Mau Mau in Kenya

Hi Alan,

for interest i have met the son of the tail gunner who died in this crash. he was 12 mth old at that time his father died. His name is Richard Bartlett-May and he lives in San Diego claifornia now. lovely chap. I would be interested in seeing those photos you mention. I have been researching the RAF’s contribution to the mau mau conflict and so any info you have would be gratefully received – photos of his time there especially if you have any. best to email me on
[email]stevechap50@hotmail.com[/email]

best wishes

Hi Alan here is an eye witness account of the accident:

http://www.49squadron.co.uk/extras/kenya_crash

hi – saw the post and wanted to ask if you have any information about what your father did whilst he was in Kenya. I am researching the RAFs contribution to the Mau Mau campaign and would be very interested to hear about any information you have or see any photos your later father had. I am currently in the RAF. contact via email address of [email]stevechap50@hotmail.com[/email]. rgards

steve chappell

From Imperial War Museum Collection

This image is apparently a painting of a 49 Squadron Lincoln with Mt Kenya in the background, by a ‘Pamela Drew’ and is in the Imperial War Museum Collection’

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s320x320/314829_10150342853674701_523474700_7776964_1259411083_n.jpg

PZULBA – Out of Africa (Retired)

mau mau in kenya

hi allan

i have been researching the RAfs contribution in kenya for some time now and would love to see the pictures you mention about your uncle and hi time in kenya. do you have any accounts of his time there and what he got up to?

steve

Any More Information

I’ve been researching the Lincoln now for about eight or nine years, and I managed to miss the programme! Never mind, the old b & w shots of Lincolns are great to see. The low level, approaching the guard tower is particularly interesting as a 49 Sqdn Lincoln – SX984 – was lost when it hit a police post while engaged in unauthorised low flying in Kenya. Any chance of higher definition scans of those shots, please?

Has anybody else got access to any other old shots of Lincolns, particularly of the 1946-50 period, that might assist me in my research, please?

Allan

Hi,

I’d be very interested to receive any information about Lincoln SX984 that you may have as the pilot of the aircraft was my Uncle Fl Lt Alan Hunt.

I believe he was carrying out an operation known as a ‘Barazza’ which was actually an authorised low level pass, designed to intimidate possible insurgent element in the area and in particular some local trouble makers gathered by the police. The aircraft hit a radio mast which tore off the tail section of the aircraft causing it to go into a very steep sudden climb followed shortly by a dive and a crash killing all on board and 4 people on the ground. The tail gunner died of his injuries a few days later. If you’re interested in the Church of St Leonard’s in Sandridge in Hertfordshire there is a window dedicated to the crew and those on the ground who where killed in the accident.

I have a number of fairly high quality Lincoln photos taken by my uncle including one of the crew of SX984

His death was something of a mystery to my family. They only ever knew that he was killed in a “flying accident” and it has only been recently that we found out the facts, so any more light you may be able to shed, would be greatly appreicated.

regards

Alan Culpitt

I’ve been researching the Lincoln now for about eight or nine years, and I managed to miss the programme! Never mind, the old b & w shots of Lincolns are great to see. The low level, approaching the guard tower is particularly interesting as a 49 Sqdn Lincoln – SX984 – was lost when it hit a police post while engaged in unauthorised low flying in Kenya. Any chance of higher definition scans of those shots, please?

Has anybody else got access to any other old shots of Lincolns, particularly of the 1946-50 period, that might assist me in my research, please?

Allan

Thanks for the responses chaps. I worked in Kenya from 1968 to 1976 and folks could still remember the Lincolns starting up at Eastleigh which was very close in to the city centre. It appears that they were a “sledgehammer to crack a nut” but from SOHC’s photos they seem to have enjoyed themselves. Any more?

In the “Flight International” Issue of Nov 16-22 there is a brief summary of articles that appeared in the magazine anchestor “Flight & Aircraft Engineer” of fifty years ago.
One of them is about an attack on Mau Mau position done with an Harvard. At the present day I only saw pictures of Lincoln in that campaign, could anybody help me find some pics of other airplanes involved

Thanks

Gianfranco

My late father was a Sergeant Pilot with 49 Squadron, Upwood and spent some time flying operationally from Eastleigh, in 1953.

Some low quality images from the time:

My father was a radar engineer on Lincolns, based at RAF Upwood, and spent 6 weeks in Kenya during Mau Mau. He had wanted to go to Singapore! He recalls the Harvards out there was well, and that none of the ground crew wanted to go up in them – despite the offers – as it was policy to make them as airsick as possible!

DS

Taken from my family notes:

1953

HP Hastings flew soldiers and equipment into Kenya during the Mau Mau crisis. As a 14 year old living and schooling at Lyneham my father (then i/c Aircraft Servicing Flight) flew to Kenya in a Hastings whilst the unrest continued ensuring the servicing was as it should be at its home base.

Just as an aside from your post, this happened in the same year 1953,
read the abduction of King Freddie of Buganda in a Hastings to the UK http://members.lycos.co.uk/jadastra/king.html