Hall, Douglas Basil (Oral history)

British civilian served with Colonial Administrative Service in Northern Rhodesia, 1930-1959; served as Governor of British Somaliland, 7/1959-6/1960

REEL 1 Recollections of period as District Officer, Provincial Commissioner, Administrative Secretary and Secretary for Native Affairs with Colonial Administrative Service in Northern Rhodesia, 1930-1959: background to joining Colonial Administrative Service in GB, 1929; reasons for his choice of places to serve; appointment to Northern Rhodesia; preparations for posting to Northern Rhodesia; journey from GB to Northern Rhodesia; initial impressions of Livingstone; lack of expectation of Independence within his term of service; first job in Northern Rhodesia Secretariat; posting to Kalomo District; question of learning local language; method of keeping law and order in Kalomo; financing of administration; reasons for lack of famine and law and order problems under British rule; methods taken to prevent famine. REEL 2 Continues: fining of individuals over ploughing across contours; methods of punishment; rareness of appearances of African women before the courts; question of quality of justice dealt out by European magistrates; power of witchcraft; story of how fellow administrator died from Bemba curse; other cases illustrating power of witchcraft; power of chiefs to adjudicate and administer justice under overall British control; exercise of chiefly power; totemic loyalties; lack of hostility to British presence pre-Second World War; lack of importance given to colonial political boundaries; popularity of Royalty during visit by Queen Mother, 1957. REEL 3 Continues: lack of pressure on Africans to volunteer for military service; method of recruitment to armed forces in Second World War; attitude towards outbreak of Second World War, 3/9/1939; lack of effect of Second World War on Northern Rhodesia; work as District Commissioner of Loansha District during Copper Belt Riots, 1935; question of cause of riots; skirmishes on Ethiopian/Somaliland border when Governor of British Somaliland, 7/1959-6/1960; conflicts between colonial administrators and settlers/missionaries in Northern Rhodesia; lack of effect on village life of returned former servicemen; question of sudden rise of Independence; memories of Harry Nkumbula and Kenneth Kaunda; background to leaving Northern Rhodesia, 1959. Aspects of period as Governor of British Somaliland, 7/1959-6/1960: orders to smooth transition of power; reasons why British Government only offered advice to colonial governors. REEL 4 Continues: relations between governor and British Government; speculation on 1995 split between old colonies of Italian Somaliland and British Somaliland; character of Somali nomads and their lack of payment of taxes; voting procedure; role of district commissioners' wives in Africa.