In this entertaining fictionalised account of his experiences as a National Serviceman in Kenya in 1960/61 Brian Elliott paints a colourful and rumbustious picture of service life in the last days of British Colonial rule in Africa.
Initially horrified at the thought of being sent overseas to the ‘Dark Continent’ young conscript ‘Tubs’ is soon to change his mind after his arrival in Kenya. He rapidly falls for the charms of his newly-acquired African home and before long he has also fallen for Layla, a beautiful girl he meets on a day trip to Mombasa. Their passionate on-and-off romance is conducted whenever he can scrounge a flight to visit her.
Stationed at RAF Eastleigh, on the outskirts of Nairobi, he quickly makes friends with Dickie, a fellow National Serviceman with an irrepressible personality, and together they become involved in all kinds of high jinks over the next two years.
Full of youthful energy and enthusiasm the pair set off to make the most of their African sojourn, frequenting the local bars and hotels, fraternising with the locals, especially the women, and generally having a good time whenever leave passes allow. They also take in the sights and experiences of Central Africa, photographing big game on the reserves, swimming at the beautiful beaches on the coast at Malindi and climbing some of the spectacular mountains, including Kilimanjaro, the tallest in Africa.
A splendid book to be enjoyed by anyone with a sense of adventure.