John Kemp (2010)

John Kemp was from Llwydcoed and attended Comin Junior School before transferring to ABGS in 1957. After leaving ABGS in 1962, John attended The Wireless College, Colwyn Bay, North Wales and joined the Merchant Navy as a Radio Officer. He emigrated to Australia in 1965 and served on many ships there. During that period he spent one year as Officer In Charge of the Royal Flying Doctor Service base at Meekatharra WA and one year in Antarctica with the Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions.

He married a Canadian in Australia and his daughter Savannah was born in Perth WA in 1969. He arrived in Calgary Canada in 1972 and served as Assistant Director of Communications for Pacific Western Airlines in Vancouver before joining PanArctic Oils as a Radio Operator in the Arctic Islands drilling operations.

He subsequently formed his own company providing communications and medical personnel to the Oil and Mining industries in the North and Offshore. During that period John spent time on behalf of the company in Russia, Sudan, Czech Republic and Poland - where he met his second wife. During that period he also received his Private Pilot Licence.

He sold his company to a British group in 2009 and is currently working on the setup of a new company. He spends his summers in Poland with his wife Kasia and children Daniel and Victoria on a small farm outside Warsaw.

John’s achievements include being awarded the Antarctic Medallion, the British Merchant Navy Medal and the Australian Naval Cross. In 1995 he received the Calgary Export Achievement Award. With extensive experience of establishing and operating medical facilities worldwide, John has provided consultation to governments, non-governmental organizations and exploration companies on a wide range of healthcare issues.

John in 1 alpha, 1957

The Kemp family, 2010

John’s brother Richard also attended the school, from 1953 to 1960. He now lives in East Sussex.