MAU MAU REBELLION AGAINST BRITISH RULE 1954-1960

[mrclark303]

If you mean the center pic, it's two No5 and a Sten. The right pic looks like a Martini... I'll bet it's a shotgun.

I think it's a Martini based police Greener riot shotgun Jim.

[Gil Boyd]

Thanks John. Fascinating place. Sadly these days very corrupt but heyho. The weapons weren't listed perse for good reason made up of drain pipes and anything they could find to shoot, but I agree about the rifles.

[Flying10uk]

Hermes = civilian aircraft, Hastings = RAF aircraft

I did state exactly that to the chap himself but he was adamant that it was a Hermes aircraft and not a Hastings. I have stated what the chap said, not that he necessarily remembered correctly.

[Gil Boyd]

Well we, believe we have the only living HERMES aircraft at Duxford. Is this the little fellow you refer to? The RAF did have a few in Transport Command

[Surpmil]

From my study of the matter in Uni and paper on same, I don't think it is correct to say that Britain was "kicked out" of Kenya in any sense; this was the time of colonial disengagement and the two more or less coincided.

The Mau Mau if they were ever much more than gangsters swiftly degenerated into same and their suppression was a notable counter-insurgency success along the lines of the Malayan "Emergency". Certainly some land policies in Kenya exacerbated the problem, as much as Kikuyu population growth did.

Not a few parts of Africa would be very glad if they could return to the peace, order and good government of that pre-independence period. Self-government is a fine thing, but decades of anarchy, corruption and brutal repression can take the bloom off that rose quite effectively.

[Gil Boyd]

Ironically, whilst I was there, I was invited to lunch at the Deputy Commissioners home of the Kenya Colonial Police, as it was then.
He is no longer around but his wife, who is in her 80's is.
She runs a very successful tea plantation called Maramba, so I did the usual tasting and spitting of all the different teas which she supplies to F&M and Harrods.

What was interesting about the whole 375 acres north of Nairobi was that it looked identical to somewhere in England and the Police plates on the walls of the home as you entered, and the images of her husband whilst serving during the Mau Mau issues.

Even his homes toilet door had a SPECIAL BRANCH name plate on it which I took a photo of, apologies for the lighting.
The family have been in Kenya when they set up in tea since 1923 after WW1 when they decided to leave the UK which was struggling itself to recover and start a tea plantation. He died 13 years ago at a ripe old age, but the memories of his service to the then colony were evident.
He was very well respected and never once thought about deserting the country he loved.

So I probably agree, the Brits weren't kicked it, it was like other Empire countries at the time, they wanted to move on, on their own but with Britains assistance.

[vykkagur]

From my study of the matter in Uni and paper on same, I don't think it is correct to say that Britain was "kicked out" of Kenya in any sense; this was the time of colonial disengagement and the two more or less coincided.

The Mau Mau if they were ever much more than gangsters swiftly degenerated into same and their suppression was a notable counter-insurgency success along the lines of the Malayan "Emergency". Certainly some land policies in Kenya exacerbated the problem, as much as Kikuyu population growth did.

Not a few parts of Africa would be very glad if they could return to the peace, order and good government of that per-independence period. Self-government is a fine thing, but decades of anarchy, corruption and brutal repression can take the bloom off that rose quite effectively.

Exactly! Well said, that man!

[Flying10uk]

The chap did also say that there was a long stop for refuelling on the way back from Kenya. I forget where he said it was but it was hot and he wasn't allowed off the aircraft and it was very uncomfortable sitting in a hot aircraft for a long period of time going nowhere.

Later edit and addition:
If memory serves me correctly he said that he served his National Service in the Gloucestershire Regiment. The link below directs one to an article giving further details on the Gloucestershire Regiment's involvement in Kenya. If the aircraft flew to Aden, as the article suggests, from Kenya, when the Gloucesters left Kenya, then in the case of the chap that I knew, I believe that it was only a stop for the aircraft to take on fuel.

Withdrawal from Empire – Kenya - Soldiers Of Gloucestershire

[vykkagur]

The chap did also say that there was a long stop for refuelling on the way back from Kenya. I forget where he said it was but it was hot and he wasn't allowed off the aircraft and it was very uncomfortable sitting in a hot aircraft for a long period of time going nowhere.

Likely Libya. During the pre-Kaddafi/Gaddafi/Qaddafi monarchy, Libya was friendly to the West. Britain even had forces there, both training in desert conditions and proving equipment. AND, the only really authentic movie ever made about the LRDG was filmed there, with suitable acknowledgement of the co-operation of His Majesty.

[Gil Boyd]

Yes when 3 PARA were based in Malta for three years from 66-69 they regularly parachuted into Libya and major exercises followed.
Noone knew just how useful that was to be 35 years later as nothing had changed and the issued maps for the invasion were the same. The infrastructure was also still the same.