With Sword and Chain in Lusaka: A Londoner's Life in Zambia 1948-1972 [Paperback]

Richard Sampson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 6, 2006

A Londoner's life in Zambia and why he was ordered to issue plans for action against RAF planes and British Troops.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Richard Sampson was born in London in 1922. Served Royal Navy WWII. Emigrated to Northern Rhodesia in 1948. Served on Lusaka City Council 12 years. Twice elected Mayor. Appointed lifetime Alderman in 1964. Served Royal Rhodesia Regiment in 1956-1967. Decorated for military service by president Kaunda in 1966. Chairman and Director of many companies. Following nationalisation of many companies, he emigrated to the United States of America in 1972.

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Military Confrontation

THE ORDERS

The intentions were quite clear. On the given command, the popular Governor of Northern Rhodesia, Sir Evelyn Hone, was to be arrested and restricted to Government House; the Judiciary and all Provincial and District Commissioners were to be arrested and transported to a special compound near Ndola; all airfields capable of taking large transport aircraft were to be blocked to stop aircraft landing and should British Royal Air Force planes attempt to land they were to be fired upon.

The G23 in Northern Rhodesia Area army headquarters, Major Peter Walls, (later Lieutenant General, commanding all Southern Rhodesian defence forces during their civil war), had nonchantly thrown on to my desk the orders to block off all airfields and to fire on the British Air Force planes should they attempt to land saying, "Dick, log these orders. They went out five minutes ago." Peter, looking every inch a soldier with parachutist's wings on his arm and ribbons of the Malayan War on his chest, turned away without further comment and went back into the Area Commander's office.

I stared at the orders and as their import sank in, I muttered to myself the rhetorical question, "what the bloody hell is going on." It did not take long to grasp what was about to happen. It was February 1961 and the Central African Federation, consisting of Nyasaland (now Malawi), Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) and Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) was in a state of crisis. Britain, under relentless pressure from the United States of America together with the Asian, African and Communist member states of the United Nations, was insisting on a revision of the constitutions of the Federation and its constituent territories to give the African people wider political powers and the British Army had planned to use military force should it be necessary. The pressure was all part of the Cold War. The Federal Prime Minister, Sir Roy Welensky, backed by the majority of Europeans in the three territories, would have nothing of it and was also preparing to use military force to wrest control away from the British Government.

The Federal Army orders were transparently illegal. I for one was not prepared to carry them out. The question was, what could I do about it?

Product Details

• Paperback: 212 pages
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing (July 6, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1553693981
• ISBN-13: 978-1553693987
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,471,303 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #19 in Books > History > Africa > Malawi
  • #57 in Books > History > Africa > Zambia

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars With Sword and Chain in Lusaka, January 1, 2011

By 

geoff Mossop - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: With Sword and Chain in Lusaka: A Londoner's Life in Zambia 1948-1972 (Kindle Edition)

Reading this book took me back to a brief, but wonderful era in a now extinct place. The author's involvement in the administrative affairs of Lusaka gave him an in-depth knowledge of the many interesting events that were taking place during the 1950's and 60's. Most of all Richard Sampson has placed on record an account of an extraordinary era in the history of a remarkable country; Northern Rhodesia.

5.0 out of 5 stars Eyewitness account of birth of Zambia, October 17, 2010

By 

Dan - See all my reviews

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This review is from: With Sword and Chain in Lusaka: A Londoner's Life in Zambia 1948-1972 (Kindle Edition)

The author is a Britisher who, after World War II, moved to what was then Northern Rhodesia where he lived for almost a quarter century.

As an accountant, businessman and mayor, he witnessed (and chronicles) the transformation of Northern Rhodesia (ruled by Europeans) into part of Zambia (ruled by native peoples.)

The transition happened almost 50 years ago and it's a tale probably unknown or at least forgotten in the US (where the author eventually ends up). Because this account is personal and somewhat short (2,115 Kindle locations), we don't have a comprehensive report of Zambia's birth and the surrounding issues; the story is his perspective.

Still, why he left England (and the conditions there pre- and post-war), the years in Northern Rhodesia, and why he had to leave Zambia are a stirring tale.