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Name: DEWAR, David Mitchell MBE (Major)

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Birth Date: 15 Oct 1897 Elie, Fife

Death Date: 22 May 1979 Malindi

First Date: 1928

Profession: Office Superintendent, Military Dept., KAR in 1939, appointed 1935. Originally Road Foreman, PWD 1928. Librarian, Vet. Research Lab., Kabete 1934. Probation Officer in 1953

Area: Nairobi

Married: In Mombasa Elizabeth Meyer b. 30.4.1901

Children: Robert (1934); Richard

Book Reference: Staff 39, Staff 53, Red 31, Hut, Tom Lawrence

War Service: Lied about age and joined up in a Scottish battalion aged 16, fought in trenches, wounded WW!; KAR in WW2 in Italian campaign in Abyssinia

General Information:

Lived in Kabete, latterly in Kilimani
Gazette 22 Feb 1980 probate
Tom Lawrence: 1897 (15th Oct) David Mitchell Dewar is born (Colony & Protectorate of Kenya Staff List, 1st July 1955, p. 242). 1928 (26th July) D.M. Dewar is employed for the first time by the Kenya Administration as a Road Foreman working for the Public Works Department (PWD) (Colony & Protectorate of Kenya Staff List, 1st July 1955, p. 242).
1928? Elizabeth Meyer sails from Scotland to Mombasa, where she and David Dewar marry (Pers. Comm, Bob Dewar).
1934 David & Elizabeth Dewar have a son, Robert (‘Bob’) (Pers. Comm, Bob Dewar).
1934 (29th Dec) David Dewar is recorded on the Electoral Roll for Electoral Area No. 1 (Nairobi North). He was a Librarian c/o Veterinary research Lab. Kabete (The Official Gazette, 29th Dec 1934, p. 4).
193? David & Elizabeth Dewar have a second son, Richard (Pers. Comm, Bob Dewar).
1936 (16th Nov) David Dewar is recorded on the Electoral Roll for Electoral Area No. 1 (Nairobi North). He was a Librarian c/o Veterinary research Lab. Kabete (The Official Gazette, 16th Nov 1936, p. 4).
1941 (22nd Jan) D.M. Dewar is granted an emergency commission (E.A. Command Army List, Oct 1941). No details of rank, but presumably 2/Lt.
1941 (1st Feb) Under the listings for General List Infantry, for those to be given Emergency Commissions is David Mitchell Dewar (322984) of the A.C.F. to be a 2nd Lieut. (Supplement to the London Gazette, 15th Sept 1944, p. 4255). [A.C.F. -Army Cadet Force?]
1941 (Oct) In the E.A. Command Army List, Lieut. & QM D.M. Dewar is in the East Africa Military Records Office (E.A. Command Army List, Oct 1941).
1941 (30th Dec) Lieut. David Mitchell Dewar of the East African Infantry (Middle East Command) is Mentioned in Desptaches (see TNA WO 373/8) (London Gazette, 30th Dec 1941, p. 7366).
Lieut. (Quartermaster) D.M. Dewar, of the King’s African Rifles is Mentioned in Despatches (The KAR & E.A. Forces Gallantry Awards, by Harry Fecitt, Vol II, p. 241).
1946 (1st Jan) In the New Year Honours List, T/Maj. (Quartermaster) David Mitchell Dewar (322984), General List, Infantry is awarded the MBE. He was under the King’s African Rifles (Wikipedia).
1947 (12th Feb) In Govt. Notice No. 186, on behalf of the Chief Secretary, C.H. Thornley announces the award of the Efficiency Decoration to Maj. D.M. Dewar (The Official Gazette, 18th Feb 1947, p. 88).
1949 (1st May) Maj. David Mitchell Dewar MBE was appointed a Probation Officer by the Governor through John Whyatt, the Member for Legal affairs. Amongst the others were Mr. Sydney James, Bates, Mrs. Mary Dyce Kenny, Mr. Henry Delmege Montgomery, Mr. Simeon James Moore, Mr. Stanley Morris-Smith, and Mr. Alfred Butler (The Official Gazette, 11th Aug 1953, p. 795).
1949 (27th May) The King grants the unrestricted wearing of decorations conferred by other nations for the recognition of services in the cause of the Allies. Amongst them is T/Maj. (Quarter Master) David Mitchell Dewar MBE (322984) of the General List, Infantry who was permitted to wear the Haile Selassie I Military Medal (Supplement to the London Gazette, 27th May 1949, p. 2607).
1949 (Dec) Maj. D.M. Dewar is noted that, amongst others, as having donated 40/- to the War Memorial Fund at the Prince of Wales School (Impala Magazine, Dec 1949).
1955 (3rd April) Maj. D.M. Dewar MBE ED departs on leave (Colony & Protectorate of Kenya Staff List, 1st July 1955, p. 242).
1955 (1st July) Under Appointments and promotions, David Mitchell Dewar MBE, ED is to be a Senior Probation Officer in the Probation Service with effect from this date (The Official Gazette, 15th Nov 1955, p. 1218).
Maj. D.M. Dewar was a Senior Probation officer (Grade B2), and had drawn a salary of £1,404 (Basic Salary of £1,128 and Inducement Pay of £276) (Colony & Protectorate of Kenya Staff List, 1st July 1955, p. 242).
1958 (1st Nov) D.M. Dewar is given a Farm Grant of 8.08 acres on a 99-year lease (L.R. No. 8616). The land was for private residential purposes. There were several others buying at the same time -G. Hopkins (LR 8610, 8.35 acres), A.M. Watson (LR No. 8585, 5.76 acres) and Mrs. E.J. Berkley-Mathews, Mrs. E.A.G. Fitzgerald and Miss Olga M. Heaven (LR 8602, 7.51 acres) (The Kenya Gazette, 27th Jan 1959, p. 93).
1979 (22nd May David Mitchell Dewar dies in Malindi
Wife: Elizabeth Meyer was of German origin. She left Germany to go to Scotland because of the state of Germany post-WWI, with the massive inflation, and printing of banknotes as well as the rise of the Nazis to power. They met in the 1920s, and were engaged to be married, and David wen to Kenya in 1928. His wife-to-be followed out and they got married in Mombasa. She was  v competent with a sewing machine.

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