East Africa Command, WWII.

[leigh kitchen]

East Africa Command was an expansion of East Africa Force, & was formed on 15/9/1941, to free up the Commander-in-Chief, Middle East, matters in East Africa.

It covered Ethiopia, Italian Somaliland, British Somaliland, Kenya, Zanzibar, Tanganyika, Uganda, Nyasaland and Northern Rhodesia, Kenya, Tanganyika, Abyssnia & for a short time Eritrea.

Originally, its badge consisted of two crossed pangas on a green square, but this was changed to the crossed pangas on a scarlet circle withn a black border.

The printed version of the second pattern badge:

East Africa Command came into being on 15th September 1941 with the purpose of freeing the Commander-in-Chief, Middle East from East African affairs. Essentially an expansion of East Africa Force, the new command comprised Ethiopia, Eritrea (for a short time only), Italian Somaliland, British Somaliland, Kenya, Zanzibar, Tanganyika, Uganda, Nyasaland and Northern Rhodesia. The General Officer Commanding commanded and administered all land forces in the area.