The Gold Coast Regiment in the East African Campaign

by Sir Hugh Charles Clifford

At 4 p.m. “Kartucol” advanced from Rock Camp through the bush to the south of Chirimba Hill, for the purpose of taking up a position from which to join on the morrow in a general attack upon Medo; and an hour later “Rosecol” received orders to advance at 6 a.m. on the following morning, the attack to be delivered by the Gold Coast Regiment, the 4th Battalion of the 4th King’s African Rifles forming the force and column reserve.

On the 12th April the advanced guard, consisting of B Company with two Stokes guns, under Major Shaw, moved forward at 6 a.m., the 22nd D.M.B. covering its advance by shelling the bush in which the enemy was believed to have established himself. The broken, bush-covered country lent itself to defence, and the enemy’s machine-gun and rifle fire from the lower slopes of Chirimba Hill was persistent and galling, nor could even his main position be accurately located. Early in the day, however, three or four men of I Company scaled the higher peak of Chirimba Hill, which overlooked that cleared of the enemy the night before, and succeeded in ejecting therefrom a solitary Askari, who had evidently been engaged in observing for the enemy’s gun.

At this time the advance of “Rosecol” was being opposed by about two companies of the enemy, the remainder being held in reserve, though the movement of “Kartucol” round the southern side of Chirimba Hill had not yet been discovered by Kohl. The resistance offered was, as usual, of a very determined character, and the progress made by the attacking force was proportionately slow.

During the whole of the advance the Stokes guns belonging to the Gold Coast Regiment were of the greatest assistance. Under the command of Captain Foley and Lieutenant Lamont, these guns had been almost continuously employed in all recent actions, and while the companies of the Regiment had taken it in turn to bear the brunt of the work, the Stokes gun team and their officers had a record of almost continuous activity. On this occasion they had opened fire as soon as ever the machine-guns came into action, throwing their shells about one hundred and fifty to three hundred yards to the right and left of the advance on both sides of the road. When the line halted to fire, fifteen minutes were allowed the Stokes guns to take up fresh positions, generally about fifty yards in the rear of the firing-line. This worked very well, and the advance, though slow, was practically continuous until about 12.30 p.m., when the enemy developed a very stout resistance, and held the Gold Coast Regiment up for nearly three hours.

At 2 p.m. two sections of A Company, under Captain Wheeler, were sent forward to reinforce Major Shaw, and to extend the line on the right of the advance; and an hour later the Headquarters of the Regiment, with two sections of I Company, advanced, and Colonel Goodwin took over the command from Major Shaw. The latter then went forward and assumed the command of the firing-line, which at this time had worked its way along the northern face of Chirimba Hill, and was getting clear of its western extremity. Simultaneously fifty rifles of I Company, with one machine-gun and one Lewis gun, under the command of Captain Harman, were sent out to the right of the two sections of A Company, under Captain Wheeler, with orders to extend the line to the right and to be prepared to swing the right flank round so as to enfilade the enemy when the advance was continued.

At about 3 p.m. “Kartucol,” on the southern side of Chirimba Hill, was heard to be heavily engaged with the enemy, and the resistance offered to the advance of the Gold Coast Regiment perceptibly slackened. Major Shaw therefore worked round the western end of the hill and succeeded in getting into touch with the King’s African Rifles, who had dug themselves in in a hastily made perimeter camp. At the moment of Major Shaw’s arrival the enemy was delivering a strong counter-attack upon the leading troops of “Kartucol,” which were very hard pressed. Major Shaw at once attacked vigorously, and a very sharp engagement ensued, which resulted in the Gold Coast Regiment and the King’s African Rifles driving the enemy back with considerable losses.

Meanwhile half of I Company, under Captain Harman, which, as we have seen, had been sent out on the extreme right of the advance, had met a large open swamp, the negotiation of which caused some delay; and as the firing-line, commanded by Major Shaw, was wheeling steadily to the left, following the configuration of the ground at the western extremity of Chirimba Hill, touch with A Company was presently lost. Captain Harman crossed from the right to the left of the main road, still without regaining touch with A Company; and soon after firing broke out in front of him. Advancing in the direction from which the sound came, touch with the right of A Company was at last regained; but as the whole line pushed forward the wheel to the left became more and more pronounced, Major Shaw being engaged at this time in moving round the western extremity of Chirimba Hill to go to the assistance of “Kartucol.” Just as this movement began, fire was opened upon Captain Harman’s half-company from the right flank and right rear, the enemy company, which had hitherto been held in reserve, having been sent, it is probable, to join up with the other companies which were delivering a heavy attack upon the roughly made perimeter camp in which “Kartucol” was defending itself. The half-section of I Company on the extreme right of Captain Harman’s little party was hastily faced about to resist the attack from the right rear, and the section bombers on its left drove the enemy off from its right front. The attacking party to the right rear, however, was more persistent, and Colour-Sergeant Thornett, with three of his machine-gun team and three carriers, who at the moment when fire was opened upon them had just loaded up in order to move forward, were all hit, Colour-Sergeant Thornett being killed on the spot. These losses were caused by a machine-gun which the enemy had captured from the Portuguese. The reserve gun-team and carriers, however, behaved with their usual coolness, and they succeeded in getting their gun away, only leaving one box of ammunition behind them, which was recovered next day.

Sergeant Mudge was wounded badly in the groin and died in the course of a few minutes, while Lieutenant Barrett was slightly wounded in the thigh.

Meanwhile the half-section of I Company on the immediate left of the party which had been thus roughly handled, had gone on with the main advance, leaving only about twenty-five men to deal with the surprise attack which had been delivered upon them. They succeeded, none the less, in driving the enemy off; but recognizing the necessity of guarding the right flank of the main advance against a possible renewed attack, and hampered in his movements by the number of his casualties, Captain Harman decided to remain where he was, and not to attempt for the moment to regain touch with the troops on his left.

The wounded men were carried back to the place where Colonel Goodwin had established his Headquarters, the work being done in difficult circumstances, no stretchers or stretcher-bearers being available. Darkness fell, and Captain Harman’s little party, having found no further trace of the enemy, gathered together and began to work over to the left with the intention of regaining touch with the men under Major Shaw’s command. These had now joined up with “Kartucol,” as already mentioned, and had thereafter established themselves in the perimeter camp which had been hastily dug earlier in the day by the King’s African Rifles. Here, guided by the bugle-call of I Company, Captain Harman’s party presently joined them; and the weary men of both columns dossed down for the night on the bare ground to sleep as best they might, without food or cover of any description.