Nuno Lemos Pires has published a paper on Academia about Contradictions in the Great War concerning MozambiqueThe Imperial War Museum has a special exhibition on Africa in World War 1. It runs until March 2019.
Thomas Vennes looks at the 1915-1916 Volta-Bani War
Angelica, An international journal of English studies has two articles on Africa: Anne Samson on The End of the 1914-1918 War in Africa, and Anna Branach-Kallas on recent postcolonial First World War novels.
Various of Harry Fecitt’s articles which were on the Western Front Association website are now available here.
I missed this back in 2014, no doubt as I was in Africa. In case you missed it too for some reason, here’s a synopsis of a film about Liemba released in 2010.
Bjarne S. Bendtsen who has written about the blockade runners in a forthcoming GWAA book, sees his book ‘Mellem fronterne: om Første Verdenskrigs aftryk i dansk litteratur og kultur 1914-1939’ published during September.
Is there a World War 1 archive in Africa which would benefit from funding? Endangered Archive is open for applications until 19 November.
British Government support for WW1 commemoration in Kenya
Books on the German colonies and uniforms including World War 1 Africa
Question of authenticity:
The photo linked has the caption indicated. However, the small print on the photo is dated March 1918. My questions are:
1. Is the date of March 1918 correct? Surely the men are too spic and span for that stage of the campaign. Would they have had the luxury still of chairs and such clean uniforms?
2. The date of 1919 seems more plausible but is the ‘British’ officer British?. I can’t make out the cap badge but his buttons are different which does suggest a different force. The German officer on the right is Kraut.
General Lettow-Vorbeck in Dar es Salaam with a British Officer (left) and German Officer (right), March 1919.
The officer on the left wears the cap badge and gorgets of the British General Staff, though other Dominion and Imperial forces would wear similar insignia. Rank appears to be that of a major, but it’s hard to see. After the war, the practice of GS officers under the rank of colonel wearing gorgets was discontinued, but I am unsure as to precisely when.
The ‘British’ officer has four overseas service chevrons on his right arm. These chevrons were authorised for wear by Army Order 4 of 1918 published on 20th December 1917 and were awarded for each period of twelve months service. As they’re all the same colour (blue) it means that particular officer’s overseas service commenced on or after 1st January 1915 (first blue chevron) with three further periods of twelve months service (three further blue chevrons). They don’t however give a definitive date answer for the photo, other than it’s after 1st January 1918, unless the officer can be identified and his overseas service commencement can be determined.