Father: Simon Gerardus Kamphuys (d. 1935 in Amsterdam), a Director of the British Cocoa Mills (Hull) (BCM) Ltd, a company producing cocoa butter, as well as other firms in Amsterdam. Mother: Margaretha Elisabeth [Barmentloo] Meyndert was also a Director (and later Managing Director) of British Cocoa Mills Ltd, in Tower St., Hull.
His younger brother Henri (or Henry) Simon Kamphuys (b. 1918)
was a pharmacologist for the firm.
Address in 1934: Koog Aan de Zaan, Holland m. 1935 Maria [Mary] Clasina Eva [Brassem]
"Mr Kamphuys came to England from Holland in 1935 to establish the British Cocoa Mills. Although his home was in Holland, he was a frequent visitor to Hull." RAeC Certificate 13925 dated 7 Jun 1936, taken at Hull Aero Club
He and Maria were fined £2 and £1 respectively for "entering the Hull exclusion area without a permit" in April 1940; they pleaded ignorance of the recently-introduced regulations. Postings:
Subsequently joined the exiled Dutch Air Force in the UK, ending up as CO of the Dutch Communication Flight.
[Meinhert and Mary knew pioneer (and ex-ATA) pilot Jim Mollison well, and whilst Meinhert was away in South America in 1946, Jim and Mary began an affair. Meinhert and Mary agreed to part; he made her an allowance of £500 per year and she (and, later, Jim) moved into a house called 'Lowlands', in Hurley, Berks.]
Address in 1947: 82 Portland Pl, London W.1 d. 15 Jul 1947 - Logrono, nr Bilbao, Spain. He and his brother Henri were killed in an aircraft accident. "Hull Businessmen die in Plane Crash Mr Meyndert S. Kamphuys, managing director of British Cocoa Mills, Ltd, Hull, and his brother, Mr Henry S Kamphuys, were both killed when a plane in which they were flying to Africa on business crashed in the Lumbreras Mountains in Northern Spain. Also killed was the pilot, [ex-ATA Ralph Harold Henderson], well known in London flying circles. The plane had been privately chartered." - Hull Daily News The aircraft, according to "Mollison - The Flying Scotsman" by David Luff, 1993, was an Airspeed Consul belonging to BCM.
The BCM factory burned down on the 29 Nov 1948, killing 12 people.
After his death, Mary inherited Meinhert's wealth. She married Jim Mollison (as his third wife) on 26 Sep 1949, at Maidenhead.
* File exists but not seen |
1936
1936
Visa for Brazil, 1946
from "Mollison - The Flying Scotsman" by David Luff