Jump to content
Free downloads from TNA ×
The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Despatches from German East Africa


KONDOA

Recommended Posts

Where has that picture be taken an at what Moment???????

Our next group of pictures will be related to Tanga especially the events of November 1914.

But first the village of Mombo in the Pangani valley.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Coltroep

The picture of Mombo withe the train was taken in 1912 around the time the railway was completed. Mombo is on the Usumbara railway between Tanga and Moshi. The railway is now derelict.

Any photographs I had of this trip have unfortunately been l;ost due to a hard drive malfunction. The only copies are those posted here on the forum, please use as you wish.

Roop

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

Was interested to see the photo of James Macqueen MC gravestone as he is my great great uncle. He led a very interesting life and is mentioned in quite a few books: "German East Africa" by Albert F Calvert, "The National History of South Africa" by Frederick W Fitzsimons and "Red Strangers: The White Tribe of Kenya" by Christine S Nicholls.

In 1884 my great great grandfather received a letter informing him that James had been captured by the Boers on his way from the gold fields of Transvaal to Kimberly.

He enlisted in 1901 as a member of Steinaecker's Horses.

As far as we can ascertain he was married briefly but unfortunately she died in 1902 in South Africa.

He must have travelled back to England because in 1915 he enlised in the 25th Battalion of the Royal Fusilers, otherwise known as the Legion of Frontiersmen led by Colonel Patrick Driscoll.

I have also been unable to find out much about when he joined the 2nd Battalion Rhodesia Regiment or his MC but it is even more remarkable when you realise that he had only one arm - the other having been crushed by an elephant in 1908 during a big game hunt.

On his death his brother in Canada printed this obituary - "died December 14, 1917 at Dodoma, German E Africia, Capt James Macqueen, soldier, traveller, hunter, writier . . . servied in S African campaign, after Boer War wouned by elephant, but served in this war".

Maz

Link to comment
Share on other sites

He must have travelled back to England because in 1915 he enlised in the 25th Battalion of the Royal Fusilers, otherwise known as the Legion of Frontiersmen led by Colonel Patrick Driscoll.

I have also been unable to find out much about when he joined the 2nd Battalion Rhodesia Regiment or his MC but it is even more remarkable when you realise that he had only one arm - the other having been crushed by an elephant in 1908 during a big game hunt.

Hi Maz and welcome to the forum.

Firstly let me say that as far as I can tell James MacQueen didn't enlist in the 25th Battalion and in all my research on this battalion I've yet to come across any evidence to this effect. You may well know differently and if that's the case I'd really like to know.

He entered the East African theatre with the 2nd Rhodesia Regiment on 15th March 1915, the date that battalion arrived in theatre and a whole month before the 25th Battalion Royal Fusiliers left England. I'll check Capell's history of the battalion tonight to see if it adds anything.

His MC was listed in the London Gazette #29460, 2nd February 1916, page 1337 but with no citation. I see that James, in post #191, has referred to Capell's history already and states that it was awarded for an action at Longido.

Regards

Steve

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maz

I've checked Capell's history of the 2nd Rhodesia Regiment and he states in the "Roll of Members" that Capt. James McQueen attested to the battalion on 4th February 1915. He first gets a mention in the body of the text for 6th March 1915 when "Horses were entrained for Beira, and Major Masterman, Embarkation Officer, and Capt. McQueen, Transport Officer, went with them."

That suggests to me, as I said in my previous post, that he didn't join the 25th Royal Fusiliers, certainly not in the UK at any rate as they didn't start to recruit until 12th February 1915.

Regards

Steve

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Steve for looking that up for me I will amend my information on him. I found the information about the Fusiliers in the book "Red Strangers: The White Tribe of Kenya" by Christine S Nicholls printed in 2005 on Page122 but not sure where she got her information from. I am in Australia so most o f my research is done on the internet - there are supposedly some manuscripts or papers that James wrote in the National Archives in London so hopefully one day I may be able to go and read them and find out more about him. I have copies of his medal cards but they don't have much information as far as I can see on them.

Maz

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I found the information about the Fusiliers in the book "Red Strangers: The White Tribe of Kenya" by Christine S Nicholls printed in 2005 on Page122 but not sure where she got her information from.

Hi Maz

I can't see that she provided a source for that particular piece of information so rather suspect that she's, mistakenly, grouped him into the 25th Royal Fusiliers with other men of similar standing and ideals. Certainly Selous, Outram and Ryan were all commissioned into the 25th Royal Fusiliers but, as I've demonstrated, Captain MacQueen wasn't.

Regards

Steve

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 years later...

Maz

I know it is over two years since the last post on this forum, but I've only recently returned to my grandfather's journals about his time with the 2nd Rhodesia Regiment in East Africa in the Great War, and so I have only just come across this resource/forum. He refers to Captain MacQueen a couple of times in his journal:

"On our way down from the hills [at Bura] a Scotsman named Davie was following me and was grousing at the weather, the hills, the march, the officers, and a few other things. He kept appealing to the man behind him for confirmation of his grievances, addressing him as 'Mac'. Mac replied to all his remarks; I took this man to be McShea, one of our company, and so did Davie, but coming round a bend I looked back. I was horrified to see it was Captain McQueen of our regiment, who was enjoying the conversation hugely and the criticism of his brother officers."

"Captain McQueen, the only man of ours who went [on the attack on Longido West], received the Military Cross for distinguished service. He joined with only one arm, but he seemed to do as much with one as with two. The natives in these parts have a curious custom; when they catch a thief they cut off his hand, if caught again they cut off the arm, and if again at the shoulder. They used to say: "Captain McQueen, very big thief" as he had had his cut off very high up."

If you ever return to this forum I hope these snippets about him are of interest. My Grandfather was Thomas Otho Shearburn White, private 886, attested in the 2nd Rhodesia Regiment 24th December 1914.

Regards

Simon

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Simon

Thank you. Any information on James McQueen MC is very interesting.

Harry

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 9 years later...

Resurrecting this thread, but if anyone visits Dodoma Cemetery I would appreciate a photo of Company Sergeant Major James Rourke's gravestone.  I'm not sure if he fell in action or died of disease/wounds, but he was exhumed and re-buried from Kilamatinde. Died 27 July 1916.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 weeks later...

Great that you have been. It is a few years since my last trip. My sister lives there so I should really make the effort again soon. Yes, the people are wonderful in my experience. 

Edited by KONDOA
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...