178-703: The Uganda Volunteer Reserve (also referred to as the UVR or Uganda VR ) was a military unit of the Uganda Protectorate . The UVR was established in March 1903 with support from the British government's Colonial Defence Committee (CDC). The CDC promoted the establishment of such forces in the self-governing parts of the British Empire from which regular British Army troops had been withdrawn. The UVR
356-522: A Sten Mk II submachine gun cost £2 10s (£2.50). In the years after the Second World War, the British produced the No. 4 Mk 2 (Arabic numerals replaced Roman numerals in official names in 1944) rifle, a refined and improved No. 4 rifle with the trigger hung forward from the butt collar and not from the trigger guard, beech wood stocks (with the original reinforcing strap and centre piece of wood in
534-586: A War Office commendation. Three members of the unit were killed in service during the war. After the war the UVR declined in numbers, owing to the condition of its rifle range at Kampala. It numbered just 49 men in 1930 and the Ugandan colonial government proposed its closure. It was disbanded in 1932, being replaced by subsidised rifle clubs belonging to the Uganda Rifle Association . The UVR
712-402: A drill purpose rifle that was incapable of being restored to a firing configuration. It was introduced in service in the 1970s. A conversion specification of No. 1 rifles to L59A2 drill purpose was also prepared but was abandoned due to the greater difficulty of machining involved and the negligible numbers still in the hands of cadet units. The L59A1 arose from British government concerns over
890-471: A "V". The No. 1 Mk VI also introduced a heavier "floating barrel" that was independent of the forearm, allowing the barrel to expand and contract without contacting the forearm and interfering with the "zero", the correlation between the alignment of the barrel and the sights. The floating barrel increased the accuracy of the rifle by allowing it to vibrate freely and consistently, whereas wooden forends in contact with barrels, if not properly fitted, affected
1068-456: A 12-inch-wide (300 mm) target at 300 yards (270 m) in one minute. Some straight-pull bolt-action rifles were thought faster but lacked the simplicity, reliability, and generous magazine capacity of the Lee–Enfield. Several First World War accounts tell of British troops repelling German attackers who subsequently reported that they had encountered machine guns, when in fact it was simply
1246-474: A No. 32 3.5× telescopic sight. The telescopic sight had a field of view of 8 degrees 20 minutes and featured a bullet drop compensation range drum on top of the sight graduated in 50 yards (45.7 m) increments from 0 to 1,000 yards (914 m). Side adjustments in 2 MOA increments were made by the drum mounted at the side of the sight. These rifles were designated as the No. 4 Mk. I (T). The accuracy requirement
1424-523: A World War I era Pattern 1918 telescope, creating the SMLE No. 1 Mk. III* (HT) . (HT standing for "heavy barrel, telescopic sight), which saw service in the Second World War, Korea, and Malaya and was used for sniper training through to the late 1970s. During the Second World War, standard No. 4 rifles, selected for their accuracy during factory tests, were modified by the addition of a wooden cheek rising-piece, and telescopic sight mounts designed to accept
1602-626: A captain at Entebbe in June 1916 and a mechanic on transport duties at Bloemfontein in South Africa in November 1917. In 1919 a restructuring of the unit was proposed though, again, it did not proceed. In the post-war years the UVR continued to participate in marksmanship competitions with other East African reserve units. Because of the quantity of war surplus materiel available the Ordinance
1780-657: A commendation notice issued by the War Office on 7 August 1917. All members of the UVR that were called up were entitled to the British War Medal . A former orderly sergeant in the UVR published a book, The Uganda Volunteers and the War , in 1917 that detailed some of the war-time activities of the unit. Three members of the unit were killed in service during the war: a quartermaster sergeant buried at Simba in July 1915,
1958-406: A decline blamed on the quality of the rifle range at Kampala. In the same year permission was granted to establish a corps at Jinja, though the Ugandan colonial government questioned the value of the unit. It was proposed that either the UVR be replaced by a formal military reserve unit or be disbanded and replaced by government-subsidised rifle clubs. The government chose the latter option, passing
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#17327810644092136-512: A few others including Stevens-Savage No. 4s. These were converted in late 1941 and into the later part of 1942. Then, the work was assigned to Holland & Holland , the famous British sporting gun manufacturers, which converted about 23,000 No. 4 Mk. I (T) and No. 4 Mk. I* (T) sniper rifles. The Holland & Holland conversions usually have the contractor code "S51" on the underside of the buttstock. BSA Shirley undertook 100 conversions to .22". James Purdey and Sons fitted special buttstocks later in
2314-417: A fine of 300 East African rupees if the rifle was lost, sold or rendered unusable. The Ordinance also stipulated a fine of 7–8 rupees for drunkenness during a UVR meeting and of 15 rupees for pointing a rifle at any person, without orders. Each Rifle Corps was permitted to pass its own bye-laws to manage its operations. Each corps had a president who was, ex-officio, the commissioner of the district in which
2492-449: A fireable form, by extensive modifications that included the welding of the barrel to the receiver, modifications to the receiver that removed the supporting structures for the bolt's locking lugs and blocking the installation of an unaltered bolt, the removal of the striker's tip, the blocking of the striker's hole in the bolt head and the removal of most of the bolt body's locking lugs. Most bolts were copper plated for identification. A plug
2670-684: A formal petition to the governor; the Kampala Rifle Corps of the UVR was formed on 4 January 1910. As many of its members were members of the Entebbe Corps the Kampala Corps requested that their subscriptions be refunded and that the older corps provide £20 towards the expenses of the new unit. The Entebbe Corps objected to the formation of the new unit on the basis that the Ordinance prohibited existing members from joining new units and that such persons should be excluded from
2848-470: A group of well-trained riflemen armed with SMLE Mk III rifles. The Lee–Enfield was adapted to fire the .303 British service cartridge, a rimmed , high-powered rifle round. Experiments with smokeless powder in the existing Lee–Metford cartridge seemed at first to be a simple upgrade, but the greater heat and pressure generated by the new smokeless powder wore away the shallow and rounded Metford rifling after approximately 6,000 rounds. Replacing this with
3026-415: A letter C and went through C No. 32 Mk. I, Mk. I A (a transitional model), Mk. II and Mk. 3. Many Mk. 3s and Mk. 2/1s (Mk. 2s Modified to Mk. 3 standard) were later modified for use with the 7.62×51mm NATO L42A1 sniper rifle. They were then known by the designation Telescope Straight, Sighting L1A1 . Initial production was 1,403 conversions of 1931–1933 troop trials No. 4 Mk. I rifles at RSAF Enfield and
3204-571: A magazine inside a gutted SMLE magazine. From the late 1940s, legislation in New South Wales, Australia, heavily restricted .303 British calibre (and other "military calibre") rifles, so large numbers of SMLEs were converted to "wildcat" calibres such as .303/25 , .303/22 , .303/270 and the popular 7.7×54mm round. 303/25 calibre sporterised SMLEs are very common in Australia today, although ammunition for them has been very scarce since
3382-485: A new square-shaped rifling system designed at the Royal Small Arms Factory (RSAF) Enfield solved the problem, and the Lee–Enfield was born. The Lee–Enfield rifle was introduced in November 1895 as the .303 calibre, Rifle, Magazine, Lee–Enfield , or more commonly magazine Lee–Enfield , or MLE (sometimes spoken as "emily" instead of M, L, E). The next year, a shorter version was introduced as
3560-458: A number of Hindus and Muslims. By the end of August No.1 Company amounted to 58 personnel, with the remaining two companies numbering 100 combined. Each company was required to prepare a plan to defend their districts and members, though most continued in the peace time occupations. They were required to attend three parades a week and training in Morse and Semaphore messaging was provided. The UVR
3738-401: A plan of double chieftainships – whereby every chieftainship would have one Protestant and one Catholic chief. On 19 April 1893, the British government and the chiefs of Uganda signed a treaty giving effect to this plan. On 18 June 1894, the British government declared that Uganda would come under British protection as a Protectorate . The Uganda Agreement of 1900 solidified the power of
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#17327810644093916-495: A prototype for the future Parliament of Uganda . The prospect of elections caused a sudden proliferation of new political parties. This development alarmed the old-guard leaders within the Ugandan kingdoms, because they realized that the centre of power would be at the national level. The spark that ignited wider opposition to Governor Cohen's reforms was a 1953 speech in London in which the secretary of state for colonies referred to
4094-570: A public meeting at Jinja , in the east of the protectorate, saw interest in forming a new company. Some 26 men agreed to enrol and No. 4 Company of the UVR battalion was formed on 14 October. A similar meeting in Tooro , saw 3 European and 20 Indian volunteers agree to enrol, though no corps was formed as the colonial government considered the region safe from German attack. From October the Ugandan colonial government ordered that all new members be British subjects and required recruits to be approved by
4272-429: A rear receiver aperture battle sight calibrated for 300 yd (274 m) with an additional ladder aperture sight that could be flipped up and was calibrated for 200–1,300 yd (183–1,189 m) in 100 yd (91 m) increments. This sight, like other aperture sights, proved to be faster and more accurate than the typical mid-barrel open rear sight elements sight lines offered by Mauser, previous Lee–Enfields or
4450-455: A relatively short bolt throw and features rear-mounted lugs, and the bolt operating handle places the bolt knob just rearwards of the trigger at a favourable ergonomic position close to the operator's hand. The action features helical locking surfaces (the technical term is interrupted threading ). This means that final headspace is not achieved until the bolt handle is turned down all the way. Helical locking lugs were probably used both to allow
4628-776: A result of British patrols on the border. The German focus shifted eastwards to Kenya and a threat to Uganda by an advance along the Uganda Railway . German efforts in Southern Uganda shifted to large-scale raids on British posts and the mail communication route to the Belgian Congo. Revolts were also incited by the Germans among the African residents of Southern Uganda. British forces on this front were supported by Belgian troops from September 1914. In October
4806-454: A rifle chambered in a military cartridge both difficult and expensive. Smoothbore shotguns could be legally held with far less trouble. RFI, in India, converted a large number of MkIII rifles to single-shot muskets, chambered for the .410 Indian musket cartridge. These conversions were for issue to police and prison guards, to provide a firearm with a much-reduced power and range in comparison to
4984-483: A rubber butt-pad, the .303 round produced excessive recoil due to the shorter barrel. It was unsuitable for general issue and production ceased in 1947, due to an "inherent fault in the design", often claimed to be a "wandering zero" and accuracy problems. The No. 5 iron sight line was similar to the No. 4 Mark I and featured a rear receiver aperture battle sight calibrated for 300 yd (274 m) with an additional ladder aperture sight that could be flipped up and
5162-475: A run of several thousand survival rifles based on the No. 4 action, but lightened and shortened, chambered in .303 British. Serial numbers below 6000 were for civilian sale, serial numbers 6000 and higher were built under contract to the Canadian government. The Royal Canadian Air Force also used these as a survival rifle in the remote parts of Canada. The L59A1 was a conversion of the No. 4 rifle (all marks) to
5340-520: A safety lever on the left side of the receiver was slightly modified with a unique angular groove pattern, and the two-piece hand guard being extended from the nose cap to the receiver, omitting the barrel mounted leaf sight. The design was found to be even more complicated and expensive to manufacture than the Mk III and was not developed or issued, beyond a trial production of about 20,000 rifles between 1922 and 1924 at RSAF Enfield all of which marked with
5518-490: A simplified rear sight arrangement and a fixed, rather than a bolt-head-mounted sliding, charger guide. The design of the handguards and the magazine were also improved and the chamber was adapted to fire the new Mk VII high velocity spitzer .303 ammunition. Many early models, magazine Lee–Enfields (MLEs), magazine Lee–Metfords (MLMs) and SMLEs, were rebuilt to the Mk III standard. These are called "Mk IV Cond.", with various asterisks denoting subtypes. Another feature present on
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5696-582: A source of officers for other units, mostly to the East Africa Transport Corps but also to the KAR, Uganda Native Medical Corps , Uganda Police Service Battalion , Buganda Rifles , East African Mounted Rifles , on board Ugandan armed vessels and in other transport and supply corps. There was also a proposal to deploy 50 of the Indian members as a separate unit and a special training course
5874-489: A specific rifle. In British service, the No. 32 telescope progressed through three marks with the Mk. I introduced in 1942, the Mk. II in 1943 which offered side adjustments in finer 1 MOA increments, and finally the Mk. III (Mk. 3) in 1944 which had an improved field of view of 8 degrees 30 minutes. A transitional model the No. 32 Mk. 2/1 was also made. The Canadian scopes made by Research Enterprises Limited and were prefixed with
6052-699: A suitable propellant could be found. Wartime demand and the improved Mk VII loading of the .303 round caused the Lee–Enfield to be retained for service. Circa 1914 the Pattern 1913 design was modified as the Pattern 1914 Enfield , mainly to use the .303 British cartridge. This weapon was mainly produced in the United States for British forces during the First World War. Upon the US entry into that war in 1917
6230-591: A vast tract of land that became a centre of cash-crop agriculture known as the " White Highlands ". A major part of the territory eventually left out of the "East Africa Protectorate" was the Uganda Scheme , in which the British Empire offered to create a Jewish nation-state. The offer was made to the Zionist movement which rejected it, refusing to accept anything other than the ancient Land of Israel . In many areas of Uganda, by contrast, agricultural production
6408-466: A view to it becoming the British Service training rifle when the .303" CF No.5 was initially mooted as being a potential replacement for the No.4 rifle. The C No.7 22" MK.I rifle is a .22 single-shot, manually fed, training version of the No.4 Mk I* rifle manufactured at Long Branch. Production of this model was 1944–1946 and a few in 1950 to 1953. Conversion of rifles to smoothbore guns
6586-681: The British Empire from 1894 to 1962. In 1893 the Imperial British East Africa Company transferred its administration rights of territory consisting mainly of the Kingdom of Buganda to the British government. In 1894 the Uganda Protectorate was established, and the territory was extended beyond the borders of Buganda to an area that roughly corresponds to that of present-day Uganda . In
6764-479: The Imperial British East Africa Company (IBEAC), and succeeded in ousting Kalema and reinstating Mwanga in 1890. The IBEAC sent Frederick Lugard to Uganda in 1890 as its chief representative and to help maintain the peace between the competing factions. In 1891, Mwanga concluded a treaty with Lugard whereby Mwanga would place his land and tributary states under the protection of the IBEAC. In 1892, having subdued
6942-712: The Lee–Enfield cavalry carbine Mk I , or LEC , with a 21.2-inch (540 mm) barrel as opposed to the 30.2-inch (770 mm) one in the "long" version. Both underwent a minor upgrade series in 1899 (the omission of the cleaning / clearing rod), becoming the Mk I*. Many LECs (and LMCs in smaller numbers) were converted to special patterns, namely the New Zealand carbine and the Royal Irish Constabulary carbine , or NZ and RIC carbines , respectively. Some of
7120-517: The Lee–Metford (adopted by the British Army in 1888), the Lee–Enfield superseded the earlier Martini–Henry , Martini–Enfield , and Lee-Metford rifles. It featured a ten-round box magazine which was loaded with the .303 British cartridge manually from the top, either one round at a time or by means of five-round chargers . The Lee–Enfield was the standard-issue weapon to rifle companies of
7298-456: The Mk III* was introduced incorporating several changes, the most prominent of which were the deletion of the magazine cut-off mechanism, which when engaged permits the feeding and extraction of single cartridges only while keeping the cartridges in the magazine in reserve, and the long-range volley sights. The windage adjustment of the rear sight was also dispensed with, and the cocking piece
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7476-534: The National Rifle Association 's annual competition at Bisley , England. On 4 December 1913 a sepoy of the 4th King's African Rifles (KAR) Indian contingent was killed by a stray bullet while acting as a score marker on the Entebbe unit's range. An inquiry found that the range's protective mound was in need of reinforcement, that was carried out at the cost of £8, but no case for negligence
7654-508: The Rifle No. 3 .) The SMLE design was relatively expensive to manufacture, because of the many forging and machining operations required. In the 1920s, a series of experiments were carried out to help with these problems, resulting in design changes which reduced the number of complex parts and refining manufacturing processes. The SMLE Mk V (later Rifle No. 1 Mk V ), adopted a new receiver -mounted aperture sighting system, which moved
7832-687: The Uganda Intelligence Department ) was about 20 strong and included European officers and African soldiers. Most of this recruitment was done from the northern part of the protectorate especially the Acholi sub-region. The British colonial administration had also fought with the Lamogi clan of the Acholi people in what that culminated in to the Lamogi Rebellion. Far more promising as a source of political support were
8010-466: The 'Bakungu' as a sort of hereditary aristocracy. British officials vetoed the idea when they discovered widespread popular opposition. Instead, British officials began some reforms and attempted to make the 'Lukiko' a genuine representative assembly. Although momentous change occurred during the colonial era in Uganda, some characteristics of late-nineteenth-century African society survived to reemerge at
8188-437: The .303 cartridge. A further likely consideration was the difficulty of obtaining replacement ammunition in the event of the rifle's theft or the carrier's desertion. While British and Australian conversions were to the standard commercially available .410 shotgun cartridge (though of varying chamber lengths) the Indian conversions have been the source of considerable confusion. The Indian conversions were originally chambered for
8366-439: The .410 Indian musket cartridge, which is based on the .303 British cartridge, and will not chamber the common .410 shotgun cartridge. Many of these muskets were rechambered, after being sold as surplus, and can now be used with commercially available ammunition. Unmodified muskets require handloading of ammunition, as the .410 Indian Musket cartridge was not commercially distributed and does not appear to have been manufactured since
8544-421: The 15-man count. The government of Uganda agreed and formally cancelled the Kampala Corps by order on 18 March 1910. By May 1913 some 34 Kampala residents were members of the Entebbe Corps. On 23 June fourteen of these members, together with one non-member, sent another petition to the governor requesting that a Kampala Corps be formed. This was rejected on the same basis as the 1909 petition. A second petition
8722-696: The 18 February defence of Kachumbi Fort in Buddu and received the Distinguished Conduct Medal . On 5 September 1916 the governor of Uganda, Sir Frederick Jackson , sent a letter of thanks to the commandant of the UVR for the unit's service during the war. In December 1916 Jackson recommended to the secretary of state for the colonies that several officers be commended for their service. Three officers, Captain (local Major) F.A. Flint, Captain (local Major) E. H. T. Lawrence and Captain (local Lieutenant Colonel) C. Riddick, were subsequently named in
8900-403: The 1903 Ordinance was amended by issue of Ugandan Ordinance No. 17. After protests from members, this ordered that 100 rounds be issued free of charge annually to all members and removed the requirement for the weapon deposit. Members also secured a 43 per cent reduction in the cost charged for ammunition in 1905. Members were responsible for the cost of repairs to their firearm and were liable to
9078-463: The 1920s, the British administrators were more confident and had less need for military or administrative support. Colonial officials taxed cash crops produced by the peasants. There was popular discontent among the Baganda rank-and-file, which weakened the position of their leaders. In 1912, Kagwa moved to solidify 'Bakungu' power by proposing a second 'Lukiko' for Buganda with himself as president and
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#17327810644099256-424: The 1950s. Numerous attempts have been made to convert the various single-shot .410 shotgun models to a bolt-action repeating model by removing the wooden magazine plug and replacing it with a standard 10-round SMLE magazine. None of these is known to have been successful, though some owners have adapted three-round magazines for Savage and Stevens shotguns to function in a converted SMLE shotgun, or even placing such
9434-472: The 1980s. The restrictions placed on "military calibre" rifles in New South Wales were lifted in 1975, and many people who had converted their Lee–Enfields to the "wildcat" rounds converted their rifles back to .303 British. Post-Second World War, SAF Lithgow converted a number of SMLE rifles to commercial sporting rifles- notably the .22 Hornet model- under the "Slazenger" brand. In the early 1950s Essential Agencies Ltd. (E.A.L.), of Toronto, Ontario, produced
9612-644: The 1990s. As a standard-issue infantry rifle, it is still found in service in the armed forces of some Commonwealth nations, notably with the Bangladesh Police, which makes it the second longest-serving military bolt-action rifle still in official service, after the Mosin–Nagant (Mosin-Nagant receivers are used in the Finnish 7.62 Tkiv 85 ). Total production of all Lee–Enfields is estimated at over 17 million rifles. The Lee–Enfield takes its name from
9790-584: The Banyoro rose in a rebellion called nyangire , or "refusing", and succeeded in having the Baganda subimperial agents withdrawn. Meanwhile, in 1901 the completion of the Uganda Railway from the coast at Mombasa to the Lake Victoria port of Kisumu moved colonial authorities to encourage the growth of cash crops to help pay the railway's operating costs. Another result of the railway construction
9968-591: The British Army, colonial armies (such as India and parts of Africa), and other Commonwealth nations in both the First and Second World Wars (such as Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Canada). Although officially replaced in the United Kingdom with the L1A1 SLR in 1957, it remained in widespread British service until the early/mid-1960s and the 7.62 mm L42A1 sniper variant remained in service until
10146-562: The British colonial officers, who welcomed the typing and translation skills of school graduates and advanced the careers of their favourites. The contest was decided after World War I, when an influx of British ex-military officers, now serving as district commissioners, began to feel that self-government was an obstacle to good government. Specifically, they accused Sir Apollo and his generation of inefficiency, abuse of power, and failure to keep adequate financial accounts—charges that were not hard to document. Sir Apollo resigned in 1926, at about
10324-512: The British was financial. Quelling the 1897 sudanese mutiny (see Uganda before 1900 ) under the leadership of protectorate commissioner George Wilson CB had been costly—units of the British Indian Army had been transported to Uganda at considerable expense. The new commissioner of Uganda in 1900, Sir Harry H. Johnston , had orders to establish an efficient administration and to levy taxes as quickly as possible. Johnston approached
10502-583: The British. Musazi's Uganda National Congress replaced the farmers union in 1952 when it was set up with Abu Mayanja as its first Secretary General, but because the Congress remained a casual discussion group more than an organized political party, it stagnated and came to an end just two years after its inception. Meanwhile, the British began to move ahead of the Ugandans in preparing for independence. The effects of Britain's postwar withdrawal from India ,
10680-673: The Buffington battle sight of the M1903 Springfield . The No. 4 rifle was heavier than the No. 1 Mk. III, largely due to its heavier barrel. A new bayonet was designed to go with the rifle: a spike bayonet the No. 4 bayonet , essentially a steel rod with a sharp point, nicknamed "pigsticker" by soldiers. Towards the end of the Second World War, a bladed bayonet was developed for the No.5 Mk.I rifle ("jungle carbine"). Post-war versions were made that would fit No. 4 rifles and were designated No. 7 and No. 9 blade bayonets. During
10858-617: The Buganda kingdom, Sir Apollo Kaggwa , personally awarded a bicycle to the top graduate at King's College Budo , together with the promise of a government job. The schools, in fact, had inherited the educational function formerly performed in the Kabaka 's palace, where generations of young pages had been trained to become chiefs. Now the qualifications sought were literacy and skills, including typing and English translation. Two important principles of precolonial political life carried over into
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#173278106440911036-834: The DP. The Kabaka was also promised the largely ceremonial position of Head of state of Uganda, which was of great symbolic importance to the Baganda. This marriage of convenience between the UPC and the KY made inevitable the defeat of the DP interim administration. In the aftermath of the April 1962 final election leading up to independence, Uganda's national assembly consisted of forty-three UPC members, twenty-four KY members, and twenty-four DP members. The new UPC-KY coalition led Uganda into independence in October 1962, with Obote as Prime Minister of Uganda , and
11214-416: The Entebbe Corps, No. 2 Company the Kampala Corps and No. 3 Company (also based at Kampala) was to accommodate members of Indian ethnicity who were joining the reserve in increasing numbers. The KAR Reserve, of two companies, were also stationed at Entebbe. On 26 August UVR members were split into four classes. Those men in class 1 were available for general service, those in class 2a for service only within
11392-401: The First World War, but was subsequently withdrawn from issue due to reliability problems with its quite complicated loading and feeding mechanisms. No. 2 Mk. IV rifles are externally identical to .303 calibre SMLE Mk III* rifles, the only difference being the .22 calibre barrel, empty magazine case, bolthead and extractor which have been modified to fire .22 calibre rimfire cartridges. After
11570-419: The IBEAC formally ended its involvement in Uganda. Missionaries, led by Alfred Tucker , lobbied the British government to take over the administration of Uganda in place of the IBEAC, arguing that British withdrawal would lead to a continuance of the civil war between the different religious factions. Shortly after, Sir Gerald Portal , a representative of the British government on the ground in Uganda, proposed
11748-549: The KAR had grown considerably and they had become an effective fighting force built out of Ugandans rather than outsiders and had enjoyed success against the German forces in East Africa. The Protectorate also developed an emergency response for the intelligence collection on German activities and performing political-military liaison with allies in East Africa; according to UK National Archive records this organisation (known as
11926-523: The Kabaka as a political force provoked immediate hostility. Political parties and local interest groups were riddled with divisions and rivalries, but they shared one concern: they were determined not to be dominated by Buganda. In 1960 a political organizer from Lango, Milton Obote , seized the initiative and formed a new party, the Uganda People's Congress (UPC), as a coalition of all those outside
12104-519: The Kabaka becoming President of Uganda a year later. Short Magazine Lee%E2%80%93Enfield The Lee–Enfield is a bolt-action , magazine -fed repeating rifle that served as the main firearm of the military forces of the British Empire and Commonwealth during the first half of the 20th century, and was the standard service rifle of the British Armed Forces from its official adoption in 1895 until 1957. A redesign of
12282-477: The Kabaka — too many to be overlooked or shunted aside, but too few to dominate the country as a whole. At the London Conference of 1960 , it was obvious that Buganda autonomy and a strong unitary government were incompatible, but no compromise emerged, and the decision on the form of government was postponed. The British announced that elections would be held in March 1961 for "responsible government",
12460-448: The Kabaka's defence. They were conservative, fiercely loyal to Buganda as a kingdom, and willing to entertain the prospect of participation in an independent Uganda only if it were headed by the Kabaka as head of state. Baganda politicians who did not share this vision or who were opposed to the "King's Friends" found themselves branded as the "King's Enemies", which meant political and social ostracism. The major exception to this rule were
12638-462: The MLEs (and MLMs) were converted to load from chargers , and designated Charger Loading Lee–Enfields , or CLLEs . A shorter and lighter version of the original MLE—the Rifle, Short, Magazine, Lee–Enfield or SMLE (sometimes spoken as "Smelly", rather than "S-M-L-E") —was introduced on 1 January 1904. The barrel was now halfway in length between the original long rifle and the carbine, at 25.2 inches (640 mm). The SMLE's visual trademark
12816-539: The Mauser design was created to fire the round, called the Pattern 1913 Enfield . Although the .276 Enfield had better ballistics, trials by British Army soldiers in 1913 revealed problems including excessive recoil, muzzle flash, barrel wear and overheating. It was hoped that a propellant with a lower burning temperature would be an improvement, but the onset of the First World War in 1914 ended development before
12994-499: The Mauser. The Lee bolt-action and 10-round magazine capacity enabled a well-trained rifleman to perform the " mad minute " firing 20 to 30 aimed rounds in 60 seconds, making the Lee–Enfield the fastest military bolt-action rifle of the day. The current world record for aimed bolt-action fire was set in 1914 by a musketry instructor in the British Army—Sergeant Instructor Snoxall—who placed 38 rounds into
13172-619: The Muslim faction, the Protestants and Catholics resumed their struggle for supremacy which led to civil war. That same year, the British government extended their support for the IBEAC to remain in Uganda until 1893. Despite strong opposition to getting involved in Uganda, the government felt that withdrawal of British influence would lead to war and the threat of a fellow European power encroaching on Britain's sphere of influence in East Africa it shared with Germany in 1890. On 31 March 1893,
13350-560: The No. 1 Mk III as well as many other models of the SMLE was a field cleaning kit enclosed behind a trapdoor in the buttstock which included a barrel pull through with various cloths and an oil bottle enclosed deeper within the compartment. During the First World War, the SMLE Mk III was found to be too complicated to manufacture (an SMLE Mk III rifle cost the British government £3/15/– = £3.75 ), and demand outstripped supply; in late 1915
13528-645: The No. 4 Mk 2 rifle, the British refurbished many of their No. 4 rifles and brought them up to the same standard as the No. 4 Mk 2. The No. 4 Mk 1 rifles were renamed No. 4 Mk I/2 , while No. 4 Mk I* rifles that were brought up to Mk 2 standard were renamed No. 4 Mk I/3 . The refurbishment of the No.4 MkIs and No.4 MkI*s to the No.4 Mk2 specifications were done during the 1950s at ROF Fazakerley and BSA Shirley. The No.4 rifles refurbished at ROF Fazakerley were for British military use while No.4 rifles refurbished at BSA Shirley were for commercial sale to various British Commonwealth countries and to civilian rifle shooters in
13706-655: The No. 4 Mk I used to develop the No. 5 Mk I). The Australian military was not permitted to manufacture the No. 4 Mk I, because the Lithgow Small Arms Factory was producing the SMLE Mk III. The No. 6 Mk I never entered full production and examples are rare and valuable to collectors. A "shortened and lightened" version of the SMLE Mk III* rifle was also tested by the Australian military and a very small number were manufactured at SAF Lithgow during
13884-526: The No. 5 Mk I as a "jungle carbine". The No. 4 and No. 5 rifles served in the Korean War (as did the No.1 Mk III* SMLE and sniper "T" variants, mostly with Australian troops). During both World Wars and the Korean War, Lee–Enfield rifles were modified for use as sniper rifles . The Australian Army modified 1,612 Lithgow SMLE No. 1 Mk. III* rifles by adding a heavy target barrel, cheek-piece, and
14062-478: The North African, Italian, Pacific and Burmese theatres in the hands of British and Commonwealth forces. Australia and India retained and manufactured the SMLE Mk III* as their standard rifle during the conflict, and the rifle remained in Australian military service through the Korean War , until it was replaced by the L1A1 SLR in the late 1950s. The Lithgow Small Arms Factory finally ceased production of
14240-527: The Protectorate's history of occupation the British colonial government had recognised the need for a local defence force. In 1895 the British colonial armed force in the Protectorate was the Uganda Rifles, who were formed as an internal security force (i.e. keeping the peace in tribal areas rather than defending against external aggression). In the late nineteenth century the local defence force
14418-730: The Roman Catholic Baganda who had formed their own party, the Democratic Party (DP), led by Benedicto Kiwanuka . Many Catholics had felt excluded from the Protestant-dominated establishment in Buganda ever since Lugard's Maxim had turned the tide in 1892. The Kabaka had to be Protestant, and he was invested in a coronation ceremony modelled on that of British monarchs (who are invested by the Church of England's Archbishop of Canterbury) that took place at
14596-525: The Roman Catholic-dominated DP who opposed Buganda hegemony. The steps Cohen had initiated to bring about the independence of a unified Ugandan state had led to a polarization between factions from Buganda and those opposed to its domination. Buganda's population in 1959 was 2 million, out of Uganda's total of 6 million. Even discounting the many non-Baganda resident in Buganda, there were at least 1 million people who owed allegiance to
14774-456: The SMLE Mk III* in 1953. The Rifle Factory Ishapore at Ishapore in India produced the Mk III* in .303 British, and then the model 2A, with strength increased by heat treatment of the receiver and bolt to fire 7.62×51mm NATO ammunition, retaining the 2,000-yard rear sight as the metric conversion of distance was very close to the flatter trajectory of the new ammunition. The model 2|A1 changed
14952-431: The SMLE being tested as early as 1911, as well as later on the No. 1 Mk III pattern rifle. These unusual rifles have something of a mysterious service history, but represent a missing link in SMLE development. The primary distinguishing feature of the No. 1 Mk V is the rear aperture sight. Like the No. 1 Mk III* it lacked a volley sight and had the wire loop in place of the sling swivel at the front of magazine well along with
15130-564: The Second World War, the Rifle, No. 7 , Rifle, No. 8 and Rifle, No. 9 , all .22 rimfire trainers and target rifles based on the Lee action, were adopted or in use with cadet units and target shooters throughout the Commonwealth, the No.8 as of 2017 has been replaced among cadet forces due to obsolescence. In Britain, a .22RF version of the No.5 rifle was prototyped by BSA and trialled with
15308-454: The UK and the Commonwealth. Later in the war, the need for a shorter, lighter rifle forced the development of the Rifle, No. 5 Mk I (the " jungle carbine "). With a cut-down stock, a prominent flash hider , and a "lightening-cut" receiver machined to remove all unnecessary metal, reduced barrel length of 18.8 in (478 mm) the No. 5 was shorter and 2 lb (0.9 kg) lighter. Despite
15486-403: The UVR had reduced in strength to 181 members of all ranks; some 319 European and 110 Indian members served with it at some point during the war. At the end of 1916 the commandant proposed restructuring the UVR to better serve the requirements of the protectorate; but it was decided to leave the unit on it previous footing. One member of the UVR, Sergeant Charles Thomas Campbell Doran, served in
15664-437: The UVR in case of war but on 6 August a meeting of European residents in the protectorate led to almost every able-bodied man of European origin enrolling in the force, greatly expanding its numbers (the UVR still stood at 129 members at the start of the war). The government amended the Ordinance on 11 August to allow greater flexibility in its deployment of the UVR; the requirement for two days' notice prior to call-up for service
15842-613: The Uganda Volunteer Reserve (Repeal) Ordinance on 21 November 1932. It was not until 1937 that the Uganda Rifle Association was established as a successor. The UVR was reformed in May 1940, during the Second World War, and received arms and ammunition from the Uganda Rifle Association, but its later history is not known. Uganda Protectorate The Protectorate of Uganda was a protectorate of
16020-483: The acting commissioner of the Uganda Protectorate Police as commandant and the assistant district commissioner of Entebbe as adjutant. From 22 August authorisation was granted to pay members of the UVR who were called up, including those receiving training, though no uniform was implemented. On 24 August the UVR was reformed as an infantry battalion of three companies. No. 1 Company consisted of
16198-483: The bolt head. The shorter length was controversial at the time; many rifle association members and gunsmiths were concerned that the shorter barrel would not be as accurate as the longer MLE barrels, that the recoil would be much greater and the sighting radius would be too short. The best-known Lee–Enfield rifle, the SMLE Mk III , was introduced on 26 January 1907, along with a Pattern 1907 bayonet and featured
16376-466: The call up and faced 75 rupee fines if they did not attend. Volunteers were unpaid but awarded a 15 rupee annual grant if they qualified as "efficient". Originally all that was required to qualify was to keep the rifle in good order and to fire 21 shots at an annual meeting; in 1904 this was amended to requiring a certain score to be achieved from 200 yards (180 m), 300 yards (270 m) and 400 yards (370 m). The score required (initially 45/105)
16554-459: The chambering of imperfect or dirty ammunition and also so that the closing cam action is distributed over the entire mating faces of both bolt and receiver lugs. This is one reason the bolt closure feels smooth. The rifle was also equipped with a detachable sheet-steel, 10-round, double-column magazine, a very modern development in its day. Originally, the concept of a detachable magazine was opposed in some British Army circles, as some feared that
16732-417: The cheap .22L cartridge and some larger types, circa 1907. Some were later modified with special adaptors to enable magazine loading. In 1914, Enfield produced complete .22 barrels and bolts specifically for converting .303 units, and these soon became the most common conversion. A five-round .22 cal Parker-Hiscock magazine was also developed and in service for a relatively short period during the later period of
16910-456: The chiefs in Uganda with offers of jobs in the colonial administration in return for their collaboration. The chiefs were more interested in preserving Uganda as a self-governing entity, continuing the royal line of Kabakas , and securing private land tenure for themselves and their supporters. Hard bargaining ensued, but the chiefs ended up with everything they wanted, including one-half of all
17088-432: The colonial era: clientage, whereby ambitious younger officeholders attached themselves to older high-ranking chiefs, and generational conflict, which resulted when the younger generation sought to expel their elders from office in order to replace them. After World War I, the younger aspirants to high office in Buganda became impatient with the seemingly perpetual tenure of Sir Apollo and his contemporaries, who lacked many of
17266-484: The colonial government to assist with the defence of the protectorate. It was reorganised as an infantry battalion with the corps forming companies. A third company was raised consisting entirely of men of Indian ethnicity. The UVR was issued uniforms, locally made in khaki, for the first time and saw expansion in their numbers, reaching 280 by the end of 1914. The UVR was deployed to protect Kampala from looting by British-raised levy troops and some members were posted to
17444-441: The corps was headquartered and a secretary, who was elected by the members. The secretary was responsible for the property of the corps, all correspondence with the government and the maintenance of order and discipline. The UVR could be mobilised upon the order of the colonial governor, though the secretary of each corps could authorise a member to absent themselves upon such an occasion. Members were granted two days to respond to
17622-609: The cotton estates of the chiefs before World War I, did not remain servile. As time passed, they bought small parcels of land from their erstwhile landlords. This land fragmentation was aided by the British, who in 1927 forced the chiefs to limit severely the rents and obligatory labour they could demand from their tenants. Thus the oligarchy of landed chiefs who had emerged with the Uganda Agreement of 1900 declined in importance, and agricultural production shifted to independent smallholders , who grew cotton, and later coffee, for
17800-592: The course of the Second World War, the No. 4 rifle was further simplified for mass-production with the creation of the No. 4 Mk I* in 1942, with the bolt release catch replaced by a simpler notch on the bolt track of the rifle's receiver. It was produced only by Small Arms Limited at Long Branch in Canada, and Stevens-Savage Firearms in the US. The No.4 rifle was primarily produced for the United Kingdom, Canada and some other Commonwealth countries including New Zealand. In 1943 it cost £7 15s (£7.75) to produce By comparison,
17978-624: The course of the Second World War. The term "jungle carbine" was popularised in the 1950s by the Santa Fe Arms Corporation , a U.S. importer which refurbished many surplus rifles, converting many of the No. 4 marks, in the hope of increasing sales of a rifle that had little U.S. market penetration. It was never an official military designation but British and Commonwealth troops serving in the Burmese and Pacific theatres during World War II had been known to unofficially refer to
18156-469: The designer of the rifle's bolt system— James Paris Lee —and the location where its rifling design was created—the Royal Small Arms Factory in Enfield . The Lee–Enfield rifle was derived from the earlier Lee–Metford, a mechanically similar black-powder rifle, which combined James Paris Lee 's rear-locking bolt system that had a barrel featuring rifling designed by William Ellis Metford . The bolt has
18334-399: The development of the "peddled scheme", which contracted out the production of whole rifles and rifle components to several shell companies. As a result, the production was quadrupled in the first year of the war from slightly over 100 thousands annually before the war. The SMLE Mk III* (renamed Rifle No.1 Mk III* in 1926) saw extensive service throughout the Second World War, especially in
18512-506: The early 1870s. The CDC had supported the government of the Uganda Protectorate , in East Africa, to pass the Uganda Volunteer Reserve Ordinance (Ugandan Ordinance No. 5) in March 1903. The Ordinance allowed for the formation of a number of "rifle corps" which would together form the Uganda Volunteer Reserve. The Ordinance required each corps to number no fewer than 15 men, all aged 16 or older. Membership
18690-690: The eastern regions of Busoga , Lango , and Teso . Many Baganda spent their new earnings on imported clothing, bicycles, metal roofing, and even cars. They also invested in their children's education. The Christian missions emphasized literacy skills, and African converts quickly learned to read and write. By 1911 two popular journals, Ebifa (News) and Munno (Your Friend), were published monthly in Luganda. Heavily supported by African funds, new schools were soon turning out graduating classes at Mengo High School, St. Mary's Kisubi, Namilyango, Gayaza, and King's College Budo — all in Buganda. The chief minister of
18868-727: The economic side, he removed obstacles to African cotton ginning, rescinded price discrimination against African-grown coffee, encouraged cooperatives, and established the Uganda Development Corporation to promote and finance new projects. On the political side, he reorganized the Legislative Council , which had consisted of an unrepresentative selection of interest groups heavily favouring the European community, to include African representatives elected from districts throughout Uganda. This system became
19046-487: The export market. Unlike Tanganyika , which was devastated during the prolonged fighting between Britain and Germany in the East African Campaign of World War I , Uganda prospered from wartime agricultural production. After the population losses from disease during the era of conquest and at the turn of the century (particularly the devastating sleeping sickness epidemic of 1900–1906), Uganda's population
19224-529: The first time since 1889, the monarch was given the power to appoint and dismiss his chiefs (Buganda government officials) instead of acting as a mere figurehead while they conducted the affairs of government. The Kabaka's new power was cloaked in the misleading claim that he would be only a "constitutional monarch", while in fact he was a leading player in deciding how Uganda would be governed. A new grouping of Baganda calling themselves "the King's Friends" rallied to
19402-416: The government reduced its civil service staff, which allowed more men to commit to unrestricted service with the UVR. The European UVR members were of British, French, Dutch, Boer, Danish, Scandinavian, Greek and Armenian origin. Those with citizenship of neutral countries were placed into class 2b only. No. 3 Company consisted largely of former Punjabi soldiers of the British Indian Army , mainly Sikhs with
19580-503: The harmonic vibrations of the barrel. The receiver-mounted rear sights and magazine cutoff were also present and 1,025 units were produced in the 1930 period. In the early 1930s, a batch of 2,500 No. 4 Mk. I rifles was made for trials. These were similar to the No. 1 Mk. VI but had a flat left side and did away with the chequering on the furniture. Observed examples are dated 1931 and 1933. Roughly 1,400 of these were converted to No. 4 MK. I (T) sniper rifles in 1941–1942 at RSAF Enfield. By
19758-515: The houses of pro-government chiefs. The rioters had three demands: the right to bypass government price controls on the export sales of cotton, the removal of the Asian monopoly over cotton ginning, and the right to have their own representatives in local government replace chiefs appointed by the British. They were critical as well of the young Kabaka, Frederick Walugembe Mutesa II (also known as "King Freddie" or "Kabaka Freddie"), for his inattention to
19936-436: The land in Buganda. The half left to the British as "Crown Land" was later found to be largely swamp and scrub. Johnston's Uganda Agreement of 1900 imposed a tax on huts and guns, designated the chiefs as tax collectors, and testified to the continued alliance of British and Baganda interests. The British signed much less generous treaties with the other kingdoms ( Toro in 1900, Ankole in 1901, and Bunyoro in 1933) without
20114-415: The largely Protestant 'Bakungu' client-chiefs, led by Kagwa. London sent only a few officials to administer the country, relying primarily on the 'Bakungu' chiefs. For decades they were preferred because of their political skills, their Christianity, their friendly relations with the British, their ability to collect taxes, and the proximity of Entebbe (the Ugandan colonial capital) to the Buganda capital. By
20292-415: The late 1930s, the need for new rifles grew and the Rifle, No. 4 Mk I was officially adopted in 1941. The No. 4 action was similar to the No.1 Mk VI but stronger and easier to mass-produce. Unlike the SMLE, that had a nose cap, the No 4 Lee–Enfield barrel protruded from the end of the forestock. For easier machining, the charger bridge was no longer rounded. The iron sight line was redesigned and featured
20470-521: The late 1960s. The British military switched over to the 7.62×51mm NATO round in the 1950s; starting in 1970, over 1,000 of the No. 4 Mk I (T) and No. 4 Mk. I* (T) sniper rifles were converted to this new calibre and designated L42A1 . The L42A1 sniper rifle continued as the British Army's standard sniper weapon being phased out by 1993, and replaced by Accuracy International's L96 . Numbers of Lee–Enfield rifles were converted to .22 calibre training rifles, in order to teach cadets and new recruits
20648-516: The main Protestant church. Religion and politics were equally inseparable in the other kingdoms throughout Uganda. The DP had Catholic as well as other adherents and was probably the best organized of all the parties preparing for elections. It had printing presses and the backing of the popular newspaper, Munno, which was published at the St. Mary's Kisubi mission. Elsewhere in Uganda, the emergence of
20826-597: The march of nationalism in West Africa , and a more liberal philosophy in the Colonial Office geared toward future self-rule all began to be felt in Uganda. The embodiment of these issues arrived in 1952 in the person of a new and energetic reformist governor, Sir Andrew Cohen (formerly undersecretary for African affairs in the Colonial Office). Cohen set about preparing Uganda for independence. On
21004-457: The mid-1880s, the Kingdom of Buganda was divided between four religious factions – Adherents of Uganda's Native Religion, Catholics , Protestants and Muslims – each vying for political control. In 1888, Mwanga II was ousted in a coup led by the Muslim faction, who installed Kalema as leader. The following year, a Protestant and Catholic coalition formed to remove Kalema and return Mwanga II to power. This coalition secured an alliance with
21182-470: The national government. For its part, the UPC was equally anxious to eject its DP rivals from government before they became entrenched. Obote reached an understanding with Kabaka Freddie and the KY, accepting Buganda's special federal relationship and even a provision by which the kabaka could appoint Buganda's representatives to the National Assembly, in return for a strategic alliance to defeat
21360-493: The needs of his people. The British governor, Sir John Hall , regarded the riots as the work of communist-inspired agitators and rejected the suggested reforms. Far from leading the people into confrontation, Uganda's would-be agitators were slow to respond to popular discontent. Nevertheless, the Uganda African Farmers Union , founded by I.K. Musazi in 1947, was blamed for the riots and was banned by
21538-432: The new chief minister of Uganda. Shocked by the results, the Baganda separatists, who formed a political party called Kabaka Yekka , had second thoughts about the wisdom of their election boycott. They quickly welcomed the recommendations of a British commission that proposed a future federal form of government. According to these recommendations, Buganda would enjoy a measure of internal autonomy if it participated fully in
21716-421: The next-to-last stage of preparation before the formal granting of independence. It was assumed that those winning the election would gain valuable experience in office, preparing them for the probable responsibility of governing after independence. In Buganda the "King's Friends" urged a total boycott of the election because their attempts to secure promises of future autonomy had been rebuffed. Consequently, when
21894-459: The older Martini–Enfield rifles, and some side arms were also issued. In the early stage of the war the UVR helped to detain German subjects residing in the protectorate and transfer them to Nairobi for internment. The Kampala companies were also mobilised as a result of the levying of Bugandan tribesmen as spear-armed troops. Some 3,000 of these levies were mobilised during the war, together with 15,000 held in reserve. They patrolled alongside
22072-487: The police on the southern frontier. The levying of Bugandans had previously resulted in looting of the town so the UVR companies were posted to the Indian bazaar and native market to prevent trouble. This was successful, though shambas (subsistence farms) along the route of march were looted. The German authorities in Rwanda may have initially had intentions to invade Southern Uganda but withdrew in late August, possibly as
22250-555: The possibility of a federation of the three East African territories (Kenya, Uganda, and Tanganyika), similar to that established in Rhodesia and Nyasaland . Many Ugandans were aware of the Central African Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland (later Zimbabwe , Zambia , and Malawi ) and its domination by white settler interests. Ugandans deeply feared the prospect of an East African federation dominated by
22428-466: The private soldier might be likely to lose the magazine during field campaigns. Early models of the Lee–Metford and Lee–Enfield even used a short length of chain to secure the magazine to the rifle. To further facilitate rapid aimed fire the rifle can be cycled by most riflemen without loss of sight picture. These design features facilitate rapid cycling and fire compared to other bolt-action designs like
22606-425: The produce. Buganda, with its strategic location on the lakeside, reaped the benefits of cotton growing. The advantages of this crop were quickly recognized by the Baganda chiefs who had newly acquired freehold estates, which came to be known as mailo because they were measured in square miles. In 1905 the initial baled cotton export was valued at £200; in 1906, £1,000; in 1907; £11,000; and in 1908, £52,000. By 1915
22784-470: The protectorate, those in class 2b only able to serve within their district and those in class 3 the men that had been exempted from service by order of the governor. Members were able to select their own class, though serving civil servants were not permitted to place themselves in class 1 without permission of the Chief Secretary, who headed the protectorate's civil service. As the war progressed,
22962-486: The provision of large-scale private land tenure. The smaller chiefdoms of Busoga were ignored. The Baganda immediately offered their services to the British as administrators over their recently conquered neighbours, an offer which was attractive to the economy-minded colonial administration. Baganda agents fanned out as local tax collectors and labour organizers in areas such as Kigezi , Mbale , and, significantly, Bunyoro. This sub-imperialism and Ganda cultural chauvinism
23140-399: The rear of the forestock on the No.4 Mk I/Mk I* being removed in favour of a tie screw and nut) and brass "gunmetal" buttplates (during the war the British, Americans and Canadians replaced the brass buttplates on the No.4 rifles with a zinc alloy ( Zamak ) type to reduce costs and speed production). Near the end of the war and after, Canada made blued steel buttplates. With the introduction of
23318-434: The rear sight from its former position on the barrel. The increased gap resulted in an improved sighting radius, improving sighting accuracy and the aperture improved speed of sighting over various distances. In the stowed position, a fixed distance aperture battle sight calibrated for 300 yd (274 m) protruded saving further precious seconds when laying the sight to a target. An alternative developed during this period
23496-484: The rear sight to 800 m, and was manufactured until at least the 1980s; a sporting rifle based on the Mk III* action remained in production. The rifle became known simply as the "three-oh-three". Due to the poor performance of the .303 British cartridge during the Second Boer War from 1899 to 1902, the British attempted to replace the round and the Lee–Enfield rifle that fired it. The main deficiency of
23674-539: The rest of the protectorate and transferred to Foreign Office jurisdiction. Cohen's response to this crisis was to deport the Kabaka to a comfortable exile in London. His forced departure made the Kabaka an instant martyr in the eyes of the Baganda, whose latent separatism and anticolonial sentiments set off a storm of protest. Cohen's action had backfired, and he could find no one among the Baganda prepared or able to mobilize support for his schemes. After two frustrating years of unrelenting Ganda hostility and obstruction, Cohen
23852-490: The resulting backlash aided the efforts of religious rivals — for example, Catholics won converts in areas where oppressive rule was identified with a Protestant Muganda chief. The people of Bunyoro were particularly aggrieved, having fought the Baganda and the British; having a substantial section of their heartland annexed to Buganda as the "lost counties", and finally having "arrogant" Baganda administrators issuing orders, collecting taxes, and forcing unpaid labour. In 1907
24030-553: The rifles were rifle grenade launcher conversions which involved the attachment of a removable grenade cup which would use the pressure of a blank round to launch a single modified Mills Bomb which had a launching range of about 10 to 200 yards. The inability of the principal manufacturers ( RSAF Enfield , the Birmingham Small Arms Company Limited and London Small Arms Co. Ltd , Lithgow Arms Australia ) to meet military production demands led to
24208-495: The role of intermediary for Asians, who were thought to be more efficient. The British and Asians firmly repelled African attempts to break into cotton ginning. In addition, on the Asian-owned sugar plantations established in the 1920s, labour for sugar-cane and other cash crops was increasingly provided by migrants from peripheral areas of Uganda and even from outside Uganda. In 1949, discontented Baganda rioted and burned down
24386-499: The rounds at the time was that they used heavy, round-nosed bullets that had low muzzle velocities and poor ballistic performance. The 7×57mm Mauser rounds fired from the Mauser Model 1895 rifle had a higher velocity, flatter trajectory and longer range, making them superior for the open plains of South Africa. Work on a long-range replacement cartridge began in 1910 and resulted in the .276 Enfield in 1912. A new rifle based on
24564-658: The same time that a host of elderly Baganda chiefs were replaced by a new generation of officeholders. The Buganda treasury was also audited that year for the first time. Although it was not a nationalist organization, the Young Baganda Association claimed to represent popular African dissatisfaction with the old order. As soon as the younger Baganda had replaced the older generation in office, however, their objections to privilege accompanying power ceased. The pattern persisted in Ugandan politics up to and after independence. The commoners, who had been labouring on
24742-691: The settlers of Kenya, which was then in the midst of the bitter Mau Mau uprising . They had vigorously resisted a similar suggestion by the 1930 Hilton Young Commission . Confidence in Cohen vanished just as the Governor was preparing to urge Buganda to recognize that its special status would have to be sacrificed in the interests of a new and larger nation-state. Kabaka Mutesa II, who had been regarded by his subjects as uninterested in their welfare, now refused to cooperate with Cohen's plan for an integrated Buganda. Instead, he demanded that Buganda be separated from
24920-401: The simplified cocking piece. The Mk V did retain a magazine cut-off, but without a spotting hole, the piling swivel was kept attached to a forward barrel band, which was wrapped over and attached to the rear of the nose cap to reinforce the rifle for use with the standard Pattern 1907 bayonet. Other distinctive features include a nose cap screw was slotted for the width of a coin for easy removal,
25098-516: The skills that members of the younger generation had acquired through schooling. Calling themselves the Young Baganda Association , members of the new generation attached themselves to the young Kabaka, Daudi Chwa , who was the figurehead ruler of Buganda under indirect rule. But Kabaka Daudi never gained real political power, and after a short and frustrating reign, he died at the relatively young age of forty-three. Early on in
25276-406: The southern frontier, but the unit saw little action and most men were stood down in March 1915. The UVR served as a reserve of experienced leaders for other units such as the East Africa Transport Corps . Some 429 men served with the UVR at some point in the war. One sergeant received the Distinguished Conduct Medal for actions during the defence of a fort in Uganda and three UVR members received
25454-413: The time of independence. The status of Protectorate had significantly different consequences for Uganda than had the region been made a colony like neighbouring Kenya , insofar as Uganda retained a degree of self-government that would have otherwise been limited under a full colonial administration. Colonial rule, however, affected local economic systems dramatically, in part because the first concern of
25632-610: The two corps, with headquarters staff at Entebbe, numbered 129 members (of whom 90 were rated as efficient). The unit was equipped with the Short Magazine Lee–Enfield rifle. The Uganda Volunteer Reserve was active in marksmanship competitions, holding three cups for its members (the Coles Cup established in 1905; the Governor's Cup, in 1909; and Allen Cup in 1913) and competing against teams from other East African territories. The unit occasionally sent teams to compete in
25810-559: The unit's headquarters. In late 1914 the unit was augmented with the appointment of 12 technical staff of Indian origin, including an armourer, blacksmith, compositor and a motor engineer. By Christmas the unit stood at 280 members, of whom 200 were of European origin and the remainder of Indian origin. As training was progressed the compulsory parades were reduced to twice-weekly and then weekly. Most members remained part time, by December only 15 officers, 24 European other ranks and 12 Indian other ranks were paid full time. A "striking force"
25988-412: The unit, to appoint its officers. By 1926 the UVR was holding rifle practice only monthly, though volunteers were entitled to claim an increased 200 rounds per year free of charge. In the same year a lack of enlistments caused concerns, with discussions held on replacing the unit with a new European Defence Force or Volunteer Reserve. The UVR numbered only 49 in 1930, 28 men at Entebbe and 21 at Kampala,
26166-460: The value of cotton exports had climbed to £369,000, and Britain was able to end its subsidy of colonial administration in Uganda, while in Kenya the white settlers required continuing subsidies by the home government. The income generated by cotton sales made the Uganda kingdom relatively prosperous, compared with the rest of colonial Uganda, although before World War I cotton was also being grown in
26344-486: The various aspects of shooting, firearms safety, and marksmanship at a markedly reduced cost per round. Initially, rifles were converted from obsolete magazine Lee–Metford and magazine Lee–Enfield rifles but from the First World War onwards SMLE rifles were used instead. These were known as .22 Pattern 1914 short rifles during The First World War and Rifle, No. 2 Mk. IV from 1921 onwards. They were generally single-shot affairs, originally using Morris tubes chambered for
26522-483: The voters went to the polls throughout Uganda to elect eighty-two National Assembly members, in Buganda only the Roman Catholic supporters of the DP braved severe public pressure and voted, capturing twenty of Buganda's twenty-one allotted seats. This artificial situation gave the DP a majority of seats, although they had a minority of 416,000 votes nationwide versus 495,000 for the UPC. Benedicto Kiwanuka became
26700-662: The vulnerability of the Army Cadet Force and school Combined Cadet Forces ' (CCF) stocks of small arms to theft by terrorists, in particular the Irish Republican Army following raids on CCF armouries in the 1950s and 1960s. Previous conversions to drill purpose (DP) of otherwise serviceable rifles were not considered to be sufficiently incapable of restoration to fireable state and were a potential source of reconversion spares. L59A1 drill rifles were rendered incapable of being fired, and of being restored to
26878-500: The war. About 3,000 rifles, mostly Stevens-Savage, appear to have been partially converted by Holland & Holland but never received brackets, scopes of the final "T" mark. Canada converted about 1,588 rifles at Small Arms Limited (to the end of 1945) and, in 1946, at Canadian Arsenals Limited. Both were located at Long Branch, Ontario. Most of the Canadian made No.4 Mk.I* (T) sniper equipments went into British service. The No.4 (T) rifles were extensively employed in various conflicts until
27056-541: The weapon was further redesigned for US service as the M1917 Enfield rifle, using the .30-06 Springfield cartridge. In 1926, the British Army changed its nomenclature; the SMLE became known as the Rifle No. 1 Mk III or III* , with the original MLE and LEC becoming obsolete along with the earlier SMLE models. Many Mk III and III* rifles were converted to .22 rimfire calibre training rifles, and designated Rifle No. 2 , of varying marks. (The Pattern 1914 became
27234-438: Was ability to place seven of seven shots in a 5 inches (12.7 cm) circle at 200 yards (183 m) and six of seven shots in a 10 inches (25.4 cm) circle at 400 yards (366 m). The wooden cheek-piece was attached with two screws. The rear "battle sight" was ground off to make room to attach the No. 32 telescope sight to the left side of the receiver. Each No. 32 and its bracket (mount) were matched and serial numbered to
27412-451: Was calibrated for 200–800 yd (183–732 m) in 100 yd (91 m) increments. The No. 5 Mk I was popular with soldiers owing to its light weight, portability and shorter length than a standard Lee–Enfield rifle. The No. 5 was first issued to the British 1st Airborne Division and used during its liberation of Denmark and Norway in 1945. BSA-Shirley, Birmingham produced 81,329 rifles and ROF Fazakerley, Liverpool 169,807 rifles. It
27590-465: Was carried out in several locations, at various times, for varying reasons. SAF Lithgow, in Australia, produced shotguns based on the MkIII action under the "Slazenger" name, chambering the common commercial .410 shotgun shell. Commercial gunsmiths in Australia and Britain converted both MkIII and No. 4 rifles to .410 shotguns. These conversions were prompted by firearms legislation that made possession of
27768-431: Was changed from a round knob to a serrated slab. Rifles with some or all of these features present are found, as the changes were implemented at different times in different factories and as stocks of parts were depleted. The magazine cut-off was reinstated after the First World War ended, and not entirely dispensed with in manufacturing until 1933; some rifles with cut-offs remained into the 1960s. One notable later use of
27946-425: Was equipped with a No. 5 Mk. I blade bayonet which had a large muzzle ring to fit over the flash hider. The No. 7 Mk. I/L bayonet, which has a rotating handle and a large ring on the cross-guard was not for the No. 5 Mk. I rifle as many collectors believe. An Australian experimental version of the No. 5 Mk I, designated Rifle, No. 6, Mk I was also developed, using an SMLE MK III* as a starting point (as opposed to
28124-555: Was established within the UVR at Kampala, with members reporting daily to headquarters to carry messages. The British military authorities established the Uganda Frontier Force in Southern Uganda to defend the border and requested assistance from the UVR. Some non-commissioned officers from the UVR and six marksmen from the striking force were posted to the Frontier Force at Sango Bay . The UVR also served as
28302-416: Was forced to reinstate Kabaka Mutesa II . The negotiations leading to the Kabaka's return had an outcome similar to the negotiations of Commissioner Johnston in 1900; although appearing to satisfy the British, they were a resounding victory for the Baganda. Cohen secured the Kabaka's agreement not to oppose independence within the larger Ugandan framework. Not only was the Kabaka reinstated in return, but for
28480-411: Was found. By 1913 a formal system was in place to call out the Uganda Volunteer Reserve. Buglers of the military or police would be dispatched to rifle corps headquarters; upon hearing the call members of the unit were to form up at the flag staff outside their local collectorate . The United Kingdom declared war on Germany on 4 August 1914, following the invasion of Belgium. The Uganda KAR battalion
28658-437: Was growing again. Even the 1930s depression seemed to affect smallholder cash farmers in Uganda less severely than it did the white settler producers in Kenya. Ugandans simply grew their own food until rising prices made export crops attractive again. Two issues continued to create grievance through the 1930s and 1940s. The colonial government strictly regulated the buying and processing of cash crops, setting prices and reserving
28836-471: Was increased in 1905 (to 50/105). The first corps to be formed was the Entebbe Corps on 28 April 1903. It was the only corps in the unit for several years and was formally named the "Uganda Rifle Corps". By the end of 1903 it had 33 members and by May 1905 it had 43. There were discussions in 1906 about forming a second corps at Kampala, as some members of the Entebbe Corps lived there. Nothing progressed until December 1909 when fifteen Kampala residents sent
29014-549: Was issued uniforms for the first time, consisting of khaki tunics, trousers and puttees manufactured by the inmates at the Central Gaol and belts, pouches, bandoliers and haversacks. Brass UVR hat badges, shoulder titles and buttons were also issued, made by the Ugandan Public Works Department and bearing the badge of the protectorate. Because of the expansion of the UVR some members were issued
29192-466: Was its blunt nose, with only the bayonet boss protruding a small fraction of an inch beyond the nosecap, being modelled on the Swedish Model 1894 cavalry carbine. The new rifle also incorporated a charger loading system, another innovation borrowed from the Mauser rifle and notably different from the fixed "bridge" that later became the standard: a charger clip (stripper clip) guide on the face of
29370-491: Was largely composed of Sudanese troops brought in by the British, these troops were commanded by a mix of British and Sudanese officers, local tribes were not that evident in this force defending the interests of the Imperial British East Africa Company . Unfortunately the Sudanese grew resentful of their conditions of service and the Uganda Rifles mutinied in 1897. On 1 January 1902 the somewhat irregular armed force in Uganda
29548-462: Was mobilised for service outside the territory, leaving the defence of Uganda in the hands of the UVR, the local police and the KAR Reserve of retired ex-soldiers. German forces were in close proximity to the protectorate; troops were present on the border with German East Africa to the south and naval forces on Lake Victoria to the south-east. No plans had been prepared for the deployment of
29726-461: Was modified in 1921 to allow members to purchase unlimited quantities of ammunition from the government at cost price. In the post war years the UVR shot around 16–20,000 rounds per year. Membership of the corps fell to around 70–100 men, of whom around half were of Indian origin. Under the 1921 Ordinance the governor retained the right to mobilise the UVR and, in conjunction with the President of
29904-525: Was open to British and foreign subjects, with all members taking an oath of allegiance. The colonial government set aside £775 to pay for weapons, ammunition and equipment for the UVR, on the assumption that 100 recruits would be found. Rifles were issued to UVR members upon receipt of a deposit covering the value of the weapon. All members were required to keep 100 rounds of ammunition on hand in case of mobilisation and were entitled to purchase 300 rounds per annum at cost price for practice purposes. In 1904
30082-402: Was organised around "rifle corps" of a minimum of 15 men. Initially only one corps was established, at Entebbe , but a second, at Kampala , was established in June 1914. The members of the UVR were required to attend rifle practice annually and were unpaid, except for a bonus for meeting a minimum marksmanship standard. During the First World War the UVR, numbering 129 men, was mobilised by
30260-661: Was placed in the hands of Africans, if they responded to the opportunity. Cotton was the crop of choice, largely because of pressure by the British Cotton Growing Association , textile manufacturers who urged the colonies to provide raw materials for British mills. This was done by cash cropping the land. Even the CMS joined the effort by launching the Uganda Company (managed by a former missionary) to promote cotton planting and to buy and transport
30438-507: Was reformed (with far fewer Sudanese and more local tribes in its ranks) and re-titled the 4th Battalion the King's African Rifles (KAR). It was with this defensive structure that was in place at the outbreak of hostilities in 1914, although there had been cuts in the KAR in 1911 stretching the force structure of the regiment even further. By the end of the Great War the Ugandan contingent in
30616-548: Was reformed in 1940 as a result of the Second World War but no further details are known. The Uganda Volunteer Reserve (UVR) has its origins in the Colonial Defence Committee (CDC), which was a British government body that promoted the establishment of self-defence forces in British colonies and protectorates. British Army troops had generally been withdrawn from self-governing territories in
30794-447: Was removed and secretaries were no longer permitted to except members from duty or appoint officers, these roles falling to the governor. The new Ordinance brought the UVR under military law (in times of war only) for the first time. The acting governor of Uganda called out the UVR on 13 August and elements of martial law were implemented from 18 August. The first government-appointed officers were installed on 20 August. These included
30972-445: Was resented by the people being administered. Wherever they went, Baganda insisted on the exclusive use of their language, Luganda , and they planted bananas as the only proper food worth eating. They regarded their traditional dress—long cotton gowns called kanzus —as civilized; all else was barbarian. They also encouraged and engaged in mission work, attempting to convert locals to their form of Christianity or Islam. In some areas,
31150-526: Was sent, signed by 29 persons not already members of the Entebbe Corps and the Kampala Unit was formally established on 25 June. Expansion of the Kampala membership was initially slow, due to the lack of a dedicated shooting range. The unit used the local police range, until that was damaged by heavy rain; a new range was built in May 1914 at the cost of £95. By June 1914 the Uganda Volunteer Reserve of
31328-410: Was started in Kampala, before the idea was dropped. By March 1915 the military situation had improved sufficiently that the majority of the UVR were stood down and placed on indefinite leave; all compulsory training was halted. In August, following the British invasion of Northern Tanganyika, the officer commanding British forces in Uganda advised that the 1914 call-up could be cancelled. At this stage
31506-537: Was the 1902 decision to transfer the eastern section of the Uganda Protectorate to the Kenya Colony , then called the East Africa Protectorate , to keep the entire line under one local colonial administration. Because the railway experienced cost overruns in Kenya, the British decided to justify its exceptional expense and pay its operating costs by introducing large-scale European settlement in
31684-453: Was to be used on the No. 4 variant, a "battle sight" was developed that allowed for two set distances of 300 yards and 600 yards to be quickly deployed and was cheaper to produce than the "ladder sight". The magazine cutoff was also reintroduced and an additional band was added near the muzzle for additional strength during bayonet use. Long before the No. 4 Mk I, Britain had settled on the rear aperture sight prior to WWI, with modifications to
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