The 1915 attack on Nguludi Catholic Mission

The 1915 attack on Nguludi Catholic Mission 

After dark on Saturday 23 January 1915,  the priests at Nguludi were roused by noise coming from the Providence Industrial Mission which was almost 6 miles away from Nguludi.

From 4 miles,  the sound of trumpets, yelling screaming,  another sound of an enormous war drum, fireworks and gun fire could be heard.

Meanwhile at 7 am Sunday morning, Father Guimard met a group of rebels coming from Blantyre while he was going to say mass at Limbe Cathedral just after Mapanga.

The Priest swore on his breviary, taken by the rebels to be a Bible, he was not man of war. He further lied that he was on the side of the rebels. 

The rebels allowed him to pass thinking he was one of the Blantyre Mission new arrivals.

That Sunday evening, the 24th of January, the Assistant District Commissioner for Chiradzulu sent a warning to Nguludi to be vigilant of an impending attack.

On 25th Government troops attacked  PIM and exchange of fire was audible at Nguludi.

Government promised to send troops to guard Nguludi Mission but Nguludi was still unprotected that Monday night.

Local headman Sumani sent a word that an attack on Nguludi Mission by PIM rebels was eminent.

Father Auneau wanted no further warning to evacuate from Nguludi.

A very frightened band of two priests and a brother together with five nuns and thirteen coloured orphans set out for the house of nearby planter,  Mr Fiddes, to get help.

Father Swelsen, a tough six foot Dutch Carpenter bragging that  'he was afraid of no African' refused to obey the orders of his French Bishop, Auneau and stayed on.

Swelsen was prepared to defend the Nguludi Mission. He had at his disposal a number of mission Servants and employees as well as 3 rifles.

The Catholics had seen Chilembwe as an educated well dressed  gentleman and could not imagine Chilembwe giving an order to attack Nguludi.

The Catholics had previously warned their members to refrain from joining the government attack on the PIM and or fighting on the Chilembwe side.

At night that day Swelsen was convinced that there was no attack to come. He started dozing. Auneau had sent back 3 messengers to collect the remnants at the Mission

The night was quiet and  Swelsen convinced the messengers that there was no reason to return as there would be no assault that night. 

Swelsen was was proved wrong, the 1915 rebels attacked the Nguludi Mission at exactly 2:00am in the morning when the Uprising had already ended.

But who ordered the last  attack on Nguludi Mission?

John Chilembwe never ordered the attack on Nguludi Mission. 

The attack on Nguludi Mission was ordered and masterminded by David Kaduya after his frustrated attack on Blantyre.

Kaduya actually led the whole attack on Nguludi and razed the whole Mission down.

David Kaduya after his conquest of Nguludi was shot down by Sumani.

Kaduya had just shot down Swelsen when Sumani returned fire to bring down David Kaduya and send the rebels in disarray.

Kaduya was evacuated on a Machira after that attack with a gunshot wound. 

David Kaduya was later captured by government troops wounded on his Machira carried by the rebels heading to Mocambique.

The government forces had to shoot Kaduya dead as he refused to be dragged for trial and buried him at unknown grave in Chiradzulu.

David Kaduya was the only well known KAR soldier who led the 1915 Nyasaland Uprising.

There is a lone grave in Chiradzulu of the fallen soldier, David Kaduya.

In the picture, Nguludi Mission.