The Somaliland Camel Corps of the British Army



    The Somali people are natural camel riders it's in their blood. Camel's are in were as important as the pony's of the mongols. In the drought striken land the camel is really thing other than goats that proved worth domesticating. The British recognized their  affinity and after creating the colony the British set out to create a Somaliland Camel Corps. During the Mad Mullah period of Somali history the camel Corps included had grown to included some 700 mounted riders they served gallantly enough against the bandit and captured his Jidali hideout. During the same period they set a an impressive standard by covering 150 miles in 72 hours.
    During the interwar years the Somaliland Camel Corps (SCC) was ear-marked to defend the colony to  in case of future war. Col. Reginald Chater of the Royal Marines was placed in charge of a slightly smaller SCC of 500 troopers. Like any other colonial unit the SCC had white officer In the late 1930s they'd been givien 900 pounds(as in the British currency) to produce pillboxes and reserve water tanks. Gen Wavell was apaulled by the underequppied force that was supposed to defend a entire colony. As a result the unit was partially mechanized and further defenses were built in 1940 but; before the upgrades could not be complete the funds dried-up.   It's 4 compaies were split among 5 different locatons in the colony.  Of Which only A Company retained it's camel's the rest had become  infantry. Along with a battalion of the Northern Rhodesian Regiment this left only 1,475 men to defend the colony. Reinforcements were eventually sent in a vain hope to stope the invasion.
    During the Italian invasion the unit performed some slight skirmishing and screennig of the attacking force along the border before pulling back to more defensible poistions. At Observation Hill the force made a formidable stand.One of it's officers Capt. Eric Charles Twelves Wilson of the East Surreys recived a VC post-humonsly for his use of a Machine gun during the defense. Despite wounds Malaria and having servrak guns destroyed from under him. The Campagins only VC and the only one ever earned in Somalia. Only 6 others were ever issued for operations in East Africa. Luckily for him he was later found alive in an Italian POW camp. However, despite a spirted defense the British could see the writing on the wall and withdrew. The Somaliland Camel Corps was disbanded and ordered to return home. Some feared troopers Italian reprisals and hastily borded British transports leaving the colony. Their fears proved unfonded as the Italians seem to have allowed the former SCC members to live in peace. As they had done to their former Ethiopian enemies. The Italians had little to show for the conquest save. Sand a few precious Boyle's Anti-Tank rifles, sand and cammels....
    After the British returned to Somaliland the SCC was refounded. By April 18th, 1941 80% of the unit had returned. It spent the following months roundingup Italian bandits and those of the local variety as well. It had been planned to send the unit to Burma but; several muntnious occurences in 1943 forced the unit to be disbanded.


                               The SCC on the brink of war was organized as follows:
                                HQ and HQ Company, The Somaliland Camel Corps: Laferug
                                'A' (Camel) Company: Hargeisa
                                'B' (Nyasa Infantry) Company: Tug Argen
                                'C' Company: Burao
                                'D' Company: Tug Argen (Less 2 Platoons at Sheik)

 

Sources: Haile Selassie's War, The Improvised War , Britian at War website, http://www.sonic.net/~bstone/history/somaliland.html,