This man was no-body's fool.

[PPRuNe Pop]

If you want your day to be a little brighter, may I suggest you slowly digest the courage of this man who has died a true hero. I met him twice, once when he was at the MAFF when I took him for a recce of some fishing boats in the channel, in a EMB110 (Bandeirante). He tried to persuade me to go lower over the water when I was already at under 100 feet!

A lovely man.

Flight Lieutenant Tom Fletcher - Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/7542216/Flight-Lieutenant-Tom-Fletcher.html)

[Flyt3est]

Did exactly as it said on the tin Pop, brightened my day.. what a fella! :D:D

[cornish-stormrider]

And the wake coming from his walrus from all the hairy rescues was caused by the dangling brass balls.

That epitomises (sp) hero, Tis men like that what inspired me to join up.

Thanks Pop, cheered me up (reading it, not the fact he's gone to Gods big pub, ex servicemen, for the use of)

:ok:

[Hamish 123]

"When his leader transmitted an emergency call, the naval authorities at Dover decided it was impossible to get a launch through the minefield, and too dangerous for rescue by a Walrus amphibious aircraft. Despite this, Fletcher immediately volunteered to go, taking off in his Walrus with a Spitfire squadron providing an escort"

Puts today's health and safety/risk assessment culture in perspective.

You're sometimes just astounded by some people's bravery and the things they do.

[Chugalug2]

Wow! I don't know how much of that unbelievably courageous career you were aware of when you met this gentleman, Pop, but just one of those determined efforts to rescue downed airmen makes him a hero in my bumper book. Another truly amazing member of a truly amazing generation now passed on. Any of us that knew such heroes are blessed indeed. RIP Sir!
Chug

[MightyGem]

Simply outstanding. :D RIP.

[PPRuNe Pop]

Chug,

I don't know how much of that unbelievably courageous career you were aware of when you met this gentleman

None is the answer. He was just a man from the Ag and Fish!

[kluge]

What a wonderful read.

An inspiration :ok:

[tezzer]

Odd, it brought a tear to my eye !

RIP, Sir.

[scarecrow450]

A true and outstanding hero, RIP Sir :D

[fallmonk]

Wot a unbelivable life that man lead !
Some one should have made him put his storys into print would have been a number one best seller!
And if nothing else kids on schools should read about his exploits maybe give them a idea off people doing things for OTHER'S !
My respects

[orgASMic]

Simply humbling. RIP.:D

[Dengue_Dude]

I suppose it could be (in today's parlance) "I'm not a celebrity, get me out of here".

On a serious note, it's a damned shame that we don't reserve the word 'hero' for people such as this rather than waste it on pop 'heroes' and sporting 'heroes' who are in little or no danger - or ever have been. Like 'celebrity', the word 'hero' has been denegrated.

Wonderful that it's appeared here. Thanks Pop, good one.

[matkat]

Fantastic story also brought a tear to my eye and thanks for sharing it.

[Buster Hyman]

Courage, during wartime, is not always where you expect it. :D

[Waspie41]

RIP, a true hero.

Thanks Pop for posting.

[Green Flash]

Blimey!:eek: His type are few and far between. It's funny how someone who has had less than auspicious start gets a sideways career move and turns out to be the dogs wotsits in the new job. And I love the taxi back home option! :ok: Brilliant and awesome.

[endplay]

What an episode of "This is your Life" this would have made. I wonder how many of his friends and acquaintances only learned his story after he passed on? RIP Sir.

[Union Jack]

He tried to persuade me to go lower over the water when I was already at under 100 feet!

Well, he was clearly used to spending a lot of his time "flying" much lower and he would almost certainly been awarded a CGM at least once, if only it had been instituted a little earlier. Less seriously, I wonder how he logged all that "surface" time!

What a man, and a true hero indeed - We are very much the poorer for his passing.

Jack

[Geehovah]

I'm humbled.

RIP

[dropintheoggin]

Amazing.

Ad astra

RIP