King's African Rifles Trio, Malawi, ca. 1914-1918

Black and white lantern slide showing three African soldiers (named "Askaris") from the King's African Rifles standing on the shore of a large body of water, possibly Lake Nyasa. Two men stand in uniform leaning upon their rifles. They wear bags across their bodies, dark overshirts with light belts, shorts and puttees. They are also wearing pill-box khaki hats with a black band. The soldier in the centre of the picture has a dark triangle on his hat, a sign of a member of the King's African Rifles who had been called up during the First World War. The taller uniformed soldier looks older than his companions, and carries a cane. One soldier wears a light less formal shirt, shorts, wears a bag across his body and carries a tiffin tin. This slide comes from a set on the activities of the King’s African Rifles battalions in Nyasaland. It was originally held by the Church of Scotland, and generated by J.W MacKay.