by Donald J G Fraser
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In September 1952 Police Headquarters received an urgent message from the
District Commissioner at Utete on the Rufiji River about 150 miles south of Dar
es Salaam. The DC wanted Police assistance to put down what he thought was
turning into a riot. Politics had reared its ugly head, and some 'hot-heads' had threatened to nail him to the Boma gates if he didn't reduce their poll tax. Well, the
DC couldn't allow this to occur so he sought help. I was ordered to take a Police
contingent down there with another young ASP named Harbord and sort matters
out. It took us a few hours to round up a sufficiently able force, kit them out, draw
emergency rations, ammunition, fuel etc , scrounge the necessary transport and
we set off in mid afternoon. Our little expeditionary force consisted of we two
ASPs, 1 Sgt Major, 1 Sergeant, 1 Corporal, 1 bugler boy and 21 askaris. We were
in 2 troop-carrier trucks and 2 short-wheelbase Landrovers.
The track down the coast was pretty rough so we made slow progress, not
reaching the ferry on the Rufiji River until well after nightfall. There we were met by
a young District Officer who told us that the DC, Mr Young, was inside the Boma,
which was surrounded by about 500 fairly angry Africans. The Boma was an old
German Fort built prior to World War 1 and was a very substantial edifice so there
was little risk that the locals could breach the walls, but they might be able to burn
the gates down. We held a quick council of war and decided on guile rather than
brute force, especially as we were only a small unit. We made a number of trips
across the river on the cable pontoon. When we assembled on the Utete side of
the river we fell the askaris in - in extended order formation lining both sides of the
road. The askaris were dressed in their normal khaki uniform and were carrying
.303 rifles at the high port. I led the unit with the bugler boy in the centre and the
Sgt Major bringing up the rear. Behind the files of askaris came the 2 troop-carrier
trucks and the Landrovers with their headlights full on. ASP Harbord had gone on
ahead with the DO to explain to the DC what our strategy would be.
The vehicles' headlights full on illuminated the parade from the rear, and we
proceeded at a smart pace up the track towards the Boma with the bugler boy
playing every bugle call he knew, and when he paused for breath the askaris
broke out Into one or two loud marching songs just to add to the noise! The DC
told us later that the mob surrounding the Boma could hear the bugle calls and
saw the flashing lights long before we reached the Boma, and they started to
thin out rather quickly. When we reached the Boma we marched to attention
straight through the crowd. The Boma gates were opened, we marched in with
the vehicles behind us and the Boma gates were slammed shut behind us. I then
ordered the askaris to put on their riot helmets, shields and batons, and creep
out of the back door of the Boma and walk quietly through the bush towards the
river, this time with ASP Harbord. The vehicles left via the front gate driving down
towards the river where they picked up our askaris dressed in riot gear, and they
repeated the march up towards the Boma with the bugler boy again performing his
entire repertoire. They entered the Boma and the gates were shut once more. By
this time the mob had thinned out considerably and with the aid of the DC's staff
we marched out of the front gate, had the ringleaders identified to us, arrested
them and took them inside the Boma. No bloodshed, not even a scuffle! By
around 2.00 am the rest of the crowd had dispersed and had disappeared into the
velvet night! When we recorded statements from witnesses the next day they all
without exception firmly believed there were two companies of askaris not one!
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