Sudan 1912 (12 October 1911 - 12 April 1912) 31 clasps awarded to British officers.
At the turn of the century the Adonga Anuak in the Akobo district faced extinction. The western Anuak tribes were constantly raided by the Nuer Dinka, and eastern tribes by the Ethiopians. However, the Anuak gradually the acquired modern rifles from Ethiopian traders in exchange for ivory, and with these new weapons they soon welded themselves together into a formidable fighting machine. They began to exact revenge on their old enemies, culminating in October 1911, when some 400 Anuak, under the leadership of Akwei wa Cam, raided the Lau Nuer country, leaving a trail of devastation, and returning home with thousands of head of cattle and hundreds of slaves.
With the boot now firmly on the other foot, the Nuer Dinka turned to the government for protection, as did they not pay their taxes? The government, actually more concerned with the number of guns now held by the Anuak, decided that positive action was necessary. Diplomatic efforts to stem the flow of guns supplied by American and European merchants through Ethiopia brought no results, so the government felt that there was no option but to seize the Anuak weapons by force. It was estimated that they now had an arsenal of over 10,000 rifles.
On the 26 December, a powerful (Northern) column commanded by Major Leveson, 18th Hussars, and consisting of 11 British and 21 Egyptian officers, some mounted infantry, artillery and some 250 other ranks of the XIII Sudanese was despatched to Adonga to retrieve the weapons. A second (Central) column under Captain W. H. Drake RA despatched into the Anuak country on 31 December, was directed to reinforce Leveson, but the latter, having underestimated the Anuak strength, chose not to wait for the re-inforcements. On March 15 Leveson’s patrol approached Adonga to find the Anuak drawn up for battle along a belt of thick forest. 500 Anuak riflemen attacked the column immediately, while some 200 spearmen attacked the mounted troopers on the flank. The troop commander Captain J. W. Lichtenberg, D.S.O., 18th Hussars, and Captain C. E. Kinahan, Royal Irish Fusiliers, were killed, together with 39 other officers and men. The battle raged for more than 2 hours, with the Anuak only being finally driven from the field by a Sudanese infantry bayonet charge. The Anuak retired into the swampy country abounding in the neighbourhood and across the frontier into Abyssinia, having lost less than 100 men.
As Major Leveson’s troops were in no condition to pursue the enemy, they burned Adonga and returned to Akobo. After meeting up with Captain Drake, Major Leveson led 225 officers and men of the XIII, Sudanese, supported by artillery and mounted troops after the Anuak. The patrol was a particularly arduous one, and not being able to catch the enemy had to content itself with burning the Anuak villages.
To contain the rebels until a larger expedition could be mounted, a permanent garrison of 200 was established at Akobo. The planned expedition was cancelled on the outbreak of WWI, and the Anuak kept in check by a series of military posts, and regular patrols along the Nuer Dinka border. Akwei wa Cam died in 1920, and finally the government was able to extend its control over the whole Adonga region.
Zeraf 1913-14 (18 December 1913 - 20 February 1914) 9 clasps awarded to British officers and one to a sergeant.
In 1913 the Machar section of the Gawaar Nuer, led by Machar and his brothers Gai Diu and Gwol Diu, gathered together many of the various local Nuer sections, and again began to raid the peaceful Dinka tribes living in the Zeraf Valley. Initially the government could do little except provide the Dinka with rifles for their own defence. The demand for the cessation of hostilities and payment of a nominal tribute by the Nuer was ignored, and a party laying a telegraph line south of Bor was fired upon, leading to the evacuation of the Awoi telegraph station. The Nuer also raided the cattle camps of the Awoi Dinka. Finally the government lost patience, and in December 1913, a patrol under the command of Captain D. A. Fairbairn (West Riding Regiment) was sent by steamer to the Zeraf Valley to restore order. The party comprised of a section of No. 1 (Mule) Company Mounted Infantry under Captain H. C. Maydon (12th Lancers), and 200 men of the XIIth Sudanese. The patrol arrived at the town of Machar on 22 December, and were immediately attacked by some 1,000 Nuer, some armed with rifles. They were beaten off without any casualties to the patrol, and 1,500 head of cattle captured. The Nuer stampeded the cattle the following night, and recaptured some 800 head in the process. The patrol returned to the Zaraf river on the 29th to embark the cattle. Fairbairn also sent for the remainder of the mounted infantry in order to increase the patrol’s mobility, before continuing the hunt for Machar and his Nuer. As a further demonstration of the governments powers, Captain C. C. Godwin and 50 men of the XIIth Sudanese were sent from Mongalla, landed near Kongor, and took chiefs Aski and Biar prisoner, fortunately without any resistance.
On the 26th, Sergeant Summerfield re-opened the Telegraph station at Awoi. However, due to a failure of the water supply, and the many half-hearted attacks by the Lau Nuer in support of their brother tribesmen, the station was moved to Kilo 175 on the Zaraf riverbank.
By 10 January the remainder of the mounted infantry arrived, and the force proceeded by steamer to Khor Bakbiel where they left the river and struggled through the swamps to reach Fashek on the 12th. Two days later the fires of Machar’s camp were seen, but the noise of the patrol floundering through the swamps alerted him, and though the mounted infantry chased him for 40 miles or so, he managed to escape. With the capture of Machar’s camp, most of the other Nuer sections deserted him. However, during the night of the 24th, Machar, with his remaining followers, made one last fierce attack on the patrol, now camped at Wajong. The attack was driven off with the patrol suffering only two casualties. Machar returned to the swamps. At this point the patrol tactics were changed, with the infantry remaining fairly static and the Mounted Infantry sweeping the swamps. On 31 January the Nuer were finally driven into the waiting infantry. 10 Nuer were killed, and 22, including Gai Diu, were captured. The Nuer’s remaining 300 head of cattle were also taken. The wily Machar again escaped, fleeing north towards the Sobat.
The operations continued until 20 February 1914, with the Nuer being dispersed and many of the leaders of the Nuer factions coming in to pay their respects to Major Tweedie, the Government Provincial Inspector. Although the Mounted Infantry carried on with the pursuit for a few more weeks, Machar was never captured, but was killed in June 1914, during a raid on the Bor Dinka.
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