CECIL KALAYA (C.1914 - 1937)

Born on 9 February 1914, Cecil was baptised on 29 July 1914 in the South African Church Railway Mission in Mazabuka, his godparents being Edward Pease and Ethel Micklem.  His father, Norris, is recorded as being “a Planter”.

Cecil recalls vaguely the farewell party in Mazabuka as something of a heavy drinking affair.  More clearly he remembers the stopover in Bulawayo.  In particular seeing Cecil Rhodes’ statue and raving at Rhodes’ having “stolen” his name.  Mother and Grandmother were embarrassed but even more so as they could not stop him staring and pointing at a group of men - one-legged etc - ex-army who had recently returned from WW1 France.

On arrival by train in Cape Town, Cecil was over-awed by the sight of the sea  - masses and masses of water.  At that time the railway line ran next to the sea at Woodstock, below the Castle, in the direction of the Docks.  On the day there was no view of Table Mountain.

Cecil initially attended Ellerslie Junior School but completed his junior school education at S.A.C.S. Junior School – Standard Special Six.  (He recalls George and Betty doing French and Gordon Afrikaans – also George playing the big bass drum at cadets.)  

Gordon and George attended S.A.C.S. High School and Cecil was about to follow in their footsteps when, out of the blue, he was told to prepare himself to go to the “ S.A.T.S. General Botha” – a training ship - stationed at Simonstown.  He had no inkling of what lay ahead other than he seems to recall Gordon having expressed a wish at some stage also to go there.

It is fairly obvious that he must have thought the decision to be some form of punishment in that he claims his academic performance at S.A.C.S. to have been fine, he was ”clean living” and attended physical education sessions with Gordon at “Willy Dillman’s” gymnasium.  The only reasoning he can think of was that the Mayor’s son had gone to General Botha!

He served the requisite two years - 1928/29 - and attained the rank of Petty Officer 2nd Class.  He describes it as “a HELL of a ship!”  

He was confirmed in the Simonstown Parish Church on June 10, 1928. 

For the first year, the new boys (“new farts”) were at the mercy of the “old salts” before themselves becoming “old salts”.  The crew consisted of total of 60 new farts and 60 old salts at a time.  Life was not easy on board ship!  If the work or actions of any “new fart” was not up to scratch, the offender was given six lashes with a rope or rod.  Activities took place on deck while meals and classroom studies were held in the mess room below deck.  The quarterly school fee was £18.  

In his second year Cecil suffered a serious leg injury after being involved in an accident at soccer played at Seaforth, and was laid up for a long period of time virtually with no medical attention.  

Whilst recuperating from this, using a broom as a crutch, he was allowed to work on the conversion of the British gunboat “Tou Tou” into a cabin cruiser and later its delivery via Cape Point into Table Bay.  This gunboat formerly operated on Lake Tanganyika and was actually involved in the sinking of three German craft.

On completion of his stint at the General Botha, Cecil was enrolled at St. Andrews, mainly he felt, to accompany his younger sister Keesha (Patricia) who was to attend Diocesan School for Girls (DSG) also in Grahamstown.  

After the “Botha”, St Andrews was beautiful and clean, dormitories with beds, clean white sheets, hot and cold showers, tables with chairs, proper crockery and cutlery and well-balanced meals. There was no bullying.  There were six different “houses” and Cecil was placed in “Espin”.  

Life was largely uneventful, except for Cecil punching a Greek boy from Salisbury, Rhodesia. (Ed: We later deduced that he was one of the Divaris brothers with whom we were acquainted.)  Both were given six of the best; “the Greek cried while I laughed” quips Cecil – his backside having being toughened up at the “Botha”.  

Examinations were conducted every two weeks and Cecil was always top of his class excelling at bookkeeping taught by the Rev. Dowsley who was a wizard at the subject.  It was rumoured that there was a substantial inheritance available to a future son of the reverend including a castle in Ireland – suffice it to say that he fathered one or two daughters! 

Cecil spent only one year - 1930 - at St Andrews but he recalls holiday visits home were by train except for one holiday trip when he and Keesha were allowed to catch the mail ship in Port Elizabeth to Cape Town.  He was friendly with a boy whose father owned the Waldorf Café near the station and took Keesha there to kill time whilst they were waiting to board the ship.

Cecil  registered  for  Military  Service  in  January  1931 but  was  never  to  serve  and, in  fact, received  a  Certificate  of  Exemption  from  peacetime  trainig  in  March  1935.