Description
Physical description
badge
an irregular pentagon cut to make a 'house' shape, sides vertical, point uppermost, divided evenly vertically from the point to the centre of the opposite long side, maroon left, yellow right. Two holes in the cloth indicate a missing element.
Label
The badge. The position and nature of the locating holes indicates that this is a cap badge backing. Unknown whether worn on upturned brim of bush hat or on the front.
Unit history.
There appears to be no diary or other record of this unit held at TNA, Kew. The Official History makes no reference to the unit, neither does the Kenya Regiment's history, CHARGING BUFFALO by Guy Campbell. The most generally known published account is by Carel Birkby, a South African journalist who says he dictated the major part of his book without access to notes some months after the ending of the Italian East African campaign. A second source is from an article by a Captain J. C. M. Kirk, who offers no references or authority. (See sources under Contextual Note.) The history below is based on these two accounts. At the time of this entry (November 2007) no other sources have been located.
The Kenya Independent Squadron was one of the smallest operational units created in WW2. It was raised around 10th June 1940, when the Italians attacked across the Kenya –Abyssinia border. Its founder and commander was Major J. J. Drought, who led Drought's 'Skin Corps' of irregular native troops in the East Africa campaign in WW1. He claimed the distinction of having been wounded in each of the South African and the two World Wars. The unit was raised from volunteers at the Kenya Regiment's Eldoret training camp but appears to have no other connections with that unit.
The KIS comprised some 80 - 85 Europeans and around 100 mules. The men came from all parts of Africa and from all walks of life but a large proportion were Dutch settlers who were thought best able to fulfil a major stipulation of service, the ability to live off the land. The object was to send pairs of mule-mounted men into Abyssinia to raid behind enemy lines.
The unit appears never to have operated as intended as the GOC East Africa Force decided that he needed all the Europeans he could find to officer the new African infantry battalions. The unit was therefore disbanded, possibly around September 1940.
GOC East Africa Force created a small group of 'white hunters' to be part of the infant Intelligence organization. It seems likely that they were recruited from the disbanded KIS and that it is this unit that Birkby describes as the successor to the KIS. He says they used the KIS cap badge, which he describes, along with their uniform, in some detail. He describes the unit as being led by a Captain E. McK. Nicholl. He says it was eighteen strong, divided into four sections, each of a lance corporal and three troopers. (Jackson gives a unit total of twelve.)
This latter unit was attached to 11th South African Brigade. Once the advance into Abyssinia was under way these men were further dispersed and by November 1940 most had been absorbed into the 2nd East African Irregulars. Six Irregular units were formed and the 2nd was formed from Ethiopian refugees from Aden and commanded by Captain, then Major (later Lt. Col.) A. T. Curle (see also INS 481). The 2nd was disbanded in August 1941.
History note
Bibliographical sources.
SPRINGBOK VICTORY
Carel Birkby
Libertas Publications, Johannesburg, n.d. (1942).
pp. 60 –63.
Note. The South African Military History Society Newsletter 3, March 1967, is taken directly from Birkby.
K.I.S. KENYA INDEPENDENT SQUADRON.
(Also Known as Drought's Scouts).
Captain J. C. M. Kirk.
The Military Historical Society Bulletin, Volume XIV, No. 53, August 1963. p. 88.
The Military Historical Society Bulletin, Volume XV, No. 57, August 1964. p. 61.
THE CHARGING BUFFALO.
A History of the Kenya Regiment 1937 –1963.
Guy Campbell.
Leo Cooper / Secker & Warburg, 1986.
WO 276/374: East Africa Forces Despatch, 31 December 1939, Appendix C pp 1-2 and main report para. 11, pp 8-9.