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Name: LUCKHAM, Edward Hillam Clayton

Nee: son of John Bennett and Mabel Luckham

Birth Date: 26 May 1911 Highcliffe on Sea, Hampshire

Death Date: 4 July 1943 presumed killed in action at sea

First Date: 1934

Last Date: 1943

Profession: Education Officer European Educ. In 1939, appointed 1934. Master, Prince of Wales School

Married: In Karen 1941 Margaret Edel Braune b. 3 Feb 1910 Carshalton, Surrey, d. 2003 (dau of Wilhelm Friedrich Braune. She was educated at L.M.H. Oxford 1929-32 and she later m. John Westall Etherington, farmer

Children: John (12 June 1942 Nairobi)

Book Reference: Sitrep 2, Staff 39, CWGC, O&C, KR, Christ Chuch website

School: Prince of Wales; Imperial Service College, Windsor; Christ Church Oxford, BA Hons (Oxon)

General Information:

CWGC - East Africa Memorial - Major Edward Hillam Clayton Luckham, Mentioned in Despatches, Kenya Regiment seconded to East African Intelligence Corps. 4th July 1943. Age 33. Son of John Bennett Luckham and Mabel Luckham; husband of Margaret E. Luckham, of Nairobi. Column 95.
One of the original '500' men in the Kenya Regt. in 1937. (KR 73)
Christ Church website - The Kenya Gazette noted that he had been appointed an Education Officer and that he arrived at Mombasa on October 28th 1934. He was a master at the Prince of Wales School. Nairobi where he was given the rather unattractive nickname of "Snake" (aka "Nyoka") Luckham as he was prone to reporting on errant boys for misdemeanours such as smoking. The same newspaper reported that he had passed the Lower Standard Swahili Examination on March 2nd 1936. He married Margaret Edel Braune. Their only child, a son, was born in Nairobi on June 12th 1942. He was a Major on the General Staff in the Kenya Regiment and seconded to the East African Intelligence Corps when the ship on which he was travelling from Madagascar to Fiji, was sunk by the Japanese on July 4th 1943  [Dibdin’s letter.] He was Mentioned in Despatches. His name is on the East Africa Memorial in the Nairobi War Cemetery Column 95. His wife wrote to the College on October 5th 1944.
Tom Lawrence: 1934 (4th Oct) He departs England on 4th Oct 1934, embarks at Marseilles on 11th Oct and arrives at Mombasa on 28th Oct 1934. It was his first appointment as an education Officer (Gazette, 6th Nov 1934, p. 1442).
1935 (Oct) He passed his Preliminary Oral Swahili Exam (Gazette, 29th Oct 1935, p. 1096).
1936 (2nd Mar) He passed the Lower Standard Swahili Examination (Gazette, 31st Mar 1936, p. 296).
1937 (27th Oct)  He is a 2/Lt. at the Prince of Wales School, Nairobi, Kenya, w.e.f. 27th Oct 1937, along with E.J. Gledhill and under Capt. E.J. Forest who had seniority from 1st June 1937 (Army Lists, Jan 1939).
Posted to 1 Coy. KR on 27th Oct 1937. Commissioned on 28th Oct 1937 (Source Unknown).
c. 1937-39 He was a teacher of Modern Languages at the Prince of Wales School, Nairobi. . His nickname was ‘Nyoka’ meaning ‘snake’ which stemmed from his tendency to report on errant boys for such misdemeanours as smoking (Old Cambrian website).
1941 (Oct) Lieut. E.H.C. Luckham is with the E.A. Intelligence Corps, attached from the Kenya Regt, with seniority from 28th Oct 1937 (E.A. Command Army List, Oct 1941).
1943 (4th July)  1943 (2nd July)      Maj. E.H.C. Luckham boards the s.s. Hoi How in Port Louis, Mauritius, bound for Tamatave on Madagascar. It was the service ship for the islands under East Africa Command. On board were several civilians, probably including some Mauritian operatives, some men of the 25th Coast Battery (the Mauritian coastal artillery unit). The ship was followed by U-181 under the command of Wolfgang Luth who had watched three ships depart from Port Louis. After 10hrs he caught up with the ship, and hit it with two torpedoes, and it sank within two minutes, and from which there were only four survivors. About 145 souls were lost (Tom Lawrence Research).The Impala Magazine of the Prince of Wales School, it says he was ‘Lost at Sea’ (Source Unknown). According to his brother-in-law, Aubrey Dibdin, written in a letter to Christ Church, Oxford, he was a Major on the General Staff in the Kenya Regiment and seconded to the East African Intelligence Corps when the ship on which he was travelling from Madagascar to Fiji, was sunk by the Japanese on July 4th 1943 (Christ Church website). He is remembered on the East African Memorial at Nairobi War Cemetery (Ngong Road) (CWGC website).
1943 (8th July) He is Mentioned in Despatches (Lon. Gaz. 8th July 1943, p. 3091) whilst serving with the Kenya Regt. (E.A. Gallantry Awards, Vol. II by H. Fecitt).
1946 (27th Aug)  Margaret Edel Luckham BA (Hons) Oxon, was promoted to be Librarian in the Agriculture Dept w.e.f. this date (Gazette, 17th June 1946, p.305).
1951 (29th Mar) She sat and passed her Standard Swahili Examination, and was still with the Agriculture Dept (Gazette, 22nd May 1951).
1956 (29th Sept) Margaret Luckham’s mother Mabel Constance Braune died aboard the ss Kenya Castle. Margaret Edel Luckham [sic] was one of the executors named in her will. She was living in Karen at the time
1968 (16th Aug) Margaret Edel Luckham was issued the LR. No. 1128/2 in Nairobi for 10 acres on a 999 year lease. It was given in exchange for LR Nos. 11789 and 11790 (Gazette, 16th Aug 1968, p. 834).
At some point Margaret Edel Luckham married John Westall Etherington who farmed at South Kinangop 
2003 Margaret Edel Etherington died
 

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