Last of the 39ers has died

[Sir George Cayley]

I'm surprised not to see anything yet on Squadron Leader Alfie Fripp who passed away a few days ago.

Alfie Fripp Hero of the REAL Great Escape who was the oldest surviving and longest-serving British POW dies aged 98 | Mail Online (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2256696/Alfie-Fripp-Hero-REAL-Great-Escape-oldest-surviving-longest-serving-British-POW-dies-aged-98.html)

From what I heard on R4 from his grandson this man was a credit to the RAF.

SGC

[just another jocky]

From what I heard on R4 from his grandson this man was a credit to the RAF.

Indeed. He spoke at a recent Sqn Association dinner and we were all immensely moved by his talk. A very sad loss.

[Tankertrashnav]

What a great guy, I am ashamed to say I hadn't come across him until the news of his death was announced.

A couple of points, it's interesting to see that his total WW2 medal entitlement was the 1939-45 Star and the War Medal - a combination usually only seen with men who became POWs early in the war. The other point is his beret badge which I hadn't seen before. It is the badge of the RAF POW's Association and consists of the RAF eagle within a representation of a circle of barbed wire. Considering how many thousands of RAF POWs there must have been I am surprised that I haven't come across an example in the years I have been trading in badges.