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Description: | Photocopied ms diary (33pp) and ms memoir (5pp), with ts transcriptions (12pp), covering his military service as an NCO in an unidentified unit during his voyage out to East Africa, May – August 1918, and then based in and around Nairobi training local troops, August - December 1918, including diary entries describing his arrival at Marseilles where he witnessed instances of disorderly behaviour among the men and French deserters, his embarkation on INCLARVA (6 June 1918) and conditions onboard ship during the voyage, the dangers of enemy submarines, arrival in Alexandria, Egypt (14 June 1918) and three weeks spent in Sidi Bishir transit camp before transfer to the Chinese transport HONG MOHR (15 July 1918) and voyage to Nairobi (1 August 1918), where he recalls the local wildlife, his transfer to a school of instructors (17 August 1918), studying for a Swahili exam, opinions on the conduct of the war in East Africa, the arrival of Spanish Flu at the camp, the excitement and celebrations when the Germans accepted the Armistice terms (11 November 1918), and Christmas celebrations; his memoir describes in slightly more detail his enlistment into the Army at just over 18 years old, his duties training African troops including first impressions of the men and the training process, medical treatment during the Spanish Influenza pandemic, and his decision to be demobilised following the end of the war. Together with 24 postcard photographs including images of him in uniform, Nairobi locals including policemen and a 3rd Kings African Rifles bandsman.
Cataloguer APR | Publisher: | http://www.iwm.org.uk | Source: | Imperial War Museum | Creator: | Peirce, Sydney Charles | Identifier: | http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/o... | Go to resource |
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