Leslie Holgate was a seasoned mechanical and electrical engineer who began his career as a young man during World War II, serving in North Africa and Iraq. Following the war, he joined Bibby Line of Liverpool for one voyage as a Junior Engineer, navigating to Australian coastal cities such as Fremantle, Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane, with stops in Malta, Alexandria, and Colombo on the way. His career progressed as he worked with Shaw Saville and Albion Line, and later with Elder Dempster as a 3rd Engineer in West African ports until September 1951.
In 1952, newly married, he took a position with Balfour Beatty at their subsidiary, Daresco, in Dar es Salaam, modern day Tanzania. This memoir chronicles his early life and two decades as Resident Engineer with Tanesco, the state electricity company, stationed in Morogoro, Arusha and Mwanza during a pivotal time of decolonization in Africa. Additionally, he served as Honorary British Consul post-independence, acting as a liaison for Her Majesty’s Government. The memoir not only documents a chapter of the Holgate family history but also explores themes such as World War II, the decolonization of the British Empire, particularly in Africa, and the subsequent impacts. The book includes both humorous anecdotes and serious reflections on life in colonial Tanganyika and afterwards. Leslie Holgate passed away in 2003, having requested a delay of at least 20 years before any attempt publication of his memoir, a period that has now elapsed.
Some Thoughts on Tanganyika Before & After
“Some Thoughts on Tanganyika Before & After” is an excellent read that deserves a spot on everyone’s bookshelf. This is not just an autobiography; it is an inspiring journey that confronts the reader with the raw realities of an extraordinary life and times in the Tanganyika Protectorate, befo...
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