Harry Fecitt

Greetings All (or Jambo!) In June a book of mine will come out which is a compilation of all the awards made to the King's African Rifles and East African Forces in BOTH World Wars and in ALL theatres - British, German and Italian East Africa, Madagascar and Burma. There will be descriptive text and ORBATS, and award citations will be shown in full where available, or instructive comments made on the likely locations of the actions. To hopefully make more people aware, particularly in East Africa, of the military history on their doorstep a new website - The Heroes of the East African Campaign of World War - can be found here: https://www.heroes.guerrillasoftsavo.com/ It is being maintained by colleagues in East Africa. My aim is to post fairly short , well illustrated and easily understood articles with complete gallantry award details where relevant, so that local people can relate to the brave deeds of their ancestors in fighting against dictatorship and evil. Please take a look - you should at least enjoy some of the hundreds of colour photos that I have taken during many safaris around the battlefields. (This in no way inhibits my activity with the Harry's Africa and Harry's Sideshows webpages which will continue to receive more detailed and involved articles on larger military actions.) Kwaheri Harry

Az Greetings If you haven't already seen it you may be interested in this article on the Malay States Guides in Aden during the Great War: http://www.kaiserscross.com/304501/514322.html Harry

Cazack Greetings Here's the History of the Indian Mountain Artillery: https://archive.org/details/IndianMountainArtillery Harry

I believe this to be a photo of 'Bowker's Horse', EAMR. And here's my photo of Longido viewed from Namanga.

Here's another image from the Standard that shows the height of Longido Mountain.

Noor Greetings Here's a photo from the East African Standard showing the first grave that the Germans put William into. An article should appear soon on The Soldier's Burden website about the 29th Punjabis, who were the infantry element of that attack on Longido. You will be able to then follow the stages of the battle. Harry

Melissa Greetings You will find some information on the 14th (King's) Hussars in northern Persia in 1918 here: http://www.westernfrontassociation.com/great-war-on-land/other-war-theatres/3305-dunsterforce-part-1.html Harry

Apologies and correction to the fourth line in post #25. DELETE "daughter" and INSERT "daughter-in-law".

The Durham Light Infantry Regimental Memorial. This is located inside the grounds of the Chief Secretary's Official Residence, just behind the Governor's House. It is not available for viewing by the public. (Credit for the last three images goes to Khonoma Tours & treks, whose page with the photos can be found on Facebook.)

The plaque at the foot of the Assam Regiment Memorial

The Assam Regiment Memorial is within the regimental cantonment and is not available for public viewing.

Gentlemen & Fellow Members Thank you very much - but the applause has to go to the Naga Community who stood by Britain and her Allies when others did not. That community made the story. I hope that, after representation in Delhi, the Indian Army will refurbish the Punjabi Memorial before the 70th Anniversary commemorations. Any Member wishing to tour Kohima, and the very extensive Imphal battlefields to the south, can do no better than to contact Hemant at Battle of Imphal Tours: http://www.battleofimphal.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6&Itemid=60 Hemant is from an Indian military family and he is very knowledgeable about the serious fighting in the region during WW2. (Presently I am in Muscat en route to my European base, and some Imphal Battlefield threads will follow later.) Thank you, on behalf of the Nagas, again. Harry

The defence of Kohima just held because of artillery support fired from a defensive box down the Dimapur Road at Zubzub. This happened because a Brigadier disobeyed orders and established the box at Zubzub instead of moving the guns to Kohima, where he knew that there were no suitable gun positions. Nagas willingly carried supplies and ammunition from Zubzub, further leftwards down the valley, up this route and over the ridge to Kohima. Wounded were carried on the return journey (the Japanese had a block on the main road). Tough, rugged country, and brave, tough, rugged men. If you wish to express gratitude towards the Nagas then please consider supporting the Kohima Educational Trust: http://www.kohimaeducationaltrust.net/ Thank you, Harry.

To mark this year's 70th anniversary of the Battle of Kohima the local Naga community is constructing, at its own expense, this memorial to Major-General John Grover, commander of British 2nd Division. 2 DIV undertook heavy fighting in the relief of Kohima. General Grover's daughter-in-law will attend the unveiling of the memorial. (John Grover was very popular with the British soldiers in his Division, but he did not pay too much attention to his Indian troops. He was not popular with his XXXIII Corps Commander, Lieutenant-General Sir Montagu Stopford who sacked him when the battle of Kohima was over. When the main troopship carrying 2 DIV personnel to the UK for repatriation arrived, their old General was on the dock waiting to greet them. The cry went up "Grover, Grover" and the men rushed to that side of the deck and tilted it, seriously worrying the captain. They don't make charismatic generals like that anymore. )