Campling - Officer commanding the Kenya Auxiliary Air Unit, Elementary Flying Training Squadron at Nairobi Aerodrome (todays Wilson Airport) where the embryo unit was formed. Bob Lovemore, born in Swaziland in 1893, was a descendant of 1820 settlers to the Cape; members of his family had been in BEA since 1910, and he came to Kenya in 1938 to be chief flying instructor for Wilson Airways.

During WW1 he had served with distinction in the RFC and RAF, gaining the DSO for bravery under fire during the rescue of a fellow pilot; then at the outset of WW2 he was called up and given command of the KAAU Elementary Flying Training Squadron, which on 21st August 1940 was renamed KAAU 30 EFTS

DSO - Lt. 3rd Batt. London Regt.; Lt. RAF (late Native Affairs Dept., Johannesburg); as only a boy he "saw service in the Rebellion, when he was not only seriously wounded, but mentioned in Despatches for excellent services rendered. He was also much in evidence in South-West and East Africa ….. For some particularly smart piece of aviation work he had the DSO bestowed upon him."

London Gazette 8/2/1919 - On 28th Oct. this officer attacked by 2 Fokkers, was driven down and compelled to land on marshy ground the enemy side of a river. Having extricated himself from his machine, he saw another of our machines land a short distance away, the pilot being thrown out; proceeding to the spot, Lieut. Lovemore found the pilot insensible, his head and shoulders under water, and the fuselage over his legs. Releasing him from the fuselage, he dragged him out of the water, and in a few minutes the pilot recovered his senses.

Lieut. Lovemore then proceeded towards the river, and seeing a corporal of ours on the other side he directed him to go and get help, he himself returning to the pilot, whom he carried to the river bank. On arriving there he saw an Infantry Officer on the opposite bank, who swam across to join him, and between them they carried the pilot down to the river and swam across, holding him up. The enemy by this time had brought up machine guns, so that they were under fire when swimming across; they however got across in safety, and a stretcher party arriving, the pilot was carried back to our lines. The cool courage and disregard of danger displayed by Lieut. Lovemore is deserving of very high praise.

Web DNW - 1034 - Lovemore was approached by the head of the SA Police, Sir J.P. de Villiers, with a view to forming an air wing, and thus he became the only member of the SA Police to join the force with the rank of Captain. The air wing, contrary to promises, was never formed and after a couple of years Lovemore resigned to take up an offer to join Wilson Airways in Kenya, initially as a pilot and then as chief flying instructor. ……… [more on his service in WW2]