| Battle Honours of the 25th "Frontiersmen" Battalion, RF 1914-18
The bitter East Africa campaign of World War 1 was fought against a majestic backdrop of the rugged green jungle and yellow plains of Kenya (British East Africa/BEA) and Tanzania (German East Africa/GEA). However despite the length and severity of this conflict it is all but forgotten except for a reference to it in an old book or by a military units on whose colours the names of the battles are emblazoned. But even though the names of these battles are known the story behind them has been forgotten or become misconstrued with the passage of time. Prelude to Battle The outbreak of war in Europe on the 14 Aug 1914 resulted in the nationals of all countries being "called to arms" no matter how far away they were thus the German Colonies of Africa as well as New Guinea and Samoa* in the Pacific became enemy territory. The GEA troops called "Schutztuppe" were made up of 260 Germans (mostly local Reserves) and 2,400 Askaris. These troops were under the command of Lt. Col. Paul von Lettow Vorbeck an officer whom had seen service in China during the Boxer Rebellion (1900-01) and South West Africa (Herero Campaign 1904-06). He spoke fluent Swahili, knew the territory and had a good rapport with his troops. The British Colony of Kenya to his north was defended by two Battalions of Kings African Rifles (KAR) troops (the 3rd and 4th Battalions) and four Companies (1st Battalion KAR) from Nyasaland. On 15 Aug 1914 German troops crossed the border and captured the town of Taveta. This advance was stemmed by the KAR but with such a wide front the German commander was easily able to exploit the situation and deploy small rapid units who destroyed and mined British strategic assets such as railways, bridges, etc. The British Command decided to send additional troops from India and two Expeditionary Forces named "B" and "C" was raised for deployment in BEA. Thus "C" Force arrived in Mombassa during September of 1914 with "B" shortly after in October. *See "Fiji Frontiersmen" by J. Henley Tanga 1914 The first British operation against German territory was to try to capture the port of Tanga on 3 Nov 1914. This was a total failure and the result during the withdrawal is best described by Capt. Richard Meinertzhagen (an Intelligence Officer whom had served in Kenya), he stated: "Our covering party fired a few shots at a German patrol which approached our line and just at that moment when Indian troops were standing on the muddy shore waiting to be taken off in small boats. Panic ensured rifles were thrown away and men rushed into the sea up to their necks, many swimming out towards the transports. To see whole battalions standing in deep water with only their heads showing was to dreadful and the enemy had not fired a single shot! Thank God they never saw it". The dreadful aftermath of this melee came to light when during an interview in 1918 Col. Paddy Driscoll stated "We found the bodies of some of them a year later when we got down. The sun had baked them and they were mummified. In the officers pockets were their purses and their cigarette cases. The natives had been afraid to rifle the dead". In May of 1915 Kenya was reinforced by troops of the 2nd Rhodesian Reg. and the 25th "Frontiersmen" Battalion R.F. The 25th "Frontiersmen" was made up of 1,116 volunteers under the command of Col. "Paddy" Driscoll DSO of the Boer War (1899-1901) "Driscoll's Scouts" fame. This Battalion was unique in that it included a number of famous hunters, Boer War veterans and other 'old hands'. On the 22 May 1915 Capt. Meinertzhagen inspected the Frontiersmen in Nairobi and stated that "They are a rough but interesting lot and I doubt if such a motley collection of men has ever been bought together before into one unit. Most men have one or more war medals among which I noted the Mateble, Indian Frontier, Senegel, Tongking, Madagascar and an Italian Order for work during the Syracuse earthquake." Among this 'motley collection' he met his old friend Lt. Fredrick. C. Selous who was a pre-war African big game hunter of international renown and 64 years old! Bukoba June 1915 On the 20th of June 1915 the British launched an attack across Lake Victoria against the German Naval station of Bukoba. Among the units in this assault were the 25th Frontiersmen. The German troops were prepared for this attack and had dug in with machine guns on fixed lines. The 25th were landed in waist deep swamps. At dawn they moved out of the swamps but were held up by machine gun and sniper fire. Capt. Meinertzhagen whom had also landed was able to see one of the snipers firing at the Frontiersmen and from his position was able to shoot him, which then allowed the 25th to continue their advance. They pressed on their attack and by the 23rd took the town. An Australian officer in the 25th Lt. Wilbur Dartnell captured the German Imperial Ensign* from atop the 'Boma'. The fort and wireless station were destroyed and 32,000 rounds of ammunition plus some rifles were captured. The Frontiersmen being an 'irregular' unit took advantage of this first British victory in the campaign and were granted permission by General Stewart to loot the town. This they did with such vigour that it became known as the "Sack of Bukoba" and it was later denied by the High Command that any looting occurred. It is thought that as a result of this no battle honour was awarded for Bukoba. In August of 1915 the 25th Battalion were deployed to guard the strategic rail line between Nairobi and the port of Mombassa. During this time Lt. Dartnell fell in action on the 3rd of September at Maktau. He and was awarded the Victoria Cross for his heroism. The British Command decided to launch a new offensive into German East Africa territory, the site chosen being the picturesque snow capped Mt. Kilimanjaro. *This flag was given to Fmn. J.D. Hardley and later presented to the Legion of Frontiersmen (UK) by his son. Unfortunately its fate after this is unknown. KILIMANJARO Jan-Mar 1916 In Jan 1916 the 25th Battalion as part of the force assembled began a drawn out campaign against the German Units around Mt. Kilimanjaro. This began badly for the British with a defeat at Salaita Hill the loss of 100 South African troops in the fighting and little gain made. On 22 Feb 1916 General Smuts (later to become a Frontiersman) from South Africa arrived from Nairobi and took command of all forces in British East Africa. He started a new plan for operations in this area. In March 1916 the 2nd Kilimanjaro campaign began. Smuts had reorganised his forces into the 1st Division, 2nd Division and a South African Mounted Brigade. Their objective was the encirclement of Mt. Kilimanjaro from East and West and to then a drive South to capture the town of Kahe. However it took over three weeks of fighting and was not until the 22nd March that this operation was completed. For their service during this campaign the battle honour "Kilimanjaro" was awarded to the 25th "Frontiersmen". BEHO-BEHO Dec 1916-Jan 1917 By September of 1916 the enemy coastal capital of Dar Es Salaam had been captured and General Smuts called a halt to the advance by his troops through the central jungle of GEA. They were now almost halfway into the enemy colony. The 25th Frontiersmen were severely depleted in manpower but still remained as an independent unit. To give some idea of the rate of attrition among allied forces at the time between October and December of 1916 some 12,000-15,000 troops suffering from malaria were evacuated from East Africa. The 25th Frontiersmen awaited the return of (now) Captain Selous from the UK with new volunteers. In December 1916 he returned with 400 new troops and the 25th continued operations in the area of Beho Beho on the Rufiji River. This offensive began on 1 Jan 1917 at Mgeta. About midday on the 4th a halt was called while scouts made a reconnaissance to try to find a road in the area. Pending their return Capt. Selous joined Col. Driscoll who asked how his troops were. Selous stated "They are sticking it remarkably well and I am proud of them". Suddenly shots rang out ahead and one of the scouts came back to report that the enemy was retiring along the road in column of march. The 25th pursued them and soon made contact. During this engagement Capt. Selous was shot, after which the enemy withdrew. At the time of his death Fredric Courtney Selous had become a legend in Africa. It is even said that von Lettow Vorbeck sent a letter of condolence to the British on hearing of Selous death. For their service during this campaign the battle honour Beho Beho was awarded to the 25th Frontiersmen. NYANGAO Jul-Sep 1917 Having advanced as far as they could overland through central GEA the British decided to capture the coastal ports of Kilwa and Lindi and thus resupply their forces from these rather than continue to use the long supply lines they had. After the capture of the port of Lindi the 25th Frontiersmen advanced westwards towards the town of Mahiwa. The 25th and 2 KAR made contact with German troops here on the 18th of October in what was to become known as the "Battle of Mahiwa" this was to last for five days. The Germans deployed 1,500 men in this action and suffered 95 killed in action and 400 wounded almost a third of Von Lettow's force, British casualties were about 3,000. The German forces were dug in round Mahiwa and the 25th met resistance almost at once and were cut of from GHQ. They had no supplies or drinking water. Gradually the Germans surrounded them and began to close in. The Frontiersmen formed a square and dug trenches. The battle was fought in short clashes over a large area. The 2nd KAR also short of food and ammunition were also cut off until the Frontiersmen reached them. Then both units were again surrounded. The order was given to dig in and 2 KAR and the 25th held on. Lt. Angus Buchanan of the Frontiersmen stated "It was decided that we were to hold on here, and arrangements were made to bring water while bully and biscuits would be on ration no tea, no cooked food, for no fire could be allowed. For five days we were confined in our shallow trenches, drinking sparingly of foul water." It was here also than a link was formed between the Frontiersmen and the KAR as Buchanan also stated "One saw and realised the full fighting courage to which well trained native troops can rise. The 1st/2nd KAR was one of the original pre-war Battalions and magnificently they fought here, and we who were an Imperial unit felt that we could not have wished for a stouter, nor more faithful regiment to fight alongside". The Frontiersmen hurled back wave after wave of German attacks and counterattacks. The Germans withdrew and escaped into the jungle. The Frontiersmen came out with only 50 men left having been as Buchanan put it "Overwhelmed by immensely superior numbers and cut to pieces". Lord Cranworth saw them when they returned from Mahiwa and stated "I saw the 25th staggering on absolutely in rags many with fever actually all of them. Nearly all were emaciated and staring eyed". The loss to von Lettow's forces was to take the offensive power out of his troops for the rest of the war. In October the troops from Lindi and Kilwa forces at last linked up. On 25 Nov 1917 just over a month after the action at Mahiwa the Germans withdrew from their East Africa Empire when they crossed the Rovuma River into Portuguese territory (now Mozambique). For their service during this campaign the battle honour Nyangao was granted to the 25th Frontiersmen. The word Nyangao is the English translation of the German Njangao a post near Mahiwa. EAST AFRICA 1915-1917 The 25th Battalion was deployed on continuos service in East Africa from the time of their arrival at Mombassa on the 15th of May 1915 until after the Battle of Mahiwa in October 1917.In this time they began with 1,166 men and reinforced with 400 more in December 1916. During the campaign they served in almost every action from Bukoba to Voi, Kilimanjaro, Kahe, Buiko, Handeni, Makinda*, Morogoro, Kisaki, to Beho Beho. They crossed over 3,000 km of some of the toughest terrain in the world much of it on foot and suffered not only from enemy action but also disease, sickness and wild animals as well. As they could not receive a battle honour for each and every action a single battle honour recognises those actions they fought at which are not recorded. For their fortitude and tenacity during the entire period of the campaign the 25th Frontiersmen were awarded the battle honour East Africa 1915-1917. *It was here that the 25th Frontiersmen did a bayonet charge of the enemy position however no battle honour was awarded. Thus it is covered by the honour 'East Africa.' Aftermath After the German withdrawal they continued to carry out a guerrilla war until the 25th of November 1918 when now promoted General von Lettow Vorbeck surrendered (the war having ended on the 11th of November). He returned to Germany a hero. Colonel Driscoll was awarded the French "Croix de Guerre" and returned to the UK to reform and rebuild a now fragmented Legion of Frontiersmen. However he was frustrated in his efforts by a group of other members and broke away to form his own "Independent Overseas Command" in the 1920's. General Smuts returned to South Africa where he was to become Prime Minister. He joined the Legion because he had been so impressed by the service of the 25th but only wanted the rank of "Frontiersman" he later was made "Honorary" Commandant. Captain Meinertzhagen was to serve in the Egyptian Expeditionary Force alongside Australian troops and was to become known for this in the 1988 movie "The Lighthorsemen". He was promoted to Colonel and awarded the DSO. Frontiersmen from other units also served during this campaign as members of the Kenya Command made up part of the East African Mounted Rifles and in some cases later became reinforcements in the 25th Battalion also. Thus the link between the later Mt. Kenya Squadron and the 25th Frontiersmen. Some Legion members also took part in the famous 1915 "Lakes Flotilla" at Lake Tanganyika. It would also seem likely that members of the large pre-war South Africa Command would have enlisted in the ranks of the South African Mounted Brigade under General Van Deventer. As can be seen Frontiersmen served in many more areas than just those shown by their battle honours, however they like this article mirror just a small part of the proud history of the Legion of Frontiersmen, and their stories are another chapter in this saga. This article would not have been possible but for the assistance of Mr. Tim Pollard whom was a Game Warden in Tanganyika and Mr Harry Ridgway who was a District Officer in Kenya. Also the early research by Brig. Mack of the Canadian Division in the 1960's has proved invaluable. For anybody who wishes to read more about East Africa during 1914-18 Tanganyikan Guerrilla by Maj. J.R. Sibley Army Diary 1899 - 1926 by Col. R. Meinertzhagen, DSO My Reminiscences of East Africa by Gen. P. von Lettow Vorbeck Wildest Africa by C.T. Stoneham An East African VC by K. Patience Commissioner Jeff Henley 
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