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Name: ST. BARBE, Sidney Lane Foster
Birth Date: 22 Mar 1895 Boldre, Hants.
Death Date: 1939 Brentford, buried 25 May
First Date: 1932
Profession: Sky writing pilot. Came to Kenya as pilot to John Carberry. Lover of Beryl Markham
Area: Nyeri, 'Seremai'
Married: In Hendon 1927 Vera Evelyn Welch b. 1901 Hendon
Book Reference: Markham, Campling
War Service: RAF
General Information:
Markham - In 1932 John Carberry was casting about for someone suitable to replace his resident pilot at Seremai, his coffee estate just outside Nyeri. Sydney St. Barbe - celebrated sky writer. He had just lost his job with Beecham's Pills for scrawling in huge letters across the sky - Beecham's Balls. Beryl Markham urged him to become JC's pilot and he fell madly in love with Beryl.. She went to Seremai as Sydney St. Barbe's girlfriend.
Campling - Jack le Poer Trench joined East African Airways Ltd as pilot and engineer, having qualified with de Havilland at Stag Lane in July 1932 and returned to Kenya from England in 1934 flying a Fox Moth, together with the famous sky writer Sydney St. Barbe-Baker. [sic]…..
Royal Aero Club aviator's certfiicate 4 Jan 1918 Hendon