An Cosantóir

www.military.ie THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE | 31 The German's force was resourceful and self-sufficient. A large herd of cattle was collected by the askaris and accompanied the guerrilla force. They camouflaged themselves with leaves and branches, made bandages out of bark, boots out of animal hide, and a type of quinine from other bark. One thing that distinguished the East African War was chivalry. From the start von Lettow adopted the unprecedented policy of freeing any European prisoners, even officers, once they gave their word of honour not to fight against Imperial Germany during the remainder of the war. In 1916 the British marched out under a white flag to tell von Lettow that the German government had awarded him the Pour Merite, the supreme German decoration for valour. Von Lettow replied to the British commander, Jan Smuts, by letter, stating that he was sure there had been some mistake as he did not deserve such an exalted decoration. The last big battle of the campaign was at Mahiva, in October 1917. Once again the British forces were badly bloodied with more than 50% casualties (2,700 out of 4,900), while only 95 of von Let- tow's guerrillas were killed. In autumn 1918 von Lettow invaded Rhodesia and on 11 Novem- ber captured the town of Kasama, one of the only occasions when a German commander occupied British territory during the WWI. He then launched a series of hard marches into Mozambique where he routed the Portuguese forces and requisitioned war supplies from their supply dumps. It was from a British POW that von Lettow eventually learned of the armistice that had been signed on 11th November 1918. He could have continued the war indefinitely, and indeed his first impulse was to fight his way from Rhodesia across the Congo and retire into Angola, where he would have been impregnable. However, he decided that as a German soldier faithful to the fatherland he must honour the armistice, which he did on 23rd November 1918, although not by surrendering but merely disband- ing his troops. He ended his campaign with 155 European officers and even more askaris (3,000) than he had started the war with. He had not suffered a single defeat, inflicting 60,000 Allied casualties, including 20,000 British and Indian dead. Maj Gen Paul von Lettow Vorbeck returned to Germany in 1919 and marched in triumph with his officers and the German colony's former governor. He entered politics and served 10 years in the Reichstag, where he opposed the National Socialists. When of- fered an ambassadorial post, he refused. With the start of World War II in 1939, both his sons were called up; both later being killed in action. Twice bombed out of his home in air raids, von Lettow survived his second war, dying in 1964 aged 94. Full military honours were rendered at his funeral in northern Germany. Years later some of his von Lettow's personal effects (his personal seal and the official ship's document stamp from SMS Königsberg ) came on the market through a renowned American dealer in Imperial German militaria, and were purchased by the family of a Irish volunteer who fought with the Boland's Mill gar- rison during the 1916 Rising, and in the Irish War of Independence. The items are honoured keepsakes to this day. Askari Volunteer troops Eastern Africa 1914 The Lion of Africa - Paul von Lettow Vorbeck SMS Königsberg

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