Early Life
Beauchamp-Proctor was born 4 September 1894 in Mossel Bay, Cape Province, the second son of a school teacher and attended the oldest school in the country, South African College Schools, Cape Town. He was studying engineering at University of Cape Town when the European war broke out. He took leave from his studies to join the Duke of Edinburgh's Own Rifles. He served as a signalman in the German South-West Africa campaign.
In August 1915 he was demobilised with an honorable discharge. He promptly went to work with the South African Field Telegraph and re-enrolled in university. He managed to complete his third year of college before re-enlisting, this time into the Royal Flying Corps (RFC), in March 1917.
He was accepted as an Air Mechanic Third Class. From there he passed on to pilot training at the School of Military Aeronautics at Oxford in England, where he was also commissioned. He managed to learn to fly despite his wiry stature of five feet two inches. His aircraft seating was altered to accommodate him; his seat was raised so he had a better view from the cockpit and so he could reach controls. Blocks of wood were also fastened on his rudder bar so he could reach it.
On 10 June 1917, he soloed, when he had just over five hours flying time. He crashed upon landing, wiping out the landing gear. Nevertheless, he continued to fly solo. He was passed on to a bomber squadron, Number 84, with a little under ten hours flying experience.
When he joined 84 Squadron in July 1917, it was re-forming as a fighter squadron.
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