Post by Derek Davis on May 10, 2014 15:50:57 GMT
In 1958, after leaving KLM in London, I joined East African Airways and started work in Sadler House, Koinange St. Nairobi in the reservations department. But only remained there just a few short weeks before being posted to Tancot House, Dar es Salaam where I was taken under the wing of Mike Brand, Senior Controller.
Mike was a great educator and taught me all I ever knew about reservations.
Chic Little was the Station Manager at the time (a lovely man)
Reg Hill and Roger Heather were in traffic
And Bill Mason was the S.O.S.
After a couple of years or so, I took over from Mike Brand as Senior Controller. Mike was posted to Nairobi where he took up the post of Senior Controller there.
During my seven in Dar. Alister McKenzie took over from Chic Little as Station Manager.
Jim Gillard took over the position of S.O.S. Followed by Jim McLachlan .
I was then posted to Nairobi Reservations in 1965 and if my memory serves me correctly, once again took over from Mike Brand as Senior Controller before joining The Training Centre under Reg Hill.
I was Africanised at the same time as Wally Poole in Nairobi in 1969.
I was told on good authority that an error had been made……. and that because of the similarity of our surname Harry Day was in fact due to be Africanised and not me! This seems to be borne out by the fact that the half a dozen or so ex. pats. Africanised at this time were all at least 20 years older than me and nearing retirement age.
Some highlights during my time with E.A.A.
1. Attending a BOAC workshop in London with Brian Jeffries and being voted student of the course (despite a fairly low pass mark!) And being rewarded by Alister McKenzie for putting Dar. on top of the list with a free trip to Rome with my wife Bernice.
2. Going to Trinidad with Bill Botto to look at BWIA's Reservations Computer System (Bill and I drink a lot of white rum on this trip!)
3. Accompanying John Dudley ( who called everyone 'Dear Boy' except of course the ladies!) on a Sales trip to the Eastern Bloc Countries (John and I drunk a lot of vodka on this trip)
4. Returning home to Tancot House in Dar. with Bernice after seeing a movie to find 'two Government 'Heavies' (Europeans) waiting for me and threatening me with deportation if I failed to allow armed Askiris to board an E.A.A. Aircraft - I wouldnt agree and couldn't agree as it was far beyond my jurisdiction. Alister McKenzie, Station Manager at the time, was deported shortly afterwards in similar circumstances.
5. Although being farely low in the 'pecking' order, in Dar. I had the misfortune to be the most senior member of Staff available when Gene Brokenshaw was accidently killed (in Sao Hill, if my memory serves me correctly). His family insisted on his body being returned to South Africa so his remains were flown to Dar. before leaving for Nairobi the next day. I had to deliver coffin with his remains to the mortuary, thought that would be the end of the matter, but since the receipt called for 'Coffin with human Remains', the lid had to be removed to confirm the contents.
Three names from other airlines that remain strong in my memory: Robin Grant, British United, Tony Shapley, BOAC and Dave Nichol, Qantas.
I also remember great times with members of the SKAL Club in Nairobi . A popular song we sang at the time was 'THESE WERE THE DAYS MY FRIEND, WE THOUGHT THEY'D NEVER END'……………. Little did we know!
Mike was a great educator and taught me all I ever knew about reservations.
Chic Little was the Station Manager at the time (a lovely man)
Reg Hill and Roger Heather were in traffic
And Bill Mason was the S.O.S.
After a couple of years or so, I took over from Mike Brand as Senior Controller. Mike was posted to Nairobi where he took up the post of Senior Controller there.
During my seven in Dar. Alister McKenzie took over from Chic Little as Station Manager.
Jim Gillard took over the position of S.O.S. Followed by Jim McLachlan .
I was then posted to Nairobi Reservations in 1965 and if my memory serves me correctly, once again took over from Mike Brand as Senior Controller before joining The Training Centre under Reg Hill.
I was Africanised at the same time as Wally Poole in Nairobi in 1969.
I was told on good authority that an error had been made……. and that because of the similarity of our surname Harry Day was in fact due to be Africanised and not me! This seems to be borne out by the fact that the half a dozen or so ex. pats. Africanised at this time were all at least 20 years older than me and nearing retirement age.
Some highlights during my time with E.A.A.
1. Attending a BOAC workshop in London with Brian Jeffries and being voted student of the course (despite a fairly low pass mark!) And being rewarded by Alister McKenzie for putting Dar. on top of the list with a free trip to Rome with my wife Bernice.
2. Going to Trinidad with Bill Botto to look at BWIA's Reservations Computer System (Bill and I drink a lot of white rum on this trip!)
3. Accompanying John Dudley ( who called everyone 'Dear Boy' except of course the ladies!) on a Sales trip to the Eastern Bloc Countries (John and I drunk a lot of vodka on this trip)
4. Returning home to Tancot House in Dar. with Bernice after seeing a movie to find 'two Government 'Heavies' (Europeans) waiting for me and threatening me with deportation if I failed to allow armed Askiris to board an E.A.A. Aircraft - I wouldnt agree and couldn't agree as it was far beyond my jurisdiction. Alister McKenzie, Station Manager at the time, was deported shortly afterwards in similar circumstances.
5. Although being farely low in the 'pecking' order, in Dar. I had the misfortune to be the most senior member of Staff available when Gene Brokenshaw was accidently killed (in Sao Hill, if my memory serves me correctly). His family insisted on his body being returned to South Africa so his remains were flown to Dar. before leaving for Nairobi the next day. I had to deliver coffin with his remains to the mortuary, thought that would be the end of the matter, but since the receipt called for 'Coffin with human Remains', the lid had to be removed to confirm the contents.
Three names from other airlines that remain strong in my memory: Robin Grant, British United, Tony Shapley, BOAC and Dave Nichol, Qantas.
I also remember great times with members of the SKAL Club in Nairobi . A popular song we sang at the time was 'THESE WERE THE DAYS MY FRIEND, WE THOUGHT THEY'D NEVER END'……………. Little did we know!