OUTWITTING THE GERMANS

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22305, 20 January 1938, Page 9

OUTWITTING THE GERMANS

HOW TOGOLAND WAS CAPTURED AN IRISH SUBALTERN’S STRATAGEM (MOM OUB OWX COBBESPONDBNT.) LONDON, December 10. The story of how an Irish subaltern bluffed the Germans into surrendering Togoland was told for the first time by Major-General Sir Reginald Hoskins and Viscount Davidson at the Ashridge Fellowship reunion at the Bonar Law College, Berkhamsted, Hertford* shire. Sir Reginald said that early in the war he and Lord Davidson used to go . to the Colonial Office to help in handling code messages. One day they received a message from a subalteui In the Cameroons, who probably nan Under his command two men ana a boy, announcing that he was going to take Togoland. Next morning another message arrived saying that he had attacked, and that all was well. ~ "By this time,” Sir Reginald added, "we called him ‘General Togo.’ I do Bbt. know his name, but 1 hope he is a general now.” Lord Davidson, taking up the story. Mid that the capture was one of the post brilliant things which had ever been done. The young officer converted his two men and* a boy into a “stage ■ army.” Tt was impossible for a small force to take the capital, Kamena, unless •frategy were exercised. The young officer marched his force up and dow.: the country, and arranged with the natives to run into Kamena and report that there were enemy forces all over the place. The Surrender The result was that the Germans , , led to believe that there were w 1500 men instead of two men and a boy A* he took an advance guard of a half c <Wipany of the Gold Coast West African Frontier Force, a white subaltern an d two white non-commissioned officers. He sent a white flag into Ka®ena and announced that he proposed 3® take the town by assault next mornunless it was surrendered. Nexf morning, said Lord Davidson he Germans decided to surrender. Tire young officer made it a condition tha t should pile their arms in a square on the side of the town by which he proposed to approach, and that the n??? ans should retire into the centre w the town. During the night he had the whole P." l * force nractlsihg how to extract "OUs from rifles and render the weapons useless. On the following day he fenced with his small party and ound the arms pil-d ar v- 'i-' 1 htsnded. who anc * k' s escort advanced further - C the rest of the force removed V-a f,, ™ from the rifles. He then sen* • ® rarn announcing “Togoland surto me 8 a.m.” He ended thai ’“s ppa i n as a major, rj** understood that the Officer was F. C. Bryant. r J cc r lll ■LT-"- I —fli-** 1

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