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Name: CAMPLING, Laurence Keith

image of individual

Nee: son of Charles William Keith Campling

Birth Date: 5 July 1914 Nairobi

Death Date: 6 Nov 2002 Hilton, Natal

First Date: 1914

Last Date: 1982

Profession: Commercial pilot and aircraft engineer, Own business 'Campling Bros. and Vanderwal' Charter Co.

Area: Londiani, Nairobi, Malindi

Married: In Thika 25 Jan 1941 Josephine Mary Horne b. 22 Mar 1918 Nairobi, d. 2003 Petersfield (dau. of Sydney Horne)

Children: Terence; Yvonne; another

Book Reference: EAWL, Sitrep 2, Red 31, Wed, Campling

War Service: Kenya Auxiliary Air Unit

School: Government School, Nairobi

General Information:

Source: Mrs J.M. Campling.
Campling - It was during his year in Eldoret [1924] that Keith first became interested in engineering. His father acquired an old Albion truck and brought it to the house in Eldoret for a complete overhaul. The 10-year-old Keith was fascinated and eager to help; he wanted to know how and why everything worked and questioned every move ………. Irene Campling never liked the children of her husband's first marriage  ….. She once accused him [Keith] of stealing a 'thumuni' from her dressing table, and for this alleged crime he received a thrashing from his father; before lapsing into unconsciousness Keith dimly heard his stepmother shouting at his father to stop lest he kill the child. Keith never forgot nor forgave his stepmother for this and numerous other injustices, and after he finally left home he refused to have anything more to do with her. Over more than 50 years later he remembered all too clearly the cruelties, kicks and injustices of his childhood, for which he held her to blame. ………. Towards the end of 1926 Keith's father, ever searching for an easier means to make a living, opened a fishing business in Kisumu. … The Camplings took up residence in the old Kisumu Hotel, which was not in use at the time and Keith was sent for. Keith, now 12 years old, was far from ready to leave school …….. his father was adamant he needed Keith and that was the end of Keith's schooling …… [See Campling for the rest of Keith's life in detail.]
Pre-war volunteer to the Kenya Regiment (KR 531). Red 31 has I. Campling, Londiani
Ron Schwentafsky In J. Wedekind's Keith Campling and the Story of Aviation in East Africa. Charles Schwentafsky is mentioned a few times in the book as one of the persons who was also quite involved from a financial aspect. He apparently was an excellent pilot and he shared a plane that he purchased and Keith re-built (being an expert mechanic). However they both wanted to fly on weekends so this did not work out too well. I believe that Charles then sold his share to Keith.

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