Memories: Zambia, 1966

Forty-nine years ago I was detached to a small town in Zambia called Ndola.

The reason for this disturbance in my life force was that Ian Smith had declared a Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) for Rhodesia. Harold “Puff-Puff” Wilson had decided (or his fancy piece had decided) that it was time to throw a ring of aluminium around the country to bring them to their knees.

Thus 29 Squadron sent their Gloster Javelins to Zambia at Lusaka and Ndola to scare the wits out of the local bird-life.

29 Squadron Gloster Javelin at Ndola, Zambia

The problem with this is that Zambia is a land-locked country and so the only way for them to get fuel into the country was by train from South Africa.

The fuel for the Javelins arrived courtesy of the Bristol Britannia Aircraft from RAF Lyneham based at Embakasi Airport just outside Nairobi, Kenya. Most of that airport is now called ‘Jomo Kenyatta’ airport after the famous Mau-Mau terrorist that became the first President of Kenya.

Are we keeping up with this?

Bristol Britannia (518: 'Spica')

We were supposed to be there – four of us, for three weeks while ‘they’ assembled emergency draft crews to take over.

Three months later we were relieved and sent back to Kenya.

The pressure was intense. We worked long hours every day and lived in an adult education centre classroom. Sleep was difficult but the food in the mess tent (yes – tent!) was good. The best bit was the urn of hot tea that seemed bottomless.

We managed two days off in those three months. On one of those days we went up to Kitwe where there was a hospital. One of my colleagues had a sister who was an exchange nurse there.

To get there we thumbed lifts. Clearly we were military so there was never a problem with people stopping. Locals of all shades would stop – even a young lady on her own in her car stopped for us; something that probably would not happen now!!

This young lady ran over a huge snake (Cobra?), its tail was in the dust at the side of the road and the head was over the white line, and checked the mirror immediately. We asked why; she told us that one of her friends had failed to check the mirror to make sure the snake was still on the road – it wasn’t, it was hung up underneath and really, really miffed when she stopped and got out. It grabbed her by the ankles with its fangs!! Fortunately she was at the hospital so she survived. I don’t know what happened to the snake.

On the way back we were with an African lad with his family. We were having a wonderful chat when I asked why all those anthills were steaming. There was a deathly hush for a few moments and then gales of laughter. The ‘anthills’ were charcoal burners' ovens made of mud. Charcoal was widely used for fuel because there was no coal or electricity out in the bush.

Good times.

On the second day off a visit to the Roan Trust Copper Mines at Luanshya was organised by someone.

We piled into a mini-bus and headed for the mine. We had no idea what to expect but, once there, it became a source of wonder.

We were told that the lift dropping down into the mine went down nearly a mile. It felt like it, too.

Emerging from the lift we found ourselves in a cathedral-like environment; it was clean and whitewashed. There were bright lights everywhere and a train-track running down the middle of this great hall.

We went to the mine face. It was vast. It was an unbelievably huge hole under the ground. They blew up a layer of the mine face and then raked out all the ore from the bottom where conveyor belts took it to the surface for processing. They left massive pillars in place to support it so that the whole lot would not collapse on itself and bring the surface plunging down into that great pit.

When we returned to the whitewashed hall – I felt like singing ‘The Hall Of The Mountain King’, the guide asked us if we should care for a ‘Coca-Cola’.

We thanked him, drank the ‘Coke’ and noticed it was flat! It never ‘fizzed’ when we opened it. But, not wishing to complain about a gift, we drank it, got in the lift and began the long ascent to the surface.

Shortly after the lift started on the way up we also started – to pass wind. From both ends!

The guide was grinning like a mad person. At the surface there was great mirth all around us from the workers.

The drink was never ‘flat’ it was because of the extreme pressure deep underground that it could not ‘fizz’ until we were on the way up! Once we began to rise the pressure dropped and the gas came out – inside us!!

We were had, but it was a good joke on us innocents.

The next stop was at a hut that stood on its own away from the main buildings.

Inside was a small table with an ingot of pure copper sitting on it. An ingot is not huge but it is valuable. In 1966 it was worth in the region of £2500. A house in UK then could be bought for that – a car, like the ‘Mini’, was only £550.

I asked the guide about security. Isn’t he worried that somebody might steal it?

He said, “If you can carry it out of the hut, you can keep it.”

Nothing like a challenge to stir a young lad.

I could lift it but walk with it? Not a chance!

He then showed us lines on the floor.

“This,” he told us, “Is as far as anyone has managed to carry it.”

The line farthest from the table had a famous name on it. Can you guess the name?

On the way back to Ndola we were amused to see a minibus packed with Africans. Black faces and white teeth and eyes beaming happily at us over a huge sign on the bus that said, “Midnight Taxis”!

Wonderful people, great times, friendly place.

Unforgettable.

Oh, the name?

Did you guess?

It was Dave Prowse. The man who played Darth Vader in the original ‘Star Wars’ movies.