In this guise it was involved in the East African Campaign against the forces of the Italian Empire in Kenya under the command of Brigadier Gerald Smallwood.
[1] In February 1941, the 23rd (Nigerian) Brigade took Mogadishu the capital of Italian Somaliland.
[1] On 10 March 1941, the Brigade quickly advanced to Degehabur, about 160 km (100 mi) south of Jijiga, and captured the city days later without resistance, before it participated in the reoccupation of British Somaliland later in the year.
[3] The brigade first advanced south along the Kalapanzin valley, then crossed a steep and jungle-covered mountain range to converge with the 81st (West Africa) Division on Myohaung at the mouth of the Kaladan River.
This move forced the Japanese to evacuate the Mayu peninsula which they had held for almost four years and retreat south along the coast.