Malawi at War

The opening naval battle of the First World War didn't take place on the blue-green brine of the North Sea. It took place in landlocked Nyasaland (now Malawi), on the shores of Lake Nyasa (now Lake Malawi) between two drinking buddies.

In 1914, Lake Nyasa separated the northern part of British East Africa (Nyasaland) from the southern part of German East Africa (Tanganyika - now Tanzania). The British and the Germans had only one gunboat each on the Lake - both of which were tasked with fighting the by-then-illegal slave trade. The two ships in question were - for the British - HMS Gwendolen commanded by a Captain Rhoades and - for the Germans - the SS Hermann von Wissmann commanded by a Kapitan Berndt. Both ships had been bought to Nyasaland in pieces a number of years previously, and reconstructed on the Lake. Apparently they would regularly bump into each other as they cruised around the Lake, with the Captains sharing a taste for whisky. 

HMS Gwendolen Source: Daily Telegraph

When Rhoades learnt of the War's outbreak, he set sail for the north of the Lake in search of the von Wissmann. Control of the Lake was vital to securing supply lines to Rhodesia and South Africa. The Gwendolen set sail with five Britons - including a Scottish shop assistant called 'Jock' who claimed he knew how to use the ship's only gun - thirty African stokers, and twenty-five African soldiers (known as Askaris) from the King's African Rifles (KAR) commanded by a 2nd Lieutenant Beaumont, an official in the Public Works Department, who wore a monocle and was known as ‘Champagne Charlie’.

They found the von Wissmann lying on the beach at the German-controlled harbour of Sphinxhaven, where it was being repaired. Rhoades commanded Jock to open fire, who - after a few attempts - managed to land a hit. A furious Kapitan Brednt, who had no idea that war had been declared, rowed out to the Gwendolen to confront Rhoades. Their exchange is alleged to have run as follows:

‘Gott for damn, Rhoades, vos you drunk?’

 ‘Afraid not old chap,’ called Rhoades. ‘Our countries are at war. Best thing you can do is surrender.’

‘Surrender be hanged. Come and have a drink.’

Rhoades' old house in Fort Johnstone (now Mangoochi) at the southern end of the Lake is now a shabby hotel called Villa Tafika, which I had the dubious pleasure of staying in recently. The gun which was mounted on the Gwendolen is outside Rhoades' old house, forming the centre-piece of a roundabout.

The British used their newly established dominance of the Lake to transport troops to the northern border of Nyasaland, at Karonga, in anticipation of a German attack. The invasion came on 8 September 1914, when 400 German-led Troops - mostly Askaris - crossed the border from Tanganyika. The newly-reinforced British-led troops repelled them in the Battle of Karonga, killing 150 men.

This was the only significant engagement of the War fought on Malawian soil, but thousands of Malawian's signed up for the KAR to fight in the East Africa Campaign. While numbers are hard to come by, it is estimated that nearly 20,000 Malawians served as Askaris during the First World War, with approximately 3000 dying in service. But the impact of the War on Malawi went beyond those serving as Askaris: 200,000 Malawians are believed to have been called up as porters (Tenga-Tenga) to transport military hardware and provisions, with many dying from disease during the course of their service. The War in East Africa also led to acute food shortages, which weakened populations and facilitated the spread of diseases which killed hundreds of thousands of people.

Nearly 30,000 Malawians joined up to fight in the Second World War. with most being recruited into the KAR Battalions. Malawians fought across East Africa during the War, securing a number of victories against the Italians in Ethiopia and Somaliland, and capturing Madagascar from Vichy France. In 1944, four KAR Battalions from Malawi were sent to Asia to fight in the gruelling Burma Campaign.

Both Wars had a long-lasting impact on the social and political landscape of Malawi. Malawi's involvement in the First World War was one driver of the failed Chilembwe Uprising in 1915, which is seen as a watershed moment in Malawi's path to independence. After the Second World War, a revived nationalist movement - supported by many returning soldiers - led the way to independence in 1964.

Today, Malawian soldiers serve in UN peacekeeping operations around the World.

The Karonga War Cemetery contains eleven Commonwealth War Graves and six German burials
Source: tracesofwar.com

Further reading:

Victory on Lake Nyasa by Janie Hampton for History Today
The Battle of Karonga by T. Cullen Young - available on JSTOR
The Chiwaya War: Malawians in the First World War by Melvin E. Page