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Name: WICKHAM, Denis Henry (Brig.)

Birth Date: 1896 Wimbledon

Death Date: 19 Aug 1950 Mombasa

First Date: 1922

Last Date: 1950

Profession: Appointed as a DO in 1925. Captain in 5th KAR 1922-25. DC Isiolo in 1939

Area: Isiolo, Marsabit, 1925 Wajir, 1930 c/o Secretariat, Nairobi. 1950 Lamu

Married: No

Book Reference: Tom Lawrence, Midday Sun, Staff 39, Reece, Red 25, Red 31, Colonial, EA & Rhodesia, Barnes

War Service: Connaught Rangers 1914, served BEF France 1915-18 (despatches) Queens Royal Regt. 1922; 5th KAR Kenya 1922-25

School: Winchester College and New College Oxford

General Information:

Midday Sun - 'Even Glenday could not keep all his officers up to the mark all the time. There was a middle-aged DC called Denis Wickham who was fond of his comforts, inclined to stoutness, widely read, and one of the founders of the Wajir Yacht Club. (Needless to say, the yachts were imaginary). He took his Somali mistress into retirement at Lamu and left her £30000 in his will, together with his mother's jewellery. She went through the lot, aided by an Italian lover; married a corporal in the Foreign Legion; and committed suicide in Djibuti by jumping out of a third-floor window.
East Africa & Rhodesia - 24/8/50 - Brigadier Denis Henry Wickham, CBE, Chief Administrator in Somalia from 1943 to 1947, has died in Mombasa at the age of 54. Born in Wimbledon in 1896 and educated at Winchester and New College, Oxford, he entered the Army in 1914, serving with the Connaught Rangers until 1922 and with the KAR until 1925, when he retired and joined the Kenya Administrative Service, from which he retired last year with the renk of Provincial Commissioner.
Brigadier Wickham served and was mentioned in despatches in both world wars, and was from 1935 to 1938 consul in Southern Ethiopia.
Barnes - Mombasa Cemetery - Denis Wickham, died 19 Aug 1950 age 55, European Hospital, Pulmonary Embolism
Gazette - 11/11/1925 - Arrived on 1st Appointment - A.D.C. - Capt. D.H. Wickham
Reece - Took over from Gerald Reece at Marsabit in 1939.
Red 25 - 5th KAR.
Colonial - Seconded to Somaliland 1929
Tom Lawrence: 1914  He was serving with the Connaught Rangers 
1914 (5th Oct) Denis Henry Wickham is gazetted as a 2nd Lieut.. (The London Gazette, 6th Oct 1914, p. 7924).
He is commissioned on 5th Oct 1914 (Army Lists)
1915  He was with the British Expeditionary Force in France right through until 1918 and was Mentioned in Despatches
1921 (5th Aug) His seniority with the Queen’s Regiment is from this date (East Africa Command Army List, Oct 1941). 
1922  He was serving with the Queen’s Royal Regiment 
First recorded date of Denis Wickham in Kenya.He was a Captain in the 5th KAR, a post which he held until 1925 
1925 (24th May) Capt. D.H. Wickham departs on leave from Mombasa. He is in 5th KAR at the time (Gazette, 10th June 1925, p. 498).
1925   He was appointed as a District Officer in Kenya. He is recorded as being in Wajir
1925 (8th Oct) He departs England on his first appointment as an ADC
1925 (10th Oct) Heembarks on a ship at Marseilles bound for East Africa
He is first appointed to the Administration of Kenya under the Colonial Government (Blue Book ending 31st Dec 1933, p. 180).
1925 (2nd Nov) He arrives in Mombasa (Gazette, 11th Nov 1925, p. 1084).
1927 D.H. Wickham, as Acting District Commissioner in Moyale writes an Intelligence report of 42 pages. It covers Abyssinian affairs, theft, tax, improved border relations, Gurre-Boran feud, tribal feuds, murder, cattle disease, and stats of X-M (Kenya National Archives -IR/188).
1926 (23rd June) On the Electoral Roll for Electoral Area No. 10 (Ukamba) is Denis Henry Wirkham, a Civil Servant in Kitui ( Gazette, 23rd Jun 1926, p. 47).
1926 (26th July)  Heis appointed to be an Asst. District Commissioner in Kitui District, Ukamba Province w.e.f. this date (Gazette, 1st Sept 1926, p. 998).
1929 (19th Feb) He departs London, returning to Kenya Colony from leave. He is an Administration Cadet (Gazette, 26th March 1929, p. 538).
1929 (23rd Feb) He embarks on his ship to Mombasa in Marseilles (Gazette, 26th March 1929, p. 538).
1929 (16th Mar) He disembarks in Mombasa (Gazette, 26th March 1929, p. 538).
1929  He was a District Commissioner in Isiolo
1929 (13th April)  Capt. D.H. Wickham departs on transfer to Somaliland as a District Officer (Gazette, 23rd April 1929, p. 640).
He was seconded to Somaliland
1930 His address was c/o Secretariat, Nairobi
1933 (13th July)  He is a District Officer with the Administration and departs England from his leave on this date (Gazette, 15th Aug 1933, p. 1240).
1933 (1st Aug) He embarks in Aden, returning from secondment to Somaliland (Gazette, 15th Aug 1933, p. 1240).
1933 (7th Aug) He disembarks in Mombasa (Gazette, 15th Aug 1933, p. 1240).
1933 (31st Dec) Under Provincial Administration in Kenya Colony, Denis Henry Wickham is first appointed to the Administration under the Colonial Government, as a District Officer on a salary of £600 per annum (Blue Book ending 31st Dec 1933, p. 180)1935. He was the Commodore of the Royal Wajir Yacht Club (Peter Fullerton article).
1935 (2nd Sept) Capt. D.H. Wickham of the Administration takes his Lower standard Swahili examination, which he passes (Gazette, 22nd Oct 1935, p. 1080).
1935 (25th Sept)  He is appointed to be Her Britannic Majesty’s Consul for Southern Abyssinia at Mega (Gazette, 15th Oct 1935, p. 1064).    He maintained the position of Consul in Southern Ethiopia through until 1938.
1936 (6th June) As a District Officer, Capt. D.H. Wickham departs on leave (Gazette, 16th June 1936, p. 572)
1937 (22nd Dec) Heis appointed as District Commissioner for Moyale w.e.f. this date (Gazette, 11th Jan 1938, p. 24).
1938 He writes a 39-page Intelligence report for 1938, as the District Commissioner. Topics covered are: Italian affairs robber bands near Gardula, tax barazas, 170 murdered by shifta, tribal movements, trace, DC Resident confer over banda incursions, KAR manoeuvres, Italo-Abyssinian war continued, desertions from Italian Forces, extensive details of fighting (Kenya National Archives IR/206 continuing to IR/208 & IR/209).
1939 According to Alys Reece in her book “To my Wife, 50 Camels” (1963) he took over from Gerald Reece at Marsabit in 1939 
1941 (17th May)This is the date of his seniority within the East African Forces (East Africa Command Army List, Oct 1941).
1941 (Aug) Brig. D.H. Wickham gives permission to M.E.W. North to visit Brava (now Barawa) island in Southern Italian Somaliland (North had been posted in that region I March 1941). North’s goal was to look at the birds on the island (Notes on the Sea birds of Brava Island, by M.E.W. North M.B.O.U.). M.E.W. North was an Asst. Political Officer in Somalia.
1941 (Oct) In the Army List for East African Forces of Oct 1941 Capt. D.H. Wickham of the Queen’s Regiment and part of the Regular Army Reserve of Officers (R.A.R.O.) with the rank of T/Lt. Col. (Temporary Lt. Col.) (East Africa Command Army List, Oct 1941).
1943 (3rd May)  According to East Africa & Rhodesia Brig. Denis Henry Wickham, CBE, was Chief Administrator in Somalia from 1943 to 1947. He was Chief Administrator from 3 May 1943 until 1948, when he handed over to Eric Armar Vully de Candole (1901-1989) World Statesman website on Somalia).
1946 (2nd Feb) Heis Chief British Army Administrator in Somalia. He wrte to the Civil Affairs Branch in Nairobi about the bravery of Capt. Simmon Latutin and his recommendation of for a George Cross (Jewish Virtual Library, Simmon Latutin).
1946 (31st Dec)  He is under the list of District officers as part of the Provincial Administration for Kenya Colony, but marked as ‘Seconded to secretariat’. His salary was £495-920 (Blue Book, 1946, p. 286).
1950  He is recorded as being in Lamu 
1950 (19th Aug) Denis Wickham dies in the European Hospital, Mombasa from a pulmonary embolism aged 55 He was buried the same day in Plot D43 (E.A. Memorials website)
1950 (24th Aug) What appears to be a short obituary in the weekly East Africa & Rhodesia Journal (edited by F.S. Joelson) - see above
1950 (22nd Sept) Public Trustee, D.J. Coward places a notice in the Official Gazette concerning the Probate & Administration of the will of Brig. Denis Henry Wickham, late of Lamu. All claims against the will should be with D.J. Coward by 27th Nov 1950 (Gazette, 26th sept 1950, p. 792).
1955 (5th May) Notice is posted in the Gazette for the estates of deceased persons that have been lodged with the Registrar of the Supreme Court in Nairobi and he has appointed this date at 14:00 as the time for passing such accounts. Amongst them was Public Trustee’s cause No. 58/50 and Supreme Court Cause No. 126/51 of Denis Henry Wickham (Gazette, 19th April 1955, p. 344). 
 
 

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