High Commission

"Strange things came across his desk at the High Commission. In November 1963 Congo rebels attacked several church mission stations. Gibbs had to pass on a cable sent by one New Zealand missionary to her parents. It stated simply: ‘All well, Cyril with Jesus.’ In reality, Cyril had been mown down by machine-gun fire at Stanleyville; his wife, who sent the cable, had an arm hacked off and both their daughters had legs amputated.[2](private://read/01jrsfvkjy84rkprtbz9amfvj8/#rw-num-note-477210-626309542-2) The travails and stoicism of several missionary families that he encountered during his work profoundly affected Gibbs."

"At the High Commission in Haymarket, a recently completed modernist tower with great views across the city, Alan was on a good wicket. He was paid £1800 a year (nearly $70,000 in today’s terms), twice what he could have earned in the civil service at home, on top of free accommodation and plenty of privileges, such as duty-free alcohol and membership of the RAC Club, a posh private men’s club near the High Commission. He was much taken with the sports area in the RAC Club’s basement, which had a 33-yard heated swimming pool, a restaurant, massage tables, a Turkish bath and squash courts:"