‘The beds were hard and the huts cold, but it was better than nothing’: Nub News speaks to Heathfield Camp volunteer

This week Honiton Nub News spoke to Jane Preece. Her family were volunteers who helped the British Asians who had been expelled from Uganda.

This year marks 50 years since the expulsion and the milestone is being marked by a series of events around the country.

What happened in 1972?

On August 4 1972, the Ugandan dictator Idi Amin gave Asians in the country 90 days to leave. The order forced 70,000 people to leave the central African country against their will. Each family was only allowed to take £55 and one suitcase per person.

Many the people affected held British passports and 28,200 people were admitted to the UK.

The UK government and volunteer response to the crisis was extraordinary.

A Uganda Settlement Board was established by the Prime Minster, Edward Heath. The board's aim was to find accommodation for those unable to make private arrangements, and to assist the expellees to find permanent homes, jobs and school places.

63 voluntary sector organisations were established and 16 temporary resident camps were hastily set up. In Honiton a camp was set up at Heathfield, which is where council building Blackdown House (near Lidl) is currently located.

British Asians have gone on to integrate successfully in British society and have excelled in many fields, including politics, business, science and the arts.

The volunteers

Jane Preece was 18 at the time of the expulsion and was studying at college in Chichester. She returned to Honiton regularly. Her younger sister Sarah was 16 at the time and still lived at home with her parents and grandparents on the Exeter Road, Honiton. A few years later Jane married her husband Colin in St. Paul's Church and they now live in Colyton.

Jane shared her memories with Honiton Nub News.

"The government had just 6 weeks to get the camp at Heathfield ready. The old army huts were damp, cold and they needed a lot of cleaning. The beds in the huts were hard iron beds and they were really not nice. But, when you have been forced to flee from your country, anything is better than nothing.

"The people arrived having gone through the trauma of leaving their home, and some of the women were raped. Some were killed.

"One woman hid her jewellery high up her arm, and she had a plaster cast on it, thinking she would not be examined by the officials. However, without thinking, she picked up a suitcase with her 'bad' arm and suspicions were aroused. They took her away and she was never seen again. There were horrendous things going on."

The British Asians landed from Uganda in London and were put on buses to various camps across the country. Some of the new arrivals had family in the UK who they could go and stay with. If they didn't, they were brought to a camp to live whilst permanent homes were found.

"I remember it all well. When I came home to Honiton for Christmas, my mother, Mona, said this is what we are doing everyday – going along to the camps to help. We'd walk up every day.

"My mum volunteered in lots of places in Honiton. She did Meals on Wheels, she was a Samaritan – she did all sorts. Mum didn't have a paid job, but she was always busy helping others. My grandmother lived with us and she helped the new arrivals too. She made hats and scarves because they arrived in winter and it was so cold.

"I went with her to the camps and made up the beds and cleaned, and I amused the youngsters because they weren't at school. The Asians cooked for themselves in the camp kitchen.

"We got friendly with a few families, but unfortunately we have lost touch.

"The children used to come and tea in our house and get warm, because the huts were so cold. I took one of the little girls to church and to a carol service and she helped decorate the church, because she had nothing to do."

Not many of the children attended school as they were not in Honiton long enough, but some of the older ones went to college in Tiverton. Most of the older children spoke at least some English because they learnt it in school (because Uganda was under the British education system.)

"Many of the children who arrived have done really well. They're university lecturers, heads of business and so on. Idi Amin accused the Asians of bleeding the country dry, but they were simply successful. And he didn't like it.

"It is a bit of a shame that the reunion and exhibitions are taking place 50 years on, rather than 30 or 40. It is such a long time, and many of the key people involved in Honiton have sadly passed away."

A tree will be planted and a plaque will be erected at the site of the former camp on 29.October.

You can find out more information here.