Hi everyone, I am trying to find out why the serviceman below was is Uganda, I know that the RASC were responsible for equipping Army Regiments and Units of the British Army, so I am presuming that they were attached to such a regiment in Uganda, but cannot find out which, can anyone help please. SERJEANT VICTOR LIONEL HOLLOWAY Service Number: S/94260 Regiment & Unit/Ship - Royal Army Service Corps Date of Death - Died 15 April 1944 Age 43 years old Buried or commemorated at JINJA WAR CEMETERY AA. 15. Uganda Country of Service - United Kingdom Additional Info : -Son of Ernest and Elizabeth Holloway; husband of Lily Holloway, of East Saltney, Flintshire. I have all the information re his family. Of course I would love to know how and why he died, perhaps through disease or accident? Was there fighting in Uganda in 1944? Any help would be much appreciated. Kindest regards, Mavis Williams
Hi From Brit Army casualties 1939-1945 on FMP. Just says he died. So he didnt die of wounds, nor was he killed in action, nor die as a result of an accident. Probably died of an illness. Hope this helps Gus
Mavis, Best to apply for his service record (PM in a moment on directions etc). Jinja has long been an army barracks, from memory and in WW2 is likely to have been the home of parts of the Kings African Rifles (KAR), the colonial regiment for East Africa and parts of which formed a division that fought against the Italians in Abbysinia (Ethiopia) and the Japanese in Burma. Starting points: King's African Rifles - Wikipedia and History | Kings African Rifles Might there be something here that helps? https://derekrpetersondotcom.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/jinja-district-archives-catalogue.pdf This suggests someone has been to the cemetery and refers to your subject: Luuk Eickmans The KAR depended upon British officers (I stand to be corrected as WW2 went on) and a cadre of NCOs. I suspect Jinja was a training site, so all trades would be present. For many Uganda then was a delightful place to be.
Thank you so much for this valuable information, so much clearer now. The CWGC did refer to the Kings African Rifles. Thank you so much, Mavis
He was probably on secondment to the Kings African Rifles (KAR), which would, initially anyway, have had British officers and senior NCOs. There are 7 men of WWII era buried in Jinja War cemetery that are from UK domestic regiments, e.g. Cambridgeshire Regiment, 52nd Recce Regiment, RAMC, etc. Edit: I started this note before lunch and finished it afterwards. Others have added similar comments in the interim. Apologies for the duplication.
Thank you Steve Mac and all the others, I feel much better about what I know now to add to his story. Regards, Mavis
