|
Arthur John Kempc Married Married Beatrice (Bea) Mary Shaw Fc | ||||||||||||||
| Martin John Minter-Kemp [CFT #801] Born: 1936 Died: 2020 |
| |||||||||||||
| b Windmill House, Wingrave, Nr Aylesbury This is the eulogy which would have been delivered by his son at his father's Service of Thanksgiving had the service not fallen foul of the Corona Virus restrictions. It has been adapted for use in a local newspaper. "For over 45 years Martin Minter-Kemp lived contently in Golant. He resided with his wife, Bunny, at Tanhay House tucked away down its own quiet lane on the Northern end of the Village. The privacy of their home reflected his private disposition on life rendering most inhabitants of Golant unaware of his intrepid past. His proximity to a salty estuary was no coincidence, as much of his life was devoted to navigating his way around seas and the Ocean as both a competitor and plying his trade as a ship and yacht master. His accomplishments were numerous first highlighted by his boat winning the first Round Britain race in 1966 beating luminaries such as Sir Francis Chichester, followed by competing in four OSTAR races single handed across the Atlantic in 1968, 1972 and 1981. His triumphs and feats were well documented in the Sailing world but like much of Martins humbled account of himself they were only half the Story. With self-deprecation and modesty being significant traits of his character, researching his life has been a challenge in itself. He was born in Aylesbury in 1936. It was clear from the outset that he wished to embark upon a life of adventure and abnormality. Immediately after the 2nd World war his father was part of the occupation army that involved taking his young family to Germany. During a train journey to Munich, Martin aged 11 disappeared. When the alarm was raised involving a search of the entire train Martin was found, driving the train! He had overcome language barriers with the driver by bribing him with his chocolate bar. This early episode revealed his resourceful ability and being part of a good story. So it was no surprise he joined the army as soon a possible aged seventeen, commissioned into the Royal Welch Fusiliers where he rose to the rank of Major having toured with them in Singapore, Germany, Japan, Korea (awarded mention in dispatches), Malaya and Hong Kong. He quickly commandeered the regimental yacht, using her to complete a 500 mile single handed trip in the Atlantic. Thus enabling him to qualify for his first Observer single handed Atlantic race. The 1966 race was not without incident, as one hull of his trimaran during a storm filled with water creating significant listing. Disaster was only avoided, by Martin bailing out by hand all night until the pumps could manage. The Incident was recorded and painted by the late marine artist Laurence Bagley which hangs in the Royal Welsh Museum in Caernarvon to this day. Any application to join the Special Air Service at the age of 38 would be deemed to have a remote chance. This was never going to deter Martin believing he had demonstrated his ability to survive under extreme conditions. Accordingly he succeeded in the selection process and moved his family from Hong Kong to Hereford in 1970. He was expectedly tight lipped about his exploits with 22 SAS but he did reveal his part in Oman with the deployment of the Regiment to conduct counter anti-insurgency operations against the rebels in support of the Sultan of Oman's Armed Forces. As well as SAS operations in Northern Ireland against the IRA, including the establishment of 14 Intelligence Company to conduct under cover surveillance operations against loyalist para military groups. He even revealed he learnt how to shoot a pistol while remaining in his coat pocket!! In the 1972 transatlantic race Martin was sponsored by Bulmers to compete in a 65 foot mono hull that was only eight feet wide. She was built in Bristol specifically for the race and called ‘Strongbow’; we all had more free cider than we knew what to do with! Despite beginning the race as a clear favourite, the journey revealed problems with the navigation equipment resulting in a 7th position at the finishing line, identical to the previous race. Rapid change followed this race as Martin became divorced and left the Army. Despite serving in a Celtic regiment Martin had never been brought up in Cornwall, although it was deeply familiar to him as his parents bought a farm on the North coast once he’d left home and he was stationed at Plymouth during his Service. It was then by chance through a mutual friend that he met Bunny. They were the perfect match, welcoming all and sundry into their home while dropping everything to go and indulge a new idea or project that Martin was constantly thinking up. My father was a visionary of the few, often years before the many caught on! Many of these ideas involved boats, including buying a fishing trawler, as smoked mackerel was the future, sadly 20 years to early. He designed blue prints of mini helicopter frigates for the Royal Navy to protect our fisheries during the Cod war with Iceland, unfortunately the war ended! He was rarely discouraged by failure, so despite his fishing vessel being wrecked on Golants railway line, he soon bounced back with his next vessel ‘Cedric’, originally to dump waste for the Truro council out at sea. Martin quickly converted this ship to dredging seaweed and sold as the garden fertilizer to make your veg patch grow, although I seem to recall that weeds loved Cornish Calcified seaweed too. The Business was a success having teamed up with David Kerry who processed the seaweed that Martin dredged. The business’ prosperity proved that Martin was not driven by material success but it was the process of making a good idea tangible and viable, he consequently sold out of the Company. He became a reputable skipper for hire becoming quickly utilized by Mark Litchfield, owner of the tall ships Inca and the Marques. These travels took Martin from the Canary Islands to the Caribbean. The Marques was his favorite to take charge of although she became infamous in 1984 just after Martin handed over command to a new American skipper in Bermuda for the next leg to Nova Scotia during the Talls ship race; she tragically sank only days later, during a storm with loss of 19 people including the Captain and his family. There was a wide perception of Martin as a father, soldier, navigator and boat Captain but there were common views regarding his attributes with people. He was ‘old school’ meaning impeccably polite, well mannered and rarely complained about anything. Despite being happy without the company of humankind he was fascinated by people expressed by genuine interest in all the people he met. He was only ever hard on himself and he was adored by all animals! He added mystery and magic to peoples lives, as he never accepted the term ordinary. He was chivalrous, I remember when he and Bunny decided to sail a open wooden 14 foot dingy back to Cornwall from the Sicily Isles for their children. Typically the weather turned against them, as Bunny was bailing out the boat she shouted at Martin on the Helm ‘ If you get us home alive I will never ask you to do the washing up again!’ When they returned home Dad promptly bought her a dishwasher. His chivalry extended to match making couples over generations with a reasonable track record including godchildren! He may have accepted old age but he never embraced it, as he was a man of adventure, conquest and ambition to do well. He was at his happiest going somewhere; journeys were his salvation often resulting in significant clock watching until he was back on the Move! He was one of the most generous spirited people I have ever known although he always knew when he had his fill of company. The term “Where’s Martin?” was a familiar turn of phrase, as he always liked to slip away unnoticed. One Christmas, we all arrived and he walked us all down to the Fishermans Arms in Golant to sing carols, he ordered drinks at the Bar, then left via another door back home and straight to bed! He lived a full and exciting life captivating people along the way, while fitting the Category as the Adventurer that few really knew well but it didn’t matter to him. So it just makes you wonder whom else you might be walking past in the sunken lanes of Golant." Robin Minter-Kemp April 2020 |
1: 1959 Emma Hilaria Minter-Kempc H 2: 1963 Robin John Edgcumbe Minter-Kempc W/C 3: 1963 Penelope Claire Minter-Kempc H/C | |||||||||||||
| 3 Children | ||||||||||||||
To notify corrections or updates to this page, please contact the Webmaster
or return to the Index2 Index1
Thanks