, force totalling somewhere in the region of 2400 effectives.

Hope this helps.

Steve

[KateJ]

Steve - this is very helpful and gives me an excellent starting place to research further.

Thanks for your help

Kate

[Kathie]

Kate, to add to what has been written.

I ahve been looking at teh German East Africa campaign whcih also covers British East Africa, Mocambique, Belgian Congo etc. von Lettow Vorbeck was the most amazing man - real guerrilla fighter and moved around causing as much trouoble as possible, never encircled etc.

The difficulty with May 1916 is that all the books I have been looking at seem to go a bit blank when it comes to post Janaury 1916 whcih is when General Smuts left and went to the UK. Under (I think Hoskin) and then Van Deventer the attempt to encircle Von L Vorbeck continued but without success. My problem has ben finding specific refernce to specific incidents. For eg I am looking for what happened at a place called Liquie on 24th Jan 1916 and on 29th Jan at Kitanda. I can find neither place on any map and I have looked at about thirty. I can find no reference to any specific incident on those days and I ahve been to every library and musuem in SA which is likely to have info.

So I am afraid I too can offer no detail as to what happened to your relative.

Kathie

[KateJ]

Thanks for your reply Kathie

Kate

[SteveE]

Kathie

For eg I am looking for what happened at a place called Liquie on 24th Jan 1916 and on 29th Jan at Kitanda.

I've found a Kitanda on the map shown but I'm having difficulty in equating that particular area to any operations in January 1916. It seems too far into German East Africa for the operations of 1916 which makes me think it's probably the 'wrong' Kitanda. What details (units etc.) do you have for these dates?

Steve

[Tony Rednall]

From ‘Frontier Patrols – A history of the British South Africa Police and other Rhodesian Forces’ by Colonel Colin Harding C.M.G., D.S.O. 1938

In the Chapter on the Southern Rhodesia Column which consisted of A and B Special Reserve Companies of the British South African Police, the permanent Northern Rhodesia Police and some of the Northern Rhodesia Rifles the author quotes from a memorandum describing the entire operations of the Rhodesian forces and the following should be of interest.

In the general advance of 23rd May, 1916, the Nyasa-Rhodisia Field Force were detained to undertake the three following operations: viz., Colonel Hawthorn was deputed to attack Ipiana, Colonel Rodger, Mwembe, and Colonel Murray was entrusted with the attack of Namema, 26 miles north-east of Abercon. …none of these operations met with any notable success, for the Ipiana garrison retired without presenting any opposition, the Mwembe garrison opposed our advance for two days and then escaped, and the Namema investment after the duration of a week was rendered futile by the flight of the garrison. On the morning of May 26th, 1916, the time and date selected for an attack on Namema by the Rhodesians, whilst A and B Forces had carried out their instructions, C Force had lost direction and failed to reach its allotted position till the following day. Then rather late in the operation it was discovered that Namema was held by a considerable enemy force and situated in such an invulnerable position that to attack with the present force would have been suicidal; consequently tactical positions were established with the idea of completing the investment of the enemy.

It is with much regret I record that this abortive operation cost us the lives of Corporal Hoal and Privates Kemp, Steele and Short; whilst the Germans lost their commander, who was captured and subsequently died of wounds he received during the engagement. It was on the 3rd of June that the enemy succeeded in breaking through our lines, and, making their escape northwards, were without avail hotly pursued by our troops.

Tony

[KateJ]

Tony Rednall said:

It is with much regret I record that this abortive operation cost us the lives of Corporal Hoal and Privates Kemp, Steele and Short; whilst the Germans lost their commander, who was captured and subsequently died of wounds he received during the engagement. It was on the 3rd of June that the enemy succeeded in breaking through our lines, and, making their escape northwards, were without avail hotly pursued by our troops.

Tony

Tony - many many thanks for that. Private Kemp was my grandfather's cousin and this extract answers some of my questions. If you'd like to see a picture of Harold Kemp and his brother (k.i.a 3rd Battle of Ypres), read through this thread - it also contains Harold's obit.

 

Kate

[KateJ]

On 28th May 1916 Harold James Parnall Kemp (my grandfather's cousin) was killed in action during the abortive attack described above. On the 28th May 2006 I laid a wreath and photos of the Kemp brothers as children at his brother's grave in Flanders (kia 3rd Battle of Ypres, 1917).

It was a very poignant moment for me

Kate