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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Despatches from German East Africa


KONDOA

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Moshi Indian Memorial located adjacent the CWGC cemetery. There is also a 1939 - 1945 cemetery adjacent for the African contingents killed.

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The Memorial plinth showing panels of the units engaged at Tanga in November 1914. The mass grave was the result of German efforts to bury the dead .

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The rather uninspiring and over shadowed cemetery plot.

(Or it would be if |I had more file space!!) HELP

Stop teasing!! ;):D

This is far too interesting a thread to fall foul of such a technical issue, what's the limits? you can have some of mine B)

Welcome back by the way.

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Morning Roop

If the thread has a limit to the file size you can use what about the Gallery as a repository? You could then link to it from the thread.

Just a thought.

Steve

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Tom Prince himself. The son of a Scottish father and German mother.

Interesting to see they did in fact include the v(on). Prince.

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We shall now move to the border region near Kilmanjaro. This area is significant as it is the physical gateway to the north of Tanzania. The area west of Kilmanjaro, up near Longido and Namanga is a waterless bush covered scrubland unfit for military operations and a logistical nightmare.

First we have a view of the famous Latema - Reata Nek where a significant battle ensued during March 1916. Unfortunately my view is somewhat askew as I did not cross the border on this occassion.

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Having re-captured Taveta in Kenya and then secured the gateway to GEA at Latema - Reata Smuts established his camps on the lower slopes of Kilimanjaro. One camp was at Himo River adjacent the road. The Germans had blown up the bridge at Himo River and thus Smut's Indian Army engineering companies rebuilt the bridge pillars and then utilised the surplus rivetted iron girder bridge, originally made in Nairobi for the Lumi River crossing at Taveta.

This modern view of the location, this bridge is from later years.

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No....!

Carry on...

Steve.

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OK

The planned advance by Smut's into German East Africa required ignificant feats of engineering. The roads and bridges were rebuilt and the railway was laid from Taveta into the German colony. The Indian Sappers,Mining, Railway and Bridging companies along with the many Labour companies deserve much greater recognition for their immense effort. This photo of the remnant bridge butresses erected in 1916 at as a reminder of that effort. These are just outside of New Moshi.

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Well I am sure there are few Chums who are wondering where and what I am on about. So here is a map of the area we are currently displaying images of. The map is a copy of the German one dated 1915.

It is also worthwhile reading the despatch relevant to the particular period.

http://www.1914-1918.net/smuts_first_despatch.htm

and later

http://www.1914-1918.net/smuts_second_despatch.htm

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Moving southwards towards the Pangani valley Smut's force with DeVenters mounted columns at the vanguard met with strong resistance at Kahe, a railway crossing and minor station on the Moshi - Tanga Railway. Unfortunately to the battlefield historian , the Japanese financed a massive irrigation and land development scheme in the 1980's (Lower Moshi Irrigation Scheme) which has made the old water courses dry up. It took me two trips to Kahe to understand this and so the photgraphy is a bit limited in scope. Enough to say that it is possible to peice together the main events, directions etc.

This view is northwards up the main street. From this direction the infantry advanced. The German defensive line under Stemmermann was approx at the bend in the road.

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