Biography

 BIOGRAPHY OFJOHANNES PHILIBERT MORKEL FAURE 1917-1995

 

by

 

Alexander Pierre Faure (1946-) (son)

   

   

Family

JPMF was the eldest of two sons and the third eldest of five children of Philippus Albertus Brand FAURE (1875-1947) and Emerentia Elizabeth MORKEL (1878-??).  He was called “Hannes” all his life.


 Date and place of birth and youth

He was born on the farm “Bleakhouse” at Faure owned by his father. The farm house was just west of where the dam at Boys Town on the N2 is presently (2007). The farm was sold to a Mr Dirk Bosman in 1920 (who many years later - 1950s - demolished the house), when they moved to the farm “Kahlenberg” at Faure (occupied at the time of writing - 2007 - by JK Faure 1948-) (son).

He attended the small primary school at Faure (where the garage is now) and later Somerset West Primary School and Hottentots Holland High School where he matriculated in c1935. Hannes played rugby at school and excelled in this game (he said!).

He spent a year at the University of Stellenbosch c1936 and received a BSc in Snooker in this year (the degree usually takes three years to complete).

 

School rugby team 1934; Hannes in the centre of the picture


Church activities

 He and Liefie were members of the DRC congregation in Somerset West and enjoyed a somewhat loose association with the church. They never entered the church again after a particular and wonderful event (which the church frowned upon – and the dominee and the local “kerkraad” had subjected the relevant young couple to a divine grilling).

 

Air Force career

Hannes probably farmed at Kahlenberg with his brother Hennie and father in the years up to 1940. In this year he joined the SA Air Force to become a pilot because he did not want to miss out on the excitement of WWII. He wanted to fight the Germans in the air. He said that he was also motivated by an insatiable spirit of adventure.

 Hannes passed out (as it was then called) as an SA Air Force pilot in July 1941 and he did four operational tours – in North Africa, Malta, Sicily and Italy. He had a distinguished Air Force career and attained the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel at age 27. He was awarded 5.5 kills and honoured with the designation “ace pilot”, a designation accorded pilots with 5 or more kills. He was decorated with DSO[1], DFC[2] (and bar) and a string of other service medals. Hannes was highly respected as a leader as evidenced in his rank and his appointment as Officer Commanding of No 1 Squadron.

 JPMF was mentioned in numerous books on the Air Force as an exceptional leader and a man with a well-developed sense of humour (especially in the air under fire), including in “the Story of No 1 Squadron” (by V Vos).

 After the war he stayed on in the Permanent Force and was stationed at Air Force Base Langebaanweg on the west coast of the Cape Province (now Western Cape). He opened the base and was Officer Commanding of it. He later became OC of Air Force Base Ysterplaat (in Milnerton, Cape Town).

 He resigned from the Air Force in December 1950 because he felt he had no future career under the Nationalist Government (his father was a member - and Senator and MP - of the United Party. The Nationalist Government took political control of the country in 1948 and was to become the infamous “apartheid government”. Apart from an uncertain career under the Nationalist Government, Hannes also did not want to be associated with them.

 

 

Farming career

With his brother Hennie he farmed at “Kahlenberg” at Faure and the other farms (see below) they bough over the years until retirement.

 

Marriage

Hannes married Marguerita Mary KLERCK (born 26.01.1918), daughter of Alexander Morrison KLERCK (born 1875 in Tulbagh) and Caroline Johanna CARTER (born 1880 in Cape Town). MMK was known as “Liefie” all her life, a term of endearment she tried to change to “Rita”, without success.

 Liefie grew up in Sea Point and met Hannes on Board the Windhoek liner. The two of them made a handsome couple

 

 

Activity in retirement

They retired to a smaller house on the farm “Croydon” (nest to Kahlenberg for a period and then moved “Somerset Oaks” in Somerset West in 1988. In retirement Hannes was a keen vegetable grower, golfer and bowler. He and Liefie were also keen on gambling at the casinos of the country. Liefie, who was a keen shopper (and was proud of not having earned a bean in her life), continued to nurture her shopping interest until she could no longer.

 

 Property

Hannes owned a number of farms with his brother Hennie. They inherited the farm “Kahlenberg” and over the years bought the farms “Geduld” (c1964), Klawervlei (c1966 from Nico Myburgh – aka “Nico Verlep”), Ridgemor (c1974), and “Corydon” (c1974 from Filma Brodie).  He also bought their retirement unit in the “Somerset Oaks” retirement village in Somerset West (1988).

 

Death

Hannes died in ”Serenitas” Nursing Home in the Strand in 1995 after a fall at their retirement village in Somerset West. Whilst trying to remove a pigeon’s nest from the roof (it was dropping stuff onto the outside table) he fell from the ladder on to a corner of the steel table and cracked a few ribs. The cracked ribs were the cause of complications which ultimately brought on the killer of the elderly:  pneumonia.

Liefie died in the Vergelegen Medi-Clinic in Somerset West also of the killer of the elderly. She had developed a back problem in retirement and had been operated on.  Shortly after the operation, while staying with Carol, she fell one night which led to her eventually being confined to a wheel chair and a full-time nursing service. Toward the end she knew was approaching, she was keen to join Hannes and friends in Heaven. A G&T, a brandy and water and a good wine were not the same on one’s own. She was hoping they would have cigarettes in Heaven.

In later years the doctor informed Liefie that she may only smoke 5 ciggies per day. She stuck to this religiously: she had exactly 5 per day and as many as she liked at night.

 

General

Hannes and Liefie were affable people and loved by all who knew them. They were known for their well-developed senses of humour and for their dinner parties. An invitation was never turned down.

 

Children

They had six children of which the favourite (completely justified of course) was I.

 

1 April 2007



[1] Distinguished Service Order.

[2] Distinguished Flying Cross. “Bar” means another DFC was awarded.

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