Hi Steve
Currently I collect some backgrounds, to prepare for Mozambique in 2023.
That’s the reason, I come here back to your post, because I activated some sources.
stevebecker wrote: ↑20 Feb 2018, 01:31
How was Willi Durst wounded as Holger did mention any wounds?
Was this due to wounds or illness?
On the morning of January 7, 1918, the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 1st `Kings African Rifles´ Regiment
under the Leadership of
Colonel G.M.P. Hawthorn, attacked the Portuguese
Boma Luambala (or
Mluluca)
from the southwestern direction. This Boma had already been left by the Portuguese at the end of December
1917 and subsequently, by the 4th Field Company under
First Lieutenant Karl Goering and the 21st Field
Company under
Lieutenant Walter von Ruckteschell, been occupied.
This old Portuguese fortified post was built on a bare hill with a good field of fire at an acute angle between
the Luambala and Lugenda rivers. Due to numerical superiority; - two battalions against two companies; - the
small German Detachment withdrew to the east bank of the Lugenda River in the following night. Since the
Boma was on the left bank of the river,
Vice-Sergeant Wilhelm Durst covered the retreat of both companies
with a small group by simulating a full crew.
Luambala is also shown on the lower Belgian overview map from 1932:
“Les campagnes coloniales belges : TOME III, 1914-1918 / Royaume de Belgique,
Ministère de la Défense Nationale, État-Major Général de l'Armée, Section de l'Historique“
Original source : https://sammlungen.ub.uni-frankfurt.de/ ... ew/7788362
According to the Google position (13° 26'09.7 "S - 36° 18'19.3" E); - nowadays abandoned:
https://www.google.de/maps/place/Lugend ... d37.153616
This situation remained unchanged over the next few days. Only on the evening of January 12, 1918 the small
group left the Boma and crossed the swollen Lugenda River in a bark boat.
Vice-Sergeant Wilhelm Durst
received a serious wound from a gunshot in the abdomen, but could be transported away. He recovered to the
extent that he was ready for action on May 22, 1918 at the battle near Timbiani PEA. (He received his first
wound on February 15, 1917 at Njimbwi in GEA.)
As already mentioned, he took part in the campaign within the 4th Field Company until the end of the war.
While in captivity, he found himself with influenza (Spanish flu) from December 10, 1918 in the hospital in
Daressalam and returned back to Germany via Rotterdam on February 16, 1919.
Cheers Holger
“Day by day and almost minute by minute the past was brought up to date. . . . All History was a
palimpsest, scraped clean and reinscribed exactly as often as was necessary” – G. ORWELL 1984
