And the
death of Captain J.F.P. Butler VC DSO, Gold
Coast Regiment
The
British 1st
Division commanded by Major General A.R. Hoskins, fighting down from
the north, reached Morogoro on the German Central Railway on 26
August 1916. As usual the Germans had withdrawn
ahead of the British and had moved south into the steep Uluguru
mountain range. Despite having troops that were exhausted or sick
plus a very extended supply line reaching back through Handeni to
Korogwe on the Usambara Railway, the British theatre commander
General Smuts ordered his men into and around the Uluguru Mountains.
Torrential rain started falling.
The
57th
Wilde’s Rifles (Indian
Army) and the 3rd
King’s African Rifles
(3KAR), both units being in the 2nd
East African Brigade commanded by Brigadier General J.A. Hannyngton,
moved through the dense tropical forests north of the mountains
fighting against German rear parties as they advanced. The rapid and
breast-deep Pugu River was crossed by a rope being stretched across
it for the Wilde’s Rifles Sepoys and the 3KAR Askari who followed
them to hold on to. On 1 September the Sepoys started clearing the
lower Uluguru slopes despite shelling from German field guns ahead of
them. Two days later 3KAR surrounded and seized Matombo
mission-station, capturing 24 Germans and four Askari.
Reconnaissance
now established that the next German defences were sited on Kikarungu
Hill which rose 3,000 feet above the road through the mountains. The
German formation defending the hill was Abteilung Boemcken consisting
of Landstrumabteilung Tanga, Abteilung Wilhelmstal and Abteilung
Bahnschutz, all commanded by Major von Boemcken. At this point, on 4
August, the Gold Coast
Regiment (GCR), commanded
by Lieutenant Colonel R.A. de B. Rose, was moved forward from being
Divisional Troops and was given the task of seizing Kikarungu Hill.
The Gold Coasters had fought in Togo and the Cameroons but this was
their first action in German East Africa. The GCR was a
well-established unit 1,428 strong. It possessed 12 machine guns and
two 2.95-inch mountain guns with 177 specially enlisted and trained
gun carriers to carry these weapons.
Above: Majs Shaw MC, Wheeler MC and Read.
Captain Jack Butler (See HERE) was sent forward with his GCR Pioneer Company to reconnoitre the
enemy positions. The Pioneer Company advanced up the road towards
Kikarungu establishing itself on a kopje (small hill) to the left
(east) of the road with an observation post on another kopje to the
front. The range to the summit of Kikarungu Hill was about 1 mile.
The enemy were in commanding higher positions and at 1700 hours they
heavily engaged the Pioneer Company. Jack Butler went forward with
an escort to see his men in the observation post. During his move
forward up the road an enemy machine gunner successfully engaged the
moving men and wounded Captain Butler.
‘B’
Company of the GCR under Captain Gerald Shaw now moved forward to
reinforce the Pioneers and to dig in and secure their position. The
wounded were evacuated, the more serious being taken back to Matombo
Mission. The following morning Gerald Shaw’s ‘B’ Company and
the Pioneer Company, now commanded by Lieutenant Percy Vaughan
Russell Bray, fought forward from kopje to kopje, forcing the enemy
back up the hill. In one of these encounters 4961 Acting Sergeant
Bukare Kukawah of ‘B’ Company displayed conspicuous gallantry and
was later awarded a Bar to the African Distinguished Conduct Medal
that he had already won in the Cameroons. His citation read:
“For
conspicuous gallantry in action. He assumed command of and led his
section with great courage and determination under very heavy fire.
Later although wounded, he continued to remain at his post.”
Meanwhile
3KAR had been tasked with turning the German left flank. Supported
by a section (two guns) of 27th
Mountain Battery (Indian
Army) 3KAR and the pack-battery mules moved well out to the right
(west) to occupy Lusangale Hill. A GCR 2.95-inch gun (See Left)was brought
into action to assist 3KAR in this move. During the night 3KAR
continued their outflanking move whilst the GCR ‘A’ Company under
Captain Edmund George Wheeler relieved ‘B’ Company which went
into reserve.
The
enemy had not been idle and had reinforced during the night. Shortly
after dawn Abteilung Boemcken opened violent machine gun fire on ‘A’
Company, preventing movement forward. Both Gold Coast 2.95-inch guns
heavily shelled the German positions assisted by two 13-pounder guns
of the 5th
South African Field Battery
that had struggled forward along the muddy road. By noon the enemy
fire slackened and 3KAR, now joined by ‘G’ Company of the GCR,
began advancing to cut off the German retreat. This caused the enemy
to start his usual withdrawal manoeuvre. At 1600 hours the Gold
Coast Regiment assaulted and captured the summit of Kikarunga Hill
where they found three dead Germans and three dead Askari plus
abandoned rifles and ammunition.
In
this its first battle in German East Africa the Gold Coast Regiment
lost seven men killed and 28 wounded. One of the dead was Captain
John Fitzhardinge Paul Butler VC DSO who had died of his wounds. To
quote the Regimental History: “His
death . . . was felt to be a specially malignant stroke of
ill-fortune, and was mourned as a personal loss by his comrades of
all ranks.” He is
buried in Morogoro Cemetery, Tanzania.
Sadly
whilst being evacuated on the long road to Korogwe Acting Sergeant
Bukare Kukawah’s wounds were allowed to become septic and he died
before he learned of the award of a Bar to his DCM. He is
commemorated on the Kumasi Memorial in Ghana.
Above: Kumasi Memorial (CWGC Photograph)
For
the action at Kikarunga Hill two Military Crosses were awarded:
Captain
Gerald Shaw, South Lancashire Regiment, attached to the Gold Coast
Regiment ,received one:
“For
conspicuous gallantry in action. He led the advance with great
courage and determination under heavy fire. He set a splendid
example throughout.”
Temporary
Captain Arthur John Rushton O’Brien, MB, African Medical Service,
attached to the Gold Coast Regiment, received the other:
“For
conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He repeatedly dressed
and tended wounded men under very heavy fire. He set a splendid
example of courage and coolness throughout.”
Sources:
Official
History Military Operations East Africa August 1914 – September
1916 by Lieutenant
Colonel Charles Hordern. The
Gold Coast Regiment in the East African Campaign by
Sir Hugh Clifford KCMG. The
History of the Royal West African Frontier Force by
Colonel A. Haywood CMG, CBE, DSO and Brigadier F.A.S. Clarke DSO. Record
of the 3rd
Battalion The King’s African Rifles During The Great Campaign In
East Africa 1914 – 1918. Die
Operationen in Ostafrika by
Ludwig Boell. The
King’s African Rifles by
Lieutenant Colonel H. Moyse-Bartlett MBE. The
African DCM by John
Arnold. London
Gazette Supplement dated 13 February 1917. Medal
Index Cards.