1939 - 1945 The War Years

Betty, her husband and their two children were due to go back to England on leave at the end of September 1939; but this leave was cancelled on 29th August.  They went instead to Capetown, leaving their home in Mankoya and arriving on ? December.

They left Capetown on ? and returned by train to Northern Rhodesia, but went to Broken Hill, where they were joined by Betty's brother Peter, his wife Carine and son Robert, then on 5th February they all flew to Kenya to stay with Betty's parents, who had retired there.  

Betty was inflicted with an eye infection, so Gervas, his daughter Gill, and Betty's cousin Christian then returned to Northern Rhodesia on 12th March 1940, leaving Betty to recover.  She remained in Kenya another six weeks, until 24th April 1940, when she and her one-year-old son Robin [me]  joined the rest of the family in their new home at Chinsali, in the North East of Northern Rhodesia.