2nd Loyal North Lancashires mobilised at Bangalore in India and was the only British unit in an Indian Army expedition against German East Africa (now Tanzania).For the next two years the Loyal North Lancashires fought a small-scale bush war on the frontier between Kenya and German East Africa. As the only regular British battalion in theatre, the 2nd Loyals were the backbone of the defence and, in addition to its usual infantry role, the battalion manned an improvised artillery battery and found mounted infantry and machine gun companies. The Loyals fought in many minor actions, including skirmishes around Lake Victoria and the operations which led to the capture, in March 1916, of the Kilimanjaro area. But tropical diseases took a heavy toll of the battalion and in December 1916 it was transferred to the healthier climate of Egypt.