| Nyasaland Volunteer Reserve | |
|---|---|
 A detachment of the Nyasaland Volunteer Reserve at Karonga, c. 1914 | |
| Active | 1901-c. 1941 |
| Country |  Nyasaland |
| Allegiance |  British Empire |
| Branch | British Colonial Auxiliary Forces |
| Type | Infantry |
| Role | Internal security |
| Size | ~200 men |
| Nickname(s) | "Never Very Reliables" |
| Engagements | |
The Nyasaland Volunteer Reserve (NVR) was a British Colonial Auxiliary Forces unit raised in the British protectorate of Nyasaland (modern-day Malawi). The British Central Africa Volunteer Reserve was formally established by the colonial government in 1901 and was renamed when the protectorate became Nyasaland in 1907. In the initial years the unit was little more than a rifle shooting club with no uniform and no military training. The NVR was placed on a more formal standing in 1908 under the Volunteer Ordinance. This implemented residency and racial requirements for membership and made provision for the unit to be mobilised by the governor. The unit was initially formed of four sections but grew to seven sections by 1914 and by 1930 the unit had ten.
In the lead-up to the First World War the NVR was placed on a more military footing, with a regular officer appointed as adjutant. The Volunteer Ordinance was amended in 1914 and the racial origin requirement removed. Attempts were made to provide training to NVR members in modern military weapons, reconnaissance and communications. A Khaki uniform was also introduced. Upon the outbreak of war the unit grew rapidly from 143 men to around 200. Members of the unit participated in the 13 August 1914 attack on the German steamship Hermann von Wissmann at Sphinx Hafen, the first naval action of the war. The unit also fought in the 9 September Battle of Karonga, defeating a German force sent into northern Nyasaland. The NVR and the King's African Rifles (KAR) were involved in the suppression of the January 1915 Chilembwe uprising against British rule in Nyasaland. The NVR participated in recriminatory attacks and the summary execution of suspected rebels.
Some NVR members also fought in the May 1915 attack on Sphinx Hafen which destroyed the Hermann von Wissmann. After the start of the Anglo-Belgian Tabora Offensive in May 1916 it was decided that the NVR was too small to function as an independent unit and its personnel were detached to become KAR officers, or to function as intelligence and transport specialists in other units. The NVR was demobilised on 27 November 1918, having suffered 16 war-related deaths. Post-war the unit struggled to attract volunteers and the Nyasaland government proposed abolishing the NVR or merging it with the police. It is not known when the unit was disestablished, but it remained in existence as late as 1941.