Obituaries

Bill Keppel-Compton 1938-2023 

Bill was born in Malawi, where his father was Provincial Commissioner in the Colonial Service, and he attended prep school in Johannesburg. At 13 he joined Canford which he found a complete culture shock in the austere years after the war, with the climate and the rather basic food, and in a country which was called ‘home’. Moreover, he had not learnt Latin, only Africaans! However, he eventually thrived and particularly enjoyed sailing and tennis.

He entered the RAF for National Service and remained for the next 30 plus years, serving around the world and in many home areas. He continued his passion for sailing both privately and with the RAF and indeed he and his family lived on a Dutch sailing barge for the first 12 years, moving ‘house’ as required. He was Commodore of the British Kiel Yacht Club and was instrumental in obtaining the grant of the light blue RAF sailing Association ensign.

Bill retired 4 years early as Group Captain and moved to Pembrokeshire where he continued sailing and taking an active part in local maritime affairs. He was local chairman for The Lord Nelson Trust and organised the Tall Ships visit to Milford Haven in 1991, skippered boats on the Thames for the Lord Nelson Funeral re-enactment and the Queen’s Jubilee and to other regattas in France. Of course, visiting Malawi as often as possible was a high priority.