The younger membership are unlikely to have met Jack but if they are rally enthusiasts, they may well recognise the name.  Sadly Jack, who did so much for British rallying and South East motorsport died, perhaps fittingly, as the 2001 Network Q Rally was getting underway.  It may now be the Network Q, whereas in Jack’s days it was the “Lombard” for Lombard were sponsors of the RAC Rally for many years and Jack is remembered by many as “Mr RAC Rally”.
Jack’s family came from near Sittingbourne, the fact that there is the village of “Kemsley” near Sittingbourne is no coincidence for much of the Kemsley family farmed in this area.  Agriculture held no attraction for Jack and after attending St Dunston’s School, Jack was off to Chelsea College to study automobile engineering.  Soon after leaving college, with the help of his widowed mother, he set up business in Petts Wood.  The site was selected on the basis that there was a new housing estate, houses still being built but no garage to service residents’ cars.  You should know by now why Dunstonian Garage is so named!
It was inevitable that Jack should be attracted to motorsport and in the Thirties competed in numerous events including the Scottish and RAC Rallies.  World War 2 intervened and this gave Jack the opportunity to show his organisational skills.  He worked out that he could keep his staff together through the war years by turning the garage over to the business of keeping London’s fire engines and other emergency vehicles on the road.  It was not in Jack’s nature to resort to confrontation; negotiation and discussion were always the way.  In just the same way he was to later to be so successful in organising events, Jack used his negotiating skills to source the spares, fuel, etc that he needed to keep the fire service in action during those difficult years.
The war ended and it was not long before Jack’s thoughts again turned to motorsport.  I don’t think Jack would ever have claimed to be the greatest business man but in 1949 when he entered 3 Hillman Minx’s on the Monte Carlo, he managed to register them LKJ1, LKJ 2 and LKJ 3 to help them stand out as a team.  A plaster of paris model of the route was built in the showroom and locals were able to see how the team progressed as model cars were moved along the route according to the progress reports received. I suspect not too many competitors were switched on enough to do this sort of thing, all of which helped to promote the Dunstonian name.
Jack continued to compete and was also involved in organising events.  It was 1959 that Jack took over the helm of the RAC Rally and for 21 years this event was organised by Jack and his family using the dining room table as HQ!  It was Jack’s diplomacy that got the RAC Rally into the forests, his negotiations with the Forestry Commission laid the foundations for not only the RAC Rally to use the forests but also made way for other events to use them.  As if running the RAC Rally wasn’t enough, Jack also chaired the Rallies Committee and travelled extensively worldwide as a steward and observer, not forgetting that he also had a major hand in running a number of events in foreign parts.
Back in the sixties Foot and Mouth interfered with motorsport and with no events to occupy club members, clubs were in for a thin time.  However, they soon had something to occupy them for almost on a nightly basis, Jack and his beloved wife were attending club nights running quiz nights.
It has been my privilege to have been friends with Jack for some thirty years. During my term as SDMC chairman, Jack was club President, a post he did not hold simply in name for he was always available and happy to talk things through.  He had the happy knack of not making decisions for you but once you had talked things over with him, you always came to what was later proven to be a sound decision.
Soon after I resigned as chairman, Jack decided as he put it, “to tidy his life”, and so it was he resigned as President of SDMC and from various other posts he held.  I continued to see Jack for we lived but half a mile from each other, so it was easy for me to drop by occasionally and spend an hour or two with Jack talking with me.  I choose my words carefully for Jack was a great talker, getting a word or two in was not always easy!
I last saw Jack back in May, for on the very October day I planned to call and see him I broke my leg and spent the planned time (and a bit more) in hospital! Nevertheless that last visit was as enjoyable as ever.  By then Jack had lost the use of his legs and was generally a little confused as a result of the strokes he had suffered.  I quickly found however, that it was only a case of “pushing the right button” and he would be regaling me with some tale or other in totally lucid fashion.  We spoke at length about “….that clever bugger Stuart Turner, whatever one did he could always find something to advantage the regulations”, “…Dear old Eric (Carlsson), such a nice man and a great competitor” and many other people prominent in rallying in the Sixties and Seventies.  It was interesting and great fun.
Motorsport owes much to Jack Kemsley, for much of what we enjoy now results from his effort and skill.  Our thoughts are with John, Anne, Sally and families.

John Symes