Bill Foxton (ex Oman) R.I.P.

[4PON4PIN]

It is with immense sadness I learned from a colleague yesterday of Bill's demise. I am not in anecdotal mood right now but am posting to make other distant friends and colleagues of his, aware of the tragedy.
May I respectfully request that those who did not know Bill, and wish to comment on the issue, then pse start a new thread.
Bill was a truly courageous and inspiring man who did so much for so many.
God Bles you fella. R.I.P.

[Jackonicko]

It would be great if you could summarise his career, achievements and character, so that those of us who did not have the pleasure of knowing him might at least know what we missed.

That way our commiserations and sympathy would be that much more meaningful.

[teeteringhead]

Jacko - 'tis my pleasure against the backgound of the tragedy of his death to recall something of Bill's "achievements and character". A larger than life character whom I recall as a good soldier,with that slight madness which can often be found in them, particularly amongst redheads.

I guess I first met him in Dhofar of course, when he was serving as a major with (IIRC) The Desert Regiment, and still possessed four limbs! Ginger hair and similarly tightly cropped beard. A background in the Green Jackets and the Legion Etrangere was probably a good preparation for Dhofar. And a very good (trained?) tenor voice which could render particularly poignant the lyrics (White Horse Inn?) "I'll join the Legion, that's what I'll do".

And to pre-empt the inevitable pedant who would say "What's he got to do with military aviation?" I have two answers, one general and one specific. First, anyone so closely involved as Bill Fox was in the final stages of the Dhofar War was very closely involved with military aviation! But more specific was one incident for which Bill received an award from the Sultan.

He was flying in the RHS of a SOAF Skyvan (RHS was usually available as the Vans flew single pilot) when the Australian contract pilot lost consciousness! Bill managed to keep (or regain) S & L while attempting to revive the pilot. The pilot kept slipping in and out of consciousness as between them they got close to a sand strip. Fortunately, the pilot was conscious on finals, landed and promptly blacked out again! Bill understandably dined out for many years on this tale, the Van's aerobatics increasing with every re-telling. The story is mentioned in Sir John Akehurst's (now out-of-print) book - I'll try and find that version later today, and post it here.

Ironically, Bill lost his hand/arm after the war had officially finished, and initially at least sported an appropriately menacing "claw" rather than a more aesthetic prosthetic. He went on to do lots with the UN and other agencies thereafter. I'd only seen Bill more recently at occasional reunions, when he was exactly the same, although (sometimes) minus beard and with (always) the copper hair increasingly flecked with silver.

RIP mate, fee aman illah!

[teeteringhead]

Here as promised is John Akehurst's version from his book: "We Won a War". Bill Fox of course was FF and not DR - Donal and Colonel Jonathan forgive me! Bear in mind that the account was written by an infanteer, although Brigadier John did go solo in a Defender later, but that's another story!

"Bill Foxton had run away from home at an early age, served his time firstly in the Foreign Legion and later in the Royal Green Jackets and had then come to the Frontier Force as a contract officer. He had been flown to Operation Hadaf in a Skyvan in the vacant co-pilot's seat. Questions of the pilot about what he was doing turned out to be very useful. Some weeks later he was returning from the operation, again by Skyvan. Sixteen soldiers and two other Frontier Force officers, Clive Ward and Jehangir, were also on board as the aircraft started to descend from 7000 feet to the Raysut airstrip. As was customary, this had been cleared of camels and large stones and the adjutant of the Frontier Force, John Grandison, a former Military Policeman, was meeting successive Skyvans and dispatching tired men from the airstrip to their huts in Raysut Camp.

At about 4500 feet Bill Foxton probably thought his hour had come. He saw he pilot collapse with his arms dangling, legs and trunk rigid, and an ominous gurgling sound coming from his mouth. Grabbing the [control] column, Bill Foxton controlled the aircraft in its descent while Clive Ward and the crewman [loadmaster], Sergeant Mohammed Suleman, managed to revive the pilot by massaging his heart and slapping his face. With the aircraft down to 2000 feet above the ground and greatly to the relief of the Baluchi soldiers in the back, who could see all that was happening, the pilot reassumed control. Almost immediately he passed out again, this time with his legs jamming the rudder to the left so that the aircraft went into a descending spiral below stalling speed, causing the stall warning light to flash and the bell to sound its repetitive jangle. This was not well received astern. Clive Ward and Mohammed Suleiman were not only engaged once more in trying to resuscitate the pilot, but were trying to calm the wailing passengers and to get them seated on their equipment and sleeping bags to cushion the effect of the seemingly inevitable crash landing. Bill Foxton was now flying again, unable to reduce the spiralling towards disaster but hoping to reach the sea. Even after the pilot's legs were forced from the rudder, the aircraft continued to descend until the crewman mercifully thought to retract the flaps. Bill Foxton at last managed to level the aircraft and flew towards Salalah.

On the ground John Grandison was puzzled. As the Skyvan flew away he vainly threw a smoke grenade to attract its attention but then left the runway grumbling that an idiot pilot had circled four times and failed to find the airstrip! The real pilot had by now been brought round again by some frantic and none too gentle resuscitation and he landed the aircraft without further trouble. Bill Foxton was given the adulation he deserved by the disembarking soldiers, but looked disappointed at one particular manifestation of gratitude: “Oh Sahib,thank you Sahib. Allah is merciful and I shall go to the suq tonight and give a poor man ten rials.”

The pilot of course flew for us no more and sadly the incident probably ended his flying career. Bill Foxton, Clive Ward and Mohammed Suleman were all awarded the Sultan's Commendation for the different parts they played in saving the aircraft and the frightened souls on board it.”

[reynoldsno1]

In later years, ISTR Bill ran the SAF beach club - always good to chat to, and the "Nepalese" breakfasts on a Friday were always a real treat ....

[octavian]

I do recall hearing about the incident in which Bill recovered the situation with the pilot blacking out, sometime after I had departed those pleasant shores. It wasn't the first occasion on which it had happened with that particular pilot.

One of the pleasures of Salalah was the bar, and although it did have some air conditioning units, the main way of keeping the place comfortable was by leaving the doors onto the "patio" open and the overhead fans turned up. This prompted a desire amongst some to slow the fans by raising their heads into the spinning device - slowly of course - and gradually allowing the blades to brush against the top of the head until friction prevailed, and the fan blades stopped.

A merry jape which didn't have the rapid reaction required by certain amongst the Australian contingent and prompted one member thereof to develop his party piece which involved a rapid raising of the head and an even more rapid stopping of the fan blades to the accompanying cheers.

I don't imagine that any of us considered the likely impact of the impact of the fan blades on a forehead until the shambles that Bill had the ability and luck to recover.

A great time and a great place with great people.

[fergineer]

Remember Bill from the SAF beach club, always willing to take any excess fish from us but always gave us something in return, a nice guy though sad to hear of his passing.

[DesertRose1958]

Its with great sadness that I've learned of Bills death. He was someone that we as a family were very fond of. He used to entertain my children with the various attachments for his prosthesis and would leave them wide-eyed in amazement when he'd tell them of the day he opened the door to his portacabin at the beach club and a snake fell on him. Of course it just so happened he was able to spear the snake in mid air with his hook and bbq it later for his supper.

Bill was everything a soldier should be, he was born to live a very exciting life and he did. People like Bill don't come along often but when they do, and you are lucky enough to meet them, you never forget them.

Hopefully his family will gain some comfort from knowing that Bill was very highly thought of here in Oman.

RIP Bill and many thanks for everything, you really were a good man.

[fallen eagle]

It was a shock to see the news item on the BBC this morning as soon as I heard the name I wondered if it was the same man I knew back in the 70s. Then the picture came up and it was confirmed.
I knew Bill in the early 70s as we were both in the GB bobsleigh team together. I remember him as very outgoing and a fluent speaker of German.The striking hair and the waxed moustache he just seemed so much more than a corporal in the infantry and as time would tell he was. Before I get a slating from all the NCOs I was a L/cpl so I am not being derogatory simply truthful.
My local pub landlord was also ex RGJ and told me the stories that are told above almost verbatum, and I was not sure if there were embelishments, obviously not. I had unsuccessfully tried to contact Bill via the RGJ site I know he will be greatly missed..
RIP Bill

[pzu]

See

On the trail of my father’s Madoff fortune - Times Online (http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/families/article6590048.ece)

also

Bernard Madoff has 'blood on his hands' over William Foxton suicide - Times Online (http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/banking_and_finance/article5720211.ece)

PZU - Out of Africa (Retired)

[Richard4321]

I met Bill in 1977 whilst working for Sultans Defence Dept in Manston Dhofar.
On 14th February 1978 a Colonel and I had a meeting at Manston when a signaller arrived with a message Bill had been badly injured by a mortar round.
The colonel and I immediately went to Heiron Medical Centre where the camp doctor was treating Bill.
A MEDIVAC Bell 209 helecopter arrived from RAF Salalah as we waited outside and 2 medics jumped out with a stretcher and ran in to the medical centre.
A minute or two later one of the medics came out carrying the empty stretcher.
The colonel and I were mortified as we feared the worst.
Then the door of the medical centre opened and out strode Bill with a medic holding up his injured arm with a great club like bandage on it.
Bill saluted the colonel and said "Good morning Colonel" then turned to me and said "Sorry Richard I cannot attend your birthday party tonight I have other things to deal with"
Bill then walked to the helecopter and climbed in.
A few days later I visited Bill in RAF Salalah hospital and he said " I walked in to Heiron and I was determined to walk out".
I will remember Major Bill Foxton as a brave gentleman and soldier for the rest of my life.
RIP Bill