Rosamund King (Everard) Steenkamp (1907 - 1946)

Born 1907 in Carolina, Transvaal Colony

Wife of Hermanus Nicolaas Fourie Steenkamp — married 12 Jun 1940 (to 1 Dec 1942) in Anglican Church, St Martin's-in -the-Veld, Rosebank, Johannesburg, Transvaal, Union of South Africa

Died 19 Mar 1946 at about age 39 in Bewdley, Worcestershire, England, United Kingdom

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Rosamund (Everard) Steenkamp is Notable.

Biography

Rosamund was born in 1907 in Transvaal Colony. Rosamund Everard was the second daughter of C.J. Everard and his artist wile, Bertha King.

She was an Aviatrix from Bonnefoi in the Eastern Transvaal.

When World War II broke out she was official Instructor at the Witwatersrand Technical College and trained many pupil pilots who later distinguished themselves in the South African Air Force.

In 1940 she had met Lieutenant Hermanus Nicolaas Fourie Steenkamp, SAAF, whom she had taught to fly. They married on the 12th of June 1940 at St. Martin’s-in-the-Veld Anglican Church, Rosebank, Johannesburg. ^[1]

Rosamund was commissioned with the rank of captain and posted to 61 Squadron where she was engaged in instruction in addition to a variety of flying duties. By 1942 she and a fellow woman pilot, Rhenia Slabbert (Mrs Blake), were flying Lodestars on shuttle service between South Africa and Cairo. At the end of the year she suffered a great personal bereavement in the death of her husband, Captain H.N.F. Steenkamp, SAAF, whom she had taught to fly. This loss made her all the more determined to realise her ambition to form an all-women flying ambulance unit to operate in the war theatre. Her efforts in this direction met with official disapproval.

Hearing that the Russians employed women pilots, she decided to join the Russian Air Force. Getting a lift from the USAAF, she proceeded to Teheran, the wartime communication centre between the Russians and the Allies.

At the Russian military headquarters she met nothing but suspicion and distrust. Air Commodore Runciman and the British Ambassador, Sir Reader Bullard, with whom she lunched advised her that, even if the Russians did accept her, they would not give her the work she wanted to do but would callously try to break her spirit. Thus, all her dreams and schemes to achieve a more effective role for women pilots in the war were once again frustrated.

In 1944 she joined the Air Transport Auxiliary, ferrying many types of aircraft to the operational bases.

"Pilot and sole occupant of a Spitfire which crashed in Wyre Forest at Button Oak near Kinlet early on Tuesday afternoon, Capt Rosamund King Everard Steenkamp the South African widow of an airman who was a member of the South African WAAFs and was attached to the Air Transport Auxiliary No.1 Ferry Pilot Pool was instantly killed.

Mrs Steenkamp was flying from Hampshire to a station in Shropshire at the time of the mishap." (Kidderminster Times)

She passed away in 1946. ^[2]

Find A Grave: Memorial #56138421

Sources

1. ↑ Marriage https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS29-J31L-1?cc=2821281&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3A6ZC9-RMYF
2. ↑ DN https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS37-3FCV?i=825&cc=2520237&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AQPNC-MJKP

• [1] SAHistory.org profile
• [2] 70 years on
• [3] eGGSA profile