The Emergency started just prior to 1950 and the shooting went on until 1958 or 9. It involved in the main 3 local Kenyan tribes..The Kikuyu.the Embu and the Meru. The Kikuyu being the prime beligerants who initally started slashing and maiming the cattle of White Farmers. They wanted the whites out and the end of British imperial rule in Kenya. The fighting took the form of a hit and run guerilla type war.They moved from killing cattle to intimidating and killing any black who worked for the whites and killing white farmers,and their families often in a gruesome and almost sadisitic manner. The Mau Mau was the name of the secret organisation to which many of the local protagonists took an oath. Quite often the servants of white families were forced to join the Mau Mau and when instructed to do so turned on their employers. My father..who was in the Kenyan Police Special Branch and was involved in Jungle ambushes etc reckons that about a couple of dozen white Police lost their lives and perhaps 500 or so black Policeman were killed over the period of the emergency. Large numbers of UK police volunteered for the Colonial Force and served alongside local whites who joined....women included. The british Army and Airforce were involved in the actions in various capacities. A system of internment was set up and hundreds of Mau Mau and their supporters were locked up in camps and many were hung for murders. My father recalls being at a camp when 30 Mau Mau were hung for various offences...one after the other. By 1959 after much slaughter... on both sides... the Police etc virtually had the Mau Mau eliminated or locked up with the last few members hiding in the jungles. Despite this the British decided to grant independance in 1963..Jomo Kenyatta who was educated in England became President.Funnily enough his son was a camp interpreter working for the British Administration. A Major figure in the war against the Mau Mau was a man called Ian Henderson who i believe had the George Medal and 2 bars!I stand to be corrected on this !! The British Police and servicemen were awarded the Africa General Service medal Bar Kenya.Some of the Kenya Police received the Colonial Police Medal. I hope this gives an outline of the Emergency...i cant be 100% sure of dates and spellings but my dad is pretty sure its correct...and he was there! Alan