One of the original 500 men who joined the Kenya Regiment in 1937 (KR 435).

Hut: President Laikipia Famers' Association, 1942.

Mary Hoey says - He had a very nice widowed mother living up near Kitale somewhere who came to see him from time to time and no doubt did not approve of his set up as he lived with a native girl. I believe his son has done well in the new Kenya army. He had a brother Monty who actually married a native girl. They were both very nice boys so we did feel very sorry for their mother that they had not just married nice British girls and given her a real family to take an interest in and help with. I got on very well with Dick as we were the only young left in the Laikipia Narok area during the war.

As a family they had plenty of money and he gave me a week's holiday at the Norfolk towards the end of the war as a thank you for having nursed him through tick fever for 6 weeks. We had a high old time wining and dining and he had a fight with a man in Torrs Hotel sitting at the next table who said in a loud stage whisper - "Look - one of those useless girls whose never done a hand's turn in her life." Dick was furious but I was frightfully pleased that after 4 years' battling on the ranch I could still look as if I'd never done a hand's turn when dressed up.

Dick continued to live in Rumuruti though moved to another farm. Believe he has since died - He had a weak chest. He was slim and fair - Monty was tall and dark and very good looking.

Campling - In January 1949 Keith Campling sold the Luscombe [aircraft] to Dick Jennings of Rumuruti. Dick Jennings had learnt to fly with CBV's flying school and had first flown the Luscombe when he did dual on it with Keith in March 1947; since then he had done a lot of flying in it. Dick used the Luscombe to watch over his cattle herds and to see that his herdsmen were on the job. One way and another he did a fair amount of flying on 'KDD including taking her on the odd flight to the coast. On one occasion he took her to Kitale; he had an African assistant with him and, while he went to the Club for refreshment, he asked him to refuel, telling him that he would find a can of fuel inside the baggage carrier. There were two cans there, almost identical, so it was purely by chance that 'KDD was refuelled with water, a mistake that was discovered soon after take-off when the engine cut and she crashed.

Fortunately not too much damage was done and Keith [Campling] was soon able to have her flying again. The Luscombe was also used by Jennings to do some flying for the International Red Locust Control, mainly in Tanganyika and Northern Rhodesia …….. Jennings finally sold 'KDD in 1951 to Peter Hoosen ………

Barnes Langata Cemetery Nairobi in loving memory / of / R F Jennings (Dick) / 26 .10.1915 / 4.12.1986

Kenya Gazette states date of death as 3rd Dec.