Richard Corfield

Corfield was born in Heanor, Derbyshire, the eldest of three children of the rector of Heanor, Conyngham William George Corfield and Henrietta, née Edwards. Corfield was only six years old when his father died. He first attended a dame school. In 1892 he attended Spurlings Preparatory School and then in 1896 went to Marlborough College. ==Early career==

After leaving school, Corfield worked for a shipping company in Liverpool, the T. & J. Harrison Line, run by an uncle, Thomas Fenwick Harrison. Soon after starting work the Anglo-Boer war broke out in South Africa. Corfield immediately joined the Volunteers camped on Salisbury Plain, but later enlisted in the Baden Powell Police, sailing for Africa in December 1900. In June 1902, he was recommended for a commission, but this was rejected due to his youth. called "the Mad Mullah", was inciting local people to defend themselves against the British invaders. By 1910, he had not been beaten. In May 1910 Corfield again returned to England, but by September he was on his way to Nigeria where the British were already in conflict with Muslim inhabitants from the north part of the country. He saw action at Ganawari and other skirmishes. Further trouble was brewing in British Somaliland, and a Somaliland Camel Constabulary was formed to serve as a police force in the interior. Horace Byatt, the Governor of British Somaliland, offered the command of the new Camel Constabulary to Corfield, who accepted the opportunity to return to the Horn of Africa. and Odweyne in British Somaliland. ==Return to Somaliland and death==

The Camel Constabulary took to the field in December 1912 and Corfield was authorised to punish those opposing British rule. However, he was instructed to avoid a direct confrontation with Mohammed Abdullah Hassan. Corfield took that as an excuse to wage war and set out to punish the Dervish and return the looted Dhulbahante livestock. The battle took place on 9 August 1913. On one side 110 members of the Camel Constabulary of British Somaliland and 300 British allied Dhulbahante tribesmen all under the command of Colonel Richard Corfield faced some 2750 well-armed Dervish followers of Mohammed Abdullah Hassan, nicknamed by the British as the Mad Mullah. Thirty-six of the Constabulary including Corfield were killed in action and 21 were wounded. Many of the Dervish were also killed or wounded. ==References==