View entry

Name: BETTS, Robert

Birth Date: 29 Jan 1906 Ryhill, York

Death Date: 1980 Chichester

First Date: 1930

Profession: Asst. Instructor, African, Educ. Dept in 1939, appointed 1935. Originally Lead Artisan 1930. Asst. Principal Technical and Trade School in 1953

Area: Kabete

Married: In South Kirkby 5 Mar 1934 Doris Wright b. 5 Dec 1906 South Kirby, d. May 1999 Chichester, teacher at Parklands School, Nairobi, GAS Machakos and Kabete Technical and Trade School (later Kabete National Polytechnic)

Children: Patrick John (1938-1938 Nairobi); Robert David (21 Mar 1936 Nairobi)

Book Reference: Staff 39, Staff 53, Colonial

War Service: See below

General Information:

Gazette 16 Nov 1936 Voters List 1936 - Robert Betts, Civil Servant, NITD, Kabete

David Betts (son): During WW2 the Native Industrial Training Centre, known as NITD Kabete, was taken over by the East African Electrical and. Mechanical Engineers (REME is the parent regiment in UK), in which he held the rank of Adjutant. Their role was to train military artificers (armourers, signals technicians, vehicle mechanics, aircraft riggers et al ). The civilian staff of NITD were enlisted by EAEME and served in uniform during WW2. Most, including my father, had undergone pre-war military training in the Kenya Defence Force KDF, forerunner of the Kenya Regiment.