Carrier Corps facts for kids
The Carrier Corps was a group of workers created in Kenya during the First World War. Their main job was to provide military help for the British during their fight against German forces in East Africa. They mostly carried supplies and did other important support tasks.
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Why the Carrier Corps Was Needed
During the war, the German army in East Africa used African soldiers called Askari. These soldiers were trained to fight like guerrillas and could find food and supplies from the land.
The British army, however, brought many soldiers from India. These soldiers were not used to the tough African land. It was also very hard to feed such a large group of foreign soldiers. Supplies had to be carried over long distances where there were no roads or railways. For example, to get just one kilogram of rice to soldiers far inland, it could take 50 kilograms of rice starting from the coast. Most of this rice was eaten by the many porters (carriers) who had to carry it.
To solve this big problem, the British created the Carrier Corps. They recruited or asked over 400,000 African men to carry supplies and help in other ways.
Impact on African People
Being part of the Carrier Corps was very difficult for many local East African people. They faced many hardships for a war that seemed far away and not important to them.
However, this experience had big effects in the long run. It showed Africans that European soldiers were not always unbeatable. It also made Africans more aware of their own interests and the need to stand up for themselves.
The Carrier Corps was set up by a small group of officials from the East African Protectorate. One important leader was Lt Col Oscar Ferris Watkins. He and his team worked hard to manage the Carriers and often had to argue against high demands from their superiors.
Remembering the Carrier Corps
The Carrier Corps is remembered on war memorials in Kenyatta Avenue, Nairobi, and Jomo Kenyatta Avenue, Mombasa.
About 14,000 men from Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) who were part of the Carrier Corps are remembered at the Mbala War Memorial. This memorial is at the entrance to the town of Mbala in northern Zambia. Many of these men came from an area called Barotseland.
Several towns in East Africa have areas named after the Carrier Corps. This is probably because members of the corps were given homes in these places. Examples include Kariakor in Nairobi, Kariakor in Voi, Kariakoo in Dar es Salaam, and also in Dodoma.
See also
- John Arthur (missionary)
- History of Kenya – Colonial History
- History of Tanzania – First World War
- I. T. A. Wallace-Johnson
- Frank Weston (bishop of Zanzibar)
