Flt Lt Dave Rostron RAF

[fincastle84]

I sadly have to inform you that Dave passed away suddenly on Thursday 18 Feb 2010 in Treliske hospital, Truro.

His funeral will be held in St Columb Minor church at 1200 hrs on Saturday 27 Feb 2010.

[Not Long Here]

One of natures gentlemen

[fincastle84]

No.

Dave was an ex Maritime pilot who retired many years ago to look after his wife. As already stated he was one of life's good guys.

[diggafile]

Hi oh pointy eared one. JD retired from mob then after a period of selling insurance rejoined. I had the pleasure of working with him after he rejoined at second division south. He was the original beer monster I will never forget the look on the US Navy exchange officers face when he realised after 6 weeks on the course with JD that 6 pints was not a normal after every day of groundschool drink. I later was ist nav on the crew with the US ex as skipper and JD as co. It is one of the tours I will always remember. JD had a lot to contend with his wife and then later his son.

A great guy liked and respected by all who knew him.

I will have 6 for him tonight.

[Cuffnav]

David was born July 1941 and re-commissioned when 40 and stayed in until 1993. Remember him when last seen at Valley in late 1963 on the very first Gnat course, so he must have been on 82 Entry RAFC and, as he went to Sleaford Tech, can say he came from Haslingden Grammar School, Lancs and glad to hear re some of his later news.

[X767]

Yes, Dave was in 82 Entry, and as such, was my hut mentor when I attended RAFC. On enquiring about my name, he was told, and with typical Lancashire sangfroid said "I don't like that, have you got another one" ! Which is why I now have a family Christian name and a different Air Force one. He was also a cultured full back in the College 1st XI.

Sad news

RIP

X767

[oxenos]

http://www.pprune.org/s665.photobucket.com/albums/vv15/oxenosphoto/th_dDR.jpg{IMG][url]Dave was also my mentor. That's my cover blown and yours as well X767. (PM to follow). I always told Dave that having him as Mentor blew my chances of making Air Chief Marshal. Since he ,you and Adrian did'nt make ACM either I rest my case.
I did not see Dave for ages after Cranwell. He went to Valiants, but they were scrapped shortly afterwards with main spar fatigue. I don't think it was his fault. He then buggered a knee playing football, had a spell in Headley Court, and then went to missiles (THOR / Bloodhound?).
We met up again in the very early 70's when he joined the Kipper fleet, and for most of the 70's we were on the same Station, if not the same Sqn. Didn't fly together more than a dozen times, though, as most of the time we each had our own crew.
Digga is spot on with 6 pints label. I was on the first Nimrod retreads course in 74, after a brief ( not brief enough) spell out of maritime. Dave was teaching Perf, etc. on the OCU. We decided that we had long since taught each other what little we knew, so most "lectures" took place in the Scruffs Bar (aka the Station Chapel ). The memorable/ forgetable exception was conducted in a somewhat disorderly manner in a pub in Truro.
Jan started to develope MS in the late 70's, and Dave the 6 pinter became Dave the devoted 24 hour carer. As she got to the point where she could only eat if you fed her,and talk, he would only go out for a pint or two if someone he utterly trusted was with her. I didn't qualify but my wife did,so we managed the odd beer. Eating out together was a hoot. If Jan wasn't being fed fast enough, it was " stop feeding yourself and feed the cripple" Of all the things Jan lost, she always kept her sense of humour.
To add to their woes, their son Andrew was killed in a road accident about 25 years ago.
Dave's Northern hospitality was overwhelming. We phoned on one occasion to say we would pop in for tea. Dave's idea of tea was a three course meal with the best silver. We hadn't wanted to put him to the trouble, but he had become an ace cook, and enjoyed doing it. If we emphasised we would pop in for a CUP OF TEA it always came with a large slice of his homemade Porter cake. I kept meaning to get his recipe and never did.
We were in Cornwall a few weeks before he died and went round for a cuppa. He and Jan were in great form and we agreed we'd all go to a 206 reunion in Wooton Basset in April. Dave won't make it, but I can see it being a fine wake as well as a reunion. (206 Assoc has the details, why not join us. You don't HAVE to down 6 pints.)
We couldn't get to the funeral as I was in dock myself for a week, but our son went down from Bath. He had been at school with their daughter Claire at ISK in the early 70's, and whenever he and his family were in Cornwall they would go and see Jan and Dave.
So long Dave. Hope the beer's good wherever you are.
Cheers
O Xenos

[kenparry]

(THOR / Bloodhound?).

The latter. He was on 41 Sqn at West Raynham in the late 60s, and like the rest of the aircrew on the Sqn he did not like it. No flying, lots of beer.

[oxenos]

Lots of beer and Dave didn't like it? Find that a bit hard to believe. Would you be the Ken Parry wot was in Britannia?

[richlear]

Learnt a lot about life from Dave on my OCU course in 85 or so.

Cheers, RIP

[oxenos]

Dave's wife Jan died 10th April, less than 8 weeks after Dave. Funeral arrangements:- Penmount Crematorium, 0900 this Friday (16th), them St Columb Minor church, 1200, same day. Donations to the Merlin Project.

[NRU74]

I was initially reluctant to post my memory of Dave Rostron, sad though I was to learn he had died and now Jan as well.
However... we were both on a Valiant staging through Idris en route to Nairobi circa March '64. We had managed to gatecrash a party at Piccolo Capri, which was a sort of Brit Military Club on the outskirts of Tripoli.The Naafi manageresses from the Med military bases were having some sort of get together followed by a party.Two of the guests were two charming, well dressed, well spoken Arab chaps who, when the generator was switched off at midnight, invited two of the girls back to the Uaddan Hotel to go to the night club.These ladies would only go if their two female friends plus Dave and myself went as well.All eight of us were thus invited and on arrival we were ushered to a table next to the dance floor opposite the orchestra.When the champagne arrived I [a 20 yr old Plt Off] was very concerned what this was going to cost.One of our 'new' friends was,apparently, Mohammed Inga, the mayor of Tripoli, who was picking up the tab.We all left about four[ish] and drove these ladies back to BMH Tripoli and then the mayor and his friend drove Dave and me back to the Transit mess. Dave then insisted these two guys had one last beer with us from the stock in his room.They left at approx 5am which was no problem for us as we weren't getting airborne for Embakasi until c0800.
[I have edited this story slightly]
Happy Days
RIP David and Jan

[mike-wsm]

Posted for oxenos
http://i665.photobucket.com/albums/vv15/oxenos_photo/DR.jpg

[flatscreen]

I have just seen this post, missed it when it was first on in Feb.

Dave was one of the first maritime guys I met when visiting St Mawgan from Oakington just before the latter closed. I was considering my next posting and thought that Nimrods sounded like a good job. That 2 day visit, which included a session in the Scruffs followed by a lock-in at Auntie Pearl's pub, all hosted by Dave, was what tipped the scale. I had to join Maritime. Dave later became a neighbour in Fraddon village, and we shared many beers and laughs when Jan was still fit. They were an outrageously great couple. How sad, but great memories.

TD