The heading of this topic started with theme about a Skirmish which took place on 17. March 1915 where
Leutnant d.R. Gottfried Haun, commanding officer of the `Detachment Bismarckburg´ was mortally wounded. The further points covered the question about possible locations of his grave. The below mentioned four locations along the formally British-German border area were visited to find this and other graves as well as possible burial grounds and further other remaining from that time. This led automatically to other interesting subjects and questions which belongs not necessarily to the pure German Colonial history.
1. – REMAINS OF IKAWA / FIFE AND GRAVES IN PRESENT-DAY NAKONDE
2. – REMAINS AND GRAVES AT THE BRITISH MWENZO MISSION
3. – REMAINS AND GRAVES IN BRITISH BORDER STATION IKOMBA
4. – GRAVES IN KAWIMBE MISSION AND THE FORMALLY MILITARY CAMP
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________1. – REMAINS OF IKAWA / FIFE AND GRAVES IN PRESENT-DAY NAKONDE The somewhat confusing naming of the British outpost near the present location of the border town
Nakonde was extensively handled on the pervious pages but without a final summary about the results.
Nakonde was the first location which have been visited in this summer 2016.
The Anglo-German Convention on 1. July 1890 of the so-called, Zanzibar-Helgoland Contract laid down the spheres of determined roughly.
Since June 1898 a common border commission fixed exact on-site the border demarcation between the North end of
Lake Nyasa and the South part of
Lake Tanganyika. The written provisions were published by
Great Britain and the
German Empire on the 23. February 1901.
Boundary post No. 6 near
Fife which was placed by the Anglo-German border commission in summer 1899.
1895 – IKAWA (First naming)
The place which we talk about was founded in 1895 by B.S.A.C. (British South Africa Company) as a fortified post on the
Stevenson Road between the next out post in the west, (British)
Ikomba and
Fort Hill in east. The new station was named after the
Ikawa Stream, which flow
through this place at the intersection with the
Stevenson Road and a substation was founded at
Nyala. Also at the same time exists 9 miles to the west another British post which was named
Fife. It seems to be that this station was already built 1891 by the A.L.C. (African Lakes Corporation). This old `
ALC Fife´ was abounded and the `collector´ moved to the new `
B.S.A.C. Ikawa´ post in 1895. But the deserted place was listed for a few further years as
Old Fife. The Germans established 1901 Opposite
Ikawa and the border their customs post
Tunduma.
1898 – FIFE (Second naming)
Because of the now `unused Name Fife´,
Ikawa was renamed on
Cecil Rhodes initiative into
Fife after
Alexander Duff, Duke of Fife member of the first board of directors and vice-chairman of the B.S.A.C. Before 1911
Northern Rhodesia was administered as two separate territories
Barotseland-North-Western Rhodesia and
North-Eastern Rhodesia. After 1911 both B.S.A.C. territories were amalgamation, jointly managed and renamed in
Northern Rhodesia. In the course of these transformations also the former
Fife District was renamed into
Tanganyika District and the
Administrative Bomafor this district was moved from
Kanyala to
Fife. This settlement consists at that time two dozen brick buildings.
1914 / 1916 – IKAWA / `OLD FIFE´ (Third naming)
Due to the start of the war in 1914 the administrative function of the `
Boma Fife´ was relocated from the precariously border to
Kantongo, 14 miles to the south as the first location as `War-Time-Boma´. After some months the
Boma Fife was again shifted to
Chinungu and relocated again in 1916 to the former
Isoka, 50 miles from the original location from the border to German East Africa. The place which we talk about, was now renamed again into
Ikawa but called also in sources and on maps still as `
Old Fife´. During the war
Ikawa was occupied and used by British-, South African and Rhodesian forces as a military camp and base for raids and attacks into
German East Africa. All Buildings on the right, northern bank of the
Ikawa Stream have been destroyed in 1916 by the British themselves to give the own men a field of fire and to
prevent any shelter for opponents. This was also done with all houses, except of one building on the left, the southern side of
Ikawa Stream.
Geoffrey Stokes, member of the Magistrate and Administrator at
Fife and the North-Eastern Rhodesia Rifle association mentioned:
“ . . . By that time all buildings with the exception of the house formally occupied by the Assistant Native Commissioner
had been demolished – the remaining house have been turned into kind of fort. I presume all buildings on the right bank
of the Ikawa had been destroyed to give our men a field of fire and the Magistrate´s house, etc., on the left bank to deny
any shelter to raiding Germans. We built pole and dagga houses, offices, etc., at the site formerly occupied by Magistrate´s
house; the Civil Administration remaining there until von Lettow´s incursion at the time of the Armistice in November, 1918.” 
1923 / 1935 / 1947 IKAWA The following three listed maps for 1923, 1935 and 1947 shows for `Our´ location opposite
Tunduma only the name
Ikawa or
Kawa, with the bracketed notice of (
Old Fife) in the 1935 map. The name
Fife appears also in 1935 now only in connection for (
Isoka) 50 miles from the original location to the south, as administrative district capital with the original old `Boma function´.
1923, Rhodesia showing railway and telegraph lines:
http://www.rhodesia.me.uk/images/Rhodes ... nal5LR.jpg1935, Northern Rhodesia:
http://www.philatelicdatabase.com/wp-co ... a-1935.jpg1947, Tanganyika - Northern Rhodesia:
http://www.britishempire.co.uk/images2/ ... ikamap.jpg1950´s – NAKONDE (Forth naming)
It seems to be that the formally name
Fife or
Old Fife, with or without brackets for the location directly on the border, didn´t survived the Second World War. This also applies for the
Isoka and bracketed name (
Fife). The new naming from
Ikawa /
Kawa into
Nakonde appears first time in 1960 (See maps below), before the independence in 1964. Textual notices for the final and exact changing date in the naming
Nakonde couldn´t be found. Probable the administrative function and their building to the 3 km distance of the formally
Ikawa centre to the direct border post, opposite the
Tanganyika border station Tunduma, shifted over the years nearer to the border.
1960, Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland:
http://www.greatnorthroad.org/elements/ ... ration.jpg1966, Malawi, Rhodesia and Zambia:
http://www.greatnorthroad.org/elements/ ... a_1966.jpg
Original Source:
https://www.google.de/maps/@-9.3517468, ... a=!3m1!1e3View on the formally `
Stevenson Road´ to the North. The left visible side road lead to the old cemetery area.
After 350 meters on the side road, a rough byway start on the right side with one part of a forest with the graves.
This area, 500 metres north of the
Ikawa stream was probably the first European cemetery of the formally
Ikawa /
Fife.
The first remnants are a brick base without any further indications (left) and a second, concreted pedestal with a marble cross.
This base shows no characteristics, which enable an identification. Only the conical shape of the external edges of the bricks
suggest that this base rest originates from the Colonial period. Further names or indications for nationals are not recognisable.
Here we come now to the puzzle about the grave of
Major a.D. Heinrich von Berg * 8. 2. 1854 - † 1. 1. 1899. Undoubted the name of an aristocratically German officer. The unusual location, the impressive marble cross and exact person's dates of birth and death suggests a simplified search. Investigations for the single, or family name in the online list of German peerage register are unsuccessful. Also Oliver’s reverence to the German adventure and trader
Carl Wiese shows no correlations to
Heinrich v. Berg. As far as I could determine,
Wiese was there about ten years before active. It is very revealing that indications about him are only in English available:
»Expedition in East-Central Africa, 1888-1891: A Report«, (by) Carl Wiese, University of Oklahoma, 1983. http://ahr.oxfordjournals.org/content/89/4/1131.extract
Remnants of further three outlines of Grave borders could be just identified, but without any further hints about time, names or nationality. With
Bergs and the further unidentified tombstone, together five graves or parts of it are still present. Details are sometimes on photos not really identifiably. The additional shown light brown lines on both lower photos are the rough alignment of the grave edgings with the bricks.
To get to the point, no “mass graves” and no references on “bloodbath on German soldiers”, not even any clear reference of British or German graves from the Great War period could be found there. The further search on the communal cemetery was also unsuccessful.
The whole fights, within a radius of 50 kilometres around
Fife can be considered as minor or secondary during 1914-1918:
Original Source: https://www.era.lib.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/8228»The British Annexation of Northern Zambezia 1884-1924 Anatomy of a Conquest«, MacPherson, Edinburg University, 1976, p. 415. The sources shows not any European German soldier who was killed in action and buried around
Ikawa /
Fife during 1914-1918.
6. December 1914Attack of
Oberleutnant Aumann with 135 Askari and 130 Ruga-Ruga and one 4,7-cm-Gun on
Fife.
(
No German losses)
28. December 1914Renewed attack of
Oberleutnant Aumann with 135 Askari and 130 Ruga-Ruga and one 4,7-cm-Gun on
Fife.
(
German losses: one dead and one captured Askari)
1915, 1916 and 1917 In these three years there were not any fight around
Fife.
(
No German losses)
2. - 4. November 1918Attack of the
Detachment Köhl (2., 3. + 4. Feld Kompanie) of the Schutztruppe on
Fife and nearby
Mwenzo.
(
No German losses)
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
ZAMBIA DAILY MAIL – Report from 11th December 2016The `forgotten´ German graves in Nakonde – BRIAN MALAMA, Nakonde
UNKNOWN to many people, Nakonde, in the north, which border Tanzania, is home to the remains of five German soldiers who
fought in the First World War. The soldiers are buried in a protected national heritage site called
Old Fife on the old Malawi road
in Katozi ward, three kilometres from the BOMA and the Great North Road.
The more than 100 years old grave site now lies in ruins, though it is a national heritage. Among those who were until recently
unaware of this historical site in Nakonde District Commissioner Field Simwinga. The only significant mark is a black marble
tombstone covering
Major Heinrich von Berg´s grave, which appears to have been recently replaced by his family.
The rest of the tombstones were made of burnt bricks and are now in a state of disrepair, and are destined to disappear from
significance. Old Fife is a sorry site and does not represented the status of a national monument. Lloyd Siame, a retired civil
servant, recommends a complete take over by the National Heritage and Conservation Commission (NHCC).
The site can attain tourism significance because of its rich history, which is absent from our history text books at both college and
primary school levels. “We do get German nationals who come over to visit the graves of their forefathers. But Zambia can do better in preservation of history.” Mr Siame suggests.
James Sichinga, a cross border trader, observe that no-one has ever explained the significance of the burial site. “The only thing
I know about this place is its name
Fife. I also know that 500 metres from here lies a big trench where soldiers used to hide. The other thing is the same place was a centre for shipment of slaves from Blantyre, Malawi, to Mpulungu.” Mr Sichinga recounted.
During the First World War, the British and the German troops waged fierce battles at the border town in defence of territorial
boundaries between Zambia and Tanzania. The Eats African Campaign was a series of battles and guerrilla actions, which started
in German East Africa and spread to portions of Mozambique, Northern Rhodesia, British East Africa, Uganda and the Belgian
Congo. The campaign ended in November 1917 with the British triumphing and claiming Northern Rhodesia, now called Zambia.
German troops and Africans who fought in the war perished at the hands of the British soldiers. For most of them, their names
cannot be traced now. Only the five German soldiers have had their burial site preserved for over a century on the Zambia soil.
History has it that the strategy of the German colonial forces, led by
Lieutenant Colonel Paul Emil von Lettow-Vorbeck, was to divert forces from the Western Front to Africa. His strategy achieved only mixed results after 1916, when he was driven out of German East Africa and Allied Forces took over Southern African, Indian and other colonies.
Teddy Chilambwe, a business man in Nakonde who offered himself as a tour guide, narrates how the British and the German
soldiers battled for territory between Tunduma and Nakonde. “The British forces set up a command post at
Fife in Katozi while a spying tower was erected in
Mwenzo at a mission operated by the United Church of Scotland by 1914, “Mr Chilambwe explained. According to oral history, the British Empire under King Georg V and its Allied Forces, France and Russia possessed superior military might over other forces.
“We are told that the British regiment had constructed a tunnel between Nakonde and Mwenzo. In the tunnel was a long cable
which was used to alert the military police at
Fife when the Germans approached the border between Tanzania and Zambia, “Mr Chilambwe said. Mr Chilambwe further explained that Tunduma came about following several blood baths which saw scores of German troops mercilessly decapitated. “Tunduma in Namwanga means a chilling experience which came about as a result of the fierce wars from crossing into what is now Zambia, Mr Chilambwe narrated.
The war raged on until November 14, 1918, when word of armistice from Isoka through Chinsali, Serenje, to Mkushi were set up a
reasonable distance from the Great North Road to keep away Germany and its allied forces´ attacks.
NHCC regional director Billiard Lishiko states that the German war graves are a national monument. Going by the state of disrepair
and absence of a curator at the monument, there is need to do more to bring the site up to standard.
Original Source: https://www.daily-mail.co.zm/?p=88760(In June I try to explain Mr Siame why the only one remaining German grave couldn´t be from the Great War. Anyway; –
)
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________The only one remaining building ruin direct vicinity of
Ikawa /
Fife couldn´t really identified if the age was 60, or 120 years.
With the beginning of the 20 century, Europeans add a substance, similar to cement also to the air-dried and burned bricks
which were manufactured in Africa. In such a case, the burned bricks could be preserved if they were installed above ground.
View on the `
Stevenson Road´ from the north down the
Ikawa deepening south wards.
The lowland of the
Ikawa stream. In the middle of the image on the horizon the expected formally centre of
Ikawa /
Fife.
The `famous´
Ikawa stream with view to the west.
In the eastern direction the eponym was nothing more than a swampy puddle.
Will be continued. . .
“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
`Morbid charm of former times´. This ruin was the formally nurses building, 200 metres before the principal mission building.
The Mission church building which start in 1914 and not really finished before the Great War ended in 1918.
With friendly help from the 
The next photos pictured the buildings in, and around the Mission, before, during and after the Great War. On account of the many archive pictures in 
Many further nice photos after the Great War are pictured here: 
On the next lower photo is shown a river with a, by rope manhandled ferry with a Ford T Ambulance. Because this car type wasn´t delivered in greater numbers to 
Buildings in 
Both following photos; possible a group of the E-Company, Northern Rhodesia Police ready for patrol in 1915-1916?!?
Some other graves however showed tombstones with names, but from the time period after the Great War. 
Only one grave from the Great War could be found; Kusuke Kuche (Hemdedi Chiwone) died 7th March 1918.
