60 years of continous service in the RAF

[Phoney Tony]

A friend of mine's father joined the RAF in 1952 to be joined by his son in 1977. The son is still in thus sometime this year there will have been a member of this family in the RAF for 60 year continuously. Is there another family out there that cn beat this?

[2 TWU]

I joined in 1964, left in 1996 but carried on as a full time instructor with a commission in the reserve until retirement last year, 47 years wearing the uniform, over half the life of the RAF.

[aw ditor]

Did you get a medal?

[Phoney Tony]

2 TWU, outstanding it is a shame there is no medal for extremely long service! PT

[foldingwings]

Joined the CCF in 1962, entered IOT January 1969, retired 2007 having served 39 years = total in uniform 45 years (without a break!).

Foldie:ok:

PS. And I managed to hang on to my 1250!:=:D

[Roland Pulfrew]

Joined the CCF in 1962, entered IOT January 1969, retired 2007 having served 39 years

Oh God. It's topics like this that get you thinking. Early next year I hit 30 years in, NOT including my CCF time! No wonder I am turning into a Grumpy Old Man. :sad:

[airborne_artist]

Pere Artist went to Dartmouth aged 13 and retired aged 53. 40 years in Dark Blue.

[threeputt]

Dad joined up sometime in May 1943 and flew his first (training) sortie on 4 Sept. I joined on 2 Jan 67 and retired on 30 Jun 2005. In total aprox 62 years.

3P:ok:

[Tankertrashnav]

Thought this was a thread about Pontius Navigator ;)

[t7a]

Joined the CCF in 1962, entered IOT January 1969, retired 2007 having served 39 years = total in uniform 45 years (without a break!).

Without a break?? - Wot about Mess foyer tables and all the rest??:=

[PCDC]

My Father joined in Feb 1940 and retired 1969. I joined early 1966 and left Feb 2006. In the lead so far!!! :ok:

[jindabyne]

PS. And I managed to hang on to my 1250
In which case you leave me with no option other than to report you to the authorities :p

[sisemen]

You can add me to that list Jindy :ok: Not only my last blue one but also the plastic white one that preceded it. Wish I had the old laminated blue one as well but I wasn't well schooled in subterfuge with that one!

[Halton Brat]

On my Birth Certificate, under 'Name of Father', is inscribed 'Some Soldiers'.

I suspect that their service, added to my own, puts me in the lead by a country mile.

HB

[2 TWU]

If we're adding CCF time, I can add 6 years onto my 47 making a grand total of err err err 53 I think (brain not working well, pub not open ).

[m+m]

My father joined in 51,married my mother (joined in 53 left in 58) left in 78. Eldest brother joined in 77 did his 22' other brother joined 82 did his 22. I joined in 85 still in. Both my sisters married into the RAF for total of 20 years. All in all service to nation = 123 Does that qualify?

[foldingwings]

t7a,

Without a break?? - Wot about Mess foyer tables and all the rest??

Aaaaah!!!!! Guilty! Now I get the moniker but with only 5 posts you'll have to PM me with a Vis Ident!

Jindy,

In which case you leave me with no option other than to report you to the authorities

Yeah, well I'm just cleverer than you and anyway, I just lost it (again) today!

OK - Grandad was in First War, Great Uncle too - that's 10 years together, brother was in CCF before me so that's another 5. Brother-in-law served with me for best part of 25 years! Daughter has been in 3! So we are on 43 plus my 45 makes it 88 total......................................................

Wife still has her dependant's ID which she has held for umpteen years so that's another 36!

And I'm not playing any more unless you let me win!

Foldie:{

[sharpend]

My father joined in 1918, served until 1950 = 32 years
I joined in 1964, retired in 2003 = 39 years
My CCF service (as some are counting this) = 5 years

Grand total = 76 years

Not too shaby

By the way, Grandfather served 33 years so running total = 110.

But my Uncle (also Derek Sharp) served for 3 years before the Lancaster he was flying was shot down over Germany & he was killed

Now grand total 113. Anyone beat that?

[BEagle]

60 years of continuous service in the RAF

Do RTFM, bluntie old chap!

But your family total is pretty impressive, nonetheless!

How's the book going.....;)

[sled dog]

Shirley CCF time should not count, after all, its the Big Boys Service time that counts ?

[blaireau]

My father knew Lloyd George.

[foldingwings]

sled dog,

Shirley CCF time should not count, after all, its the Big Boys Service time that counts ?

Shirley, you're not serious!

Foldie;)

[sled dog]

I Shirley am . I have a Belgian friend who, as a small boy, saw Hitler in Koblenz. can anyone beat that ?

[NutLoose]

I met Hitler once, he came back in the afterlife as Jack Holt..

[Fitter2]

During a discussion on the '7 degrees of separation', I remarked that I was one kiss away from Adolf Hitler (and have photographic evidence).

Some serious thread drift going on here. ;)

[Gemini Twin]

I have a tea cup with the face of Queen Victoria on it.

[StopStart]

My grandfather joined the RAF in 1928 and retired in the 1960s. His service overlapped my father's, who himself retired in 1992. I joined in 1990, retiring June 2012. I am a now a member of the Auxiliaries however in terms of continuous, full time service my family racked up about 84 years.

Of perhaps moderate interest is that my grandfather's first operational sqn was also my first operational sqn. Whilst on his second sqn he served in Iraq; exactly 70 years later I served on the same sqn in the same places in Iraq.

Fun fun fun.

[The Oberon]

One of my contemporaries joined as a Locking apprentice in Jan. 1962 and is is still in as a full time reservist.

[sharpend]

The book has now passed 36 chapters, 200 pages and 100K words. Trouble is, no one will believe half of it, let alone landing a Hawk blind :)

[Wholigan]

My father knew Lloyd George.


George O** knew my father, Father knew George O**.
:E

[BEagle]

The book has now passed 36 chapters, 200 pages and 100K words. Trouble is, no one will believe half of it, let alone landing a Hawk blind

Anyone who knows you will certainly believe it, blunty! Your war stories were always colourful, detailed and often utterly hilarious.

Did you really write "Getting 3 hours for the boss's wall" as the 'purpose of flight' in that SOR following your Canberra fire?

You have GOT to get the book published soon!!

[jindabyne]

So much Willy-Waving here. I also knew George O**. :rolleyes:

[jindabyne]

Yeah, well I'm just cleverer than you and anyway,

'more clever' would be better, staff work you know!! Perhaps not.

[LTCTerry]

Me: 29 years in February
Brother 1: 3 years
Brother 3: 21 years
Father: 28 years
Paternal uncle: 2 years (doc)
Maternal grandfather: 13 years; died in a plane crash

106 years in just two generations, not counting various cousins, great uncles, etc. But, if we're (figuratively) willy waving, how many of you covered both sides of "the" revolution? :)

Very proud of my family's military service and very proud of my allies, too.

I was once in the no-longer-extant basement of Hitler's house, but I don't know anyone who ever saw him in Koblenz so I lose on that one.

[November4]

Joining in with the willy waving...

Me 22 years RAF (+5 years ATC)
Step Father 9 + 2 years service under 18 RAF (+4 years ATC)
Father 12 + 2 years under 18 RAF
Maternal Grandfather 1 30 years RN
Paternal Grandfather 2 6 years Army (killed in Greece 1945)
Paternal Step Grandfather 1 5 years Army
Paternal 2 Step Grandfather 2 5 years RAF
Great Grandfather 20 years RN, 15 years Coast guard
Great Great Grandfather 20 years

Helps bump up the years when grandmother married another soldier after grandfather was killed and mother remarried an ex-RAF who father was also ex..

[sisemen]

When my great, great, great .........grandfather, Torstein, signed up as 3rd Oarsman and Deputy Chief Pillager in AD795 for Leofric's expedition to the Orkneys and then on to Cumbria etc..........

Blah, blah, blah for 1200 years.......and I left in 1993.

There - beat that :}

[Big Pistons Forever]

Thread drift but related. In the RCAF there is a Grandfather, Father and Son (currently in MH squadron). All three have have the same Seaking tail number in their logbook and the helicopter is still on line in an operational MH squadron. Logbook entries span 1963 to present day :ooh:.

[foldingwings]

jindy,

'more clever' would be better

Clearly didn't get my attempt at modern day yoof speek!

Hey ho!:zzz:

PS. Have you bought this year's Blitz Bottle yet?:8
PPS. That's O**, I think I knew George O** too!:E:p

[BEagle]

Innit', bruv foldy....

BPE, one of our VC10K captains was also the 3rd generation to fly the aircraft. Her grandfather brought the aircraft into service with BOAC, her father also flew it in BOAC - and she captained its last ever flight when the last airworthy 'standard' VC10 (then a VC10K2) went to St. Athan for 'reduction to spares'.

I guess I'm 2 away from Adolf. I met the son of Rheinhard Heydrich, one of Hitler's most brutal henchmen. Unlike his utterly dreadful father, the son is a very pleasant and genial fellow - a classic case of like father, most emphatically NOT like son!

[corporal punishment]

My direct ancestor was the first Duke of Marlborough, so the rest of you can clear off - Tiffin at Blenheim will be 1130 today, toodle pip!

cpl P

[sharpend]

I recently researched my ancestors. Apparantly I am related to Ernest Shackleton, the great explorer, a naval deserter and an axe murderer.

No comments please. :)

[Red Line Entry]

I never knew that Shackleton was an axe murderer!!:eek:

[dctyke]

My dads brother was killed in the St Valentines Day Massacre.... we were always a dodgy family!

[Wander00]

RLE - sorry about that - your post was not showing when I put mine up. I will attempt to remove mine as you clearly got the Gold Medal

[jindabyne]

My Great Great Great Grandfather etc etc was the Master of Hounds to the Grand Duke of Anhault Dessau. His son, Moritz Wilhelm defected the Estate, and fought for Napoleon. He was taken prisoner, sent to Liverpool, and then fought for England! Which is why I'm here. Does that give me additional credits?

[Old-Duffer]

No Jindabyne,

It probably means that your forebears were traitors and deserters. However, in the interests of non-judgemental inclusivity, I'm sure they were actually the victims and really very nice people.

O-D

[jindabyne]

I like you O-D!!

[NutLoose]

I can see looks run in your family Cpl P

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/John_Churchill_Marlborough_portr%C3%A4tterad_av_Adriaen_van_ der_Werff_%281659-1722%29.jpg

[davejb]

Joined 1977, left 2000, Dad did national service 47-49 or thereabouts, and we try not to talk about great uncle Herman too much....

[Q-RTF-X]

Did around 17 years but a good chunk of that was Lightnings; I understand such time carries a premium of total lightning time x 10. Time at MPC Valley under a certain OC who hailed from New Zealand attracts a further premium. ;)

[Old-Duffer]

All this talk about how many years one has 'got in', reminds me of the lines in a book called "101 Nights" by Ray Ollis. As might be imagined, it is a novel about 101 Sqn at Ludford Magna during the last unpleasantness with Herr Adolf.

At one point the 'hero' a F/S navigator is being upbraided by his new and operationally inexperienced flight commander. The gist is that the former's BEM 'pink' ribbon is faded and his logbook is made up in a non standard way. The flight commander then boasts about the number of flying hours he has.

The nav's response goes along the lines of: 'Sir, the BEM ribbon is not pink, it is pearl and it is not how many hours you've got in, but what you've got into the hours'.

Quite so!

Old Duffer