283mm x 404mm

Paper wrappers chipped with loss; torn and has surface wear. The spine is in need of repairs.

R1,000

Box 5, no 21

The East African Annual 1944–1945 captures a crucial wartime transition period for the region, balancing the strain of the Second World War with early post-war economic planning.

Key Historical & Visual Aspects Peak Wartime Production & Agriculture: By 1944, East Africa was serving as a vital agricultural lifeline for the British Empire and Allied forces in the Mediterranean and Far East. The central cover artwork highlights this shift—featuring cultivated fields, farm buildings nestled beneath a mountain range, and a rider on horseback. Inside, editions from these final war years focused heavily on the massive production drives for sisal, pyrethrum (essential for wartime insecticides), rubber, tea, and coffee.

Austerity Paper & Production: Unlike the glossy, vibrant covers of the 1930s editions, the 1944–1945 cover reflects wartime paper rationing and material shortages. Printed in Nairobi by the East African Standard, these editions used recycled paper stocks, muted colour palettes, and thinner paper weights due to severe shipping constraints across the Indian Ocean.

King's African Rifles (KAR) & Burma Campaign: The 1944–1945 period marked the height of deployment for East African troops. Thousands of soldiers from Kenya, Tanganyika, Uganda, and Nyasaland were serving in the 11th (East Africa) Division in the jungles of Burma against Japanese forces. This issue featured photographic reports documenting the KAR's service abroad and preparations for returning servicemen. Territorial Alignment: The bottom margin lists Kenya – Tanganyika – Uganda – Zanzibar, continuing the regional grouping that defined the interwar and wartime colonial administration prior to the formal establishment of the East Africa High Commission in 1948.