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Name: PALETHORPE, Ronald Flint

Birth Date: 7 Apr 1891 King's Norton

Death Date: 6 Feb 1966 Whitestone, Hereford, Herefordshire

First Date: 1914

Profession: Acting DC at Kajiado in Sept. 1926

Area: Nairobi, 1922 ADC Eldama Ravine, 1930 Kiambu, Naivasha, 1925 Nyeri Railway

Married: In Kenya 1936 Mary b. 28 Jan 1905, d. 1994

Book Reference: Police, Perham, KAD, Red 25, Hut, Red 31, Colonial, Red 22, Dominion, Medals, Chandler, Gazette, Red 19

School: Hereford School and Keble College Oxford; BA

General Information:

Police - An instance of bravery and complete disregard for personal safety occurred on Sep. 1st 1926, when an African Police Constable was again the hero. On the previous night the Acting DC at Kajiado, R.F. Palethorpe, shot at and wounded a lioness; and followed her up early next morning when light enough to spoor. He was accompanied by some Africans, including a Masai game scout and his Mkamba police orderly (Constable Muni Mutumbi). They returned to the spot where the lioness was last seen and then followed up her tracks. Almost immediately the lioness was heard growling and a few minutes later was seen by the Constable, who fired at her on instructions given him. Simultaneously with his shot the lioness roared savagely and charged, which created a general stampede of the Africans present except for Constable Muni Mutumbi. He remained beside Palethorpe and shot again at the lioness. The animal reached Palethorpe, bowled him over, and started to chew and claw his right leg. Constable Muni Mutumbi approached the lioness from a flank and shot at her thrice, successfully drawing attention to himself and preventing Palethorpe from being seized in a vital spot of his anatomy which seemed imminent. The Masai game scout, encouraged by the Constable's fearless behaviour, now came back and threw his spear at the lioness. The Constable fired again and she made off into the bush. There seems small doubt that, by approaching close to the lioness and continuing to shoot in spite of her threats to charge him, Constable Muni Mutumbi saved Palethorpe's life.
Colonial - Asst. Master St. George's School Windsor Castle; Asst. DC EAP 5th Aug. 1914; Ag. DC Kenya 1926; Res. Magistrate 1929; Ag. Puisne Judge 1937 1915 - Malindi
Dominion - District Officer - 1930
Medals - Mombasa Defence Force - No. 9355, Private
Chandler - R. Pailthorpe - He was district commissioner in the Masai province in the 1920s. Part of the DC's job was predator control. Pailthorpe, more of an administrator than a hunter was badly injured by a lioness on one of his first hunts. John Hunter was brought in to finish the job in the Masai district.
Gazette 25/11/1914 - Arrived on 1st Appointment - Asst. Dist. Commissioner - 11/11/1914
Perham - 1929 - Nairobi Resident Magistrate.
KAD 1922 - C.N.C.'s Office.
KAD 1922 - Asst. District and Resident Commissioner,
Red 25 - Nyeri Railway, Thika

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