Anthony Hugh Currey Back (2608191).
He got his AFC in the 1959 New Year’s Honours list and an MBE in the 1966 New Year’s Honours list
He was a member of the No.20 Squadron aerobatic team formed in February 1957 on the Hunter F4.
He was CO of A Flight, 92 Squadron during 1958-59.
By 1968, he was CO of the UAS at Ouston that served Newcastle and Durham Universities and Sunderland Technical College.
A couple of snippets:
In August the Squadron moved to RAF Waterbeach where they undertook the “Battle Flight” commitment and also provided reinforcements for the Fighter Command flypast at the SBAC (Society of British Aircraft Companies), show at Farnborough. Some pilots were also to take part in a twenty two aircraft loop with No.111 Squadron so all the Hunter Squadrons Numbers 1, 19, 56, 65, 63 and 92 were in the Cambridge area, which gave the opportunity for a get together. This was achieved by holding a punt race on the River Cam. Somehow 92 managed to maintain six pilots on standby and to enter two complete crews plus Sam, the Squadron dog, for the races. They were unable to supply a judge as they knew (a) that they should win easily and (b) if they didn’t win easily, a judge wouldn’t make any difference anyway.
In the first race ‘B’ Flight provided the first team, consisting of Brian Cox, Al Durward, George Aylett and ‘Smudge’ Smith, which streaked into the lead but when only half a dozen punt lengths from the finish they took a great fancy for the river bank and ended up in second place.
‘A’ Flight team, consisting of ‘Tinkle’ Bell, Dave Ozanne, Jim Edwards and Tony Back. They decided that paddling the punt wasn’t getting them anywhere so they all got out and pushed. They finished third although one of the two teams which beat them was later disqualified by the judges because, although they started off with a crew of four, they somehow managed to acquire another member en route.
After a grand finale in which everyone ended up in the water, they all changed into dry clothes to the accompanying strains of an argument between the judges and the owner of the punts. The latter was demanding up to £100 for the non-existent damage to his punts. It was finally agreed that they should forfeit their deposits (£12 in all) and the owner went away very dissatisfied. Everyone adjourned to the bridge by the Mill and improved on the record profit by that pub for an evening’s work.
and also
However, good news greeted the Squadron on New Year’s Day 1959, when it was learned that ‘A’ Flight Commander, Flight Lieutenant Tony Back, had been awarded the AFC in recognition of a great year’s work in which he gave many spectacular individual aerobatic displays at various shows throughout the country. He was posted in New Year 1960.