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south eastern corner of their colony. The conditions were
appalling with little food or water and by far the biggest number
of casualties being to malaria and other diseases. At one point
the Frontiersmen were down to about 200 men, primarily from
the conditions, not enemy action. They received a draft of a
further 400 men in 1916.
In January 1917 Captain Selous was killed in a skirmish with
some askari (German native) rear-guard troops.
As the rainy season approached in early 1917 the supply
problems become even more acute and the troops were reported
as living on “such impoverished delicacies as monkey brains on
ration biscuits, bush rat pie and stewed hippo sweetbreads.”
(Gardner – On to Kilimanjaro)
However, the last major engagement, and last stand of the
German forces in defence of their colony, was the Battle of
Mahiwa, fifty miles inland from Lindi. The action, most of which
took place at Nyangao, lasted from 15th to 18th October 1917.
It was “one of the bitterest engagements of the war”. Attack
followed counterattack in quick succession. The full power of
the machine gun was exploited” and it has been described as
“the most savagely fought battle in the history of African colonial
conflict.” The British had 2,700 casualties – more than 50% -
and the Germans 500 or over a third.
“The most tragic decimation of all the units involved was, perhaps, that
of the 25th Fusiliers. The Legion of Frontiersmen had gone into battle
only 120 strong, a pathetic remnant of the gay and eccentric force of
nearly 1,200 that had landed at Mombasa in May 1915. Four hundred
and fifty of them had returned from a rest in South Africa. They came
out of the Battle of Mahiwa fifty strong – ‘overwhelmed by immensely
superior numbers and cut to pieces.’ Most of the survivors were of the
original Frontiersmen who had been recruited – so it seemed to them
– in a different century. Reported to be ‘much debilitated’, they were
now withdrawn from the country.” (Gardner)
John was killed in action on 18th October during that struggle.
A month after John’s death the war in East Africa was effectively
over.
205
appalling with little food or water and by far the biggest number
of casualties being to malaria and other diseases. At one point
the Frontiersmen were down to about 200 men, primarily from
the conditions, not enemy action. They received a draft of a
further 400 men in 1916.
In January 1917 Captain Selous was killed in a skirmish with
some askari (German native) rear-guard troops.
As the rainy season approached in early 1917 the supply
problems become even more acute and the troops were reported
as living on “such impoverished delicacies as monkey brains on
ration biscuits, bush rat pie and stewed hippo sweetbreads.”
(Gardner – On to Kilimanjaro)
However, the last major engagement, and last stand of the
German forces in defence of their colony, was the Battle of
Mahiwa, fifty miles inland from Lindi. The action, most of which
took place at Nyangao, lasted from 15th to 18th October 1917.
It was “one of the bitterest engagements of the war”. Attack
followed counterattack in quick succession. The full power of
the machine gun was exploited” and it has been described as
“the most savagely fought battle in the history of African colonial
conflict.” The British had 2,700 casualties – more than 50% -
and the Germans 500 or over a third.
“The most tragic decimation of all the units involved was, perhaps, that
of the 25th Fusiliers. The Legion of Frontiersmen had gone into battle
only 120 strong, a pathetic remnant of the gay and eccentric force of
nearly 1,200 that had landed at Mombasa in May 1915. Four hundred
and fifty of them had returned from a rest in South Africa. They came
out of the Battle of Mahiwa fifty strong – ‘overwhelmed by immensely
superior numbers and cut to pieces.’ Most of the survivors were of the
original Frontiersmen who had been recruited – so it seemed to them
– in a different century. Reported to be ‘much debilitated’, they were
now withdrawn from the country.” (Gardner)
John was killed in action on 18th October during that struggle.
A month after John’s death the war in East Africa was effectively
over.
205
