The Gold Coast Regiment in the East African Campaign

by Sir Hugh Charles Clifford

At 8.30 a.m. B Company, which was acting as advance guard, reached a path leading to Mbombomya, and an officer’s patrol, under Lieutenant Woods, was sent down this track with orders to lay an ambush, and to protect the flank and right rear of the Regiment. A second officer’s patrol, under Lieutenant S. B. Smith, was sent forward with orders to attempt to surprise the enemy’s signal-station on the hill near Mpingo, and then to push on south to Mnitshi, five miles further down the main road. Lieutenant Woods’ patrol came into touch with the enemy within three-quarters of an hour from the time when he left the main body of the Regiment. He shortly afterwards reported that the enemy in front of him were few in numbers, but that they were resisting his advance and were fighting a series of small rear-guard actions. He was instructed that his chief duty was to guard the track from Mbombomya, and that he should dig himself in and endeavour to protect the flank and right rear of the Regiment.

Meanwhile, at 11 a.m. Major Shaw reported by telegraph that he had got into touch with the King’s African Rifles at 9.45 a.m., but shortly afterwards telegraphic communication ceased, and it was subsequently discovered that the line had been cut and that about a mile of wire had been removed. The Regiment was now cut off from all communication with the forces with which it was co-operating. This, however, did not long continue, and by midday the telegraphic connection with No. 1 Column was restored.

Nambunjo Hill was reached at 2.45 p.m., and a perimeter camp was established there.

At 5.15 p.m. word was received from Lieutenant Smith that his attempt to surprise the signal-station at Mpingo Hill had failed, and that as the position was too strongly held for his small force to attempt an attack upon it, he had withdrawn, and was lying up in the bush at a spot overlooking the main road in the neighbourhood of Mpingo. Already at 2.30 p.m. ninety rifles of B Company, under Captain Methven, had been sent forward to pick up Lieutenant Smith’s patrol, and to try to get astride the main road; and at 5 p.m. his party became heavily engaged with the enemy. Instructions were sent to him to attempt to advance toward Mihambia, as No. 1 Column reported that they had been held up by the enemy, posted on the hill already mentioned, and had been compelled to dig themselves in. Meanwhile, however, Lieutenant Smith’s patrol had been having a very hot time of it. His position was located by the enemy, his patrol was almost completely surrounded, and he only succeeded in extricating it with great difficulty, and joined Captain Methven, who was then at a spot about a mile and a half south of Mihambia, at about 5.30 p.m. Any further advance in the direction of Mihambia was rendered impossible owing to the thickness of the bush and the rapid approach of darkness. Moreover, like the whole of Colonel Rose’s command, this detachment had long ago exhausted its supply of water, and the men were suffering acutely from thirst.

At 6.15 p.m. Lieutenant Woods’ patrol on the Mbombomya road was strongly attacked by one full company of the enemy with two machine-guns, and was compelled to fall back, his men, who had been fighting all day, being also much exhausted for want of water. Captain McElligott, with a section of I Company, was sent out at once with orders to entrench themselves astride the track from Mbombomya, and to hold on at all costs, so as to protect the flank and right rear of the Regiment on Nambunjo Hill.

The whole of Colonel Rose’s command was now very hard up for rations, but above all for water, and though supplies of both had been wired for to No. 1 Column, nothing reached them that night.

At 3 a.m., on the 20th September, Lieutenant Parker left for the camp at Liwinda Ravine with all the available carriers to fetch rations and water, which No. 1 Column reported it was dispatching from Mihambia at 5 o’clock that morning. At dawn, too, Captain McElligott sent forward a patrol from his entrenched position on the track leading to Mbombomya; an officer’s patrol under Lieutenant Baillie was dispatched to the main road, with orders to remain under cover, and to watch the movements of the enemy; and a third patrol was sent out towards Kitiia to try and establish touch with Major Shaw’s detachment.

Soon after 8 a.m. it was learned that the enemy had evacuated his trenches at Mihambia, and Colonel Rose was instructed to occupy Mbombomya as soon as water and rations had reached him, and his force was once more in a position to advance.

At 8 a.m. also Captain Wray, with a second section of I Company, was sent to reinforce Captain McElligott and to take over the command of the post, and at about 9.30 a.m. he became engaged with the enemy. Shortly before, word was received that No. 1 Column would advance down the main road from Mihambia at noon for the purpose of occupying Mnitshi; and Lieutenant Baillie, who had crept to the edge of the road at a point distant some two miles east of that place, reported that the enemy and his porters in large numbers were streaming past him from the direction of Mihambia towards Mpingo. The enemy south of Mihambia, however, was covering his retreat by fighting a rear-guard action with his machine-guns.

At 11.20 a.m. rations and water at last reached the Gold Coast Regiment, but the 350 chaquals sent were only half-full, and this was all the water available for a force of 1400 men, who had not had a drop beyond the issue made to them on the night of September 18th before they left the camp at Liwinda Ravine. The rations supplied contained provisions for the fighting men only, and left out of the count gun-carriers, stretcher-bearers and the ammunition column. However, rations were pooled, a portion of the emergency rations of the Regiment was thrown into the common stock, and all the men had something to eat and a few gulps of water to drink, though the ration served out was only half a pint per man. The thirst from which one and all were suffering was very acute, and though the men were chewing bits of bark and roots to try to relieve the dryness that was parching mouths and throats and swollen tongues, numbers of them fell exhausted on the ground during the skirmishes fought on this day, and had to be carried in a semi-unconscious condition out of the firing-line.