Norman King was the British consul at Dar-es-Salaam, German East Africa, when war broke out in 1914. His diary begins at the end of July and the early entries reflect the confusion which the declaration of war brought to the colonies. King himself was now on enemy territory; nevertheless, the German Authorities who had previously been his associates and friends made every endeavour to help him and other British subjects to leave Dar-es-Salaam safely: "The Governor said the Authorities would give me every assistance to obtain a dhow and told Kempner, who had meanwhile prepared my pass, to go with me and see that I got what I wanted. I expressed my regret at the situation and thanked him for all the consideration he had shown me as British Consul. He seemed very upset and both of us felt too bewildered at the sudden catastrophe to say more than a few formal phrases." (5 August 1914) After a hazardous journey by dhow along the coast King and a few other refugees arrived at Zanzibar only to be mistaken for German saboteurs and fired on! Eventually they got ashore and King went straight to the Residency to make a vigorous complaint about the incident. There followed a few days in Zanzibar during which time he was appointed Chief Intelligence Officer and then ordered to proceed to Simla in India, headquarters of the British East African Expedition. A break in the journey at Mombasa, to await despatches, allowed him to note and criticise the fact that the German subjects there had been imprisoned. King arrived at Simla, (25 August), and was installed in the headquarters to impart his knowledge of German East Africa to the British staff. He was officially appointed Political Officer to Force "B" of the East African Expedition and spent the following few days in composing a handbook on German East Africa for the benefit of the Expeditionary Force. On 20 September he sailed from Bombay with Force "C" and, on his return to British East Africa, was gazetted Political Officer temporarily attached to Force "C". Several diary entries at this time express Kings irritation with the vagueries of his position and series of stop-gap appointments. At the beginning of November the Expeditionary Force sailed for Tanga, a coasted town of strategic importance, just within the border of German East Africa. Kings description of the attack on Tanga is detailed and highly informative. Although he personally blamed the failure of the expedition upon the cowardice of the ill-prepared Indian troops, it is clear from his account that lack of organisation was chiefly responsible for the British defeat. After the Force had landed and established a camp King commented: "There was not much organisation apperant and the nature of the troops was shown by a sudden scare when what looked like the whole camp bolted, seized by unreasoning and uncontrollable panic. ------- it was pitiful to hear the officers calling out to the men to take their arms, while the men ran like sheep." (3 November) Eventually the Force advanced on the town but the move was chaotic: "There was machine gun just in front which was making a terrible noise; people said it was ours and we hoped it was, but nobody knew much." (4 November) Having sustained heavy losses the British began to fall back and the demoralised troops re-embarted. [NB News of the disaster at Tanga was not released publicly in Britain until several months later, for fear of the effect which it would have on morale.] The second operation in which King took part was more successful but still characterised by disorganisation. He was to act as interpreter on board HMS FOX whose mission was to sail to Dar-es-Salaam to make a reconnaissance and to ensure that German ships could not leave the harbour. The situation was delicate as Dar-es-Salaam was protected by a flag of truce - on the understanding that she did not harbour the German cruiser Koenigsberg. However, whilst inspecting the harbour the British were fired on and so HMS Goliath was ordered to bombard the town. After inflicting some damage the British returned to Zanzibar with a few wounded and a number of German prisoners, (28 November). Back in Mombassa King wrote: "I am at a loose end, my activities as Political Officer having come to an end after the Tanga affair, and I may have to return to consular duties." (8 December) Shortly after this he was transferred to the service of the Governor of British East Africa and early in the New Tear was sent as Political Officer with an expedition to capture Mafia Island, a small island to the south of Dar-es-Salaam. He sailed in the Kinfauns Castle with an expeditionary force of 500 and gives a thorough account of the capture of the island. While the Kinfauns Castle and Fox shelled the shore the Force landed and set up a base camp, (8 January 1915). The following day they advanced on the German position, meeting with little resistance from the outnumbered enemy. Mafia was, in fact, the first German territory in East Africa to be captured by the British. In February King returned to Mafia to take up the post of Political Officer on the island. This time he sailed in "a miserable little tub full of Indians and niggers and a rather interesting baboon" and arrived to find that Colonel MacKay, the Military Commandant of Mafia, ". has the whole white house to himself and has put up a tent for me." (8 February) Throughout Kings term of office on the island relations between the two were strained, with MacKay unwilling to recognise Kings status. The native population of the island, mainly Indians and Arabs, were apparently undisturbed by the transition from German to British rule but had enough problems of their own as, writes King, "practically everyone on the island seems to be an undischarged bankrupt." (23 August) The handling of native disputes occupied much of his time conscientious in dealing with them. Most of his non-working hours were spent in hunting or dining with the other white people on Mafia, of which there were few. The monotonous routine of life on the island is reflected in Kings diary entries which gradually become shorter and more infrequent. In addition to suffering from boredom and loneliness he was not in the best of health and many entries complain of feverishness. After a few months on Mafia he wrote ". feeling rather a wreck. I need home-leave after three-years in this climate." (3 November). In September 1916 the Foreign Office informed King that he was to be transferred to Dakar, but he remarks in his diary that he has no intention of going. He left Mafia for Dar-es-Salaam, which had just surrendered to the British, and then proceeded to Zanzibar where the medical board prescribed him four months rest in a temperate climate. On 30 October the Jubilant King sailed for home and had travelled as far as Durban before he received a wire from the Foreign Office actually granting his leave. After a dull voyage, the ship having to sail in darkness and quiet because of submarines, King reached England. His diary ends on 31 December 1916 as the ship weighed anchor.

Enthält u.a.: Heloise von Lettow, Elisabeth (Schwester), Anna von Zastrow (Schwester der Mutter) Wahle, Tabora; Kapitän zur See Max Looff, Daressalam; Generalleutnant Jan Christiaan Smuts Waffenmeister Dressel, Hahenge; Frau von Rohr, Demmin; General von der Marwitz; Graf von Zieten, Schwerin, Wustrau; Generalleutnant von Estorff, Königsberg Georg von Eisenhart - Rothe; von Luck, Büttnershof; Franz Ausfeld, Berlin; Pfarrer Friedrich Wilhelm Mader, Stuttgart; Generalfeldmarschall Paul von Hindenburg; Henz, Kolonial-Wirtschaftliches Komitee Oberstleutnant Wantke, Oldenburg; Oberstleutnant a.D. G. von Grawert, Ballenstedt; Erich Müller, Daressalam; General der Infanterie a.D. von Kuhl, Berlin

[Protokolle] Punkt 4) Bericht über die deutsch-ostafrikanische Konferenz in Daressalaam. Ermunterung durch Leipziger , Berliner, Bielefelder, Brüdergemeine und C.M.S., Breklum möge auch in Deutsch-Ostafrika aktiv werden. ; Punkt 5) Vorstand beschließt nach eingehender Prüfung, dass nicht Nord-Kamerun, sondern Deutsch-Ostafrika als neues Missionsgebiet gewählt wird (Gebiet, dass vom Malagarassifluss eingeschlossen wird). Missionar N. Andersen soll angeworben sowie die Ausbildung der Missionare Bock und Jessen weiter vorangetrieben werden.

[Protokolle] II Afrika 1) Erhöhung der Missionarsgehälter von 1800 auf 2200 Mark. Für Familie Andersen gibt es Kindergeld in Höhe von 100 Mark pro Kind. Jessen erhält eine Ortszulage von 500 Mark. 2) Zusätzlich erhält jeder der drei Missionare einmalig 250 Mark, die Breklumer übernehmen außerdem den ersten Beitrag für die Pensionskasse. 3) Das von Andersen beantragte Material wird genehmigt. 4) Brüder können im Krankheitsfall die Rückerstattung von Arztkosten beantragen. Solch ein Antrag muss von allen drei Brüdern unterschrieben werden. 5) Ein Kirchbau in Kigoma und Kikangala wird noch nicht stattfinden. 6) 200 Rupies für Brunnenbau in Kigoma werden bewilligt. 7) Einer der Brüder soll an der August-Konferenz in Daressalaam teilnehmen. III Heimat 2) Von den vier uns zugestandenen Brüdern werden Booth und Gebbert für Afrika, Paulsen und Thiessem für Indien bestimmt.

4 Fiches. Enthält: FICHE NR. 49 1+ - Dar es Salaam 1930. Protokolle der III. Allgemeinen Konferenz der Ev. Missionare in Tanganyika Territory (Maschinegeschrieben; 22 S.) - "Church Union in East Africa. Proposed Basis of Union. Presented by the Continuation Committee of the Conference on Church Union", 1930 (Englisch; gedr.; 16 S.) - o.O., 1933. Chambers an "Brother" (Abschrift; Englisch) - Shigatini 1933/34. Fuchs an Ihmels (2 Schreiben) - Kongwa 1933. The Bishop of Central Tanganyika (Chambers) an Ihmels (Englisch) - Shigatini 1933. Fuchs an Chambers (Englisch) - "Church Union. Report of the Conference held at Mvumi, Dodoma, Tanganyika Territory, ... 1933." (gedr.; 4 S.) - Shigatini 1934. Fuchs an "die Station" - Machame 1934. ? an Dr. Ihmels (mit Auszügen aus "Ufalme wa Mungu" (Swahili und Deutsch) - Shigatini 1934. Fuchs an Weishaupt - Leipzig 1934. ? an Fuchs - o.O., o.J. Zeitungsausschnitte (Englisch) - Dar es Salaam 1934. Protokoll der Deutschen Lutherischen Missionarskonferenz einschl. Augustana-Synode (9 S.). FICHE NR. 49 2+ - Fortsetzung - o.O. 1937. ? an Ronicke (Duplikat) - wahrscheinlich Rother: "Bericht über die Leipziger Mission in Ostafrika in der Kriegszeit 1939/40" (Maschinegeschrieben; 16 S.) - Leipzig 1940. "Memorandum über die Lage auf dem Arbeitsfeld der Evang.-luth. Mission zu Leipzig in Deutsch-Ostafrika" (Maschinegeschrieben; 4 S.) - Leipzig 1940/41. Ihmels an die Mitglieder des Heimischen Rates des Ostafrikanischen Kirchenbundes (3 Schreiben) - Berlin 1940. "Niederschrift über die Sitzung des Heimischen Rates des Ostafrikanischen Kirchenbundes" (Maschinegeschrieben; 3 S.) - Leipzig 1940. Ihmels an die Ostafrika-Missionare in der Heimat (Anlage: Programm der Arbeitsbesprechung der Ostafrika-Missionare) - o.O., 1940. "Gesichtspunkte zu einem Entwurfe einer Instruktion für den Bundeswart des Ostafrikanischen Kirchenbundes auf lutherischer Grundlage" (Maschinegeschrieben; 2 S.) - o.O., 1940. Gutmann: "Zur Fortentwicklung des Ostafrikanischen Kirchenbundes auf lutherischer Grundlage" (Maschinegeschrieben; 11 S.; enthält auch: "Gesichtspunkte zu einem Entwurfe einer Instruktion für den Bundeswart ...") - o.O., o.J. Knak: "Gedanken zu einer wichtigen Frage" (Maschinegeschrieben; 8 S.) - o.O., o.J. Bethel-Mission: "Einige Fragen für die Sitzung des Heimischen Rates des Missionskirchenbundes" - Abschrift aus "Deutscher-Kolonialdienst" Nr. 6, 1941 - o.O., o.J. Hecht: "Rassenpolitische Leitsätze zur deutschen Kolonialpolitik" (Maschinegeschrieben; 5 S.) - Statistik der Ev.-luth. Mission zu Leipzig in Ostafrika Ende 1939 (gedr.) - Ilula, Dar es Salaam, Maneromango 1941/42. "Übersetzung. Auszüge aus Briefen von ... Bernander" - o.O. 1941. National Lutheran Council (Long) an Ihmels (Englisch; Abschrift) - Tagesordnung der Arbeitsbesprechung der Ostafrika-Missionare, Sondershausen, Schloß - Maneromango 1942. Bernander an den Vostand der Schwedischen Kirchenmission (Übersetzung) - "Fragen über den derzeitigen Stand auf dem ostafrikanischen Arbeitsfeld der Leipziger evang.-luther. Mission in Tanganyika Territory" 1942 (2 S.). FICHE NR. 49 3+ - Fortsetzung - Berlin 1943. Berliner Missionsgesellschaft (Braun) an Küchler - Königswinter 1938. Roehl an Direktor (Abschrift) - Leipzig 1938. ? an Rother (Duplikat) - Leipzig 1938. Ihmels an die Mitglieder des Heimischen Rates des ostafrikanischen Missionskirchenbundes (2 Schreiben) - o.O. 1938. ? (Ihmels?) an Berner - Wuppertal-Barmen 1938. Rheinische Missionsgesellschaft (Berner) an Ihmels - Neukirchen 1938. Nitsch an Ihmels - o.O., 1938. ? (Ihmels?) an Braun; Vogt; Roehl (2 Schreiben); Ronicke - Barmen 1938. Ihmels: "Verhandlungen des Heimischen Rates des Ostafrika-Missions-Kirchenbundes" (Maschinegeschrieben; 3 S.) - Bethel 1938. Bethel-Mission (Ronicke) an Ihmels - Leipzig 1938. ? (Ihmels?) an Rother (4 Schreiben) - o.O. 1938. ? (Ihmels?) an Nitsch - Leipzig 1938. ? (Ihmels?) an die Mitglieder des Heimischen Ratesdes ostafrikanischen Missionskirchenbundes und an Roehl - Königswinter 1938. Roehl an Direktor (Anlage: Stuttgart 1938. wörtlicher Auszug aus einem Brief von Diehl) - o.O. 1938. ? (Ihmels?) an Schlunk - Leipzig 1938. ? (Ihmels?) an die in Ostafrika arbeitenden Missionsgesellschaften - o.O., 1938. ? (Ihmels?) an Tscheuchner - Neudietendorf 1938. Protokoll der Sitzung des Heimischen Rates des Ostafrikanischen Missionskirchenbundes auf lutherischer Grundlage - Leipzig 1938. ? (Ihmels?) an die zum Ostafrikanischen Missionskirchenbund gehörenden Missionsgesellschaften - Herrnhut 1938. Herrnhuter Missions-Direktion (Baudert) an Ihmels (2 Schreiben) - Stuttgart 1938. Privileg. Württ. Bibelanstalt (Diehl) an Ihmels (2 Schreiben) - Berlin 1938. Berliner Missiongesellschaft (Braun/Knak) an Ihmels (2 Schreiben) - o.O. 1938. ? (Ihmels?) an Braun - o.O., 1938. ? (Ihmels?) an Baudert - Vudee 1938. Rother an Ihmels - o.O., 1938. ? (Ihmels?) an Diehl (Privileg. Württ. Bibelanstalt) - o.O., 1938. ? (Ihmels?) an Knak - Marangu 1938. Rother an Baudert - 1938. "Voten der Literaturkommission zum Druck des Bibl. Geschichtenbuches" (2fach) - Berlin 1938. Braun an Küchler - Bethel 1938. Bethel Mission (Ronicke) an Küchler - o.O., 1938. ? (Küchler?) an Ronicke - o.O. 1938. ? (Ihmels?) an Braun - o.O. 1939. ? an den Heimischen Rat des Ostafrikanischen Kirchenbundes (2fach) - Marangu 1938. Rother an Baudert (Abschrift) - Leipzig 1939. ? (Küchler?) an Ihmels (Duplikat) - Herrnhut 1939. Baudert an Küchler - o.O. 1939. ? (Küchler?) an Baudert - o.O. 1939. Baudert an Braun und Küchler - o.O. 1939. ? (Küchler?) an Braun - Leipzig 1940. ? (Ihmels?) an die in Ostafrika arbeitenden Missionsgesellschaften - Bethel 1940. Ronicke an Ihmels (3 Schreiben) - Berlin 1940. Berliner Missionsgesellschaft (Knak) an Ihmels - o.O. 1940. ? (Ihmels?) an Gutmann - Leipzig 1940. ? (Ihmels) an die Mitglieder des Heimischen Rates (betr.: Einladung; 2fach) - o.O. 1940. ? (Ihmels?) an Knak (2 Schreiben) - o.O. 1940. ? (Ihmels?) an Ronicke - o.O. 1940. "Gesichtspunkte zu einem Entwurfe einer Instruktion für den Bundeswart des Ostafrikanischen Kirchenbundes auf lutherischer Grundlage" (Maschinegeschrieben; 2 S.) - Berlin 1940. "Niederschrift über die Sitzung des Heimischen Rates des Ostafrikanischen Missionskirchenbundes" (Maschinegeschrieben; 4 S.). FICHE NR. 49 4+ - Fortsetzung - o.O. 1940. Gutmann: "Zur Fortentwicklung des Ostafrikanischen Kirchenbundes auf lutherischer Grundlage" und "Gesichtspunkte zu einem Entwurfe einer Instruktion..." (Maschinegeschrieben; 11 S.; 2fach) - 1940. "Niederschrift über die Sitzung des Heimischen Rates des ostafrikanischen Missionskirchenbundes" (2fach) - Bethel 1940. Ronicke an Ihmels - o.O. 1940. ? (Ihmels?) an Ronicke - Leipzig 1940. Ihmels an die Ostafrika-Missionare in der Heimat (2fach) und Programm derArbeitsbesprechung (3fach) - Leipzig 1940. Ihmels an die Ostafrika arbeitenden Missionsgesellschaften - Leipzig 1940/41. Ihmels an die Mitglieder des Heimischen Rates des ostafrikanischen Kirchenbundes (3 Schreiben) - o.O., o.J. "Liste der Ostafrika-Missionare, die für die Arbeitsbesprechung eingeladen werden sollen" - Leipzig 1941. Ihmels an die Ostafrika-Missionare und die Mitglieder des Heimischen Rates - Leipzig 1942. Heimische Rates des Missionskirchenbundes auf luth. Grundlage an die internierten Ostafrika-Missionare der Berliner, Bethel- und Leipziger Mission (2fach) - o.O. 1942. ? (Ihmels?) an Knak - o.O. 1942. ? (Ihmels?) an Ronicke - o.J. Bethel-Mission: "Einige Fragen für die Sitzung des Heimischen Rates des Missionskirchenbundes" - Bethel 1943. Bethel-Mission (Ronicke) an Ihmels - o.O 1943. ? (Ihmles?) an Vogt - Berlin 1943. Berliner Missionsgesellschaft (Braun) an Ihmels - o.O. 1943. ? (Ihmles?) an Braun - Berlin 1943. Braun an die Ostafrika-Mitarbeiter (Maschinegeschrieben; 8 S.).

An extremely well-written series of 77 ms letters covering his service as an NCO with the 10th Battalion Royal Fusiliers (111th Brigade, 37th Division) on the Western Front, August 1915 - July 1916, and with the 25th Battalion Royal Fusiliers in South and East Africa, February 1917 - January 1918, describing his pre-embarkation training on Salisbury Plain, conditions in France and the discomfort of trench life, artillery bombardments and the sensations of being under fire, his involvement in an attack on Pozieres during the opening of the Battle of the Somme (July 1916) in which he was wounded, evacuation back to Mile End Hospital, East London and, following his recovery, his posting to Dover in October 1916 to join the 6th (Reserve) Battalion and later the 32nd (Training Reserve) Battalion Royal Fusiliers. In February 1917 he embarked for South Africa where he joined the 25th Battalion on garrison duty at Wynberg and Cape Town, before returning to active service in July 1917 in East Africa where he describes skirmishes with the Germans, the burdens of being acting CQMS, and periods spent in hospital at Dar-es-Salaam suffering from dysentery and in Durban with an attack of fever.

Midshipmans journal (128pp) covering his service in the battleship HMS GOLIATH (September 1914 - March 1915) including her passage from the United Kingdom to India and then, as a convoy escort, to Mombasa (September - October) and her operations in the East African campaign, notably the blockade of the German cruiser KONIGSBERG in the Rufiji River and the bombardments of Dar-es-Salaam and Lindi, and then in the light cruiser HMS HYACINTH (April - July 1915) with descriptions of further operations against the KONIGSBERG including the interception and sinking of one of her supply ships and the attack on her by the monitors HMS SEVERN and HMS MERSEY; together with two Army field message books kept when he was commanding a Naval Lewis Gun Detachment in German East Africa (March - June 1917), a Night Order Book containing steaming orders for the battleship HMS WARSPITE on the Mediterranean Station and in the North Atlantic (December 1938 - January 1940); and an Admiralty pass and Admiralty Constabulary membership card issued to Murray when he was a Rear Admiral.

Enthält u.a.: Stiftungen für Siedlungszwecke Schwesternfonds der deutsch-evangelischen Kirchengemeinde in Daressalam

Fotografie

Erkundungsbericht von E. Johanssen, Abschrift eines Tagebuches aus Dar-es-Salaam, 5 S. in Handschrift

4 Schreiben aus Afrika, 1900-1902; Ansprache bei der Leichenfeier in der Friedhofskapelle zu Dar-es-Salaam, 1903

Fotografie

3 Fiches.

Enthält u.a.: Lageplan der Stadt Daressalam. M: 1:10 500, 1910

• description: Auf dem Bild sieht man eine Truppe von Soldaten, die von einem Reiter angeführt werden. Sie tragen alle eine Uniform. Auffallend ist, dass der Anführer auf dem Pferd eine weiße Hautfarbe hat. * Fotografie

Microfilm copy of an informative and well-written ts diary (127pp) kept during his work with the Consular Service in East Africa, July 1914 - December 1916, referring to the confusion which the declaration of war brought to the colonies; his hazardous journey with other British subjects from Dar-es-Salaam, where he had served as British Consul, to British-held Zanzibar; his trip to the British East Africa Expeditionary Force headquarters in Simla, India, where he briefly acted in an advisory capacity before returning to British East Africa and gazetted Political Officer to the Expeditionary Force (September 1914); his irritation with the vagaries of his position and series of stop-gap appointments; his involvement in the disastrous British landing at Tanga, just within the border of German East Africa (November 1914), as interpreter on board HMS FOX, whose mission was to make a reconnaissance of Dar-es-Salaam (November 1914), and as part of the successful expedition to take Mafia Island (January 1915), the first German territory in East Africa to be captured by the British; returning there the following month to take up the post of Political Officer, he describes his handling of native disputes, the monotonous routine of life on the island and his leisure activities of hunting and fishing, eventually returning to the United Kingdom on medical leave (September 1916). The diary incorporates a large number of photographs, taken by Sir Norman and relating to events described in the text.

[Protokolle] Tagesordnung; II Afrika A) Anträge Bock: 1) Bestimmung des Gehalts. 2) Krankheitskonten. 3) Zahnarztrechnung (113 Rp). 4) Haben die Missionare freie ärztliche Behandlung? 5) Eine Religionsgeschichte. 6) Trägerlöhne. 7) Schulhaus in Neu-Breklum. 8) Zusendung der Bücher B) Nicolai Andersen: 1) Zukunft Andersens. 2) Gehalt (Kindergeld). 3) Antrag: 100 Rp für den Aufenthalt in Kigoma. 4) Bestellung von Werkzeugen. C) Peter Jessen: 1) Gehalt. 2) Gottesdienst-Lokal in Kigoma. 3) Brunnen in Kigoma (Minimum 200 Rp); ob einer der neuen Brüder das Bohren lernen und mit Bohrgeräten ausgerüstet werden soll? Wünschelrute? 4) Bibliothek (vielleicht die Zinsen der 500 Mark). 5) August-Konferenz in Daressalaam.

• description: Reicher Mann sitzt auf einem prachtvollen Stuhl. * Fotografie

Fotografie

No 59. 6 pp. ND (February 1917) No 60. 8 pp. 17 March 1917 No 61. 3 pp. 29 March 1917 No 62. 6 pp. 13 April 1917 No 63. 8 pp. 4 May 1917 No 64. 4 pp. 17 May 1917 No 65. 1 p. 19 May 1917 No 66. 2 pp. 4 July 1917 No 67. 2 pp. 4 July 1917 No 68. 1 p. 12 July 1917 No 69. 1 p. 19 July 1917 No 70. 1 p. 25 July 1917 No 71. 4 pp. 12 August 1917 No 72. 1 p. 26 August 1917 No 73. 2 pp. 5 October 1917 No 74. 2 pp. 25 October 1917 No 75. 3 pp. 15 November 1917 No 76. 14 pp. 1 January 1918 No 77. 4 pp. 6 January 1918 Writing during the troopship voyage to South Africa, Mountfort reflects on his years service in France and concludes: If the hardships had not been mitigated by the society of real good fellows, many of whom I am glad to think will be my friends in after life - "though some are fallen asleep" - I honestly dont know if I could have endured them, though I suppose I could (No 59). On his arrival in South Africa he was posted to the 25th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers - the "Frontiersmen" - who had been serving with the East African Expeditionary Force, but were now doing garrison duties while they were being brought back up to strength. The local people looked after them very well since, writes Mountfort, "out here a private soldier is assumed to be as likely as not a gentleman" (29 March), but the garrison duties at Wynberg and Cape Town Castle brought in their wake "the increase in discipline and strict attention to all the piffling little trifles that constitute three fourths of the evils of army life" (13 April). He sought consolation in the fact that ". until the end of the war Africa seems to be a much more desirable spot than Europe" (4 May). The 25th Royal Fusiliers eventually returned to active service in East Africa in July 1917 and Mountforts first impressions of his new theatre of operations were far from favourable. "This coast is a fever-stricken hole.. however I pump quinine into myself and keep smiling" (4 July). The climate proved as much of an adversary as the Germans and August found Mountfort in a comfortable base hospital at Dar-es-Salaam recovering from a bout of dysentry. At the end of the month he was back at Lindi waiting to go up the line and, by the time of his next letter (5 October), he was ". well out in the bush and life is not exactly a continuous whirl of pleasure." A stiff action with the Germans and the ravages of the "horrible, infernal climate" made serious inroads into the Battalions strength and by November Mountfort, mentally and physically exhausted, was burdened by the onerous responsibilities of being acting CQMS. The final two letters were written from a hospital in Durban, where he was convalescing after an attack of fever. Out of 200 men in his Company, only seventeen had been able to march into the camp at Lindi at the beginning of December after their operations in the bush. On a brighter note, Mountfort gives an entertaining description of some of the troops with whom the 25th Royal Fusiliers had served in East Africa and an amusing account, of a "surprise" landing up the Lukuledi River carried out by the Silent Navy.

Southampton: SS Admiral (German East-Africa Line) travelling from Durban to Hamburg. Embarking at Dar-es-Salaam, Beira, Durban, Cape Town, Swakopmund and Las Palmas. Official Number: [No official number listed]. List of passengers disembarking at Southampton.

Southampton: SS Adolf Woermann (German East-Africa Line) travelling from Durban to Southampton. Embarking at Dar-es-Salaam, Suez, Port Said and Marseilles. Official Number: [No official number listed]. List of passengers disembarking at Southampton.

Southampton: SS Adolph Woermann (Deutsche Ost Afrika Linie) travelling from Africa to Hamburg. Embarking at Dar-es-Salaam, Zanzibar, Delagoa Bay, Durban, Lisbon, Chinde, Tangier and Mombasa. [No official number listed]. List of passengers disembarking at Southampton.

Southampton: SS Burgermeister (German East-Africa Line) travelling from Durban to Southampton. Embarking at Dar-es-Salaam and Port Said. Official Number: [No official number listed]. List of passengers disembarking at Southampton.

Southampton: SS Carisbrooke Castle (Union-Castle Mail Steamship Company Ltd) travelling from Durban [Natal] to Southampton. Embarking at Dar-es-Salaam, Zanzibar, Killindini, Port Said and Alexandria. Official Number: 108351. List of passengers disembarking at Southampton.

Southampton: SS Feldmarschall (Deutsche Ost Afrika Linie) travelling from Africa to Hamburg. Embarking at Delagoa Bay, Durban, Dar-es-Salaam, Zanzibar and Kilindini. [No official number listed]. List of passengers disembarking at Southampton.

Southampton: SS Gascon (Union-Castle Mail Steamship Company Ltd) travelling from Mombasa to Southampton. Embarking at Durban, Dar-es-Salaam, Zanzibar and Mombasa. Official Number: 106907. List of passengers disembarking at Southampton.

Southampton: SS general (German East-Africa Line) travelling from South Africa to Southampton. Embarking at Cape Town, Chinde, Mozambique, Kilindini and Dar-es-Salaam. Official number: [No official number listed]. List of passengers disembarking at Southampton.