Three men and a Jeep they bought for £36 set out on great adventure
It was August 1961and Jeremy David from London had just completed his degree when he was introduced to two fellows planning a trip to Kenya.
Tim Sherwood and Ian Leyland Naylor were to attend Tim’s sister’s wedding at Nakuru near Nairobi. They reasoned the right and proper way for men of stature to attend such an event would be to motor there and make a dramatic arrival. A great adventure was in the offing and they invited Jeremy to join them.
A suitable vehicle was needed and this was found abandoned on a farm in Sussex, a World War Two Willys MB Jeep. For £36 they secured the vehicle and after a service, two new tyres, exhaust, battery and a canvas canopy it was ready for Africa.
The back seat was removed and fitted to the front allowing the three to squash up, leaving the back for luggage. Petrol capacity was 58 litres in the main tank under the driver’s seat, and four Jerrycans carried here and there gave an additional 80 litres or so: a range of close to 800km in good going. Spare wheels and extraneous baggage and equipment were tied to the front bumper, on the mudguards and bonnet, while more cans of water draped various parts of…
