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Name: FITTALL, Georgina Marie 'Zina'

Nee: Coroneo, dau. of Louise Coroneo

Birth Date: 29 Sep 1901 Cairo, Egypt

Death Date: 10 July 1979 Pretoria, SA

First Date: 1913

Last Date: 1965

Area: Nairobi

Married: 1. In Nairobi 19 July 1915 Robert Joseph Fittall (1894-1943); 2. In Nairobi 1943 Henry Gerald Ena St George Moreley-Bennett (d. 10 Feb 1944)

Children: Arnold Robert de Bussieros (9 May 1916 Nairobi-1984 Auckland, NZ); Esméralda Coralie (26 July 1917 Nairobi-1994 Exeter); Lancelot Albert Wilfred (18 Dec 1918 Mombasa-12 Feb 1944 sinking of Khedive Ismail); Diana (1920); Cecily Norah Aimee (8 Mar 1922 Nairobi) (Cooper); Reginald Lewis (15.7.1925 Nairobi-21.8.2013 Nottingham); Raquel 'Quellie' (6 June 1930 Nairobi) (Bullingham)

Book Reference: EAWL, Medals, Gillett

General Information:

Her second marriage only lasted one year as her husband was killed in a motorcycle accident outside the Norfolk Hotel in 1944. Gerald Bennett was an officer serving with the SA forces in Kenya.  Zina's mother, Madame Louise Coroneo, went to BEA just before the outbreak of war in 1914 from Egypt.   ........…..
My parents had 7 children. My mother had 4 children by the time she was 19, 6 children by the time she was 22 and I was born when she was 27. She did not go to hospital to have her babies or even consult a doctor. A midwife would be engaged before the event (usually a Greek lady from Tanganyika who my mother had faith in) who would live in for a few weeks; fortunately we were all very healthy. My mother became a grandmother when she was 35. Despite this however she was a most attractive lady, a talented singer and musician. She could read, write and converse fluently in English, French, Italian and Greek, and had a good command of Swahili. Fortunately in Kenya my parents were able to live comfortably in a large house set in 3 acres of land in Groganville, and servants were easily obtainable, which made a great difference with such a big family.   Source:- Mrs Raquel Bullingham
Medals - East Africa Censor's Department - Zena Fittal, Warrant Officer Class 1
Gazette 13 June 1944 - husband's probate

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