In search of Father Jack.

Drumacoon Lad. said:

As I'm resting up, this may be a good time to remind myself of the person whose the focus of this RR/blog. He was quite a character. This article was printed in the Glasgow Herald during WWll, so of course must be true, however incredible it sounds. I'm not saying every detail is correct, I just don't know, but knowing the man, its not impossible. I certainly believe the last sentance, that he was "Idolised by his men".

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As we say here Jim, he had a brave pair of lugs on him so he had.

Thank you for the time taken to bring us on your epic journey with you. Go raibh maith agat.

Thanks Aidan, been a pleasure and its not quite over yet.

If I can step back a bit again, travelling in Southern Africa came from Simon's invite to join him on his flight to Congo in January 2019, buy a local bike and we'd ride south together. When looking at the map of southern Africa I noticed that Tanzania was not so far away, and the seed of an idea grew. I and my siblings had occasionally thought that it would be great to go to Tanzania and see where Father Jack had worked and if there is any trace of his time there, now after around 60 years. So having got to Namibia and having ridden in this part of Africa, it seemed possible to make it to the Arusha area. I had no idea what might be there to find and had no expectations of discovering anything substantial, either physically or memories of the man. However I should be able to see where worked at least and take a few pictures to show my sisters and brother and other members of the wider family.

My last update here was from Babati but I learned late in the evening that I was only 30km from the village that Jack worked and I should call in on my way to Arusha and see what I could find. I rode out of Babati with a sense of excitement but also uncertainty. My contact in Arusha would not be there and I didn't know who I'd meet. Magugu village was my first port of call and I should ask at the mission there, for help in getting to Mbugwe, Father Jack's village.

How do you find a mission in an African village? Search for a church and ask. I was lucky, the first church was the right place and a gentleman there agreed to take me to Mbugwe. He went off for his motorbike and I followed him the 10km, with my emotions bubbling up nicely. He took me to the church in Mbugwe and introduced my to a man who could speak good English and I explained my quest. This gentleman turned out to be the local priest and he nodded encouragingly and brought me in for coffee and a chat and the signing of the visitors book. There was some indication that Father Jack Sherry was known about but nothing substantial. I was getting impatient to see what remained if anything, from Jacks time here. But I first had to view the new church, which is under construction and quite large.

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After viewing the new church the priest donned his jacket and mounted the pillion seat of my guides motorbike and I followed. I hoped there would be something there to see but had to concentrate not to drop the bike on the sandy track. After about 3km we pulled into a grass covered track and parked up outside a substantial but disused house, in a tree shaded clearing. It was then explained to me that this was the house where Father Jack lived. I was stunned. I had not expected anything quite substantial or in such good condition. I commented on how sound it looked and the priest explained it was built with stone and went on to say that Father Jack was known as a competent builder. This bit of knowledge about him that was passed down, plus being in his house, almost overwhelmed me. This was much more than I had bargained for and it took me a few moments to recover my equilibrium and start taking it all in, and there was more. Next to the house was the school, sadly now a shell and then the church. Further on was the clinic. The church was in good condition and the priest explained it was still occasionally used for celebrating mass. Most of these buildings were built in Father Jack's time and I was to learn later what part he played in there construction.

The priest also explained why these buildings were not currently used and had been empty for quite some time. It transpired there was a violent burglary carried out many years after Father Jack left and it was decided this remote site was not safe and the focus moved to the main village of Mbugue, where the new church now stands.

The priest then surprised me further by mentioning that he had contacted a gentleman that knew Father Jack and he was waiting back at the new church if I'd like to meet him. I spent a bit more time taking in the site, wanting to have a clear picture in my mind of this place where Father Jack had spent years of his life. With some reluctance I left but was already anticipating meeting this gentleman.

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The gentleman turned out to be Francis who was 80 and he had been 17 when he met Father Jack first. Francis had helped Jack with the building work. He commented that Father Jack was very strong and could carry a stone it would take 4 men to carry. It was an exaggeration of course but he clearly respected Jack's lifting abilities. At this point I asked Francis if he like to see a picture of Father Jack and I showed him one on my phone. The poor man crumpled up with emotion and I wasn't much better. It was obvious Father John Sherry(Father Jack's proper name) meant a lot to Francis. He told a story about the construction of the church, that Jack had come up with the idea of using bricks and had constructed a kiln to fire them before use.

He also said Father Jack had tried to build an aeroplane, a story I've had corroborated my another person. The plane used a motorbike engine and welded metal wings. Apparently he got it to move about on the ground but never managed to take off, much to everyones relief. Francis said he was a bit crazy at times and I had to laugh and wonder if some of that runs in the family.

Francis commented on Jack being a kind man, he didn't speak that much and when he did it was quietly. Francis had worked with Jack for a few years on the building work, been baptised by him and Jack officiated at his marriage. I felt so fortunate to find this close connection to Father Jack here in Tanzania. I mentioned Father Jacks smoking and Francis said it was almost continuous, which was my memory too. Francis noticed that in the photo below he got a fag on. We took some more photos and I gave out a few shamrock badges and took my leave to begin to process all I'd seem and heard that morning.

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Brilliant, what a wonderful ending to your story, to have made that connection is really special. It says he was ordained by Bishop Harty, I believe he is the man behind the Harty Cup, a schoolboy hurling tournament of which I've seen a few matches played.

That's a fabulous end to the story Jim

Great story and enjoyed every mile with you. Thanks

What a wonderful story. Loved reading your trip

Your comments are generous and its been great to have your company. This write up has had over 17,000 views so far with 200 to 300 views each day. Writing it helps me capture and reflect on the trip as well as sharing it with others.

There were a few comments on what I'd do with the bike and I have to say I had not decided when I started the trip. There were two options, first to leave it here and return and pick it up again or sell or give it away. This got resolved this morning, as I agreed to donate the bike to the Pallettine Fathers, which Father Jack had been a member. They plan to keep the bike and use it and it seems fitting to do this in Father Jack's memory.

So today I brought the bike down to my room, still in its adventure livery. Spent the next few hours removing the special equipment I had fitted for this trip. I noted the mileage was just short of 20,000km. I normally like working on bikes but this was quite a hard thing to do. I knew letting go of the bike would not be easy and this removal work was my goodby and hopefully this physical activity would be therapeutic. Pretty soon it was back to how it looked in Pointe Noir, Congo last January, with the addition of the topbox and some mud. The rear tyre had been on since I left Windhoek and had done 12,500 but still had a few thousand left. The front was still in great condition after 5,000km since Joburg.

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This has been a really great read following your adventures.

Seems like that you do not need a 1200 cc bike to have a real adventure.

Thanks for taking the time to write this up.

It's been a joy to share the journey,thanks for taking the time to set it into words.
What a fitting way to end the trip by donating the bike.
Well done Jim.

Superb and what a lovely and fitting gesture to round it all off. Good man...

Absolutely fantastic journey lovely to read during the foul weather that we have been having spent a bit of time down there myself 30 years ago running the homeland holiday inns

Great read Jim and well done for completing your journey as planned look forward to having a pint and being filled in on the fine detail. Safe return journey.

Absolutely brilliant ending, thank you so much for sharing this trip, I haven’t had a GS since last November, but constantly checking back on this site just to see your updates and progress. Good enough to be an enjoyable short book at least? I look forward to hopefully more of your adventures in the near future. Thanks for a very addictive read. All the best fella.

Thanks folks, very heart-warming comments. I love the thought that someone comes back to this site to see what I'm up to. I'll look forward to thst pint John. As for a book, I discussed this with Simon and I think we agreed to travel while we can and maybe some years hence, consider the material we've accumulated and see if theres a book in it.

I do hope this kind of trip opens up to others, the idea of flying in to a destination, buying a local bike and just heading off. This was not a scary trip. I'm not Baer Grills, just a guy who enjoys riding bikes and visiting new places. I don't chose to ride for long periods on gravel or sand and the roads I've ridden have been tarmac, occasionally potholed.

For sure you don't need a big bike. Of course at times I've wished to go faster and wanted to be on a bigger bike. Many times though, I'm very glad to be on a lighter bike, with good fuel economy. A 50 mph(80kmh) maximum speed is a great speed to take in what is around you, particularly in Africa. You need more overnight stops too, which let's you see more towns and a greater range of accomodation, but I've always been in an en-suite room.

I'm reminded of the German biker Simon and I met in Namibia. He admired Simon's big BMW 1150GS and scoffed at my little 125 as not being an "adventure" bike. The guy explained he had a proper BMW 1200 "adventure" bike, sitting in his garage in Germany. I said though that I was riding the 125 on an adventure in Africa. I was amused at the irony of this discussion. No doubt the big BMW bike remains spotlessly clean in the German garage, with "Adventure" written on its tank. The Suzuki 125 makes no such claims but after 20,000km and covered in African mud, it has proved its credentials.

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Having hung up my riding boots for this trip I went out with the trainee priests on a visit to a cemetry, a Polish cemetry. Yes, I had to get them to repeat it, when I heard of it first. Let's do one of my famous, steps back, to WWll. Poland was invaded by both Germany and Russia in 1939 and a lot of Poles were taken into Russia and sent to Siberia. Later when Germany invaded Russia, the exiled Polish Prime Minister appealed to the Russians to release the deportees, and Russia agreed. They were transported in 1942 to the Caspian sea then, into Iran and onward to India. From India they were dispersed to East Africa and some were settled in Tanganika, now Tanzania. The largest settlement was here near Arusha and numbered over 4,000. They were mostly women and children and they lived here in camps for some years. Some of the houses they lived in are still standing and are being lived in by locals. The time in Siberia and the long journey weakened people and the death rate in the camp was quite high. We visited the walled graveyard, maintained by the Polish embassy and it was a sombre place.

This piece of little known history had passed me by and the visit was enlightening. The map below shows the route taken from Siberia and this must have been quite an undertaking considering this was during a war. The graves are laid out neatly and well cared for. Some of the graves are naturally sprinkled by flower blossoms from the tree above. Lastly these two graves were particularly sad, as the dates show the two babies were born and died on the same day.

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Fantastic read Jim and a fitting conclusion for the bike well done. My wife and I got quite emotional over that and then you post about the Polish POWs - I’m going to have to pour myself another Guinness

gspod said:

Fantastic read Jim and a fitting conclusion for the bike well done. My wife and I got quite emotional over that and then you post about the Polish POWs - I’m going to have to pour myself another Guinness

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Thanks Aidan, I'm glad the emotion came across even through my amateur scribblings. The power of the feelings did surprise me. I think it was learning that Father Jack was valued in this community and remained in their memorym many decades later, that moved me so much. Its heartwarming to learn you and your wife were also moved and my eyes are watering a bit now.

When I started writing these Ride Reports 12 years ago, they were very motorbike centred and a bit macho. I'd include lots of information about the bike and equipment, what the road was like and how I was riding. Writing as I thought an adventure bike rider should write. Latterly, though I still love riding, I've tried to focus more on the journey and the places I pass through. Not just describing the scene but how it impacts on me. As I've shared the link more widely outside the motorbike community, the readers have also changed. What I write now is not so macho and more in tune with my personality. Comments like yours encourage me to continue that practice in future.


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What a great journey with a fantastic and very fitting conclusion. It's great to think of your bike still there and being put to good use. The "not an adventure bike" has been on an epic adventure that will now carry on for years . I have loved reading your RR and look forward to the next one!

Paul