Malawi is not an obvious stop on the First World War trail that includes the likes of the Pas de Calais and Ypres. Yet the tranquil waters of Lake Malawi, rather than the cold and hostile expanses of the North Sea, were the stage for one of the first naval battles of the conflict.

Just nine days after Germany’s unsatisfactory reply to Britain’s 1914 ultimatum over Belgium, newspapers announced a “coup on Lake Nyasa”, as the lake was then known, after Nyasaland, the British name for Malawi. “Armed German steamer captured,” the headlines boasted, chronicling how a British steamer, HMS Gwendolen , had seized its German rival, the Hermann Von Wissmann, charged with guarding German East Africa (now Tanzania).

A century later, and on the eve of the 50th anniversary of Malawi’s independence from Britain, I travelled to the lake to find out what really happened. At the end of a dust track in the southern town of Mangochi, the gun from the Gwendolen still stands sentinel. Facing towards Mozambique over the Shire River, the six-pounder cannot do much harm today but is testament to a time when Britain aspired to rule these waves, too.

At the nearby Lake Malawi Museum, the battle remains the focus of the main exhibition. Braveson Nkhoma, the curator, regales us with the story of the mammoth battle between the two “gunboats”, as he leans on a full-sized replica of the Gwendolen. But, as we drive towards the lake with Howard Massey-Hicks, a South African who runs one of the country’s finest lakeshore lodges, Danforth, a rather different picture begins to emerge.

Far from heroically overcoming the Von Wissmann, Massey-Hicks explains, the Gwendolen acted while the German ship was being repaired on the slipway at the eastern end of the lake. Nor was the tussle quite as billed. “It was a battle in name only,” he says, laughing. In fact, such was the lack of animosity between the two crews that their captains were drinking partners. “They were bored out of their minds, sent to these posts in Africa – so they lived on gin.”

Captain Rhoades of the Gwendolen learnt of the war’s outbreak before his German counterpart and took the opportunity to sneak up on the Von Wissmann. Captain Berndt, in command of the Von Wissmann, was stunned when his friend opened fire, and rowed out to confront him, yelling: “God damn, Rhoades, are you drunk?”

Only then was he told that war had begun. Then, in an encounter more befitting a gentleman’s club than total war, Rhoades merely confiscated the Von Wissmann’s gun and “agreed to disagree” with Berndt. War, it seemed, would not be allowed to interfere with drinking arrangements.

Today, the lake is an equally congenial place. I had never been to Sub-Saharan Africa before, but the country lived up to its pitch as “Africa for beginners”. Anyone still unaware of the continent’s charms ought to be prescribed a week beside the lake, a vast expanse of freshwater 365 miles long and 52 miles wide. David Livingstone, the Scottish explorer, named it his “lake of stars” more than 150 years ago, and it still enchants today.

I begin by cruising up the Shire River (which drains the lake) with Danger Chitino, the aptly named guide. “Don’t put your hand into the water to say hello. They will say thanks,” he says humorously, mimicking a chomping crocodile.



The Hermann Von Wissman and and some of her crew

The river is briefly still as we begin the 45-minute trip to Mvuu, an exclusive camp in Liwonde National Park. Then, suddenly, three hippos dive into the water. On the other bank, where reeds grow taller than men, a crocodile emerges. Farther up, another hippo seems to be yawning, bearing an impressive set of teeth. But I am entranced.

At Mvuu, there is a drum for room service. “Beat seven times and we’ll know it’s you,” says Sarah Glyde, the British woman who runs the camp.

I admire a family of monkeys cleaning themselves in the swamp beneath our balcony before going on my first game drive. Danger proves an able spotter, pointing out dainty impalas, baboons leaping across the bush with their babies clinging on underneath, tiny elephant shrews and a towering kudu. Then, no more than 15ft from the car, we spot three elephants. For a moment I am concerned (does Danger really have time to start the engine if they charge?), but then I am spellbound: the clunk as they lock tusks, play-fighting, reverberates through the bush. The lake is ideal for a relaxing few days after a safari. Even at its busiest, Mumbo island, an hour’s boat ride from Danforth, can accommodate only 14 people in a handful of luxurious “tents” perched on boulders high above the crashing waves.

There is, thankfully, little telephone reception or electricity, allowing you to imagine you are in another, simpler era.I break the illusion by catching a single-propeller plane from the capital, Lilongwe, to Likoma island, which is home to the lake’s most impressive destination, Kaya Mawa. Owned by a British couple, it is a tranquil resort with tastefully furnished rooms, and food that would not shame the very best restaurants back home.

As we swoop down above the glistening water, the single-storey buildings of the island’s sole town, Chipyela, are dwarfed by the enormous cathedral, dedicated to St Peter. Built by missionaries between 1903 and 1911, it is another reminder of Britain’s lasting influence here. At nearly 330ft long and with soapstone choir stalls and stained-glass windows, it is an incredibly bold statement on an island of 6,000 people.

Yet, despite its size, there is standing room only for latecomers at the Sunday service. It is fascinating to hear the charismatic preacher in action, but the real highlight is the sheer exuberance of the congregation as they bop along to the hymns.

“We’re still connected to Britain,” says Martin Mjale, my guide, as we reflect on my trip on the walk back along the dunes to Kaya Mawa. “First you came to build the cathedral, and then the lodge. These days, you just come for a holiday.”

Safari Consultants (01787 888590; safari-consultants.com) offers a 15-night trip to Malawi, including stays at Mvuu (wilderness-safaris.com), Danforth (danforthyachting.com) and Kaya Mawa (kayamawa.com) from £3,999 based on two sharing. The price includes economy flights with Kenya Airways (kenya-airways.com) from London Heathrow to Lilongwe via Nairobi, ground transport and air transfer to Kaya Mawa with Ulendo Air Link (flyulendo.com).

Read more on First World War history

First World War centenary: sights and events in France and Belgium

First World War centenary: Franz Ferdinand’s final journey



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