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Name: HOLMBERG, Anders Olaf Tor 'Andrew'

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Nee: son of Emil Emil Evald Oscar Holmberg

Birth Date: 9 May 1918 Nairobi, in Karen Blixen's house

Death Date: 12 July 2015 Sankt Olof, Skane, Sweden

Profession: Rancher, hunter, plantation manager

Area: Thika, Thomson's Falls, Naivasha

Married: 1. In Thika 27 July 1957 Marie Groenewald b. 1927; 2. In Kiambu 7 Dec 1963 Doreen Joyce 'Judy' Oxford b. 23 Nov 1915 Horsham, d. 14 May 2016 Sweden, musician

Author: 'Out in Africa' 2000

Book Reference: Kenton, Buffalo Barua 2, Kingsley-Heath, Wed, Holmberg, Sitrep 2, Rundgren, Legion,

War Service: Kenya Regt. WW2 in EA Reconnaisance Squadron

School: Kenton College - left 1931 for Prince of Wales School

General Information:

Pre-war volunteer to the Kenya Regiment (KR 542/913). No birthdate in KR records.
Buffalo Barua 2 - 'I was born in Kenya on the 9 May 1918 in my godmother's house which is now a museum named after her. She was Karen Blixen, the author of the best selling book, 'Out of Africa' ….. Her brother, Thomas Dinesen was in a Canadian Scottish Regiment and was awarded the VC while in France. The Dinesens were Danish, although Karen was married to a Swede. My father and mother also came from Sweden.
My father was Emil Holmberg who, at the outbreak of the 1914-18 war joined the British Forces. He, together with a friend, also a Swede, Captain Baron Erik von Otter MC, served with them throughout the war. They were both attached to the KAR Maxim Gun Section. I have a photograph of the two of them seated, each with a Maxim gun, and with their mounted unit of horses lined up in the background. Another photograph shows their mule transport section en route to the front line border between Kenya and Tanganyika, to join the fight against a German army. …..
Amongst my papers is a letter written in Swedish to my father from Captain von Otter. He was at this time the Garrison Officer in Lodwar, and he talks about a Transport Officer by the name of Captain Brick whom my father knew from his time in the KAR Maxim gun section. It seems that Captain Brick was having severe problems with the donkeys that pulled the transport wagons between Kitale and Lodwar. He had lost 100 out of 156 from an unknown disease. Von Otter was having difficulty himself because there was a shortage of boats for Lake Rudolf to transport supplies to his forward KAR positions along the Kenya/Ethiopian border.
Captain von Otter died of blackwater fever and is buried alongside Captain McPherson at Lodwar. There are memorial plaques for them in Nairobi Cathedral.
I was brought up with pioneer hunters so when I was in the OTC at the Prince of Wales School in Nairobi, I had an interest in target shooting. I shot in a number of Rifle Range competitions, and I have a photograph of myself with the winning team's score board taken during the school house shooting team competition. I was later a member of the Kenya Rifle Association for several years before the war, and I am also the proud owner of a miniature replica of a snap shooting competition - the 'Kampf' cup - which I won with a .303 army service rifle at our 'Bisley', at the army range, just prior to the outbreak of war in 1939 and before joining the Kenya Regiment.
Serving with the Kenya Regiment was not that simple. Although I had joined and been given the number KR913, I was told that on reaching the age of 21 I would be able to automatically drop my interim Swedish passport and sign on the dotted line for a British passport. However, when I tried to do that, I was shocked to be told that I had to leave the Kenya Regt. Until I acquired British naturalisation papers because the Kenya Regt. was for white British subjects only. To cut a long story short, whilst waiting for these papers, which cost £10, I was luckily able to meet two very influential people with high ranking army posts who were able to use their influence to speed up the naturalisation formalities. One was Lord Erroll and the other was Colonel G.S. Grogan [sic], famous for his walk from Cape to Cairo. ….. (more - military service WW2)
In 1941 I was boarded out because I had a recurrence of the acute Nephritis which I had last experienced at the age of 17. This resulted in some kidney problems, which led to my feet swelling. It was assumed that this recurrence had nothing to do with the Army, so in spite of the exposure to cold and dampness in the high mountains, endured during the heavy rainy season as we advanced on Addis Ababa, I did not receive any compensation from the Army, nor was I ever issued with any war medals or even a wound stripe! However, I did receive a buttonhole badge inscribed 'For Loyal Service.'
There then followed seven years as a ranch and farm manager for retired Brigadier General A.R. Wainewright of "Four Winds Farm" situated on the northern slopes of the Aberdare Mountains. I then started farming on my own with an opportunity to combine it with professional hunting.
I am fully retired after many adventurous years as a combined farmer and Professional Hunter. I have, to remind me of those days, a Kenya Regiment buffalo badge, in addition to our EA Reconnaissance Squadron cheetah badge, both made up as brooches for my wife. …. Now in Spain (1999)
Kingsley-Heath - Andrew Holmberg - Long-time Swedish hunter who hunted in Kenya during the war and with Ker & Downey Safaris. Thereafter became a partner in Selby & Holmberg. On the dissolution of Selby & Holmberg he ran his own company with his own name. Probably the first of the East African professional hunters to hunt in Botswana. Shot a huge buffalo in Tanganyika Masailand, 58 inches in horn width. Generally regarded by most professional hunters as having the ability to judge a trophy length of horns better than anyone else alive. Retired at 70 years of age. Still lives in Kenya.
Holmberg - In 1946 I went to work for Ker & Downey, then owned by Jack Block, a managing director of the firm. I eventually left because it seemed unlikely he would ever allow professional hunters to own stock in the hunting company. I wanted to be my own boss. In 1953, along with Harry Selby, we formed Selby & Holmberg Safaris Ltd. It went well, but like most professionals, I was a loner and by 1961 was back hunting on my own having formed Andrew Holmberg Tours & Safaris Ltd Kenya. ……. Also started hunting in Bechuanaland with his brother.
UK Foreign and Overseas Registers - named Anders Olaf

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