In a harrowing episode of colonial conflict, British officer Richard Corfield met a tragic end while leading a camel-mounted force against the notorious “Mad Mullah” in Somaliland on August 9, 1913. Corfield, commanding a contingent of 110 men from the Somaliland Camel Constabulary, embarked on a retaliatory mission against Dervish raiders, only to find himself ambushed by an overwhelming force of 2,750 warriors.

The battle erupted near Dul Madoba, where the British troops faced swift and brutal resistance. Corfield’s initial attempts to organize his men were thwarted when the Dervishes charged, exploiting the disarray among the Somali tribesmen allied with the British. Despite his valiant efforts to rally his forces under withering fire, Corfield was struck fatally in the head, marking a catastrophic blow to the British campaign.

As chaos unfolded, command fell to civilian administrator Cecil de Sivrac Dunn, who managed to fortify the remaining troops with fallen camels as barricades. Under Dunn’s leadership, the battered force held off multiple Dervish assaults until the attackers finally withdrew, leaving behind 36 Constabulary soldiers dead, including Corfield. The Dervishes suffered heavy losses as well, with around 395 casualties.

The repercussions of this ambush sent shockwaves through British colonial circles, igniting fierce debate over Corfield’s decision to engage without reinforcements. His death became a rallying point, casting him as a martyr in the imperial narrative, while the “Mad Mullah” Muhammad Abdullah Hassan’s resurgence loomed ominously over British Somaliland.

This fierce encounter not only underscored the volatility of colonial rule but also reinforced the resilience of Hassan’s forces. As Britain grappled with the implications of this defeat, the stakes in Somaliland escalated, setting the stage for further confrontations in the years to come.