Central Africa Regiment

Central Africa Regiment
The Second Battalion Central African Rifles after returning from the War of the Golden Stool
Active	1896–1902
Allegiance	British Central Africa Protectorate
Branch	Army
Type	Infantry
Size	1 to 2 battalions
Engagements	Somaliland campaign War of the Golden Stool
Commanders
Notable commanders	Alfred Sharpe Willoughby Verner

The Central Africa Regiment was the infantry regiment of the British Central Africa Protectorate, modern-day Malawi. Founded as the British Central African Rifles in 1896, the force was renamed two years later, removing the word British from the title to become the Central African Rifles and, in 1899, the Central Africa Regiment. The Central Africa Regiment was led by European officers, supported by Sikh non-commissioned officers, both often with experience from the Indian Army. The majority of the force came from the Chewa, Ngoni, Tonga and Yao populations of the protectorate, allocated to companies based on their ethnic identity. Most soldiers wore a khaki uniform with a black fez apart from during parades, when they wore a blue uniform with a red fez. The regimental band wore bright yellow pants, which led them to be known as the 'canary birds'.

The unit served solely in the protectorate as a single battalion until 1899, when a second battalion was added to the regiment to serve overseas. After an initial deployment to Mauritius, the battalion served in the Somaliland campaign against the Dervish fighters of Muḥammad ibn 'Abdallāh Hassan. Half of the battalion was deployed to the Gold Coast to participate in the War of the Golden Stool, and the other half suppressing an uprising in the Gambia Colony and Protectorate. The regiment was successful in defeating the enemy each time with minimal casualties. In 1901, a contingent of the regiment were the first Malawians to travel to England. They met Edward VII, who presented them with medals for their service against the Asante Empire. During the following year, the regiment was merged into the King's African Rifles, forming the First and Second Battalions of the new regiment.

British missionaries established their first operations in the area around Lake Malawi in 1875 and for much of the early period of interaction between the people in the area and the European visitors was peaceful.^[1] In 1888, the African Lakes Company set to stop the activities of the slaver Mlozi bin Kazbadema that operated from Karonga. It raised a semi-official armed force in Blantyre under the command of Frederick Lugard, which successfully defeated Mlozi in the Karonga War. Following the foundation of the British Central Africa Protectorate, in 1891, the new commissioner Harry Johnston brought an Indian contingent from the Hyderabad Lancers to form the kernel of a more permanent force.^[2] In 1893, the African force was deployed against the Liwonde, and was raised again the following year, again as irregulars, to quell insurgency in the area.^[3] By this point the force consisted of three British officers, 200 Sikh non-commissioned officers transferred from the Indian Army, 150 African soldiers on longer-term contract and a variable number of Africans serving on temporary assignment.^[4]

By 1895, all fighting had been subdued by the British troops.^[5] However, most of the African troops that served in the British force were from Mozambique and Zanzibar. The only local troops that served any more than ceremonial duties were a small number of the Tonga converts to Christianity that defended some of the Christian missions.^[6] Despite the success of these irregular forces, the government of the British Central Africa Protectorate clearly saw the need for a permanent armed force that included both local soldiers and recruits from other parts of the British Empire, particularly in light of increasingly frequent incursions from German East Africa.^[7]

The British Central African Rifles was founded in 1896 with an initial strength of 738 African and 175 Sikh troops.^[4] Its primary role was to police the protectorate.^[8] The force grew quickly to five companies: A and B stationed in Zomba, C at Mulanje, D in Mangochi, E at Fort Maguire on Lake Malawi, and F in Fort Alston, Nkhotakota.^[3] In August 1897, Johnston's replacement as commissioner, Alfred Sharpe, commanded a force of four European officers, 50 Sikh soldiers, four companies, each of 100 African troops, and a 7-pound mountain gun over the border into Portuguese Mozambique. The force attacked the Lomwe people, capturing Chief Sirumba and gaining agreement from the people for compensation for goods stolen from those under British protection. In the fight, Sharpe commended the African troops as "the best skirmishers he had seen".^[9] In December, the regiment crossed into the north-eastern part of the land of the Mthwakazi to attack the forces under the command of Mpezeni and Mombera, chiefs of the Ngoni people.^[10]

On 17 January the following year, the regiment successfully defeated the Ngoni force in a single battle.^[10] Later in the year, a force of two European officers, ten Sikhs and seventy troops was deployed against Kazembe. Equipped with a Maxim gun and a 7-pound mountain gun, the force destroyed the stockade and, again, negotiated favourable terms with the chief.^[11] At the same time, an agreement with the British South Africa Company was signed to pay £8,000 annually to the British Central Africa Protectorate for a force of 40 Sikh and 350 African troops to be available to quell any rebellions in the country. The payment was later increased to £10,000, and proved particularly favourable to the Central African Rifles as, not only were their troops never called on to fight, but they attracted recruits from the local Bemba people.^[10]

'British' was removed from the title in 1898, the force being renamed the Central African Rifles.^[2] The company based at Fort Alston was moved to Fort Manning on the border with the emerging protectorate of North-Eastern Rhodesia. The new base was better equipped than the others, having more troops and a gun detachment.^[12] A new base was also formed at Fort Lister near Mulanje. Unlike the other companies, this fort relied on soldiers enlisted from Portuguese Mozambique.^[13]

In 1899, the unit was expanded with a Second Battalion formed to serve overseas.^[14] The two battalions were also known as the First and Second Central African Rifles.^[15][16] The battalion was soon given its first overseas assignment, being sent to Mauritius to act as a garrison force.^[17] The battalion consisted of eight companies with a total of seven European officers, 32 Sikhs and 878 African soldiers, accompanied by 220 wives and 77 children.^[18] The deployment was a failure due to a lack of warm clothing being issued and abuse from the local population.^[15] Nearly 30 of the contingent died from the cold alone.^[18] Despite this, as Sharpe remarked, the soldiers maintained "remarkable discipline."^[15] On 5 July, Queen Victoria declared that the regiment be named the Central Africa Regiment.^[19] On 1 August, Colonel Willoughby Verner led a detachment of the First Battalion in what was termed the Anglo-Portuguese Nquamba and Mataka Expedition.^[20] The force of ten British officers, 135 Sikhs, 500 African soldiers, a Maxim gun and two 7-pound guns was deployed alongside Portuguese troops against the Yao chief Makata. Although mainly acting in support of the Portuguese, it was the Central African that burnt the town of Nquamba.^[21]

At the same time, the British Empire increasingly saw the Mullah of Somaliland, Muḥammad ibn 'Abdallāh Hassan, as increasingly a threat.^[22] He was declared an outlaw; his Dervish fighters attacked Indian merchants, and he stated that would "drive the British back into the sea whence they had come".^[23] The Second Battalion was transferred from Mauritius to Somaliland, the first detachment arriving in Berbera at the end of February 1900.^[24][15] The climate in Somaliland proved beneficial to the troops, that quickly recovered and trained.^[25] Instead of being deployed against the Dervishes, on 9 July 1900 it was decided to send half the battalion to fight the Asante Empire in the War of the Golden Stool.^[26][18] On 30 June, 350 soldiers and 750 carriers of the regiment departed aboard the transport Victorian.^[15] The force, including 70 Sikh and 200 African troops sailed, via Cape Town on 11 July, to West Africa.^[27][28]

The four companies, each containing about 120 soldiers, arrived at the former slave station Cape Coast Castle on 12 August.^[25] On 13 August, two companies, joining troops of the West African Rifles and supported by a 7-pound mountain gun, marched to Kumasi, arriving the following day.^[29] The force successfully defeated the Asanti troops at the stockade, the regiment suffering seventeen wounded. The Sikh troops were particularly praised for their bravery by the British command,^[30] From that the British force, including the Second Batallion, marched to Esumeja, to defeat the Asante army commanded by Queen Ashantuah, but the leaders fled or surrendered as they advanced.^[31] A large detachment of four companies, 70 Sikh and 200 African soldiers, of the First Battalion arrived on 20 August.^[24][32] Together, these forces undertook forays into nearby towns and villages, including the religious centre of Ejisu, that routed the remaining Asanti fighters.^[33] Following the defeat and death of the Asante leader Opoto on 23 August, on 1 September the advance to Kumasi was complete.^[34]

Soon after, back in British Somaliland, in mid-September, while on patrol near Ethiopian border, a contingent of the regiment under Lieutenant colonel J. S. Graham observed the Mullah in camp unprepared. However, in honour of an agreement not to cross the border, they did not attack.^[35] On 4 October, the Yao of the Central Africa Regiment were the only force of the British flank that stood their ground in a battle in Mudug.^[36] This proved critical to the battle, which finished with a British victory.^[37]

In December 1900, the deployment of the Second Battalion in British Somaliland had mainly ceased.^[38] The remaining half of the Second Battalion departed Somalia for the Gambia Colony and Protectorate.^[24] An uprising in the colony had started on 14 June following the deaths of two British officials in Sankandi.^[39] On 2 January 1901, the force arrived and were accommodated at Bathhurst, present-day Banjul, on 10 January.^[40] On the following day, two companies of the battalion participated in the successful capture of Dumbutu, suffering casualties of two wounded soldier in the fight and, on 15 February, three companies were deployed to Fogny and Kombo, meeting no resistance.^[41] Following a successful campaign, on 30 March the companies returned to the Gold Coast and was reunited with the remainder of the Second Battalion.^[42]

In June that year, a detachment of one Sikh and twenty African troops, including six sergeants, three corporals, twelve privates and an interpreter, travelled to England. They were inspected by the commander of the British forces, Frederick Roberts, and were presented to Edward VII, who bestowed them with medals for their service in the war with the Asante. This was the first visit by Malawians to England.^[43]

In 1902, the regiment was merged with the East Africa Rifles and Uganda Rifles to form the King's African Rifles. The two battalions of the Central Africa Regiment became the 1st and 2nd Battalion.^[18]

The British had gained much experience with the use of non-British troops across the empire by the foundation of the Central Africa Regiment, particularly in the conquest of India and the foundation of the British Raj. The use of companies of different ethnic groups, serving out of the native territories, had become well tested.^[44] Local recruitment took place by ulendocode: nya promoted to code: ny , place-to-place visits targeting a specific area and people, that encouraged a particular ethnic group to form homogenous military units.^[45] The original structure of the force had envisioned three of the initial six companies coming from the Tonga due to their longer experience of English culture via missionaries.^[6] This did not come to pass. Although a small cohort joined in 1895 as regular troops, they only signed up for a year and for local service. Instead, the majority of the first recruits were Yao, with 50 enlisting in that year alongside 25 Chewa.^[3] They signed up for three years service.^[46]

The Tonga had a larger level of education and so the more aspirational members of the community served in administrative positions in the government rather than join the army. At the same time, the lack of plantations in the Yao territories meant that they had more freedom to move, and so could more easily enlist. The collapse of the chiefdoms amongst the Yao had also led to the release of a large number of trained musketeers that were looking for work, and who were particularly attracted to a career in the nascent army.^[46]

Initially, there was no recruitment of officers and non-commissioned officers for the Central African Rifles from the local people. Leadership was recruited amongst the experienced officers of the Indian Army.^[16] All the officers came from Europe and the non-commissioned officers from Europe and India.^[47] Initially, each company was commanded by a British officer and had a Sikh colour sergeant. There were also three to four Sikhs that took the roles of section leaders and drill sergeants. They also fulfilled other roles, including those of quartermaster. Although the language barrier could have caused problems, this was overcome by what historian Colin Baker calls, based on the testimonies of John Gough and Claude Percival, captains that served in the Rifles, "the keenness of the Malawian soldiers to excel."^[3] The officers were also often those that had served in active roles in the Indian Army, particularly at Zomba.^[13]

In October 1898, this situation changed. Following an unsuccessful counterattack following a raid that led to twenty Malawian women and children civilians being abducted, the regiment decided that it would no longer be necessary to have a Sikh leading a section. The standing order requiring a Sikh to accompany any troop of the Central Africa Regiment in service was cancelled and African soldiers were promoted to non-commissioned ranks.^[48] It was thought that a company that only consisted of African troops was more mobile, a proposition immediately vindicated as the company based in Mangoche where the cancellation initially applied swiftly overtook the raiders and rescued the captives.^[49] Non-commissioned officers were recruited from the sons of chiefs and other leaders, and increasingly also took on the role of instructors from their Sikh colleagues.^[50]

At the same time, the balance in the African troops had changed. Initially the regiment consisted of six companies; A, D and E companies were nominally Tonga, B and C were Yao and F was Chewa and Ngoni.^[3] Conditions of service were initially limited to the protectorate but, in 1898, this was altered and up to two years could be spent overseas.^[17] By this time the number of companies had increased to eight, with G another Tonga company and H consisting of Yao soldiers.^[12] Recruitment also saw new challenges as the need to recruit a second battalion interfered with existing recruitment methods.^[51]

The soldiers of Central Africa Regiment were known for their elegance and were called "the smartest and most soldier-like body of men" by the Governor of the Gambia, George Chardin Denton.^[39] Each of the enlisted soldiers was issued with two uniforms. For parades, a blue cotton uniform was provided with a red fez at enlistment. Any damage to this was paid for by the soldier. For other uses, the soldiers wore a khaki coat, loose khaki shorts, blue puttees and a black fez, which had a tassel. This was renewed every year. They were also provided with brown belts, two pouches, a khaki rucksack and a water bottle.^[52] The regiment had a contingent of musicians that played the drums and fife known as the 'canary birds' after their uniform of bright yellow pants.^[53]

The army was originally issued with Snider–Enfield rifles. In 1899, the regiment had its rifles replaced with Martini-Enfield. Although a superior weapon, its use initially led to a drop in accuracy as the soldiers found it hard to adapt to the smokeless powder it used.^[14] By 1902 this had reversed and the guns were proving more accurate, the use of the Martini-Enfield deemed, in the words of Captain Gough, an "unqualified success".^[54] During the War of the Golden Stool, the soldiers mounted bayonets to their rifles and used these to charge the enemy, which was often sufficient to break the Asanti line and cause them to retreat without a shot being fired.^[55]

Discipline in the army was harsh and flogging was common. Although corporal punishment had been banned across most European armies, it was still acceptable to beat African troops.^[47] Unlike in many contemporary armies, the soldiers were allowed to bring wives and children with them within the garrison, married men receiving private quarters while the rest slept in dormitories. This was considered particularly favourable as traditionally a man had to ask permission of the elders to marry, which could be circumvented if the man married while a serving soldier.^[17] The policy was to rarely move officers so they understood the local conditions well and invested in their quarters to make them as comfortable as they could.^[13][56] The regiment achieved a high level of cohesion and operational efficiency in the battlefield, particularly under fire. In a 1900 report to Reuters, the regimental medical officer Douglas Gray said, "the Central African Rifles never wavered in the slightest degree" and "constitute one of the most highly-trained and well-disciplined native forces in the empire".^[57]

• 1896 - British Central African Rifles.^[4]
• 1898 - Central African Rifles.^[2]
• 1899 - Central Africa Regiment.^[19]
• 1900 - 1st and 2nd Battalion Central African Rifles.^[14]
• 1902 - 1st and 2nd Battalion King's African Rifles.^[18]