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Name: TEMPLER, Harold Edward (Capt.)

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Photo Source: Templer website and Andrew Templer

Birth Date: 20 Apr 1893 Auckland, New Zealand

Death Date: 16 Oct 1957 London

First Date: 1925

Profession: Farmer

Area: Sirikwa, Eldoret, 1930 Njoro, 1937 Ol 'Mara Est. Sabukia

Married: In Kitale 4 Apr 1923 Aileen Hudson b. 23 July 1899 Shanghai, d. 30 Oct 1958 Bungoma [?10 Oct]

Children: John Connell (30 Mar 1926 Eldoret-19 Mar 1989 Wellington, New Zealand); (David Eric (30 Jan 1928 West Byfleet-4 May 1982 Derby); Christopher Simon (24 Nov 1930 Nakuru-20 Apr 1982 Auckland, New Zealand); Michael James 20 June 1933 Nakuru-9 Mar 2012 Tasmania); Richard Edward (8 Dec 1935 Nakuru-15 Aug 1995 Sydney, Australia)

Book Reference: Red 25, Red 31, Hut

War Service: 10th Middlesex; 4th Gurkas after the war

School: St Edward's Oxford, London Univ.

General Information:

Gazette 6 Dec 1938 Rift Valley Voters List
Web He was born in Auckland New Zealand on 20th April 1893, the only child of  Francis Templer and Cherie née Connell.  Francis Templer was, I think, a bank manager.  Harold was sent to school in England in his early teens and was educated at St. Edward's Oxford. He took up a post as a clerk in the New Zealand Insurance Company branch in London which was managed at the time by my mother's father Eric (Pollard) Hudson. (I haven’t got the family tree to hand). He started taking an interest in the Territorial Army which he joined in about 1910. He was commissioned into either the Buffs or the Middlesex Regiment (Yes) in about 1913 (21.03.1914).
In 1915  (actually 1918) he transferred to the Indian Army and served with I think the Fourth Gurkhas (actually 1/XI Gurkhas) and saw action in Mesopotamia (now Iraq) and was engaged in fighting the Turks.  He was wounded in this action and was unaware of the fact at the time but  carried a spent bullet around in his back for the rest of his life. He served  in the Afghan Wars of 1919  - I have  no information as to what part he took in this.  In about 1922 the Indian and British Army were subject to enormous  reductions  -  the Geddes Act.  At that time  if you were a regular officer in the Indian Army you could accept your gratuity as a farm in Kenya.  This is what he did.  In 1923  he married Aileen Hudson, my mother, in Kitale.  Worked at a farm called Soy which grew sisal and cattle. Became farm manager to Ngogeri farm at Njoro, this belonged to Lord Edgeton of Tatton.  
Grandfather  Eric Hudson bought Ol'Mara at Subukia  and  Harold/Aileen together with John Hudson joined them. On the death of Eric, Aileen inherited the farm.
Gazette 16 Dec 1958 wife's probate
Aileen had a heart attack in 1950. After their farm was attacked by Mau Mau they sold it and tried chicken farming near the coast - fails as the chickens were eaten by snakes.

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