East Africa Command

East Africa Command
Active	1940 to 1964
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	British Army
Type	Command
Part of	Middle East Land Forces (1947-1964)
Garrison/HQ	Nairobi

East Africa Command was a Command of the British Army. Until 1947 it was under the direct control of the Army Council and thereafter it became the responsibility of Middle East Command.

The formation was essentially an expansion of the East Africa Force which came into being in August 1940. It was reformed as a Command in September 1941 by General Sir William Platt and covered North East Africa, East Africa and British Central Africa. Up until 1944 it directed the British Military Mission to Ethiopia. It established its own intelligence network during the Mau Mau Uprising in 1952. During the Mau Mau uprising the command controlled 39th Infantry Brigade, 49th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom), and 70th (East African) Infantry Brigade. Later 70th (East African) Brigade became the basis for the newly independent Kenya Army.

Other units listed in the Kenya Regiment history as being in Kenya from 1952-56 include the Battle School, Tracker School, Kenya Regiment TF, Kenya Regiment Training Centre, and Heavy Battery. Police organisations listed included the Kenya Police, Kenya Police Reserve, Kenya Police Reserve Air Wing, Auxiliary Forces, Dobie Force ('disbanded'), and General Service Units. 'KAR battalions' listed included 3 KAR (Kenya), 4 KAR (Uganda), 5 KAR (Kenya), 6 KAR (Tanganiyka), 7 & 23 KARs (Kenya), 26 KAR (Tanganyika), 156 East African Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery RA, and the East African Armoured Car Squadron. There were a total of eleven British infantry battalions (inc 1st Battalion, the Lancashire Fusiliers, 1st Battalion, The Buffs, 1 RHR, 1 Rifle Bde), 39 Corps Engineer Regiment RE, 73 Ind Fd Eng Sqn RE, Roadbuilding Section RE, RAVC Tracker Dogs, RAMC Unit Hospital Nairobi, Nyeri, Nanyuki, plus No. 1340 Flight RAF (North American Harvards), possibly other RAF Harvard units, and Lincoln units.

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