CAMPAIGNING IN EAST AFRICA

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 45, 16 November 1917, Page 5

CAMPAIGNING IN EAST AFRICA

TROUBLES AND TRIUMPHS AS BAD AS FLANDERS SOMETIMES An officer, writing from Johannesburg to a friend in Australia, describes his experiences with the British forces in tho campaign in German East Africa:— "Now that I am away from the regiment I can give you a little idea of our experiences. Our regiment had fivo big fights besides numerous small scraps for •waterholes and with 'askari' patrols. •Well, the fighting was all right and made up a lot for the hardships, especially one scrap when he had to take tho key of the position after another brigade had been smashed and driven back. It was no time for half measures, and as soon as it was dark we had to mnko a bayonet attack through thick bush. Everyone ■was yelling and shouting, and what with falling into hidden trenches and getting torn to pieces by thorn bushes, the tempers and language of all were particularly lurid. Anyhow, after eight hours fighting our regiment took tho place—owing to the Germans thinking they were outnumbered—whereas in reality tney had six or seven to one of us. "After that wo had to march right across country, through thick bush all the way-van Deventer and the mounted men were chasing the Germans ahead or us. The first two nunths it rained morning, noon, and night. We sometimes only did six miles a day, shoving the wagons through rivers of mud. Ive seen an ox stick in the mud and the traces cut loose and an hour later that animalhad sunk out of sight. "We were never dry once-iiafl no 'tents, only overcoats, and used to sleep right where-we stopped, wet through to the skin, in the pouring .rain. We had n rest after the first 120 miles, and then •were sent for in a 'hurry by the mounted troops ahead. The rains had then stop- ' ped, and the trouble was to find water 'to drak. Wild animals abounded-lions ■were about in hundreds, and at times carried off the sentries-we were only allowed to fire if wfi produced a body next 'day, so had to tackle them with bayonets.

A Miniature Flanders. "We drove the' Germans right through to the middle of the country, and there, on a range of hills, they entrenched themselves. At first their guns wero ■bigger than ours, so we had a rough time and had to dig ourselves in. It was Ivery unpleasant, hut. they did not do much damage-then they took to shelling the hospital, Tanded one hi? shell in it which blew off the roof, -killed a -few men, and turned most of the patients out of their beds. What with our trenches, bomb-proof shelters, and continual counter-attacks, it,was a miniature Flanders. ', ... "We used to laid them at nights, ([Which did not serve to quieten their jnerves. Later on we got up'aeroplanes 'and heavy guns and gave them such a jrotten time that they left after holding Sis' up for two months. The infantry lihad a Test there for a few weeks, and Bust when we E were leaving found that .the river from which we drew our water jihad 250 dead niggers buried in it a quarter of a mile above us. The rivers in klio centro of tho country are all sand, find you have to sink for water. We Were now some '250 miles from the rail- ; ([way, transport was very difficult, and wo ; fliterally starved; occasionally we got feative meal, pumpkins, or monkey nuts, kt times all I had to eat was half a Vcup of flour for two or three days, and a kpoonful of coffeo per day. We killed fan ostrich one time, and had ostrich pteak, and another memorable day got teebra, which kept us going. We pushed (on another 120 miles, and reached tho Jcentral railway, which we cnt in three (places, and were garrisoned on it for reome weeks, being raided occasionally by {the Germans.. I "You would have laughed and yet if you could have seen tho men t ere—no boots, some with putties round eir feet, others barefooted, shirts torn jfto pieces, somo with bits of trousers ■matched with sacking, others with none ,'&t all, and yet all were cheerful. I ;3iav6 seen men in sacks with holes out 5n them for head and arms, and yet were Always ready with a joko; and others , (with no helmets, only a handkerchief filled with grass on their heads. - Winning a Commission. "At this time I fell sick and was in hospital, and the Tegimeht moved off on another trek. My second brother, a 'kid of 19, went off without boots at all, but his maxim gun nigger made him a pair of ox-hide sandals. Ho $d 150 :miles like that, and then his heart gave in, and after a dose of malaria was re'turned homo unfit. The regiment march'ed 850 miles with only a rest of a few days, and did it in a month. They .'finished up -with a forced march of 60 miles, and arrived at a place to join 'hands with another force two hours before the Germans attacked. For two days they were surrounded, and lost all their provisions, but managed to ambush n laTge body of the enemy and smashed them badly. My next brother, who was a sergeant, Tan two maxims, personally ■working one of them, and helped largely to scatter tho enemy.' He won his commission for that and other good work. "I spent three months in hospital with dysentery and malaria up country-was transferred to Dar-es-Salaam, got another dose there, so was invalided back to South Africa. The sickness there was Rwful~the Australians had it badly in the Dardanelles, but, do you know, wo had it worse? "Tho country was awful for fevers. You see, we ran into the second -wet season, and with tho hardships we had had it broke (ho men up. It's a vile country—everything that walks, crawls, or flies, bites, stings, or is poisonous; most of the bush is thick thorn bush, .und somo of that is poisonous, too. In the ■wet season one is never dry, and you nearly dio of thirst and have to make forced marches from oho waterhole to another. Our, (Asknris) native troops are grand fighters, and it was always .a magnificent sight seeing them go into action. It has been an experience ,1 would not have missed for anything in the world, but would be a nightmare to have to go back to. Had to do all our own cooking, had no blankets or tents, and to carry all we required on our backs." •