MY BROTHER HUGH Born 5th October 1920 died 9th May 2006
automatic pistol, and the Indian driver took the hint and moved off so quickly at last that it was quite amusing .
The next day not that the weather had improved, I had tube trouble ….it just kept on bursting until eventually I was able to put the bike on a passing lorry to a small village where I was able to get it vulcanised. I spent two days in the village, as each time I set off the tyre blew again. However finally it was fixed and I was able to get to Dodoma which was 200miles away in one day. On the road I met a young PWD (Public Works Dept) man who was going in the same direction and was able to sleep in the PWD bungalow in Dodoma. At 2 am I was woken up by a policemen who had turned up with a telegram ordering him to detain me for shooting an Indian on the road. At the time that I had fired the warning shot I was dead beat and had no recollection if I could possibly have hit him or not. My story was to be sent back, but after 5 days there was still no reply to the telegram and it appeared that all communications including wireless were out of order. I was by now extremely cross at the delay and told the policeman that I could not afford to wait indefinitely, and if he wanted to hold me, well then he would have to feed me. So he returned later in the day and said that I would be fed at the Station Hotel. So at about mid-day I wandered over and behind the bar was an elderly Greek with about a dozen men drinking at the time. I came in and said:
“The Police have informed me that you have instructions to feed me, and I would like some lunch”
“Police ? What is this Police? Oh are you the man who shot zee Indian”
I replied, “ Yes so they tell me”
He turned to the men lining the bar “ Boys this is zee man that shot the Indian”.
Whereupon I was cheered and everyone me a drink and suggested that I shoot a few more!