Major-General Kenneth Reid van der Spuy (18 March 1892 – 26 May 1991) was a

South African Air Force "Through hardships to the stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , equipment ...

officer. He saw service with the

Royal Flying Corps "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colors = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , decorations ...

in World War I. In 1913, the South African government started a flying school and advertised for prospective pilots in the Government Gazette. Van der Spuy was one of only 10 selected. Six of the original group of pilots were chosen to undergo further training in Britain and Van der Spuy was part of this group. When he passed his final examination on 2 June 1914, and was granted the certificate of the

Royal Aero Club The Royal Aero Club (RAeC) is the national co-ordinating body for air sport in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1901 as the Aero Club of Great Britain, being granted the title of the "Royal Aero Club" in 1910. History The Aero Club was foun ...

, he was South Africa's first qualified military pilot Early in 1915, van der Spuy was part of a group who were asked to establish a South African Aviation Corps in England and go to

South West Africa South West Africa ( af, Suidwes-Afrika; german: Südwestafrika; nl, Zuidwest-Afrika) was a territory under South African administration from 1915 to 1990, after which it became modern-day Namibia. It bordered Angola (Portuguese colony before 1 ...

to assist the South African forces under General

Louis Botha Louis Botha (; 27 September 1862 – 27 August 1919) was a South African politician who was the first prime minister of the Union of South Africa – the forerunner of the modern South African state. A Boer war hero during the Second Boer War, ...

Van der Spuy later became the first

South African Air Force "Through hardships to the stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , equipment ...

pilot, when he attested on 1 April 1921.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Van der Spuy, Kenneth 1892 births 1991 deaths South African Air Force generals South African Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Royal Flying Corps officers British Army personnel of World War I South African military personnel of World War I South African Army officers