The race to Kamina Wireless Station

All Britain’s foreign dominions were notified of the outbreak of war at the same time. Lacking instructions from London, each territory responded as they thought fit.

In neighbouring Gold Coast (Ghana) the Regiment Commandant was on holiday in England, leaving an ambitious young officer called Captain FC Bryant in charge. On his own initiative he demanded that the acting commander of Togoland surrender the colony.

On the 6 August the British intercepted a message revealing German forces were withdrawing from the capital Lomé to protect the Kamina wireless station 100 miles inland.

A quick advance

The German force was small with only 300 German and 1,200 native troops. They didn’t have the support of the local population who informed the Allies of their movements.

The British took Lomé easily on 7 August. More British forces invaded Togoland from the west while the French arrived from the east. Together they took control of the south. They began to advance towards Kamina and on 12 August Alhaji Grunshi became the first soldier in British service to fire a shot in the war.

The fall of Kamina

German forces tried to slow the Allies' movement north, destroying railway bridges and launching ambushes. They inflicted major casualties and on 22 August Lieutenant George Thompson became the first British officer killed in action in World War One.

Outnumbered, the Germans retreated and a few days later burnt Kamina to the ground rather than let it fall into the hands of their enemy. On 26 August Captain Bryant accepted the German surrender and Togoland was carved up between Britain and France.