September 26

10C, Heavy rain, probably for most of the night. Also windy.
Apparently the remnants of the typhoon that recently hit Japan has been caught up in the jet stream and that is giving us the current weather.
We had planned on lawn bowling this afternoon but the rain has dampened that idea.

Today's story part is a little short, but there is a change coming in the events.

They re-boarded the same steamer of a few weeks earlier, steamed back to Cairo then flew home to England.

  On his arrival back in Manchester, John still having a few days, made inquiries to various government departments and the Church of England about violence and dangers to foreigners in Somalia. The Church assured him that everything was perfectly tranquille and as he had used his parent’s name in his inquiry was also told what a fine job they were doing. The various government agencies either didn’t reply or sent a short reply basically saying that foreigners, particularly missionaries had nothing to fear.

  Still not satisfied he wrote a letter to the British Colonel who had helped him and his parents. He expressed his concerns and added that he did not expect an official reply but would appreciate a personal one in confidence.

  It was a full month before he had had his reply. The condensed version was that some of the tribes continued to war with each other as they had always done. There were at least three that resented white foreigners on their lands but to date had done nothing other than occasional harassing. He ended by saying; “I have nothing concrete, but I feel a change is coming. My instinct is that your family should leave the mission and return to England or at the very least relocate to where they could be offered some military protection.

Sincerely Charles Bromely, Colonel”

  John discussed his concerns with Jean then wrote his parents a long letter imploring them to terminate their appointment and return to England. He copied the Colonel’s letter and included it with his letter.

  Three weeks later there was a small article in the London Times about a report of a tribal uprising in central Somalia. The next day John and Jean were contacted by an army chaplain and were advised that their parents and sisters had been caught up in some tribal warfare and they had all been killed.