2nd (African) Division facts for kids
Quick facts for kids 2nd (African) Division12th (African) Division |
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Formation sign of the 12th (Africa) Division.
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| Active | 19 July 1940 – 18 April 1943 |
| Allegiance | British Empire |
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Part of | East Africa Command |
| Engagements | East African Campaign The Juba Gondar |
| Commanders | |
| 19 September 1940 | Major-General A. R. Godwin-Austin |
| 28 August 1941 | Major-General C. C. Fowkes |
The 2nd (African) Division was a special military unit from the British Empire. It was formed during the Second World War. This division was created on July 19, 1940, in Kenya, which was then part of British East Africa.
Later, on November 24, 1940, the division got a new name: the 12th (African) Division. Sometimes, it was also called the 12th (East African) Division. This happened in October 1941 when a group of soldiers from West Africa was replaced by a third group from East Africa. The division was officially ended in East Africa on April 18, 1943.
How the Division Started
In 1938, before the war, the King's African Rifles (KAR) in Kenya had two main groups. These groups were called the Northern Brigade and the Southern Brigade. They had about 94 officers and over 2,800 African soldiers. When the war began, these experienced soldiers helped train many new recruits. This allowed the KAR to grow very quickly.
By March 1940, the KAR had grown a lot. It included 883 officers and more than 20,000 African soldiers. Each KAR battalion (a large group of soldiers) usually had about 36 officers and 1,050 African soldiers.
At first, the KAR units were organized into two brigades. One brigade protected the coast, and the other defended the inland areas. By July 1940, two more East African brigades were formed. These new groups were the 3rd and 6th East African Infantry Brigades.
Instead of creating separate coastal and northern divisions, two larger divisions were formed. These were the 1st (African) Division and the 2nd (African) Division. On November 24, these became the 11th and 12th African Divisions.
Around July 1940, two brigades from the Royal West African Frontier Force also joined the effort in Kenya. One brigade was from the Gold Coast (now Ghana), and the other was from Nigeria. The Nigerian brigade joined with two East African brigades to form the 11th African Division. The 12th African Division was similar, but it included the Ghanaian brigade instead of the Nigerian one.
The Division's Role in War
The 12th African Division was one of three divisions fighting in Kenya. These divisions were all led by Lieutenant-General Alan Gordon Cunningham. During the East African Campaign, the 12th African Division played an important part.
They launched an attack from Kenya into Italian Somaliland. After that, they continued their advance into Ethiopia. They fought in key battles like the one at the Juba River in February 1941. Later, they also fought bravely at Gondar in October and November 1941.
Who Led the Division?
The 12th (African) Division had two main leaders during its time:
- Major-General Alfred Reade Godwin-Austen led the division from 1940 to 1941.
- Major-General Charles Christopher Fowkes took command from 1941 until the division was ended in 1943.
See also
- East African Campaign (World War II)
- 1st (African) Division (United Kingdom)
- Order of Battle, East African Campaign (World War II)
- Nigel Gray Leakey
