The REAL 'Mr Wessex'........

[Dundiggin']

Does anyone out there remember M Plt Taff Walker? What a character! A lovely Welsh chappie. Always with a pipe in his mouth. Deaf as a post! Always shouted! Possibly the last operational Master Pilot in the RAF. When he finally retired Air Clues had a photo of him on the front page as a tribute. The very end of an era....does anyone know how he got on in retirement? Someone out there must have some stories about 'Taff'...........

[ShyTorque]

Taff was an Wessex OCU QHI at Odiham when I went through the Puma course about thirty years ago. I remember him as a grumpy old ...... but nice enough when you got to know him a bit better. His yellow labrador seemed to be his constant companion in those days. He used to play up the deafness a little, to his advantage. I believe that it's true that he was the RAF's last NCO pilot.

[NutLoose]

I was an engineer on the OCU then, he went as a Ground Instructor to Bristows on retirement from the RAF?

He was presented with a stunning Silver Wessex on his retirement I believe... Brought some of his logbooks in to read which were amazing from the war.... I remember at an open day walking across the apron with him and he pointed to a MK19 Spitfire and said, "last time I saw one of those it was on the Secret List Laddie"

[extpwron]

Back in the late 60’s Taff taught me everything I’ve now forgotten about the Wessex.

A story attributed to him went something like this:

Young ATC cadet, “I thought the lowest rank you could be to pilot an aircraft in the RAF was Pilot Officer?”

Taff Walker, “It is Laddie.”

[Fareastdriver]

I know this is true because it was in the Aldergrove SH detachment line book.
The younger aircrew are discussing their loss of virginity. Somebody turned to Taff and said.
"Do you remember the first time you had it?"
"The first time? I can't remember the last time."

Strange, isn't it? The last three active helicopter NCO pilots in the RAF, Dave Cramp, Jim Lawn and Taff all went to Bristows.

[oldbeefer]

Always remember Taff's demo of a zero speed sloping ground landing to the slope at Odius (1970). Started from 60kts/300ft then just flare......bang! I can understand why the Wessex was designed with such a forgiving undercart!

[Hummingfrog]

You can imagine what it was like being a Green Shield Flt Lt being taught by Taff in 1976! Ok boy lets go and fly!

HF

[Q-SKI]

I seem to remember Taff's labrador was called Shula, but it was a long time ago!

[NutLoose]

Yep Shula rings a bell.......

[teeteringhead]

Remember doing mutual IF with Taff once in the mighty Wessex.

He was blind as well as deaf at this stage of his flying career (!), and was using a Sherlock-style magnifying glas to tune the "coffee grinder" ADF in the overhead panel.....

..... mind you, the deafness helped in a Ground Cat

Taff: What's the max single engine contingency limits boy....

Flying Officer Teeters: mumble mumble mumble

Taff: Wassat boy? Did you say 2700, 710, 26750?

Teeters: Yes Taff

Taff: Well done Boy! :ok:

[NutLoose]

Does anyone know if he is still with us?

[oldbeefer]

Not sure, but he must have been 80 when I flew with him (or so it seemed at the time!).

[sisemen]

I thought the name struck a bell - 23 Feb 1978 - XR 528 - low level navex ODI-ODI.

Must have been close to his final RAF flight.

[Dundiggin']

Anyone know where Taff is these days?

[Rigga]

Alex(?) Riddoch didnt go to Bristow and he was the penultimate flying MPlt to leave the RAF in 1977/8 - then being the UTP at CFS(H) Tern Hill & Shawbury.

[St Johns Wort]

Rigga,

The thread is about Taff Walker......

[lsh]

I remember being down the back of an OCU Wessex on a low-level navex when I was asked to pick up Taff's magnifying glass, which he had dropped!
As has been said before he called everyone "boy", and that included the "Staish"!
I believe that he started on Mosquito's??!
lsh
:E

[GRBurns]

Alex(?) Riddoch didnt go to Bristow and he was the penultimate flying MPlt to leave the RAF in 1977/8 - then being the UTP at CFS(H) Tern Hill & Shawbury.
Rigga I see you knew Alex Riddoch. Alex Riddoch taught me to fly in Brunei Borneo. At the time he was flying for the Brunei Regiment. Have you any more info on him? George Burns.

[Rigga]

Unfortunately not. Though he was always brewing something from his Belizean sugar supplies, so he may have headed that way when he retired.

[manxexile]

I was at Odiham 72-76 the last 18 Months on 240 OCU where Taff was an instructor. He was quite a character and I think the young aircrew were scared stiff of him.

[Thud_and_Blunder]

Scared? Never - he was too much of a gent, and Shula was always there to get us out of trouble. He was happy with us Plt Offs - it was the Green Shielders he appeared to find trying. On my course, our token NZ was Taff's student - the mutual incomprehension during debriefs kept the rest of us thoroughly entertained. As CWDG went on to a successful career in Wessex, JPs and eventually Macchis in his own native Air Force (making it to at least Wg Cdr), I reckon Taff must've been a sound instructor.

[NutLoose]

I arrived on the OCU in 76 Manx

[manxexile]

Nutloose, I left for Lossie in Jan 76.

[ewe.lander]

I was a young dull student Crewman in '74 on 240 OCU, Puma not Wessex, but enjoyed listening to Taff with pipe akimbo, though yes - you definitely wouldn't cross him.

What days, then arriving on 230 to meet Geordie Haswell, Brian Hennerly, and a host of other WW2 veterans. Like Taff - all Gentlemen!

(yes dundiggin - I'm still dull I know :p )

[NutLoose]

Manx, It would have been late 76 when I arrived, probably around August September time.

[oldbeefer]

I vividly remember Taff's technique for a sloping ground landing nose up with a Wessex - 'Right laddie, brakes on, flare and dump the lever .... now'. Worked every time (when he did it!).

[Thud_and_Blunder]

Ah, Oldbeef... I wondered where you'd learned the technique that you taught me on the mighty Whirlwind 10 :)
...could never find the brakes for the nosewheels, though...

[NutLoose]

I seem to remember Taff getting stuck during a confined landing, after lowering the collective, the tree branches that were being held down by the downdraught sprang back up above the rotors preventing him lifting it back out.

[Fareastdriver]

Nurse; Nurse; more salt please.

[oldbeefer]

Nut Loose - I did that in Belize too! I have the blade tips in the downstairs loo as proof!

T and B. Remember it well - seems a long time ago!

[oldbeefer]

T and B - also remember your ice encrusted moustache during IF in winter with the door open!