Yeldham, Ronald Ernest Stephen (Oral history)

British served with 1st Bn King's African Rifles in Nyasaland and Tanganyika, 1928-1933; served as staff officer with British Military Mission in Egypt, 1937-1939; served as brigade major with 25th (East African) Infantry Bde, 12th (African) Infanry Div in Ethiopia 1940-1941; served with 2/3rd Bn King's African Rifles, 25th (East African) Infantry Bde, 12th (African) Infantry Div in Ethiopia and Eritrea, 1941-1942; served with 3rd (Kenya) Battalion, King's African Rifles, 27th (Northern Rhodesia) Infantry Bde in Kenya and Madagascar, 1/1943-6/1944; served with Mauritius Regt on Mauritius, 1945

REEL 1 Recollections of period as officer with 1st Bn King's African Rifles at Zomba, Nyasaland, 1928-1932: family background and early military career; secondment to 1st Bn King's African Rifles at Zomba, Nyasaland, 1928; impressions of journey from GB to Zomba; daily and seasonal training routine; lifestyle; necessity and methods of both British officers and African troops learning Chinyanja language; tribal recruitment policy; policy of keeping African troops of same tribe together; punishments including corporal punishment for African troops; family tradition of African recruits. REEL 2 Continues: examples of African troops' unusual names; recruitment on patrols; question of African recruits' grasp of European technology and concepts of behaviour; African troops' reaction to wearing boots; use and background of African interpreters; contacts with missionaries and religious provision; medical provision and responsibilities for first aid on patrol; presence of Indian medical officers; relations between Indian and British civilians and military; reasons for Indian civilians leaving India for Africa; criteria for promoting African troops. REEL 3 Continues: position of African NCOs within chain of command; opinion of Southern Rhodesians' role during Second World War; reorganisation of King's African Rifles in 1928. Aspect of period as officer with 1st Bn King's African Rifles at Songea, Tanganyika, 1932-1933: posting to outstation at Songea; isolation and independence; story of golf course; presence of large numbers of snakes; Christmas celebrations, 25/12/1932; relations and discussions with other British officer; mail; African troops' sporting activities; African troops' dances and British officers' participation; question of liaisons with African women; duties of African servants. REEL 4 Continues: return to GB, 1933. Aspects of period as staff officer with British Military Mission in Cairo, Egypt, 1937-1939: posting to British Military Mission; personnel; organising cadet training school at Aboukir; opinion of Egyptian troops and officers. Recollections of operations as brigade major with 25th (East African) Infantry Bde, 12th (African) Infantry Div during East African campaign, 1940-1941: initial confusion over posting to Nairobi, Kenya, 1940; appointment as brigade major; posting to Turkana, Kenya; composition of brigade; communications; reconnaissance to locate Italians; advance into Ethiopia; use of Bangalore Torpedoes; negotiations with Merille tribe; inter-tribal rivalry; strategy of campaign. Aspects of period as officer with 2/3rd Bn King's African Rifles, 25th (East African) Infantry Bde, 12th (African) Infantry Div in Ethiopia and Eritrea, 1941-1942: posting to battalion, 1941. REEL 5 Continues: occupation of Gondar, Ethiopia; meeting Prince Makonne Haile Selassie, Duke of Harar; battalion mutiny at Gura, Eritrea including, refusal to parade, causes, mutiny spreading throughout brigade and investigation by General Sir William Platt; orders to return to Kenya; reformation of battalion following leave. Aspects of period as officer with 3rd (Kenya) Battalion, King's African Rifles, 27th (Northern Rhodesia) Infantry Bde in Kenya and Madagascar, 1/1943-6/1944: posting of battalion to dig defences at Mombasa, Kenya, 1943; garrison duties at Diego Saurez, Madagascar, 1943-1944; training African drivers. Aspects of period as officer commanding British troops on Mauritius, 1945: posting to command troops on Mauritius, 1945; unsuccessful efforts to train battalion of Mauritian Regt; transfer to post of civil commissioner, 1945 including duties; countering earlier polio epidemic on Mauritius.