The son of a world-travelling tea-planter, Tony Bentley-Buckle was born in Belgium, grew up in Ceylon, and attended Ampleforth College in England before spending 10 years with the Royal Navy from 1938 through 1948. During this time he had a heroic tenure during World War II, including almost unreal escapades as he attempted to evade capture behind enemy lines and a difficult 18-month stint as a prisoner of war. He moved to Kenya after leaving the services and established a sizeable shipping business. He later sold this venture and went on to found an airline company that would eventually form a major part of Air Seychelles. During his time in Kenya he put his sailing skills to good use by representing the country at the 1960 Summer Olympics in the Flying Dutchman class, alongside Ronald Blaker. The duo never finished better than eighth in any race and were 20th overall. Bentley-Buckle’s autobiography, Through Albert’s Eyes, was published posthumously in 2013 and focuses primarily on his adventures during World War II.
Kenya