PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Seeking information on Captain C. N. Pelly - my grandfather
Old 31st May 2011, 11:36
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Warmtoast
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
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MandyW

Given your granfather's high profile in piloting VIPs I wonder whether whilst on Britannia’s he was involved in similar VIP flights?

I was stationed with the RAF in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) in 1957 and was present when the Duke of Gloucester (the Queen's uncle) passed through RAF Negombo (Katunayake) in August 1957 on his way to Malaya where he represented the Queen at the Malaya Independence celebrations. These took place in Kuala Lumpur on 31 August 1957. His BOAC Britannia G-ANBG made a short refuelling stop at Negombo that warranted a local welcoming party of official "meeters and greeters" supported by a display of flags and bunting as seen in my photo here.







The two black and white photos above were scrounged from the R.A.F. Negombo photographic section whose official photographer photographed the event for posterity. I think the young man with his back to the cameraman is the Duke of Gloucester’s son Prince William of Gloucester (he would have been about 15 or 16 at the time). Prince William died in a plane crash at Halfpenny Green in August 1972.

Anyway passed on for information.




PS. Photo of BOAC Brit G-ANBO photographed at Negombo in 1957, just in case your grandfather flew in this whilst on the BOAC Britannia Far-East run.
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