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Name: TANNER, Philip Sydney Hooper

Birth Date: 1881 Bassett, Hampshire

Death Date: 8.5.1912 Gulu, blackwater fever

First Date: 1907

Profession: Police

Area: Kiambu, 1909 Nakuru

Book Reference: Cuckoo, Habari 17, Hut, Playne, Drumkey, Advertiser, Gazette, North

General Information:

Habari 17 - 1910 - 'At that time an Asst. Superintendent arrived from BEA on transfer his name was Tanner and he was unknown to anybody in Uganda. I selected him for the job of arresting the gun runners. He was despatched with 30 police disguised as porters together with 100 porters to Karamoja. He was to pose as an ivory poacher and fraternise with the gun runners. Tanner adopted the name of Watts and was not heard of for 4 months, except by H.E. and myself, but occasional news came through of a poacher called Watts. This Tanner played his part very thoroughly and one morning at dawn the gun runners found themselves surrounded by what they thought were 130 police; actually they were Tanner's 30 police in uniform and the porters in police uniform which Tanner had brought with him. The 30 Abyssinian gun runners surrendered and Tanner disarmed them and brought them back to Kampala where they were sentenced to imprisonment, which was carried out at Kampala gaol. Many rifles were confiscated also a large quantity of ivory, several donkeys etc..
During Tanner's stay in Karamoja, which at that time was unadministered, he discovered that a certain European had been in that part of the country posing as a DC collecting taxes and persuading the tribe to raid another and capture cattle with his support and getting a share of the cattle. He would at the same time persuade the other tribe to do the same and collect his reward so that he gained in any case. This was when Mototo was opened as a station. Tanner's report on this expedition was so complete that I believe it was sent to the Secretary of State who was said to have remarked that he should be a PC. .....…..
In 1912 Tanner was again distinguishing himself. Up to that time a large territory outside Nimule had not been properly administered, several tribes having defied the Government. One tribe the Guru Guru having repelled 800 troops of Emin Pasha, in the past. It was this tribe that Tanner was sent out to subdue, he had 110 Police and he drove them on to a hill which he eventually surrounded. The hill was full of caves in which the enemy hid and Tanner gradually closed in on them to within a few yards, calling upon them to surrender but they said not until they had killed one of the Europeans. Tanner made some bombs which were thrown into the caves causing such havoc that the whole lot came out and surrendered, over 1000 complete with some arms. Tanner lost 10 men killed. The effect of this expedition was that all the tribes outside Nimule came in and agreed to obey the Government. The Guru Guru were moved to another part near Gulu and there was no more trouble. (Source: Maj. EHT Lawrence)
Playne - Committee member of Rift Valley Sports Club 1909 (J.S.H. Tanner?) ............ Inspector of Police 1909 (P.S.H. Tanner)
Drumkey 1909 - Police - Inspector
Advertiser - 4/9/1908 - Nakuru - Mr & Mrs D'Etienne gave a farewell lunch to Messrs Tanner & Corbett
Gazette 15/2/1907 - arrived on 1st appointment from England - Inspector of Police - 7/2/1907 - Philip Sydney Hooper Tanner
Cuckoo - 1906 - to Kiambu to assist Foran in the BEA Police as Inspector. Late of the Cape Mounted Rifles. He was an acquisition from every viewpoint, and proved a tower of strength.
UK Foreign and Overseas Registers for death

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