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JOHN MINNS FRPSL, HON. LIFE PRESIDENT 1931–2019 John rendered extraordinary and outstanding service to the East Africa Study Circle since its inception and he will be remembered with much affection by everyone who knew him for his great kindness and patience, his quiet, modest and courteous manner and for his huge integrity. His philatelic knowledge of British East Africa and his forensic skills were second to none. John was born in the Isle of Wight and lived there all his life. He worked in the finance department of B.H.C./Westlands Aerospace for 37 years. In his younger days he played cricket for East Cowes and outside work he continued to follow his two great interests – yachting and philately. His interest in philately started in 1960 and in the 1970’s he became a member of an unofficial study group with Stuart Rossiter, Kenneth Pennycuick and Roy Dunstan, the most prominent East African philatelists of their day. This led in due course to the formation of the East Africa Study Circle in 1978. John was our Honorary Treasurer and Auctioneer for 37 years and his professional abilities ensured that the study circle’s finances remained sound at all times and were backed up by healthy reserves funded by the very successful twice yearly auctions which he organised throughout his long tenure of these two vital roles. In recognition of his outstanding services to the study circle John was elected an honorary member of the study circle in 2000 and Honorary Life President in 2010.

As the pre-eminent collector of British East Africa in our era, John was the author of the definitive work on the philately of the BEA Protectorate and the Imperial Company that preceded it - British East Africa: The Stamps and Postal Stationery, published in 1981 by the Royal Philatelic Society. Following John’s death his relatives presented to the EASC a cup that John had won with the National Philatelic Society (formerly the Junior Philatelic Society) back in 1969. Their request was that it be used to honour the author of the best article in recent BEAs. As this had previously been the purpose of the Kilembe Trophy, the Committee agreed that in future the John Minns Trophy would be awarded for that purpose and that the Kilembe Trophy would henceforth be awarded to encourage and acknowledge outstanding contributions to the philately of East Africa or the life of the Study Circle.

The PCA Smalley Kilembe Trophy
(In the form of a wagon wheel and key)
Inscribed "Made of Kilembe Copper" and
"East African Railways and Harbours
1956 Opening of Western Uganda Extension"

Awarded to encourage and acknowledge outstanding contributions
to the philately of East Africa or the life of the Study Circle.

Origin of the Kilembe Trophy
Jonathan Smalley

The Kilembe trophy used to decorate my father's living room as far back as I can remember - metaphorically that is - until he asked me if the Study Circle would like to have the item.

As the Colonial Development Corporation finance officer for East Africa, my father was a Director of the Kilembe Copper mines and was present at the opening of the extension of the Uganda railway to Kasese in 1956. These items, of which the "Kilembe Trophy" is one were presented to the appropriate dignitaries on the occasion. CDC developed the mining enterprise and I believe also had a hand in the construction of the Owen Falls dam which provided the electricity to smelt the ore and reduce its bulk for transport to international markets. Transport from Kasase to Mombasa was provided by the railway. There you have some of the background to its design and material. The copper came from the Kilembe copper mines, the key or spike was like the ones used to fix the rails to the sleepers, and the wheel represented the wagons that transported the ore to the place of first refinement and then on for shipping by sea.

To me, the trophy now represents our endeavours to research and study the stamps and postal history of East Africa carried to its ends and conclusion as indeed the Kasase extension took the railway to the furthest extent to the West of the East African territories. The Lunatic line actually reached the Mountains of the Moon.

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