British East Africa comprised the colonies of Kenya, whose 4.9 million population in 1939 included 22,800 Europeans, Uganda (4.2 million including 2,200 Europeans), and Zanzibar (232,000 including 3,000 Europeans), and the mandate of Tanganyika (6.5 million including 7,900 Europeans). Unlike the
First World War, when there was fighting in German East Africa (Tanganyika), there were no hostilities in British East Africa, but troops were recruited from the population, many of whom fought as two divisions in the
East African campaign and on
Madagascar. These divisions were later disbanded, or their men were absorbed into the 11th (East Africa) Division when it was formed in February 1943 out of brigades from British Central Africa (three battalions), British East Africa (fourteen battalions), and British Somaliland (one battalion), to fight in the
Burma campaign. Probably as many as 100,000 East Africans served in the armed forces in one capacity or another.
After Hitler came to power in January 1933 the German settlers remaining in Tanganyika formed offshoots of the Nazi Party. The number of German settlers increased steadily, so that by 1939 there were more than 3,000. When war was declared they were all interned, as were a number of local activists in Kenya. Tanganyika provided the only
raw materials, rubber and sisal, of any quantity though Uganda did also produce some rubber. After the Japanese Navy's raid into the
Indian Ocean in April 1942, the British Eastern Fleet was based for a time at Mombasa's port, Kilindini.
