Kenya and Beyond
sent by
Sapper Walter Derek Wright (23753469)
I recently read an article in the Daily Mail about Karamoja which broght back many memories.I was a deferred National Serviceman in the Royal Engineers.(1959-1961) .We (50 of us) went out to Kenya attached to the Staffordshire Regiment although I cannot recall ever being with them.The reason for our deployment was because of the Congo Crisis. Our base was Nakuru under tents and we often visited the local Lanet Lodge which had a swimming pool and served drinks, a rather nice up market sort of place. We were there for about nine months and apart from doing a few jobs for the local farmers and building a bridge with six girders provided by the local council who didn't seem to be too clever on bridges I must admit we just swanned around and really had a fantastic time.We probably saw more of Kenya in those 9 months than those white settlers had seen in their lives.Our Officer was Lieut.Black and Sergeant Vowles (Not a very nice man)We never saw any trouble except for one occasion we were sent to some local township because of some rioting.I remember we were each numbered and if our number was called out we were to shoot some particular person (man in red shirt). Thank goodness I never shot anybody. I remember though that were were able to shoot game for food if we were out for a few days recce.
We came back to England after about nine months and went on leave.After a few days we received telegrams to go back and were again huddled into a plane believing we were going to Kuwait. We never arrived at Kuwait,instead we landed at Benghazi and then flew to Entebbe in Uganda.A few of us flew to Nairobi where we picked up trucks and equipment and drove all the way back to Entebbe. From there we drove up to Karamoja where they had never seen a white man. There was a lot of trouble up there and villagers were being raided by tribesmen coming across the plains (Kenya?) up the escapment and stealing whatever they could including women then driving them down the escarpment and away apparently trading their booty for arms. Men were often killed during these raids. Our job was to blast a road down the escarpment so that the Askaris could get their vehicles down and get after them. Some of the local tribesmen were rounded up by some very vicious government creature who always carried a bullwhip, they were to carry the stones away as we blasted our way down and were paid with bags of some kind of seed.I remember the married women wore leather skirts and the young girls wore a chain skirt of which I still have as a souvenir.
Job done we started on our way back. Nobody told us it was the rainy season and it took many days to get our trucks and trailers back to Entebbe,we virtually carried them. We had completed another 9 months and it was time for my demob.I tried to get demobbed out there but they wouldn't allow it so here I am still still in blighty with some ver happy memories of my National Service.
Sapper Walter Derek Wright (23753469) Sir
If you have a anecdote, funny
story, limerick or song that you remember from your service, we would like
to publish it.
Please send your stories or songs to James Paul
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