One for Milady Helen

[archangel1]

I was browsing through my copy of 'Safari - A Chronicle of Adventure' by Bartle Bull (1988) (lots of pictures and stories about the heyday of the Great White Hunter, from the 1830's to the 1930's) when I came across this small passage.

..."Night hunting had its risks.  Once (Gordon) Cumming found he actually had been hunting a Boer's oxen, finally killing a brown gelding with a fine shot through the shoulder, mistaking the horse for a zebra.  At night, it was an easy confusion, one later exploited in the First World War when British troops in east Africa painted Army horses with black and white stripes to mislead German observers."...

Helen, since you appear to be our resident expert on this sideshow, have you come across any other reference to this practice? I'm thinking it could make an intersting little vignette, with the right figures!

Cheers,
Mike

[Plynkes]

I'm obviously not Helen, but I thought this pic might interest you:


Funnily enough I posted this just the other day, on that topic about the film crew.

I decided a long time ago that when I finally get around to doing East African Mounted Rifles, at least a couple of the horses are going to have 'Zebra Camo.'

[archangel1]

I thought there was something I'd seen recently! I even posted in that thread, too, with all the pics of Osa and Martin Johnson! Man, old age sure sneaks up on you, doesn't it?  :wink:  Don't expect it would be a cushy job, though, getting those horses to stand still while you mucked them about!

[Helen]

Thanks Guys,

Africa always has interesting stories to tell of - Its just finding them!

Horses were painted as Zebras for deception so the enemy would not know of build ups of forces plus the fact that they had cavalry in the area.

I was reading an account where the Indian lancers were trying to have sport with a Rhino! Guess who came off second best   I give you a hint it was'nt the Rhino ::

Cases of both sides looking the same also caused confusion amongst the native askaris and there own European soldiers as well. Quite a few accounts of this I've read.

Lots of variables when looking at the African campaign. I'll be interested to see if Warhammer get it right when they release their version of Africa  :|

Thanks again for your posting.

Helen

[archangel1]

Thanks Guys,

...I was reading an account where the Indian lancers were trying to have sport with a Rhino! Guess who came off second best   I give you a hint it was'nt the Rhino :: ...

Thanks again for your posting.

Helen

Thanks, Helen

Were they still using bamboo lances at the time? They might serve for pig-sticking but I would have thought that something a little more durable would have been of use in this instance! Bamboo bends!  :roll:

Cheers,
Mike

[UncleRhino]

You just do not want to have sport with a Rhino, it pisses us off something fierce.  Yeah, yeah, I know we have bad eyesight and are rather funny looking, but when properly motivated...ie pissed off....we have a nice burst of speed that people just do not anticipate, much to their chagrin.

As to the rumor that we are the firemen of the bush, well, that is a rumor, nothing more.

UncleRhino

[Helen]

Thanks Guys,

...I was reading an account where the Indian lancers were trying to have sport with a Rhino! Guess who came off second best   I give you a hint it was'nt the Rhino :: ...

Thanks again for your posting.

Helen

Thanks, Helen

Were they still using bamboo lances at the time? They might serve for pig-sticking but I would have thought that something a little more durable would have been of use in this instance! Bamboo bends!  :roll:

Cheers,
Mike

Hi Mike, Yep they were still using Bamboo lances and mounted on our very own "Walers"

I actually went back to the book (its been a couple of years "Taking Tanganyika" Experiences of an Intelligence Officer 1914-1918 by Christopher J Thornhill) and before they used the lance on the Rhino they took some pot shots at it achieving little effect. Actually a lance head did penetrate the hide, but it was further case of shooting the Rhino from an ambush position that finally brought the animal down. They wanted the horn to send back to India for medicinal properties.

Best Wishes

Helen

[archangel1]

Just came across this statement in Osprey 392 - 'The Austro-Hungarian Forces in World War I (1) 1914-16' regarding the cavalry...

...''A further step was the 'overpainting' of the trumpeters' traditionally white horses; this led to some strange effects, like black-overpainted horses shining violet after the first contact with rain.''...

Now, we can have purple horses, too!  ::

[skirmishman]

good morning everyone ,the lance was not officially abolished as a weapon by the british army until 1926! how about that then .Imagine a world war one skirmish with some mounted lancers .Now theres an opening for some one ,after all 1914 was a good year for lancers on the western front for both sides.

[argsilverson]

The germans in Cameroon had also askari lancers.
I do not know whether they were used in any extend in their resistance against invading French, but I like the idea to have a squadron or two of them sporting alongside my other german colonial troops!

[Helen]

Hi Guys, Thanks for your comments.

Both sides employed askaris on horses/mules. The KAR actually had a camel company up North.
The Germans around Killi had a mounted squadron too.

Togo and Cameroon are not my strongest areas as I don't have alot of info on them just a broad overview.

Interesting Arg about the Askari Lancers and thanks again for what you guys are finding.

Helen