Post Card “Eritrea 1945”
Printed in Eritrea by Francescana P. P. Asmara


Ato Gebru Kifle audio recorded memory of the Second World War.

At the end of 1939 all ex Askari – native soldiers, were called to return to duty. In early 1940 the Askari were forcibly conscripted. There were the Carabinieri who rounded up the youth. The Carabinieri consisted of Italian and Eritrean soldiers who wore the Tarbush hat. They were feared by the people and looked stern. And in 1940 soldiers arrived to our area.

Before their arrival, I remember a Colonel who was vice administrator and walked with a cane, came to our house. Our home was by the road-side and he was looking for water-wells for the coming soldiers. We lived in Sheglet village about 30 kms from Akordet.

I remember he said “Aqua” to me and he poked the ground with his cane to make me understand. Then came my mother and she understood him. She had worked with an Italian family of Riba in Keren earlier as “Gual Bidama” or household worker. He was shown to two wells and then came the soldiers, Askaris in Battalions of “Venti Sette” 27 and “Centi undici” 111 and quartered there.

After some time, they moved west wards towards Keru as Tesenai is to the south of us, and after some time engaged in battle with the British army. And then both British and Italian airplanes started coming. Before their coming sirens “sirena” sounded the alarm. We in the villages had built underground shelters near our houses and we ran into them. My father had the shelter built by workers. When there was ample time we fled to the woods. The people of Eritrea were not distressed on the oncoming war because they never had seen modern battles.

Once while we ran to the woods and all spread out as not to be hit together by bombs, I came to a hallow entry of a large tree. There I found an Italian soldiers shivering from fright. He shouted to me “Nostra, nostra” meaning ours, so that I would not come to the tree and the plane not sight me. But I did not heed and ran in to the tree.

One night it was warned that the British army were coming close to us and the battalions started preparing. Some Italian soldiers said the British and we have the same tanks and should defend there. The others preferred to flee that even we civilians left. Sitting in the forest not far from our village Sheglet, I was stuck by a scorpion and had extreme pain for 24 hours.

There was no medicine for it. The pain eases by itself. The airplanes bombed our area finding that there were Italian forces there. It bombed anywhere sighting Italian arms and soldiers. The fighter planes of those times were not what we see now. They were bad that rifles shot them down.

The Italian military man I had earlier met called to my father ordering him to open a tea house for the coming Askari and quickly gave him a license. My father got good income from this. But British cannons from Barka area were hitting nearer us, towards Keren. And the Italians threw cannon falls from Tunkul-has in Keren to Barka area.

The Italians used to call my father “Guseppe” for St Joseph because he had a long beard and others called him Basha. The Italians called for my father when conflict with Eritreans arose.

There was this incident where the Italians had tied an Eritrean by a pole. The youth’s crime was he passed by a Sheik while praying. There were priests and Sheiks for every battalion. He was sentenced and got fifty lashes. The person lies down and an Italian beats him. People had more respect for religions those times. The lashes were called “Venti Cinque, due venti cinque” 25 and two 25, “Cinquanta cormachata, mezzo paga” 50 lashes, half lash.

When the fighting began to get fiercer, we moved from our village towards the forest, to the village of Tekreret and spent most of the fighting times inside the forests. We did not suffer from hunger. There were the Italian “Banda Cameleta” camel bands and the “Batteria” travelling our way with cereals – segem. The officers of these bands were Italians while the camel holders were indigenous. My father had bought about 100 quintals from them. The people around bought from my father and did not suffer from hunger.

The British were a strong army. The Italians defended only Tunkul-has front in Keren. There a brave Italian general called Lorenzini was killed in action that his army dispersed seeing this. The force which broke the Tunkul-has front were Indian soldiers of the British army. The Indians were strong fighters but not the Sudanese. The British had promised the Indians that if the war was won, India would be given its independence.
 

The Indians lost many soldiers at Tunkul-has and the Italians used all their force too. The Italian tanks were small and were used as cars while the British ones were large. The Italians dug holes on the roads and covered it with grass and the British tanks got stuck. But they were accompanied with graders which lifted out the stuck tanks. Comparing the arms used in both sides, the British ones were really superior.

The British came from Sudan front. While the soldiers of the Italians were Eritreans, the British used soldiers from all their colonies. When the Eritrean soldiers were defeated, the British sent them to prisons in Sudan towards Gedaref. When the war ended the Eritrean prisoners returned home.

When it became obvious that the Italians were losing, many Eritrean soldiers fled and some went to the Ethiopian army. It was because the British planes were throwing manifests, leaflets in the name of Emperor Haile Selassie, encouraging them that soon they will be free from the Italians. The British used this genius scheme and it broke the morale of the Italians.

The name Ethiopia was familiar to the Eritrean soldiers. Earlier also, many Eritrean soldiers had fallen fighting alongside the Italians against Ethiopia and they had later seen the difference. Even in Libya the Italian soldiers were Eritreans. They were known for their bravery and endurance.

The Eritrean soldiers had been beneficial to the Ethiopian leaders like Ras Abebe Aregai and Lij Mesfin Sileshi (later to become Ras). Whenever these leaders were surrounded by the Italian army, the Eritrean Battalion leaders used to let them pass out by night. When the Italians were informed that Ras Abebe Aregai was in a mountain, the Italians ordered it surrounded to attack it by dawn.

Then by night the Shum-Bashi, or Eritrean battalion leaders left Ras Abebe to flee and was thus saved. And after the liberation of Ethiopia, Ras Asrate Kassa ordered the Eritrean be executed and Ras Abebe forbade it saying he stayed alive for five years because of the Eritreans.

Once, my late wife Tsehaitu’s relative Grazmach Neamin was heading three battalions as Buluq-bash. They had surrounded Ras Abebe Aregai again and he confided with his comrades to let him free and one side was opened. The Ras went out with so many soldiers, mules and arms and provisions. Ras Abebe came out last after his army.

He got down his mule and asked Grazmach Neamin what his name was. Neamin said it was not necessary to know and went away. He later regretted not having told his name. Ras Abebe proceeded to liberate Addis Abeba. The Italian officers did not hear the escape because they tented far away from the soldiers.

Ras Asrate Kassa had lost his brothers and father who were executed by the Italians and his anger was on all Eritreans. We were saved by Ras Abebe who was saved by us. Lij Mesfin Sileshi was a shifta in Gonder – Humera area and had connection with Saidna Mustafa of Akordet. Lij Mesfin saved the Eritreans and sent them to Saidna Mustafa.

Saidna Mustafa was a respected religious Sheik and all soldiers passing by Akordet went to him for blessing. When people fled, Saidna Mustafa sent message to Lij Mesfin to receive and protect the people because there were numerous bandits with arms in the areas who killed people for money.

I used to see the Italian officers. There were too the “Camica Nera” Black Shirts of the Fascists. These came from the utmost rural areas of Italy, so ignorant that our peasants were much brighter. They were posted as guards in bars so soldiers would not drink too much. They carried small sword like knives apart from their bayonets.

These Black Shirts said the British were rich. When they will engage in battle, they would cut off the British soldiers’ heads and put them in their bags. Later after the battle they would remove the golden teeth from the dead. They said that the British officers’ insigna were of gold and they would cut them off too.

All the British officers grade insigna were all sewn in black thread on their shirts, none were of metals or gold. Even the star signs were of thread. It was just like the Emperor Haile Selassie told his soldiers that the fighters in Eritrea were Arabs and the soldiers would plunder much gold. It was after a few months of fighting that the British were winning. Their armaments were not equal in all modes.

There was big difference in both sides’ soldiers. The Italian soldiers were treated like slaves and had no rights while there were foreign officers in the British Army. There were African officers and pilots. The Italians when taken prisoners by African officers used to cry from shame.

An Eritrean Shum-Bash who served for twenty years must salute to a freshly recruited Italian soldier. Too late the Italians understood of their blunder when they saw the British system.

I was in Sheglet area all the war time, even though we had to move later. We worked at my father’s café by day time and went to the rest of the family at night time, about ten kms away. It used to be quite at night time. Nobody was hurt from our family or anyone forcedly taken away.

When recruiting soldiers, both Christians and Muslims were taken alike. Many youths from Barka were forced to serve. Though the Eritreans spoke several deferent languages, there were some found who could the others’ languages. The Highlanders spoke only Tigrina while some Lowlanders could speak Tigrina.

I was not afraid on seeing the British army because we did not hear anything bad about them and they did not kill people. The Fascist soldiers used to boast that the war was soon over with their victory.

Many Italian soldiers were deserting into the forests. Some were led to Akordet and some died from thirst. They were moving eastwards but were mostly captured by the British force. They were released after the war and what offices they occupied before the war they were able to return to.

The civilians did not harass them though they still wore uniforms. It was the Amhara shiftas who killed for weapons. The Eritreans were totally subdued by the Italians. It was uncommon for Eritreans to kill or plunder. But the Gash and Humera areas were areas of Amhara shiftas.
It was not common to see Askaris desert as they could easily blend among villagers and change cloths.

As the Italians had controlled the departments of police, forestry, tele-communications etc were all given back to the Italians because there were not able Eritreans for the position. Eritreans started getting promoted later after 1946. That year General Zere Mariam was made inspector with one star at end of 1946. I remember because I was going to school in Beleza. Until then all police stations were administered by Italians whereas their soldiers were Eritreans.

I remember an incident which I admired Zere Mariam for. He had been given a black motor cycle from the Italians. Our school and the police station were close and we were playing outside after eating lunch, around two o’clock. Zere Mariam was waiting outside while the Italians were asleep to be given the administration of that police station. It was a Sunday.

A man came to him from Emba Derho village where there was a lake the Italians used to swim in. An Italian hit this Eritrean man cutting his lip. It happened Zere Mariam was in Beleza and the man told him he was claiming to the police. Zere Mariam told him the man who hit you is their brother and you will not find justice. Go and hit the man and come tomorrow then I shall be in power. I always remember that incident.

The positive thing about Zere Mariam was he did not want people to come to him as victims. He wanted them to act in defence.

The Italians had thought they were to rule us for a long time. The British were much better because people were given rights. They had a government that worked. The Italians did not think the black man had intelligence. They were in progress of building their African empire and had no consideration that they might lose the war. They were building roads and towns. They had planned to move all blacks to the malaria infested areas. They did not see what they worked hard for.

They did not use to build fine buildings like those in Asmera in their colonies being sure of long levity there. They were certain they would win over the British and the Germans were their allies.

Their main reason for losing the battles were the Italian generals defecting, and some were collaborating secretly with the British.

There were Libyan soldiers in Eritrea. Once a Libyan brigade called “Cavalleria” came to our area. Their officers were Germans. They went west towards Sudan and engaging in battle with the British, they were all killed, the Germans falling first. Only one Libyan soldier survived and told us that they ate horse-meat than starve.

The Libyans or “Tripoli” had full rights like the Italians and wore uniforms and boots like the Italians. The Eritreans were suppressed and wore one leather sole sandals. One could differenciate Libyans from their speaking Arabic and wore big medals of Great Britain. What was being said those times was a few Eritrean elders had warned the Italians to not spoil Eritreans or they will not respect them.

There were Eritreans in the British army and were officers who had joined from Sudan. The western lowlands have long time contacts with the Sudanese. And Sudan was ruled by the British along with many other African countries. There were two whole brigades of Eritreans and when Sudan gained its independence they were sent to Junub and subdued them.

There were some pensioned such soldiers here and after Sudan became free the Eritreans continued serving as Sudanese. They were part of the SDA or Sudane Defense Force. Some went to join ELF, like Abu Sheneb and more.

There was an Eritrean called Mohammed Ali Gorgosh who was in the military up to federation time. His medals were more than the Emperor’s and the British Royal medallions were large.

My father continued with his café after the war since he had valid licence. He had served Habesha customers as no Italian came to our cafes. What I had heard was in Italian cafes, Africans were given tea in cans not glasses, and through the window. No African was allowed to drink together with the Italians. Out of a thousand soldiers about four or five are Italians and they have their own eating places “Mensa”. It was unthinkable that an Italian would sit in same café with Eritreans as modern times.

After the war there was surplus of arms that it became easy for banditry. An example is the shifta Ali MunTaz fought against the Hadendowa with arms got from the Italians. When the Italian were defeated they hid their weapons in villages.

After the war the British introduced rations like with sugar and there was no coffee in the war time.

When the British won the war money for the first few months was Egyptian pounds. And then the East African currency was brought, the shilling coin with hole in it. Later it was changed to the Ethiopian birr.

My father used to save his money in Italian Lire and after the war one thousand Lire was exchanged to only four shilling. A thousand Lire was about ten years saving worth that time. A person with two thousand Lire could open his own shop. People had to travel to Asmera to exchange the money and the Lire exchange was not worth the fare cost to Asmera.

My father had a prosperous trader friend Mikael Gender from Tesenai and together with my father they went to Asmera. Mikael found a small car and my father a truck to buy but they were forbidden because it was transition time. So my father did bid and transported two trucks full of tobacco back home and sold them for two years with good income. There was little commodity to buy.

While in Akordet, the Italians did not harass the women of Eritrea. They had opened a “Casino” where Italian prostitutes were brought from Italy for the Italian soldiers. The prostitutes were medically examined once or twice weekly. Otherwise going to prostitutes was very uncommon among Eritreans. After the war, women working in bars were seen in Asmera only. And the women were from Tigrai, though there was no differentiation who was Tigrean or Eritrean in those days.

There was an Eritrean Shum-Bash later became General Andom Tesfa Tsion. He had got the Shum-Bashi, highest military grade the Italians gave to blacks. They were in battle and many soldiers were killed, even Italians. Shum-Bash Andom said they should bury the dead. He was ordered to bury only the Italians as the blacks were many as flies. This response made him decide to leave the Italians and went to the Ethiopian side. He was respected while in the Ethiopian army and I think he got the general grade after his death.

Degiat Gebre Kal Debesai worked under General Andom in Ethiopia. He was 100 Aleka, then Shaleka then Colonel and later administrator of Barentu. The wife of Gebre Kal was the daughter of General Andom. While a Shelaka, he came to Eritrea and asked the Emperor to give him land – Gasha Meret at Shambeko in Gash area. It must have been a tradition in Ethiopia that those who performed well in the government were granted lands. He was sent by the ministry of Interior of Asmera to Akordet. Later, the militias of Dej Gebre Kal were recruited by the ELF.

Those days the administration of Akordet and Gash were not divided and it was called Awraja Akordet. He came with a letter and I remember it clearly. The administrator of awraja Akordet was Fitwerari Alamin Idris. He was not concerned with the letter presented to him and told Dej Gebre Kal that he had no authority to take land from the people. Each tribe and clan had ancestral lands and this will lead to conflicts that he would not agree and rejected it.

Dejiat Gebre Kal returned to Asmera and was again sent to Gash area now dividing Akordet from Gash for his sake and he became its administrator. Mahmoud Ikud who still lives was administrator of Keren and I went with him all the way to the border and it was in the 60s.

Mahmoud Ikud was administrator of Akordet for a long time after Embaye Habte. He used to write a diary in his office every day. The first administrator of Barka-Gash after the British was Omer Haseno. After him came his nephew, Ahmed Haseno. After him came Belai Gebrezgi and then Alamin Idris. Then came Embaye Habte and after him came Mahmoud Ikud. Stifanos Gide was the last administrator.

The people of Eritrea were living peacefully in tribes and religions. Differences started in the British time. There were traditional chiefs and people obeyed him. They also did not move around and their lives were circled in their surroundings and survival. People were not aware nationally or for freedom of their country but were religious. Political consciousness came with the British.

The Italian large plantations started in the mid 50s. Land which was taken by the Italians in their rule, “concessioni” were later divided among the Eritrean noble. They in turn rented the lands to the Italians and got rent like 2 birr from a quintal of banana.
 

Audio recorded November 2006, Uppsala – Sweden

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