CO885-24 — Page 141

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

› Reference :—

'། ། '། ། :།

RMCO. 885

24 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRESS NOT TO

264

UGANDA.

was given for the business to be continued as far as possible by the local employees of the firm who were not German subjects. They have, however, proved unable to deal with the forwarding of the quantities of merchandise en route to the Congo, and arrangements have since been made by the Belgian authorities with a British firm to undertake this work. In the meantime, considerable quantities of goods had been forwarded to the Congo by the Government Transport Department.

16. On the 18th August, martial law was declared throughout the Protec- torate. This had not previously been done, as it had not been considered necessary, but, in deference to the wishes of the military authorities in the East Africa Pro- tectorate, a Proclamation to this effect was now issued, together with a Notice explaining that the step was precautionary only and was taken to secure uniformity with the East Africa Protectorate, as both Protectorates formed one military command.

17. The above completes the account of the principal measures taken in the early stages of the war, and I will now deal briefly with the military situation after the assumption of the command by Lieutenant-Colonel Hickson on the 18th August.

18. The two companies of the King's African Rifles which had been recalled from the northern garrison arrived in Entebbe towards the end of August, and were at once despatched to the southern frontier. On the 9th September, however, they were ordered to Kisumu to meet a German advance on the Uganda Railway, and on the 10th September an urgent appeal for further reinforcements was received from Kisumu. Drafts of police, with a detachment of King's African Rifles Reservists the only force available in Entebbe and Kampala--were at once despatched, but arrived too late to take part in the action at Kisii, at which the German advance was checked by three companies of the 4th Battalion King's African Rifles, under Captain E. G. M. Thornycroft, who, unfortunately, was killed in this action. One of the companies engaged was the newly-formed com- pany of Baganda soldiers, who had been enlisted upon the withdrawal of the Indian contingent of the King's African Rifles in February, 1913. These men are reported to have behaved admirably under heavy fire, and considerable numbers of Baganda recruits have since been enlisted and placed in training at the depôt. The opinion then formed of the reliability of the Baganda as fighting men has been fully borne out by their behaviour in subsequent actions.

19. Shortly after his arrival, Lieutenant-Colonel Hickson represented to the Acting Governor that it would be necessary to withdraw the remaining company from the northern garrison for the defence of the southern frontier, and arrange ments were made to relieve this company with a small police post. The company arrived at headquarters about the middle of October, and, in response to a request from the General Officer Commanding for further reinforcements from Uganda, were despatched to East Africa on the 31st October, where they still remain. The necessity for the withdrawal of the company was greatly to be regretted, as there were reports of renewed raids on the part of the Turkana and Dodinga, and there was always a possibility of the appearance of Abyssinian raiding parties if British troops were withdrawn. However, the military situation on the southern frontier left no alternative. Arrangements have since been made with the Sudan Govern- ment to post a company of Sudanese troops in the Chua District within reach of the Rudolf police post.

20. During the period the police forces on the southern frontier were strengthened, as far as possible, by drafta from various stations, and a certain number of special constables were engaged to take the places of these drafts for police duties at the stations concerned. The Baganda levies in Masaka District were put on a more organized footing and strengthened by drafts from Kam- pala District, and a recently formed company of King's African Rifles Reservists was also sent to the south. These dispositions were the best that could be made in the circumstances, but were certainly insufficient to provide for the defence of the frontier, and had any offensive action been undertaken by the enemy we should have been compelled to withdraw. The position was represented to the military authorities in East Africa, but, owing to the local situation in that Protectorate, they were unable to send any assistance until the latter part of November, when one company of the 4th Battalion King's African Rifles was returned to Uganda, followed on the 23rd and 24th of that month by a battalion of the 13th Rajputs and

265

UGANDA.

a section of a mountain battery. On the 20th November the enemy attacked our outposts on the Kagera River in force, and compelled the withdrawal of our post at Kyaka, a German fort on the Kagera River, which had been occupied by our troops for some weeks after having been abandoned by the enemy. The attack was not pressed beyond the outpost line, possibly owing to the enemy having received reports of the arrival of reinforcements from East Africa.

21. Though no offensive had been attempted by the enemy, the position in the Kigezi District of the Western Province had been rendered critical by the attitude of the native tribesmen.

As early as the 17th August disquieting reports had been received of unrest amongst the Batusi, a numerous and warlike people, of whom the greater portion are resident in German East Africa, owing allegiance to the Sultan of Ruanda. They were apparently instigated by the German authorities in Ruanda, and the unrest was fomented by the movement of the German columns on the frontier referred to in paragraph 10. As it was impossible to send assistance to the Assistant District Commissioner in charge of Kigezi District, who had at his disposal only a small police detachment of some 40 men, he was ordered to withdraw to the Ankole border, and, if pressed, to evacuate the district. The necessity for this move was greatly to be regretted, as it naturally resulted in the encouragement of the truculent tribes, who began to raid their neighbours and to waylay mes- sengers, but, in the circumstances, no other course was possible. In the event of a serious rising the only possible course would have been to send a force of Baganda spearmen to deal with the Batusi, which would have led to a bloodthirsty inter- tribal war.

In the latter part of August, the Kigezi detachment was reinforced and brought up to about 90 men, and a return was made to the post of Kabale. from This post was which we later occupied and fortified a post on Lake Chahafi. further strengthened by a small detachment of troops from the Belgian Congo, with whom the military authorities were acting in co-operation for defensive purposes. The truculent attitude of the Batusi still continued, however, and the force available was too small to allow of any portion being detached to deal with the tribe. On the 11th October a large raiding party of Batusi from German territory crossed the border, looting and burning villages of friendly natives. The latest reports indicate that the attitude of the Batusi is improving, and that they are losing faith in German assurances of support and promises of loot, which have, so far, only resulted in the loss of men and cattle by them. The enemy made an attack on our post at Lake Chahafi on the 1st January, but were repulsed with some loss. The force in this district has recently received further reinforcements from the Belgian Congo, and the situation there may be regarded as fairly secure, as, with the force now present in this district, any recrudescence of native unrest is improbable.

22. I arrived in Uganda on the 20th November and took over from Mr. Wallis, My arrival was, therefore, coincident with the attack on our outpost line referred to in paragraph 20, and the arrival of Indian reinforcements. Since that time the only material change in the military situation has been the strengthening of our position in the Kigezi District by Belgian reinforcements.

23. The foregoing deals with the general military situation in Uganda up to the present time, and it will be observed that the military authorities have found it necessary to subordinate the defence of Uganda entirely to that of the East Africa Protectorate and the Uganda Railway. At the present moment six of the seven regular companies of the 4th Battalion King's African Rifles remain in the East Africa Protectorate. A considerable quantity of ammunition en route to Uganda was detained in East Africa, and 250 M.E. rifles, together with two out of three available small field guns, were also lent to that Protectorate during the most critical period. The military authorities also called for the field telegraph, and have, in addition, been supplied with considerable quantities of telegraph material for permanent construction. The absence of field telegraph and the depletion of the general stock of material have made it impossible to continue the existing lines from Mbarara towards the Congo frontier, a step which would have been of great value in accelerating communication with the Congo military authorities.

24. Having dealt with the immediate military situation, I will touch briefly on general conditions in the Protectorate as affected by the war.