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View Full Version : What happened to P/O Bartey?


t'aint natural
30th Jun 2001, 03:04
This has also been posted in the Rotorheads forum.

Can anyone tell me anything about Pilot Officer D.C. Bartley? I have his log book, unearthed in a second-hand bookshop. He began flying on the Chipmunk in August 1968, went solo in 11:55 and began training on the Jet Provost at 3 FTS in December 1968. He graduated on October 17 1969 with 178 hours, and his Flying Badge certificate is still in his log book.
In January 1970 he began training on the Sioux Mk 2, moved on to the Whirlwind Mk 10 in April and the Wessex 2 in July. He stayed with the Wessex through 1970 and into 1971, when he was in the Gulf. The words Bithna, Arabian Nights, Ajman and Bog Irish appear in the Duty column. On March 31 1971 he flew to Sharjah. A note for July 6, 1971, says “Deck Landing Galahad”.
In March 1972 P/O Bartley was at Gutersloh, still with the Wessex 2, and all subsequent military flying was in Germany. The last military entry was for November 30, 1972. He had a total of 590hr.
Two years passed, then a receipt for £10 dated February 19 1974 records the issue of his CPL. He’d flown the Bell 47 and Hughes 269 at Southampton with Twyford Moors Helicopters. His commercial career was almost exclusively on the 269 in the North of England, with Sherburn, Teesside and Barton figuring prominently. His log book, previously so neat, now becomes a little less so, with pages of records made simultaneously in a scrawl. He notes work for Autair International for ICI, Northern Gas, NEGB, MGB, and EMGB, moving to East Midlands, Sibson, Elstree and rattling up flying time, anything up to seven hours a day, 64 hours a month.
The last flight he himself recorded was January 14, 1975, East Midlands to Doncaster in a Hughes 300 which could be BHBN or BABN. Underneath, in pencil, another hand records a flight on January 15th, also from East Midlands to Doncaster, also in the same aircraft, and the same hand records that he had flown 44:45hr in the last 28 days. There is no more.
I don’t know how much my ownership of his log book entitles me to know, but I’ve got half a picture here. Can anyone help fill the blanks?

[This message has been edited by t'aint natural (edited 30 June 2001).]

Mad Pax
30th Jun 2001, 03:55
Can't guarantee these but:

Public records office, Kew,
PMA (SEC) 2b at Binnsworth,
RAFA?
RBL
Ppruners of aviation antiquity??? (more probable)

fobotcso
30th Jun 2001, 13:46
t'a n

That certainly was an interesting "find", but I'm afraid that you can't claim ownership of the log book which remains the property of MOD forever. Almost without exception, however, MOD does not demand the return of log books when aircrew leave any of the Services. (They might if they had been falsified, for instance.) So you are, at best, only the custodian of Bartley's log book until either MOD or he or his family claims it.

And he may; after all, if he's still with us he'll not be much older than about 50 years old now and it's most likely that he either lost the log book or had it stolen.

You describe well and sensitively how the log book reflects the changes in a man's life with the passing of years. But it was a little unfair to include the last bit by OC 18 Sqn of the day. It would be a kindness if you were to edit that bit out - unless you want to explain to Mr Bartley face to face why you thought it was necessary to put it in. Remember, he could be a Ppruner!

fobotcso
30th Jun 2001, 13:51
Having read my post, I couldn't resist adding a little bit on gossip from Mrs F's housemistress years ago.

You may gossip about others as much as you like as long as what you say is:

True
Kind
Necessary

t'aint natural
30th Jun 2001, 23:33
Fobotsco:
I'm sorry, I thought it was clear from the post that P/O Bartley was probably killed on January 15th 1975, hence the need for another hand to tally his hours, particularly those for the past 28 days. I wouldn't have included his CO's comment had that not been the case; not having a military background, I wonder just how rough the man's relationship with his CO must have been for him to enter that on his permanent record.
Had P/O Bartley not died 26 years ago, I wouldn't for a moment consider keeping his log book, or seeking to know who he was.

Skycop
1st Jul 2001, 01:15
T'aint natural,

With reference to your edit: Good man!

-----------------
SC

[This message has been edited by Skycop (edited 30 June 2001).]

Cy Nichol
1st Jul 2001, 01:25
So Skyknob, even if the sensitive bits are edited out of the original post, you've repeated them in yours.

Plonker!

t'aint natural
1st Jul 2001, 02:07
Editing done, in deference to sensibilities.

Skycop
1st Jul 2001, 02:28
Cy(anide?)

To$$er. Got anything useful to say?

fobotcso
1st Jul 2001, 13:37
t'a n, thanks. I didn't mean to start a fight, guys!

I didn't get the inference that Bartley may have been killed; sorry. However, if he did die in an air accident in a commercial aircraft in this country then CAA will have a record of it. Whilst they probably wouldn't supply details about the people involved, they will certainly supply information on an accident on or around that date.

I suspect the CO's comment was not a judgement but a statement of fact. There would not be a close relationship between the Wing Commander and the Pilot Officer (perhaps Flying Officer by then); most COs recognise and allow for the fact that young and junior pilots, just out of training, take time to settle and mature.

So, a discreet comment in a Confidential Report about personal matters that affect a pilot's performance is one thing; but a log book, which is a public record of the life's work of a pilot - something you show your kids and their kids, is not the place for "off-the-cuff" remarks about a pilot's personal life.

Cy Nichol
1st Jul 2001, 22:16
Skyknob

I was obviously so far off the mark that you took my point and changed your comment!

That was useful

Skycop
3rd Jul 2001, 19:29
Cyanide

What a nice chap you are. Yes, I deleted my original paragraph, to avoid further criticism from yourself, as soon as the more personal stuff was kindly deleted by T'aint. However, I don't really see your point as I only referred what was already there. I had just finished a 15 hour shift and couldn't be ar$ed to attempt to anything else with it.

I hope you're soon feeling better once the chip has been removed.

SC

t'aint natural
4th Jul 2001, 01:13
I've put in train official inquiries which will give me the details of the accident, but it's the man himself who intrigues me. His log book is full of remarks and nuances which make him a flesh and blood character. Very different from my own, which is a colourless record of A to B in whatever.

fobotcso
4th Jul 2001, 12:35
t'a n, you've intrigued me too. If what you unearth is suitable for posting here perhaps you'd come back and tell us.

teeteringhead
4th Jul 2001, 21:27
Some genuine information.

I knew Dave Bartley in the Gulf on 78 Sqn in 1970/71 - and I think he went to 18 Sqn in Germany thereafter. In fact my name (my real one!) is probably in that logbook.

As you suggest, he left the RAF to pursue a career in civil flying, and was indeed killed in an aircraft crash - I think it was a wirestrike (but then 30% of rotary fatalities are).

I think I can probably lay my hands on a photograph of him, either on the squadron or in training. (I'm a bit of an amateur historian myself - so I can imagine your interest)

If you are interested, let me know, and we can sort out a less public forum - for various reasons I don't want to give real names here, but I could authenticate my knowledge by reference to his logbook - I can't check now - it's in the office - but I'll check tomorrow.

be hearing from you????

t'aint natural
5th Jul 2001, 02:28
Teeteringhead:
Reply en route.