Kenya in the Second World War

Kenya in the Second World War. . , As in the First World War, when the country was the base for the earlier stages of the campaign in German East Africa, Kenya became an important base in the Second World War - this time in operations across her northern frontier for the conquest of Italian East Africa. Kenya was the assembly point for troops sent from other parts of the Commonwealth for the campaign, the site of base hospitals, convalescent centres and supply depots and, after the operations in Italian East Africa had been successfully concluded, the training ground for East African troops destined for other theatres., The Kenya battalions of the King's African Rifles, which had fought with distinction in the First World War, were raised to many times their peace-time number and supporting-arms and services were formed so that the East African brigades and divisions which subsequently took the field were complete and self-supporting., They took a full part in the campaigns in Madagascar and Burma, as well as in Italian East Africa, and their feats of arms will be remembered equally with those of the forces of other Commonwealth countries at whose sides they fought. All were volunteers and very many came from Kenya., African soldiers who fell in battle are buried in the war cemeteries, or commemorated on memorials, in the campaign areas. Many who died in Kenya are also buried in war cemeteries but others, whose graves are in places where they cannot be properly maintained, are commemorated on the memorial in Nairobi War Cemetery which carries the names of 480 East African soldiers. , Kisumu Cemetery , This cemetery contains 18 burials of the First and 47 of the Second World War. By forces they comprise 30 South African, 24 British, 2 Australian, and 9 German. , This cemetery was constructed and is maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission