THE LAST PHASE 247 



battalion fought steadily and well, the enemy 

 getting precious little change out of them. Mean- 

 while Colonel Gifford himself, with the other 

 battalions of the column, began to come to their 

 assistance. Finally, the Germans had to draw off 

 in the afternoon, Von Lettow being too good a 

 soldier not to realise that he was up against rather 

 more than he bargained for. He had to leave 

 behind his hospital with wounded, which fell into 

 our hands. I am inclined to think that for once his 

 information was badly out when he made this 

 attack ; possibly he thought it was a different 

 column of perhaps less steady and experienced 

 troops. As it was he had gained nothing by the 

 day's fighting, whilst again having casualties 

 amongst both his whites and blacks that he could 

 ill afford. 



Thus the tireless care and energy and soldierly 

 qualities of K.A.R. 2nd Col/s leader had twice 

 borne good fruit. An I.D. man has no regiment, 

 and therefore should not be considered prejudiced 

 in believing that the Colonel, young as he was, 

 showed himself head and shoulders above all other 

 Column Commanders of ours in the P.E.A. cam- 

 paign. It is rumoured that the intention is 

 to reduce the K.A.R. to eight battalions of picked 

 men, and that Colonel Gifford may perhaps be the 

 future head of this force. It is to be hoped so, 

 for, if true, there will eventually be no finer 

 regiments in Africa. 



This was the last fighting in P.E.A., for after 



