Alex Tarwid
Alek was my flight commander on 72 Sqn (1967 - 1970) and I can recall many stories about this charismatic non-pc larger than life personality who taught me a lot on how to operate a Wessex helicopter to its limit.
Alek had a lovely Collie dog named Dougal who had a propensity to leave a pile in the crew room and being a real gentlemen Alek would come and, while apologising profusely, would clear up the mess. Pete Begwin also had a dog called Susi who flew regularly with Pete in the co-pilots seat having her own flying suit harness and log book. ( I cannot imagine this happening today) Susi came into the crew room and was caught short so left a mound in the middle of the floor and left searching for Pete. Alek appeared shortly after and spied the mound on the floor and assumed, wrongly, it had been left by Dougal. He immediately removed it much to the amusement of the assembled pilots and crewman. Pete arrived back in the crewroom unaware of Susie's misdemeanor and was relaxing when Alek arrived highly agitated having been advised he had cleared up Susie's mess, strode up to Pete and shouted 'You owe me a sheet' turned and left the crewroom with Pete completely confused until the rest of the chortling members explained it to him.
I believe there is a great cartoon in the squadron line book showing a gentleman looking very startled as several low flying Wessex helicopters led by Alek flew low over his allotment in Warminster which he contended were so low they 'Sucked the carrots out of the ground'. Happy days.
RIP Alek