PO Simon Tompkins,RAF Valley 1989

[Graham Wallace]

This young man(26) was killed in a flying training accident on 14th June1989 in Wales.

I was his godfather, knew all his family very well, moved to Canada after his birth and lost touch with his family. In 1995 I heard he was killed in a mid air collision in a training flight in Scotland. It was not until a few years ago I heard the correct story of the accident in Wales. This summer I visited his gravesite in Yorkshire, he is buried next to his mother.

Is there anyone around who might have more information about Simon and his brief career in the RAF and also the accident.
His father was Richard Tompkins the owner of the Green Shield Stamp company
Graham Wallace

[LFFC]

Very sad. You'll find a summary of the accident report on the MOD website here (http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/EB312A54-09B8-4247-B348-A6CBB407AEB2/0/maas89_05_hawk_xx182_hawk_xx291_14jun89.pdf).

[lj101]

Mr. Wallace

Please check your private messages.

Kind regards L

[jayteeto]

Was this the same fellow who had done a stint with the merchant navy? If it was, he went through Valley with members of my BFT course who went Gp1. He seemed to be a real character, very popular and a great laugh to spend time with. If my memory serves me right, the docs told him that his cholestorol scores were off the clock and he MUST cut out the fried food, or else he wouldn't last long. He did and was SO miserable that he said he didn't care and went back to the curries and fried bread. Weeks later, this happened :sad:

[FB11]

Mr Wallace,

I was on Simon's course - he was known as 'Tommo' - and will fill you in on as much detail as you'd like.

I'll send you a private message with my details and we can write/chat; I'll also put you in touch with other members of our course who will share their thoughts on one of the most honest and enjoyable people to be around.

Regards,

FB11

[Ivor Fynn]

Mr Wallace,

I went through Initial Officer Training with Si and was at Valley on the course behind him. Si was a top bloke honest and a great sense of humour. I remember that day well for all the wrong reasons. I had been on GDT, shooting guns and doing first aid etc when the crash tannoy came through. I was at Simons funeral in Yorkshire and remember him often. I'll P.M. you.

Ivor

[Graham Wallace]

Very many thanks to you all most wonderful and surprising replies. I am totally blown away with such fast response, I will take them further.
Simon was indeed in the Merchant Navy, a 1979 Navigating Cadet with BP, finished his 'time' and moved on to a Company in Hong Kong as 3rd Officer. Left around 1986/7 and joined the RAF with the eventual tragic result. From all I have found out he was a very special character. I am in touch with his half brother Barnaby.
I was a 1955 intake BP Marine Engineering Apprentice and have been running a website( BP Marine Engineering Apprentices (http://www.bpapprentices.com)) for last 12 years attempting to find fellow apprentices, located 460 with names and info on a further 2600 A few years ago branched out to locate any ex BP seagoing person and that's how I found Simon.
About 3 years ago I made a database of BP Navigating Apprentices/Cadets ( over 4000 names) and actively started searching them out.
In 2011 I made a new Navigating Cadet contact (Gary Pearson) who joined BP with Simon ,sailed with him as an Cadet on their first ship. He like Simon eventually left BP and both met each other on their 'first' day in the RAF, Gary went on to Air Traffic control and was in Germany when Simon died. He casually mention in one of his emails to me that I could add the name Simon Tompkins to my Navigating Apprentice/Cadets database... and that started everything in motion...I never knew before that time that his mother must have guided Simon to go to sea following his Uncle and me (Syd and I were best friends). I knew his mother's family very well.
Graham

[Background Noise]

Tommo is buried in Legsby, near Market Rasen, in Lincolnshire.

I too was at the funeral. Before mobile phones and GPS and there was to be a flypast. A complex system of links by radio from the church to a local landrover with a bigger radio to somewhere nearby, like Binbrook. The party exited the church early and the message was relayed to arrive early. The Vicar however compensated and added an extra prayer. More messages ensued. Anyway, the result was wonderful - a single Hawk, slow and at idle, flew over just as the last note of the last post faded away and climbed serenely into cloud. The wake was at the family home which I think was next to the church.

[Graham Wallace]

Yes he is, next to his mother. Evidently she drove the Grave Committee(?) nuts as all the graves in the extension cemetary face East(?), his and hers face West.
But there is a very special reason why.
Graham

[exopsofficer]

I was in the same flight as Simon on IOT at Cranwell and I believe I still have a flight photo. If you wanted I could scan it and email it to you. He was a very popular member of the flight and well liked by all and one of only 3 of us that wasn't recoursed.

[Seeing Green]

I was also on IOT with Tommo and the course behind at Valley. Completely echo the sentiments of others here, a charming fella and general all-round nice bloke.
It was tragically I think the first taste the "studes" had of losing a colleague and friend. Thankfully rare in flying training but sadly not-so in the years to come.
It was certainly the first occasion of drinking on an "open" bar-book and toasting Tommo that evening.
I even remember a "no-jeopardy" non syllabus trip the next morning just to get those who wanted to, back in the air.

Will gladly PM with details as I remember them.

ATB
SG

[overstress]

I was one of his instructors earlier in his flying career. He was a genuine character and I was very sad to hear of his accident.

[Graham Wallace]

Hi ,
Thanks for your comments, is there any chance you can contact me directly?

Grahm Wallace

[chris keeping]

I too remember Simon. He was a member of the Hong Kong Aviation Club for about a year or so. Whether he was still with the Merchant Navy, or waiting to join the Royal Air Force I'm not too sure, but as others have said he was a top guy. He loved his flying and was always at the club. We were all shocked when news of his death reached us.

[NigelOnDraft]

PM sent, was one of Tommo BFTS instructors...

NoD

[ruslan124]

Its a pity we all seem to use pseudonyms as there a few of you on 104 IOT. Its great to see people talking fondly about Simon. As Graeme knows, trouble seemed to follow Simon when he served in the merchant Navy and also I believe for some of IOT.

Turning up at Cranwell and seeing him sitting there 4 years after we left BP Shipping was a great surprise. We also shared a ship for our first trip at sea and we were on the same course at Fleetwood Nautical College.

Graeme shared a photo with me recently of Simon's headstone and it hits home that as I passed 50 he only made it to 26.

I will continue to remember Simon fondly and could dine out on Simon stories for the rest of my life. I thank him for that. Every time I watch only fools and horses and see the Robin of Del Boy I laugh. Simon borrowed a DAF 33 three wheeler and racked up a steady stream of implausible disasters with that car. If we ever share a beer, ask me to fill in the details.

[Seeing Green]

PM Sent. Agree, we all hide behind pseudonyms. Anyone else from 104 IOT, 73 Cse BFT, 180 Valley etc...?
Rgds
SG

[Odigron]

Was 104 and then 73, remember Tommo well, but not 180. Instead, went RW.

[exopsofficer]

I was on 6 Flt 104 IOT with Simon

[tommee_hawk]

Mr Wallace,

I didn't know Simon but lost several friends during 32 years in the RAF. If it's not too distressing, could you tell why Simon and his mother's grave faced a different way to the remainder?

Kind regards,
Tommee_hawk

[Union Jack]

Graham

Fiat lux!

Jack

[gowaz]

Was on the same course at Linton as Tommo, have several photos and the graduation and prize giving official photos. Later we all met up regularly at Shawbury for weekends, tommo coming down from Valley with other ex course members.
As has been said a very popular individual and good friend. A few people were especially effected by the accident and it brought home the nature and danger of flying to all of us. I am sure it made us better and safer aviators having being aware of the fragility of life so early in our careers.
I believe I may have ...... "liberated" his coffee mug from valley and still have it!

[Graham Wallace]

Tommee_hawk
The simple answer to that is so she could see his grave from her house that was adjacent to the cemetary
When I located the church this summer I could not find his grave site,the church is very old and quite small with old headstones and no sign of recent burials. I was eventually told where to look. The 'new'extension cemetary is not accessible from the old church grounds only from the street and behind high hedges.The rectangular site is being 'used' from the top left hand corner, all headstones facing toward the church, backing on to and facing away from the adjacent house. I only found out a few months ago his mother at the time owned the adjacent house.
Simon's gravesite is in the extreme bottom right hand corner well away from any others and facing her house, presumably in a very visible location . She is now buried next to him.
I was quite taken aback when I found them, a very unusual and 'lonely' siting. Cemetaries are very peaceful and relective places, I struggle with theirs.
Graham

[Graham Wallace]

Jack,
Without you help I would not have come across this website, many thanks, fiat lux indeed.

Graham

[Sanf]

Graham, up until last year I worked with Simon's brother (in a totally non aviation related job), we often spoke about this as my father was also killed while at Valley some years earlier. Plus we both have a mutal friend here in Lincoln (funny the people you come across in life).

If you're not in contact with the family and want to make contact with Simon's brother drop me a PM and I'll see if I can get his details for you.

[mopardave]

Gents, I don't want to stick my nose in here but I went through oasc biggin hill with a merchant navy navigation officer back in the mid 1980's. I'm probably way off beam here but it was he a big good looking blonde haired lad by any chance? I was looking at photo's of the lads at oasc just the other day! Alas.........I wasn't successful!
Sorry if I'm out of step here, but I just wondered?
:(

[Graham Wallace]

Hi Sanf,

Yes I do know his younger brother and am in touch with him quite frequently. I'll send you a pm through this website
Graham

[Graham Wallace]

Hi Mopardave,

I'm not exactly sure what 'oasc' Biggin Hill means (I had a guess) but is sounds close to Simon. You can send me a pm with a little more info

Graham

[overstress]

Officer & Aircrew Selection Centre

[Graham Wallace]

My apologies to members on this thread who have written to me through PM's I have only just got the hang of things and realised where your messages are.
I am used to other websites that immediately after signing in have a 'pop up'that shows a message has arrived. I will do better in future
Keep the reminiscences coming, I find them all quite fascinating. What a loss!

Graham

[LittleTommo]

Hi all,

Graham pointed me in the direction of this forum (Thanks Graham) and was amazing to find so many great comments after all these years about my brother. It was a tragic loss and a day hasn't gone by when he isn't in my thoughts - mainly all the good memories he left us with - including that bloody Daf!!!

Yesterday would have been his 50th birthday and I posted up a photo on my Facebook as a reminder of him which normally sits on my office wall - some of you may remember it judging by the comments of where you remember him from.

Simon's IOT (https://www.btcloud.bt.com/?shareObject=2b064242-bf09-64a5-0267-276e4fc338a3)

Would be great to hear some of those stories if any of you are ever passing through Cheltenham. I'm intending to visit his memorial near the crash site in the coming weeks and show my kids where their uncle came to rest.

Cheers

Barnaby.

[Graham Wallace]

Well,Well Barnaby I did not realise you had been on this thread.

One of the congregation at St Margarets Church in Borth was going to send me a photo of the memorial this Spring, however Barnaby in the last few weeks sent me one.

I intended to put the a copy on this thread for those that were interested , but it seems that is not a possibility. (?)

I belong to a large Merchant Navy website (Ships Nostalgia (http://www.Shipsnostalgia.com)), 4 years ago in the 'BP Shipping section" I started a similar thread, 'Simon Tompkins BP Navigating Apprentice 1979?", it had a very good response. In that website one can place attachments such as photographs, last year I put up Simons grave site headstone photo ( mentioned in Rusland's posting previously in this thread) and just this week one of the Memorial bench at Borth.

Just a question, can photographs be added as attachments to this site's threads?,

Stickshaker 2000********, I sent you an email pic of the memorial a few days ago.

Graham Wallace

[Skeleton]

Graham yes they can, im sure one of the whizz kids will be along presently to explain how. Sorry to hear of your loss. I still remember the first pilot who died in my 27 years service. Spoke to him an hour before the accident, Flt lt John Skinner 1979 RIP. Never forgotten him and it still hurts.

[FILCI]

Dear Mr Wallace,

I got to know Simon when he was holding with us on 28(AC) Sqn at Sek Kong prior to starting his training. He was a fine young man that was always pleasant company and fun to be with. When I finished at Sek Kong I ended up as an instructor at SARTU, RAF Valley. It was a great delight to meet Simon again when he arrived as a student on the Hawk and we socialised regularly, when he had the time! I distinctly remember the day when the crash alarm went and the details started filtering through. It was a terrible shock to find it was Simon that had been so tragically involved. Several days after the accident I was tasked with my crew to remove the wreckage from the hillside, a particularly tricky underslung load lift, but my privilege to have done.

I also attended his funeral and the singleton Hawk flypast was particularly memorable and well done. I recall it arrived in a gentle, fairly high speed, but quiet dive with the throttle closed and then applied full power as it flew over the congregation - stirring stuff!

May he rest in peace.

[Background Noise]

Graham, Image Posting on PPRune - a guide - PPRuNe Forums (http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?threadid=203481)

FILCI, see post #8 re the flypast. I flew the flypast for the memorial the following year.

[FILCI]

Background noise - as you say, it was not a straight forward job then to organise such things. It was well done though. Thanks.

[Min Drag]

Graham & Barnaby,

Wow, it was a very strange thing that I found this thread, I rarely (maybe once a year) look at the Military Forum and I was browsing back through the pages with a cuppa and found this!

Absolutely fantastic to see so many nice things said about "Tommo"; I was at Linton with him following in his footsteps soon to join at RAF Valley when this tragic accident occurred.

Tommo & I "held" together at 42 Sqn RAF St Mawgan before BFT, we became very good friends and had more than enough laughs in the few years that I knew him.

I remember being dropped off at Landsend with a FO Whittle with rucksacks and tents in December and trudging along the North Cornish Coast slowly making our way back to Newquay in foul weather kipping in sand dunes and drinking in the pubs from as early to as late as possible just to stay warm!

I also remember being on detachment with Tommo and 42 Sqn out in Cyprus and me managing to dissuade Tommo, who was using his best negotiating skills, from losing a fortune on a "lady of the night" in Heroes Square, Limassol ;)

He was a fine man and a good friend, his accident shocked us all and had a profound affect on many of us. I remember him frequently and am so glad to see that others do too.

I stayed in touch with Barnaby (and his wife Bryony) and his mother Helen for many years after that until she sadly passed away in Spain.

I shall raise one to "Tommo" tonight :ok:

I will PM both of you………..

[Graham Wallace]

I have just realised I made a stupid mistake with the name of the Borth Church , It is St Matthew's, NOT St Margarets

https://plus.google.com/114475603495516268072/about?gl=uk&hl=en

Apologies,
Graham

[Pumpui]

Hi Graham,

l sailed with Simon on board the Osprey Arrow on her maiden voyage in 1985, he joined the vessel as third officer in Koje South Korea in early December. The Osprey Arrow was a 4th generation gantry crane ship at that stage partly owned by Jardine Matheson and managed by Jardine Ship Management of Hong Kong (at that time soon to be of Bermuda).

We sailed light ship across the north pacific to Vancouver Island and over Christmas/New Year loaded a full cargo of lumber at Cowichan Bay for USEC then on up to Europe to load for Indonesia where l left the vessel and the sea in May '86.

I have just recently moved house and whilst sorting through old letters l came across the last one received from Simon dated 20/12/1987, sadly l did not hear of his passing until 1989.(an hour ago I simply Goggled Simon Tompkins - RAF and found your thread)

In his letter Simon wrote about passing his mates ticket and receiving a Queens Commission as an acting pilot officer - quote: about as junior as one can get - the pay was appalling 250 pounds a month.

I did see Simon again after leaving the Jardine's, however l am a bit vague on the timing but it was in Hong Kong as he took me for a flight around the island in a Cessna - something not easily forgotten, I met his mother and socialised with both of them.

I must say Simon was one of the most decent blokes l had the pleasure of sailing with and as l read the thread was quite moved by the common sentiment expressed by all the contributors....a great testament to him.

I very much appreciate finally getting the full story - well the MOD version.

All the best

Martin

[captjules]

Hi Graham,

I spent 6 months at Plymouth College doing our chief mates licence with Simon...... I tried to join the RAF a few months before Simon and was unsuccessful.... and gave him lots of info on the selection process....... he was a great guy...... I have some old letters from him somewhere, not sure if I can still find them..... I didn't know his mother had passed as well, I have some letters from her also.....

Julian Legg: Email: [email protected]

[bigjet77]

Hi. Sorry it’s years later. Tommo was my friend. He died just days before my daughter was born. I have many memories of him and Andy Wheeler. Sean.

[Trumpet trousers]

As I live locally, I called by the cemetery and enclose a couple of photos.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1500x2000/ad802d48_2a02_499f_b994_40862814aa98_1_201_a_c5c5c0674b63411 57380f418ed92c09350525c83.jpeg
Legsby cemetery

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1360x1020/62d1116c_4a2f_4d03_9be2_16c9bd984f64_1_201_a_fd9bb6b658d01fb 876d2e2d0626513ee1a357238.jpeg
Legsby cemetery

[captjules]

Hi Graham,
I am Julian Legg, I left a post below many years ago..... I have found some old pictures of Simon when we were at Plymouth School of Maritime studies..... I was in contact with Barnaby, but he seems to have gone from my address book..... I would like to send you both these pictures if you like....
my email as before is [email protected]
Julian

[NutLoose]

CaptJules he has email enabled, go to his post which is number 31, left click on his name in the left blue column ( Little Tommo ) and you can email him direct from there, assuming he still uses the same email address. If no joy try the same with Graham Wallace.