The First World War in Africa saw home fronts away from the battle front as well as home fronts becoming the battle front. Rural areas, villages, towns and cities were all caught up in the inferno, providing food and material or
housing prisoners.
This section will be contain information and links on different aspects of the home front across the theatres in Africa. Specific groups will also feature – refered to as micro-nations
Looking after prisoners of war and internees was often part of ‘home front’ life.
In South West Africa, the camp at Aus was initially used to house South Africans captured during the 1914-15 campaign and then the Germans who surrendered in July 1915 along with others who had been captured.
Namibia 1on1 has some recent photos the camp at Aus and an introduction.
More generally, Tilman Dedering wrote an article on South African camps for the 1914-18 Encyclopaedia.
Kenya
Kenya – Old Africa Magazine: where the home front became the war zone for some time.
Namibia
Chronology of events 1914; 1915; 1916-1918; 1919
List of Colonial Governors and Governor Generals during the war
British East Africa: Henry Conway Belfield (1914-1917) ; Edward Northey (1918-1922)
German East Africa: Heinrich Schnee (1912-1918)
Gold Coast: AR Slater (Acting 1914) ; Hugh Clifford (1915-1918)
Nigeria: Frederick Lugard (1914-1918) ; Hugh Clifford (1918-1925)
Nyasaland: George Smith
Rhodesia (North & South): Sydney Buxton (8 August 1914-1922)
South Africa: Sydney Buxton (8 August 1914-1922)
South West Africa: Theodor Seitz (28/8/1910-9/7/1915) ; Louis Botha (9/7/1915-11/7/1915) ; Percival Scott Beves (11/7/1915-30/10/1915) ; Edmond Howard Lacam Gorges (31/10/1915-1/10/1920)