CAMPAIGNING IN EAST AFRICA.

Hokitika Guardian, 24 November 1917, Page 4

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 the 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 five big fights besides numerous small scraps for waterlioles and with ‘askari’ patrols. Well, the fighting was all right and made up a lot for the hardships, especially one scrap when we had to take the key of the position after another brigade had been smashed and driven back. It was 110 time for half measures, and as soon as it was dark we had to make a bayonet attack through thick bush. Ever3 rone 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’ fighti tig our regiment took the place —owing to the Germans thinking they were outnumbered—whereas in reality they had six or seven to one of us. “ After that we had to march light across country, through thick bush all the way—van Deventer and the mounted men were chasing the Germans ahead of us. The first two months it rained morning, noon, ond night. We sometimes only did six miles a dajq shoving the wag gons through rivers of mud. I’ve seen an ox stick in the mud and the traces cut loose and an hom* later that animal had sunk out of sight.

“ We were never dry once—had no tents, only overcoats, and used to sleep right where'we stopped, wet through to the skin, in the pouring ram. We had a rest after the fh\st 120 miles, and then were sent for in a hurry by the mounted troops ahead. The rains had then stopped, and the trouble was to find water to drink. Wild animals abounded—lions were about in hundreds, and at times carried off the sentries—we were only allowed to fire if we produced a body next day, so had to tackle them with bayou ets.

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 were bigger than ours, so we had a rough time and had to dig ourselves in. It was very unpleasant, but they did not do much damage—then the} r took to shelling the, hospital, landed one big 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 Flandbrs.

“ We used to raid them at nights, which did not serve to quieten their nerves. Later on we got up aero-

planes and heavy guns and gave them such a rotten time that they left after holding us up for two months. The infantry had a "rest there for a few weeks, and just when \Ve were leaving found that the river from which we drew our water had 250 dead niggers buried iti it a quarter of a mile above 11s. The rivers in the centre of the country are all sand, and you have to sink for water. We were now some 250 miles from the railway, transport was very difficult, and we literally starved ; occasionally we got native meal, pumpkins, or monkey nuts.

At times all I had to eat was half a cup of Hour lor two or three days, and a spoonful of coffee per day. We killed an ostrich one time, and had ostrich steak, and another memorable day got zebra, which kept us going. We pushed on another 120 miles, and reached the central railway, which we cut in three places, and were garrisoned on it for some weeks, being raided occasionally by the Germans. “ You would have laughed and yet cried if you could have seen the men there —no boots; some with putties round their feet, others bareiooted, shirts torn to pieces, some with bits of trousers patched with sacking, others with none at all, and vet all were cheerful. I have seen men in sacks with holes cut in them tor head and arms, and yet were always ready with a joke; 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 regiment moved off on another trek. My second brother, a kid of 19, went off without boots at all.butrhis maxim gun nigger made him a pair of ox-liide sandals. He did 150 miles like that, and then his heart gave in, and after a dose of malaria was returned home unfit. The regiment marched 350 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 day/s they were surrounded, and lost all their provisions, but, managed to ambush a large bod} 7 of the enemy and smashed them badly 7 .' My next brother, who was a sergeant, ran two maxi ins, personally 7 working one of them, and helped largely to scatter the enemy 7 . He won his commission for that and other good work. “ I spent three months in hospital with dysentery and malaria up county)7—was transferred to Dai-es-Sa-laam, got another dose there, so was invalided back to South Africa. The sickness there was awful— the Aus-

tralians had it badly in the Dardanelles, but, do you know, we had it worse V “The country was awful for f ewers. You see, we ran into the second wet season, and with the hardships wo had had it broke the men up. It’s a vile country— everything that walks, crawls, or Hies, bites, stings, or is. poisonous; most of the bush is thick thorn bush, and some of that is poisonous, too. In the wet season one is never dry, and you nearly die of thirst and have to make forced marches from one waterhole to another. Our (Askaris) native troops are grand fighters, and it was always a magnificent, sight seeing them go into action. It has been an experience I would not have mjssed 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 reqnired on our backs.”