Commissioned 1937 TA 5th Leicester Rgt., Norway 1940 Sweden interned, Finland, Shetland Isles, EA Forces Northern Rhodesian Regt. (1 NRR), Somaliland, Abyssinia, NFD, India, Ceylon, Burma 1944-45, Germany with 1st Royal Leicesters. Also took leave drafts through all EA territories and Belgian Congo to Rhodesia. He says - "Had many adventures in the NFD. When Clifford Knight and I went from Lake Rudolph to Addis Ababa in 1941 with written authority of Haile Selassie to choose chiefs or headmen to replace those who collaborated with Italians. C. Knight was a Judge from Dar es Salaam. I had 2 platoons from 1NRR as escort. We found an officer and his men who had gone previously to recce. Shifta (Bandits) Merille who had been raiding Turkana. He was living with an Italian Lady and his troops were enjoying life with Local Bints and living very well. They had been missing for a month. I rounded up the platoon and sent them back with the officer who was a very brave man and had won an MC and Bar so I never reported him but gave them all a good pep talk. I had a British NCO who was no use and a coward and who fainted at the sight of blood, so I sent him back too. It was a very dangerous journey as we were shot at often, came across horrible slaughter of civilians by bandits, lost a lorry over escarpments and even came across some very small, almost pigmy people in a tribe North of the Omo. I also saw a red Stag - a real Scottish stag, just on the road with large antlers. I knew red deer as we had a herd, and still have, at Donington Park. Years later I came across a book, I think by General Wingate's father though I am not sure, telling how a previous European had imported red deer to Ethiopian highlands and pheasants. No one has ever believed this story but it's true. We had to shoot game for the pot as well as guinea fowl and franklin and were away 6 weeks. We had some fighting in the EA Campaign, particularly in Somaliland but our casualties were small compared with Burma where they were much higher. African troops were excellent to serve with. They loved drill, had great pride in their unit, but one had to lead and take risks as they could be very slow as points or scouts ahead of patrols. We did use talking drums at one time in Burma when our phone lines were cut. One had to have the same tribe at either end and use codes they understood but it worked."   

Owns Donington Hall stately home