| British East Africa, Kenya and Mt. Kenya Squadron Commands, Legion of Frontiersmen 1907 - 1957
By Jeff Henley
The Legion soon had Commands established from Egypt to Aden down to Nigeria, Rhodesia, East Africa (Kenya) and South Africa. A book could be written about this subject but so much information has been lost over the years that little is now known other than what has been found over the last few years through old articles, newspaper reports and private correspondence. This article is therefore a collection of what few details I do know about the Legion in British East Africa (BEA) or as it is better known Kenya. East Africa 1907 In 1907 the Legion established its first known presence in this Colony. This was a Mr. R. J. Sellwood of Nairobi whom was appointed Acting Hon. Secretary. East Africa 1911 The Legion must have progressed well after it establishment as by 1911 the Hon. Acting Crown Advocate introduced and moved a first reading of a Bill in the Legislative Council. This was an "Ordinance to Amend" the "Volunteer Reserve Amendment Ordinance of 1910" with the object of the new Bill being to allow for the formation of the Legion of Frontiersmen as a "Field Service Unit" not a "District Unit". This Bill was seconded by the Hon. A. C. Hollis and was carried (In Committee the Bill was read and discussed by clause then adopted without amendment). East Africa Command 1912 The following is a list of known members in 1912. OC Lt Col R W Humphery 21C Maj C M Taylor Adj. Capt B Pitt Chap Rev. W M Fallon (Capt) MO R W Burkitt VO Capt Brassey-Edwards (Vet) IO 1st Lt A D Welstead (Int) IO 1st Lt M P Seth-Smith (Int) Hon. 1st Lt W Clive Powell Sect. Trpst. 1st Lt R Ulyate Off QM Lt T Blunt RSM J Finch FSM C Bonsor (Farier) Musketry Sgt J Keith Inst. QMS P A Raphael Rough 1st Lt C W Woodhouse Rider World War 1 1914 With the outbreak of war in Europe volunteer's in Kenya formed the following units: Bowkers Horse: Commanded by Russel Bowker and made up of Boers in East Africa Plateau South Africans: Made up of Boers from the Uasin Gishu Plateau Wessels Scout: (Details uunknown) and The Legion of Frontiersmen: (whom were already under the Volunteer Reserve Ordinance) All four groups were amalgamated into the East African Mounted Rifles *. This Regiment of approx. 400 men was made up of 6 Squadrons "A" through to "F". Bowkers became "B" Squadron, The Plateau Horse formed the bulk of "D" Squadron. It is not known which Squadron the Legion went into but it may have been "A" Squadron. Initially "A" was commanded by a Capt. A. K. O'Brien and were armed with Lance as well as hunting rifles. The Squadron was named "Lady Monica's Own" after the daughter of Governor Sir Conway Belfield. The EAMR members were later to serve with Commonwealth Units that arrived for service in the "East Africa Campaign"** and to serve in the expanding KAR. * (Ref: "The Story of the East African Mounted Rifles" by Capt C J Wilson, East African Standard 1938. Wilson had been the MO with the EAMR) ** See also Battle Honours of the 25th Battalion by J Henley East Africa 1919 -1930 After World War 1 little is known of what the Frontiersmen did in Kenya however it did remain a Command with well known members such as, John "King of the Wa-Kikuyu" Boyes and Captain Ewart "Cape to Cairo" Grogan. Books on the life of both these Legion members are currently available.
During this period Col. D P "Paddy" Driscoll, CMG, DSO, CdeG whom had commanded the 25th "Frontiersmen" Battalion in the BEA Campaign from 1915-17 returned to Kenya. He had resigned from the Legion of Frontiersmen and established the Imperial Overseas Legion of Frontiersmen (IOLF). He would therefore have been seeking new members and was known have to been in Ruiru in 1931. However he passed away in Mombasa in 1934 and by 1935 the LF and IOLF were to reunify. It is possible that the large number of members in the Protectorate of Kenya Command in the 1930's may have been in part as a result of an influx of IOLF members whom had been recruited by Driscoll. Kenya 1935 In 1935 a Capt. R. W. B. R. Eustace, DSO was appointed "Organising Officer". It is not known if this was an (internal) appointment within the Kenya Command or if Eustace was appointed by Imperial HQ in London to reorganise things in Kenya. World War 2 1939 The Kenya Command by 1940 was a large one with many well-known members of the Colony being members of the Legion. The following is a list of known members in 1940: District HQ OC Maj J Boyes LMSM FRGS FZS 2IC Capt E A Friend & Adj. Records Lt G W Roland Off. & QM Chap Capt (Rev) S H Wingfield-Digby MA MO Capt H Tilling MRCS LRCP DPH Org. Off Capt J Neale AM VD RSM R E Randall A Sqn OC Capt the Rt. Hon Josslyn Victor Hay, Earl of Errol MLC 21C Lt W White MSM MO Lt J R Gregory MD B.Ch BAO SQMS A Kane No.1 Troop. Tp Ldr Capt the RT Hon J V Hay Earl of Errol MLC (Nairobi) No.2 Troop NCO i/c Sgt C C Carver (Nairobi) No.3 Troop Tp Ldr Lt N A Parker (Nairobi) No.4 Troop NCO i/c Sgt A E Faithful DCM (Nairobi) B Sqn OC Capt R C Samuels MM MO Lt R P Cormack MB Ch.B DPH DTM&H SQMS R R Evison No.1 Troop Tp Ldr 2/Lt H W Stones (Kakamega) No.2 Troop Tp Ldr Lt J H Rogers MSM (Kisumu) No.3 Troop Tp Ldr 2/Lt R T M Burns (Kisumu) C Sqn OC Capt L Hook Chap Lt (Rev) J Campbell Morgan MC MO Lt K A C Doig MRCS LRCP No.1 Troop 2/Lt E Stepto (Nanyuki) No.2 Troop 2/Lt H P V Bunbury (Nyeri) Mombasa Troop Troop Ldr 2/Lt J A Gilbert LDS RCS. Eng Musoma (Tanganyika) Asst .Org Lt the Hon G L O Grundy MLC Officer Official Gazz Capt J Neale AM VD (Hon.Editor) Bankers: The National Bank of India Ltd Nairobi This list does not include Frontiersmen whom were members of the above units but it is thought that the Legion in Kenya at this time may have been around 300. This figure is based on correspondence from Aug 1940 between Maj J Boyes and Col. E G Dunn DSO whom was Chief of the Imperial Staff at the UK HQ. In this Boyes states that the Kenya Command had offered its services as a unit to the Military Authorities but they had been rejected as all men under 55 in BEA were being conscripted and then went into different units. However of the 300 LF members conscripted 100 were given Commissions. Kenya 1945-1950 As with many Commands of the Legion after World War 2 the Kenya Command had lost a number of members through active service, age and postings. On the 22 Jun 1951 the Commandant of the Kenya Command LTCOL John Boyes passed away. His service was conducted by the Rev G H W Bevington with wreaths from the Governor (Sir Philip Michell), the Nairobi City Council, the Royal British Legion and the Legion of Frontiersmen. Mt Kenya Squadron 1952-1957 TThe members of the Legion in Kenya were now to serve in a war for a third time, this being the "Mau Mau" Campaign which was to run from 1952 until 1957. For the first time the Command was to be based not in Nairobi but in Nanyuki under the Command of Maj Logan "Navy" Hook, LMSM, FZS whom had commanded the old "C" Squadron of the 1940's. It was also to become known as the Mt. Kenya Squadron. The Chaplain was Rev Nichols and Group Capt (RAF Rtd) R Briggs MLC was an (Hon) Fmn. Complete details of the roll the Legion played during this campaign are not fully known as yet. For with end of this campaign and the coming of independence members whom for so long had formed such a close knit community were now to leave Kenya, and with their departure went the history of this Legion unit. Major Hook stated that "when the Union Jack was hauled down (for the last time) a top Government official came up from Nairobi and ordered me to disband my Squadron which I was compelled to do". One report on the Legion in Africa states that the Mt Kenya Squadron was disbanded in 1963. 
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