Sitrep 6 - Africa General Service Medal 1902-56 - East Africa 1918 - Awarded for services under Maj. R.F. White (Essex R), Maj. H. Rayne, MC (KAR) and Capt. J.H.R. Yardley, DSO (Inniskillings) in military operations - 1918 - against the Northern Turkana, Marille, Donyiro and kindred tribes in the vicinity of the Southern Sudan boundary and west of Lake Rudolf. Majority of the troops were from the Equatorial Bn of the Egyptian Army and KAR.

Cuckoo - Harry (now Major) Rayne took to police work much as a duckling takes to the water. He was a younger brother of the owner of the Masonic Hotel, and served with the New Zealand Mounted Rifles during the Boer War. He was a most likeable man.    

Police - On June 1st 1904, Harry Rayne was appointed an Inspector of the BEA Police and posted for duty under Major Foran at Nairobi. ...... As no quarters were available he lived at his brother's Masonic Hotel at the railway end of Victoria Street. Rayne was a New Zealander, who had served with the 7th New Zealand Mounted Rifles during the SA War. He had no previous Police experience. He was promoted Asst. District Superintendent on June 14th 1905, and relieved Major Foran at Kisumu in the middle of October that year. Rayne commanded a Police column with the Sotik Punitive Force in 1905 and also another with the Nandi Field Force (1905-06). Rayne spent his long leave in 1908 by making an arduous and hazardous ivory-hunting safari in partnership with W.D.M. "Karamoja" Bell through Abyssinia to the Nile in the Sudan. It was reported that they were successful in amassing large quantities of tusks. Later Rayne was transferred by the Colonial Office to the Administration as a DC in Somaliland, where he took part in the final crushing (1920) of the Mad Mullah's prolonged rebellion. He published an interesting book about his adventures and experiences in Somaliland. He served with the KAR in Tanganyika during WW1 and his Company fought a spirited battle with the Germans at Mwaika Hill in March, 1915. On the revival of the 5th Battalion KAR, Rayne was promoted to Major and given the command of "A" Company, and in 1917 was sent with his Company of Somalis to the Northern Frontier around Lake Rudolph and in Northern Turkana. For two years he and "A" company were engaged in much hard fighting there and endured severe hardships. Rayne was mentioned in despatches several times and awarded the OBE and MC. After the Armistice in November 1918, and a period of leave in England, Harry Rayne rejoined the Administration in British Somaliland until his retirement. He bought a farm at Shere (near Guildford) in Surrey, and settled down there with his wife and family. He died at Shere in 1942 or 1943. ........…..

Police - 1905 - the 3rd KAR , commanded by Major L.R.H. Pope-Hennessy was despatched against the Sotik people and with the Force went a Police column under Asst. District Superintendent H. Rayne. The EA General Service Medal with a bar (Sotik, 1905) was issued to all those who took part in the Expedition.  

Police - In 1905 two Battalions (3rd and 2nd) of the KAR under the command of Major J.D. Mackay and Lieut.-Col. H.A. Walker, were despatched against the Nandi. For a time I [Major Foran] commanded a Police column which was attached to the Expedition, but in October I was transferred to Mombasa, and Rayne took over the command of the Police column. Rayne was mentioned in despatches for his excellent service with the Sotik and Nandi Punitive Forces, receiving the EA General Service Medal with two bars (Sotik, 1905, and Nandi 1905/6) ....... story of the hunt for ivory raiders (pp. 33/35)

 Rayne - in 1926 I was serving as Assistant District Superintendent of Police at Kisumu ....... (Turkana) .... In addition to my military duties I was now to take over the administration of Northern Turkana, Boulderson leaving for Suk. My instructions allowing me a freee hand, I decided to retain Rainsford's company until the situation had cleared up somewhat. ...  

Rayne - Turkana - ... patrol, consisting of 4 Europeans (myself, the Chief Political Officer - Mr D.R. Crampton - Lieut. J. Francis, and the surgeon - Mr Henry Lawrence Sargent) and 120 native rifles ....... Mount Labur ........ 1917 - For nearly 2 months after our arrival at Mueressi the Authorities at Nairobi had been consulting with the Soudan Govt. with a view to taking combined action against the Northern Turkana, Marille, and kindred tribes residing in Soudan unadministered territory bordering on Lake Rudolf - between the Lomogol River and Abyssinia. Meanwhile my force had been reinforced by some 200 rifles under Major Ayre-Smith, 6th KAR and I was appointed Officer administering the whole of Turkana and O.C. troops. Several attempted raids were dismal failures, one very large raiding party, in particular, being severely handled in Suk territory by a party of police under Mr Hodge, a young Asst. DC.....…..  

Perham - Margery Perham's brother-in-law

Web - British Perspectives on Aulihan Somali Unrest in the East Africa Protectorate, 1915-18 by George L. Simpson Jr. - The Samburu Raid - '…. One who demanded … "immediate and decisive action" was Lieutenant Harry Rayne, husband of the afore-mentioned Ethel and a veteran of the Nandi punitive expeditions, who was given charge of organizing a British patrol to bring back … stolen cattle. Rayne hoped to surprise the Aulihan in a dawn raid, kill as many as possible, and afterwards seize hostages to open talks on his terms. ….. Rayne was very critical of what he termed the weakness of the civilian authorities, who acted too slowly and would not give him the latitude he desired. In Rayne's view their policies encouraged Abdurrahman Mursaal to embark on his reckless actions.

Land - 1911 - H. Rayne and W.D.M. Bell - Agricultural, 639.783 and 860.597 acres - Witu - 24/3/08 - Freehold and Leasehold for 99 years from 1/3/08 - Registered 1/1/11

Land - 1912 - W.D.M. Bell and H. Rayne - Agriculture, 2100 acres - Juba River - 7/6/08 - Leasehold under Occupation Licence for 2 to 99 years from 1/7/10 - Registered during 1911

Advertiser - 25/9/1908 - Cotton - Messrs Tost, Watcham & Rayne have ….. Large areas looking splendid.

EAHB 1906 - New Zealand Civil Service Exam 1894; New Zealand Mounted Rifles S.A. Queen's medal 4 clasps, King's medal; Inspector of Police, BEA Protectorate, June 1st 1904; Assistant Dist. Supt. Police 14th June 1905

Gazette - 4/11/1914 - Appt. - KAR, Temporary Commission - Lieutenant - H. Rayne

Member of Lodge Harmony - Joined 5/6/05 - Harry Rayne

Ylvisaker - The East Africa Cotton Syndicate at the mouth of the Tana began in 1905 to plant 40 acres of cotton and a number of rubber trees. A Mr Rayne planted 40,000 rubber trees near Witu, and Herr Tost at Kipini planted rubber trees along with other crops.

Red Book 1912 - H. Rayne - Kismayu

Sue Rye - My father, Harry Rayne - His father was James Rayne, his mother Mary Ann née Chambers, both of Irish/Catholic descent who were married in Berwick on Tweed in 1860 and subsequently emigrated to New Zealand with their children, Bartholomew 13 yrs, James 10 yrs, William 8 yrs, John 2 yrs, and Mary 2 and a half months. Harry was born in Ngapara, New Zealand on August 16th 1879 (not 1880 which is the date usually quoted and is on his gravestone). Another child, Nellie, was apparently adopted by the family - her birth date was 5 November 1884. Harry appears to have been christened Patrick and the school records at Ngapara show Patrick Rayne attending till about age 10, when he is replaced by Harry Rayne. The family are all now staunch Protestants, so maybe they were coming up against some anti-Catholic feeling. My father [Harry] went with the last New Zealand contingent to fight in the Boer War and then stayed on in Africa. I don't know if he was a manager of Boustead Ridley & Co. but I should think it was very possible.[actually, that was Herbert Charles Hatch Rayne] J.A. Rayne would have been John Allan Rayne, born 1870 in Scotland, died 1918, my father's older brother. He went to Kenya after winning land in a ballot. Later returned to New Zealand and farmed in the North Island. I don't know whether J.F. Rayne would have been another brother, James Rayne, born 1866 in Scotland, died 23 September 1931 in Dunedin. All I know about him is that he was a sailor. Mary Rayne, my father's sister, born 1876, apparently came to Africa in 1903 or 4 to look for Harry. I think it was she who ran Rayne's Masonic Hotel in Nairobi, which sounds a bit of a den. She married Harry Cullinan (Henry Gould Cullinan?) and their granddaughter is Jeanne Mathews, married to Terry Mathews, living in Nairobi now. ……. My father was married in 1911 in Mombasa Cathedral to Ethel Perham (sister of Marjorie Perham). I'm not sure when exactly he came over to England, where he farmed at Ponds Farm near Shere. He had 4 children (none of whom survive) then ran off with my mother and had 3 more. He died in 1950 and is buried in Crondall, Surrey.

Gazette 1/2/1907 - H. Rayne A.D.S. of Police - departed on 6 months' leave - 19/1/1907

Colonial Office List 1930 - Major H. Rayne, OBE (1920), MBE (Mily) - B. and Ed NZ; NZ Contingents in Anglo-Boer War 1900-02; E. African pol., June 1903; transport and polit. Offr. Nandi and Sotik Expedns (ment. In despatches) 1905-06; KAR Sep 1914-Apr 1919; asst dist. Comsnr. Br. E. Africa Dec 1914; seconded for mily serv. German East Africa, Jubaland and Turkana; offr. Commanding troops and administering Turkana 1918 (ment. In desps), MC; dist. Comsnr, Somaliland Apr. 1919; senr. Supply and transport offr. In charge organisation of Somaliland Expedn 1919-20 (ment in desps); dist. Offr. Tanganyika Territory 1927.

Moyse - 1917 - at Lokiriama with 5 KAR

'The Courier' - 19/4/1933 - Engagement is announced of Mrs William Frederick Baldock eldest son of the late Lt.-Col. W.S. Baldock and Mrs Baldock of Foxdown, Wellington and Miss Margery Isabella Rayne, daughter of Major H. Rayne OBE, MC and Mrs Rayne of Ponds Farm, Shere, Surrey

Edinburgh Gazette - 4/5/1920 - MBE - in recognition of valuable services rendered in connection with operations against the Northern Turkana and kindred tribes - Dated 3/6/1919 - T/Maj Henry Rayne MC, Gen List and 1/5th Bn KAR

Web - Rayne - Reported from Malta missing at sea, in March 1942, Captain Henry Wilfrid Rayne, second son of Major and Mrs Rayne, Ponds Farm, Shere, Guildford

Rayne - Missing from operations in July 1942, R.N. Rayne, eldest son of Major and Mrs H. Rayne, Ponds Farm, Shere, Guildford

Drumkey 1909 - Asst. District Supdt. Of Police, June 14th 1905; New Zealand Civil Service 1894; NZ Mounted Rifles; Queen's Medal with 4 clasps and King's Medal; Inspector of Police, EAP 1904

Nicholls - Major Henry Rayne, a New Zealander formerly working for Boustead Ridley in Mombasa, and his brothers J.A. and J.F. Rayne, took the building [Tommy Wood's tea room] over in 1904 and renamed it the Masonic Hotel. Henry Rayne joined the KAR, but one of the brothers ran this two-storeyed wood and corrugated iron establishment with his sister Mary, a kind woman who nursed many a sick bachelor back to health.

EAHB 1907 - Ed. at Otago, New Zealand; New Zealand civil service exam., 1894; New Zealand Mounted Rifles, South Africa; Queen's medal 4 clasps, King's medal; Inspector of Police, EA Protectorate June 1st 1904; Asst. District Superintendent of Police June 14 1905

Cuckoo - 1904 - Appointed to serve under Foran in Nbi.

EAHB 1905 - Police Inspector, Railway Zone

Masonic Hotel: Cuckoo - Next to Mrs Bent's millinery shop - the only European hotel in Nairobi in 1904. The Masonic was a two storied, wood and iron building, with a small bar as the major attraction. The food and accommodation were below third rate. - The tariff was distinctly on the high side; yet the best that could be expected in a town dumped down suddenly in the wild heart of Africa and of only 4 years growth. The Raynes, brother and sister, were kindness itself and ever eager to make their guests as comfortable as circumstances permitted. They were liked and respected; and many a sick man had cause to be grateful for the tender nursing of Mary Rayne. They sold the hotel soon after 1904.