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Name: WILKINS, William Llewellyn
Birth Date: 3 Dec 1904 Christchurch, New Zealand
Death Date: 1 Mar 1977 Christchurch, New Zealand
First Date: 1928
Last Date: Sawmill manager
Profession: Salesman
Area: Nairobi
Married: no
Book Reference: Nondescripts, Sitrep 2, Barnes, Rugby
War Service: KAR
General Information:
Played for Nondescripts RFC in the 1930s
Rugby - Nondescripts RFC - Vice-Captain - 1935
Rugby - Nondescripts RFC - Honours Cap - 1931
Gazette 22 Feb 1980 probate
Member of Nondescripts RFC XV in 1933-1937.
Pre-war volunteer to the Kenya Regiment (KR 657)
From 1932-1975 - Lew was the Manager of "Timsales", a big Saw Mill, in Kenya. He traveled a lot and occasionally returned to NZ for a holiday.
From 1932-1975 - Lew was the Manager of "Timsales", a big Saw Mill, in Kenya. He traveled a lot and occasionally returned to NZ for a holiday.
Newspaper article in Ancestry In 1928 he made his way to Nairobi where he became an employee of another New Zealander, A.B. Sands. When World War II broke out he joined the 4th (Uganda) Battalion of the King's African Rifles and served throughout in Italian Somaliland and Abyssinia. After the war he joined the East African Power and Lighting Company Ltd. for a year, during which he helped in the construction of the power line along C route to Limuru. He joined the Parkland Sports Club and played for the Nondescripts Rugby Football team. In 1931 he won the annual honours cap as the outstanding player. It was during this time that he learned there was a vacancy as manager of the sawmilling company to be opened near Nanyuki. He got the job and started operations with only 5 African labourers. The house he lived in was built of timber from the sawmills. When the Mau Mau rebellion broke out he joined the Kenya Police Reserve.