Hello and help, please
 

Been a member, albeit inactive, for a few years but trying to get back up and running, and also need some help. Met people on a recent holiday who, on discovering that I'm a volunteer on the Severn Valley Railway, asked if I'd be able to help them.

It appears they had forebears who may have worked on African railways during the colonial era, and they had inherited the attached shield. It measures about 2 ft. x 2 ft 8 in., and they were told it would have been attached to an engine smokebox. My colleagues on the SVR have drawn a blank so far, so I would be appreciative if anyone can shed any light on this?

Thanks in advance.

Looks very German to me so perhaps from a German built loco from one of their colonies in East Africa.
John.

Does look like the German Imperial coat of arms

This was the flag of German East Africa and the bird on the sheild looks very much like it.

Flag of the Governors of German East Africa (1898-1919)

Image by Mark Sensen.

http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/tz_gea.html#geacrr

There are some interesting photo on this page of WWI locos in East Africa towards the bottom of the page as well as some links to other German East African Railway photos.

It looks very much like the Polish eagle emblem.

Tanganyika (now Tanzania) was a German colony up until the First World War. It very probably originates from there.