Ken celebrates a century of adventures

PINETOWN resident, Ken Sinclair, celebrated his 100th birthday on Friday 24 January with family and friends at the Sandown Village.

Ken was born before World War I in High Wycombe, England, and has since travelled around the world. After completing school, he started working at a compressor manufacturing company and served his apprenticeship as a fitter and turner. When he was 23 years-old he joined the merchant navy as an engineer.

In 1937 Sinclair met the love of his life, Phyllis. “She was the cricket scorer and he was playing in the cricket match. After the match he asked her parents if he could walk her home, and their love blossomed,” said Tim Sinclair, Ken’s grandson.

During that same year Ken joined the Merchant navy as an engineer. Subsequently, when the second World War broke out in 1939 Ken joined the Royal Navy as a ship engineer.

“The highlight of my life was when we, the British, and the Americans landed in Normandy, France before the end of the war. We were there for six years. It was an exciting time,” said Ken. While serving the army Ken began his world wide travels. “We went to places such as New Zealand, Argentina, Brazil, Malaysia and Thailand to name a few,” said Ken.

In 1942 Ken and Phyllis were married in High Wycombe. “It was rather difficult for them as he could not tell her when he would be able to come home, so he just showed up.

When he came home for a few days they had to plan and arrange the wedding within 48 hours before he had to return to his duties,” said Tim. Two years later the Sinclairs celebrated the birth of their first child, Richard.

Their luck continued when the second world war ended in 1945. Ken and his wife moved to South Africa as there were more opportunities available to them than in the post-war Britain.

Five years later they moved to Northern Rhodesia where Ken worked at the copper mines as an engineer. In the 1960s Ken continued with his travels across the world, and in 1971 he and his family returned to South Africa, where they started a family business.

Ken and Phyllis had been blessed with two children, six grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Ken reported with a heavy heart that his beloved wife could only celebrate his birthday in spirit, as she had sadly passed away from cancer five years ago.