Lewellen Thomas

He was the family's sole Englishman, and aviator who served during the bush wars.

As a child, I would take the railway bus to Langebaan on Friday nights. Saturday mornings were spent at the service shooting bisley, where I collected discarded .303 cartridges.

During his time in Langebaan, he was an enthusiastic beekeeper. Our days often involved collecting and processing honey. My youthful disregard for my uncle's instructions led to numerous bee stings, eventually resulting in a severe allergy.

His transfer took him from Langebaan to Ysterplaat. He had a fondness for pie and gravy from the OK Bazaars at Cape Town Station. He would often pick me up, and we'd go there for a meal together.

He was passionate about sailing, fishing, and the ocean. Often, he would involve me in making lead sinkers. We would dismantle old car batteries, melt the lead, on a primus stove and pour it into sinker molds.

After his move to Port Elizabeth, our visits became less frequent. However, I recall one memorable fishing trip. Standing on the rocks, we witnessed the water suddenly "boiling" as a school of fish frantically leaped out of the surf and onto the rocks. A group of Garrick had cornered them, and in their escape, the smaller fish beached themselves. It was the largest catch we ever had.

Tragically, he was murdered in 1987, a devastating shock for our family.