Skip to content ↓

View entry

Back to search results

Name: GROVES, Arthur Victor

image of individual

Birth Date: 6 Sep 1897 Chillerton, Isle of Wight

Death Date: 19 Oct 1986 Colwyn Bay

First Date: 1916

Last Date: 1941

Profession: Postmaster, Posts & Telegraphs Dept., in 1939, appointed 1933. Originally P.Clerk & Telegraphist, Tanganyika 1921

Area: Dar es Salaam

Married: In Medway 1923 Winifred Martindale b. 22 Jan 1899 Rochester, d. 1979 Dartford

Children: Roy Ernest (3 Oct 1924 Tanga-21 Aug 1999 Chichester); Peter Martindale (1929)

Book Reference: Staff 39, EASC

War Service: East African units

General Information:

EASC Vol 9 pp 385/8 - Article by Eric Coulton - Vic Groves - Tanganyika Postmaster - "In 1985 I was privileged to meet an elderly, rather deaf, but very interesting retired colonial postmaster. Arthur Victor ('Vic') Groves had been a postmaster in East Africa (mainly in Tanganyika) for most of the inter-war years, and had subsequently retired to Colwyn Bay in North Wales. Although in his late 80s, he had a remarkable memory for the events of those far distant days, and most fascinating of all he had also served in East Africa during World War 1 - the only ex-soldier of that campaign that I ever met. ……………. Vic was born at Chillerton, near Newport (Isle of Wight) on 6th September 1897. His father, a sergeant in the Royal Regiment of Artillery, was due for transfer to garrison duty in Malta, and the family embarked when Vic was 6 weeks old. Four years were spent at Malta and Gibraltar, followed by 3 in Fifeshire, then on to Sanday and Kirkwall in the Orkneys. In 1909 his father retired after 21 years' service and returned to his roots, becoming the licensee of the Crown Inn at Shorwell on the Isle of Wight. Unfortunately his savings were lost and his father joined the Corps of Commissionaires, eventually settling in Rochester, Kent.
In early 1914 Vic sat the entrance examination for the General Post Office as a Male Learner. Although he passed well there were no jobs in Rochester and he had to resit in July to obtain a job at Chatham, where he commenced on 2 January 1915 at 8/- a week. In less than a year he had passed examinations to become a Sorting Clerk and Telegraphist at 19/- a week. With the War in progress, Vic signed on under the Derby scheme soon after his 18th birthday, whereby he would be called up as and when he could be released from work or when there were vacancies at the intake depots and training camps. This happened in late 1915 and he was called up to the Signal Section, Royal Engineers. After training, and after having been put on and off drafts for both France and Mesopotamia, he was put on a draft of 400 NCOs for German East Africa. Only 50 returned at the end of the war. ………….. {more} … malaria etc
EASC Vol 9 pp 418/22 - Part 2 of article detailing Groves' life in Tanganyika from 1921 when he returned as a postal employee.
EASC Vol 9 pp 442/45 - Part 3
EASC Vol 10 pp626/31 Part 6 - …..Vic was due to retire after 20 years service on 22 May 1941. Considerable pressure was put on such personnel to remain in Tanganyika because of staff shortages, but because of his recent illnesses Vic was given permission to return to the UK. He left Mombasa on 22 June and after a short spell in Torquay was moved to Colwyn Bay as an Executive Officer with the Ministry of Food, subsequently being moved to the Communications Division on de-coding. ………… He enjoyed an active retirement and died on 19 October 1986 at the age of 89

Back to search results