The first intimation received in the North Nyasa District regarding the war was the following telegram which reached Karonga about 5 p.m. on the afternoon of 30th July, 1914 :-
"From : C. in C. A.T.T. Coy. To: Resident,
Blantyre. Karonga.
Please note Karonga office is being kept open all night tonight and until further notice at request of Governor."
This telegram naturally caused a certain amount of uneasiness and suspicions were confirmed when a further telegram arrived on August the 5th announcing that war had broken out between Great Britain and Germany. The Europeans residing at Karonga and Vua assembled at Karonga where the situation was discussed and it was decided to endeavour to remain at Karonga pending the arrival of the Field Force which was on its way up from Zomba, and meanwhile to obtain all possible information regarding the movements of the German East African Forces. Mr. Griffiths, Veterinary Officer, who had travelled overland from Zomba arrived at Karonga on August the 10th to take charge of the Intelligence work. Correspondence as under ensued between the District Officer (the Bezirksamtmann), Neulangenburg and the Resident, Karonga-
Neulangenburg, 15 August, l 914.
Dank Ihrer Liebenswurdigkeit mit der Sie die Depeschenbeforderung in unsere Kolonie sperren, bin ich nicht klar daruber ob England sich im Krieg mit Deutschland befindet. Aber ich sehe dass Sie Ihre verfugbaren Truppen sammeln und an die Eingeborenen an unserer Grenze sogar Hinterlader verteilen. Wenn Sic damit bezwecken in unser Gebiet einfallen zu wollen, so darf ich Sie ergebenst darauf aufmerksam machen dass wir gerustet sind Ihnen unfreundlich zu begegnen. Die Lager erfordert zweifellos eine Klarung und darum bitte ich ebenso ergebenst wie dringend mir eine klare Antwort zu kommen wollen zu lassen.
Mit vorzuglicher Hochachtung zeichne ich als
Ihr sehr ergebener,
(sgd.) Dr. Stier
Kaiserlicher Bezirksamtmann.
An
den Herrn Residenten
in
Karonga
Translation:
Thanks to your great kindness in preventing the forwarding of dispatches into our colony I am not clear whether England is at war with Germany or not. However, I understand you are mobilising your available forces and are distributing breechloaders to the natives on our border. Should you intend to invade our territory may I respectfully point out that we are prepared to give you an unfriendly reception. Undoubtedly the position requires clarification and therefore I respectfully request you urgently to let me have a clear reply.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your obedient servant,
(sgd.) Dr. Stier.
Imperial Administrator.
Government Offices Karonga.
18th August, 1914.
Sir,
I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 15th inst. which reached me yesterday.
I am directed by H.E. The Governor to reply as follows:—
War has broken out between Great Britain and Germany. Our natives on the frontier are not being armed as alleged and H.M.'s Government would deprecate in the circumstances of the African Colonies the employment of any other than disciplined troops.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
You obedient servant,
(sgd.) F. Webb.
Resident.
Ngara in December, 1914 and, on those premises being required for troops, the Civil Station was again moved to Vua (Mr. Harvey's estate) in January, 1915. As far as possible normal District work has been carried on except in those parts of the District where our military operations and those of the enemy have made it impossible. It is satisfactory to know that, in spite of the trying circumstances and real hardships inseparable from war, the natives have remained loyal: as a whole they have assisted the Government to the best of their ability, carriers when required have been forthcoming and work has been done willingly and cheerfully.
Reinforcements have recently arrived in the District from South Africa. Some 260 men arrived in September and October, 1915. A contingent of 130 men who passed through the District for Fife, Northern Rhodesia, requiring nearly 1000 carriers which the District supplied, and a further contigent of 1000 men and a mountain battery from South Africa has now begun to arrive at Vua.
The above is a brief resume of what has occurred from the outbreak of hostilities to date in the North Nyasa District. For more detailed information regarding the events dealt with above I would refer the reader to the official reports and telegrams which will be found on the Station Files.
F. Webb.
15th November, 1915.
(Civil H.Q. returned to Karonga May, 1916).
(The following is an entry from the "Shooting Diary" kept by the late Lt./Col. G. L. Baxter (Cameron Highlanders) who commanded the 1st/ 1st (Ny.) Bn. K.A.R. during the German East African campaign in the First world War. After the war he planted cotton with W. A. Maxwell and others in the Nyungwe area of the former North Nyasa (now Karonga) District.
On 29th July, the Governor, Sir George Smith received a cable from home ordering an immediate mobilization of the troops, in view of the unsettled condition of matters in Europe.
Our Colonel (R. H. Baldwin, D.S.O.) was at home on leave and the senior officer was Captain C. W. Barton, D.s.o. We called up the Reserve and certain Protectorate civil officials who were given commissions, also the European Volunteer Force.
I, as adjutant 1st K.A.R., became Staff Officer to the Nyasaland Field Force which post I held until Nov. 1915 when I was appointed 2nd in Command 1st K.A.R. with rank of Major and later Lt.-Col. in command of the lst/lst K.A.R. We captured the German steamer "Hermann von Wissmann" which gave us command of the Lake and then transferred our force to Karonga to guard our frontier. In September 1914 we fought and utterly routed the local German troops. Under orders from home we did not advance into German territory until May 1916 but remained concentrated at Karonga and no action of importance took place though there were constant patrol affairs.
In 1915 Col. Hawthorn D.S.O. arrived and took over command and early in 1916 Brig. General Northey C.B. came from home to assume command of the Rhodesian and Nyasaland troops and of the S. African units detailed to that front. This force became known as the Nyasaland Rhodesia Field Force which played its part worthily in the long drawn out and arduous and in a sense unsatisfactory campaign which ended in the conquest of German East Africa.
Col. Hawthorn, until he succeeded Gen. Northey as brigadier General, was in command of the 1st K.A.R. column in the Field and won the whole hearted devotion of all ranks. A fine soldier, a strong man and a very perfect gentleman under whom it was a privilege to serve.
The natives of Nyasaland, Yao, Atonga, Angoni, Anguru, Mpotola, Nyanja and other tribes enlisted freely and in a quarrel which was none of theirs fought gallantly and well. Nyasaland provided the 1st and 2nd regiments of K.A.R., each regiment consisting of 4 Bns. of 1000 strong in addition to the 2 depots. In Somaliland, on the West coast of Africa at Ashanti, in East Africa and local campaigns the Nyasaland native had already established a very good name for himself as a soldier; in this long war against a trained enemy armed with artillery, maxims and the modern rifle he enhanced his reputation. The German Commander, General von Lettow-Vorbeck, stated that the Nyasaland regiments were the best of the K.A. Rifles and he had plenty of opportunity to judge as he encountered them all. The 2nd regiment saw most of the serious fighting and their casualties were very heavy, and the 1st regiment also lost many men.
I saw many instances of great gallantry, in the worst of circumstances the enemy was never able to dislodge from its position a Nyasaland battalion and the devotion to duty and above all the constant cheerfulness of the Nyasaland askati even when worn out and half starving won for them the respect and affection of their officers. Cold and wet and shortage of rations depress all men and especially natives but cold and wet and hungry though they might be they were always ready to laugh and to look at things from the most cheerful point of view. My old hunter Mdala an old soldier who had retired after 12 years exemplary service, re-enlisted when war broke out and went with me as my orderly. He was killed by my side at Malangali in German East Africa in July 1916 and I lost a faithful servant and the best hunter I have ever had.
Early in 1915, the members of the Church of Christ Mission, took it upon themselves to rise against us, thinking that the troops were well occupied with the Germans and that they would have things all their own way. They were in communication through Portuguese East Africa with the Germans who naturally encouraged them to rise. The rising took place between Zomba and Blantyre and as a start they murdered 3 Europeans on the Magomero Estate of Major Livingstone Bruce. The rising was quickly suppressed and was practically over before the double company sent from Karonga arrived on the scene. The rising, however, would not have eventuated had the natives not been allowed to possess modern firearms; so apart from the damage done to game consequent on the permission granted to natives to possess breech loading rifles we were subjected to a disturbance in the heart of Nyasaland at a critical time and lives were unnecessarily lost
FOOTNOTE. Col. Baxter, both as a soldier and hunter, felt very strongly about the possession of modern weapons by Africans in those days, and in his first entry in 1914 comments as follows:—
"It appears that the natives during the past season have been availing themselves very largely of the permission to take out £2 licences. Especially the educated natives round Blantyre and Zomba. Many of i tem have .303 rifles for which each man is allowed to buy 50 rounds per annum, the natural result has followed, when the 50 rounds are finished the native steals ammunition from Europeans or buys stolen ammunitition which is said to cost about 6d per round There is a big trade in meat going on, an Eland brings in £3, a Sable about £2 and so on, and therefore one big animal pays for the licence. I ant toll that the Liwonde and Mpimbi districts are practically shot out and that the splendid herd of buffalo at Chiromo is spread to the four winds It is a most damnable shame from all points of view and the men who are responsible for this slaughter are the lateGovernor Sir William Manning and the late Deputy Governor Major Pearce who allowed natives to use breech loading rifles and take out the £2 licence".
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