1947 1960 SOUTH AFRICA
Richard debated where to go from here. First thought was to return to Australia, but his Australian colleagues strongly advised against because of the Labour government being in power(!) The next transport plane was leaving for South Africa, so he went for a free ride.
It took the South African police a year to realise he had arrived as he had no papers of authorisation coming on the back of a transport plane. He knew 2 Canadians living there. Karl Darr and Joel Cowley who had worked with him during MAP days. Joel’s wife, Madelaine Corder lived in lovely property outside Durban.
RK found part time work for a year before Karl helped him secure a permanently job running a factory in Jo’berg manufacturing electric light bulbs.
1948 Re-United with KITTY BROOM
Richards divorce from Dorothy had come through after the war (Dorothy then marrying the Mars Bar man!)
Tom Broom, RK’s best friend since LRDU days (Tom was the head PR man for Vickers) became ill and he and his wife Kitty crossed Europe by car ending up in Cyprus, where Tom died. After a frantic cable from Kitty to RK, RK arrived on next flight. Kitty wanted immediate marriage. RK consulted Karl: ‘It’s quite straightforward old chap, she just wants someone to look after her’.
1960-62 Rhodesia
South Africa was ousted out of the Commonwealth (1960), altering the climate in the country and Kitty and RK decided to leave. “It was not very pleasant there if you did not speak Africaans, and Kitty and I absolutely refused to speak it”.
RK and Kitty moved to this ‘lovely country’, where RK worked in a factory manufacturing copper products.
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