Dates: 1942 - 1949

The Somalia Gendarmerie was formed in 1941/42 in order to Police Italian Somaliland, British Somaliland and Eritrea. It was formed from men of the Kings African Rifles (Tanganyika Battalion) and officers seconded from the Tanganyika Police, Uganda Police and Kenya Police. I believe that Officers and men of West African Units also formed this force. Units were based at Mogadishu were Headquarters was formed in the former Italian Governors palace and several other places within Italian Somaliland. There were approximately 3 Btns, mainly from East African Police and some West African, There was definately a Camel Section and an Armoured Car section utilising South African Marmon-Herrington Vehicals built at the Ford works in Johannesberg. I am trying to research the work of my father Richard Everard Thorne, who was with the camel section and later was in charge of MI5. RET rose to Major in Somalia, and returned after the War to Tanganyika as a Superintendent of Police in Dar es Salaam .

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