Day Trip to Marampa | 6th February 1944

In his diary recording details of the time he was posted to the naval air base H.M.S. Spurwing, Hastings, near Freetown, Sierra Leone, my dad wrote about a visit to a village called Marampa about sixty miles from the base.

Sunday 6^th February 1944

Expedition to Marampa

"For a week or two now we have been anticipating this trip and when we awoke about 06.00 everyone was as happy as kids going to a Sunday School treat. Breakfast was soon disposed of and by seven we were on our way with all the food and drinking water stowed away. Drinking water had to be taken in old beer bottles because of the unhealthy water up country. Needless to say a few bottles of beer had been saved also from the week’s ration.

When we set off the sun had not risen and the morning was extremely cold. On reaching the main road we turned in the opposite direction to Freetown. As the road has a very good surface we ran along at a good speed and consequently got colder and colder. The road ran up and down hills with monotonous regularity as we were skirting the foothills of the coast range and occasional sharp bends made us hold our breath. Luckily Spofford, a Yorkshireman from Bradford, is a good driver and we soon arrived at Waterloo.

Waterloo is an R.A.F. station and the end of the made up road. 

A hundred yards or so beyond Waterloo the road disappeared and a dusty cart track took its place. We had 65 miles still to do on a road hardly better than a country lane. In the distance a river gleamed in the early morning sun. The road got worse and, as the sun dried away the moisture, a cloud of red dust followed us and hung in the air for miles behind. Apart from a mud hut and a small hand dug field every few miles nothing interfered with the miles of eight and nine foot tall grass.

Eventually we arrived at the river and discovered to our great delight that there was no bridge; only a primitive ferry. It took it about 10 minutes to come across from the other side....... While waiting we bought bananas and oranges at 3 a 1d and huge pineapples at 6d......When the ferry arrived we ran the lorry on and the pulling and tugging began again.

Approaching th ferry on the road to Marampa.

On the road to Marampa.

On the road to Marampa.

The village of Marampa.

The diary continues:

"Another six miles brought us to Marampa, a small village of a dozen huts but the home of the Paramount Chief of a section of the Mende tribe – one of the four great tribes of Sierra Leone. We bribed two court messengers – strapping fellows in red fezzes, black coats and brass buttons – to keep a curious crowd at a distance and had chop – bread, cheese, boiled eggs, sardines, tinned steak and kidney pudding and beer.

We had intended paying our respects to the chief but unfortunately we were late and he had turned in for his afternoon nap, and, it appeared that it was more than anyone’s life was worth to waken him, so we left him in peace and went back to Lunsar..............."

Also included amongst my dad's photo collection were these postcards of other scenes in the locality of Freetown.




Country Road, Sierra Leone




Mafulomoo, Sierra Leone




Oil pipeline in the hills above Freetown, Sierra Leone.



Rope Bridge in a forest, Sierra Leone.