View Full Version : Air Marshal Sir Rex Roe
Does anyone remember dear old Rex Roe?
I was a v junior Fg Off, staff officer, in Training Command when he was the last C-in-C, before TC became part of Support Command, and later RAF Support Command.
He resided in a lovely big house in Brampton village and he invited us round for drinks and a chat. I was astonished to be invited to the C-in-C's place but when I turned up I wasn't the only v junior in the group, which also, included some v seniors.
We had a great chat and a really enjoyable evening.
He was a unique 3 star officer and I am told he was quite an able aviator as well.
Any stories??
Rgds SOS
retrosgone
3rd Sep 2013, 18:57
I am pretty sure Rex Roe was the first Air Officer I ever met, when I was an 18 year old Cadet Pilot on Aberdeen UAS. He came all the way up to attend our Annual Dinner (I think he went to pretty much every UAS annual dinner).
The sight of the AOC drinking a pint of beer while standing on his head impressed us all mightily, and certainly confirmed me in my desire to join. A genuine character and motivator - not too many like him about these days alas.
All-Ranks Roe.
Sadly never met, but reported by everyone as a real gentleman and leader of men, IME.
R D Roe (http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Roe_RD.htm)
Under-documented, sadly.
Why the question? I worked for him at Syerston when he was CO. What a great chap. He told me (a sproggy QFI ) several tales, too long to relate here, but they were in the bar over a beer.
When he was SASO at Maritime HQ he held forth to a very senior officer(vso) that he thought the name NIMROD for the new aircraft was dumb. (That may not be the exact word!) He was speaking to the vso who had chosen it!
We had a visit by a civilian flying school group of instructors and managers. What do you do as a Station Commander then Group Captain one manager asked? Well, says Joe (Rex) I am responsible for xxxx men and women, xxx aircraft, xxx homes, several clubs, a small hospital .....you get the message? When he finished the leader asked him what he got paid for all that responsibility. £5000 a year says Rex. You must be f.....ing mad says the civilian flying school person!
I know that Rex had a big say in keeping the UASs open when the gvt. thought about closing them.
He gave me some really good advice. I didn't take it and have lived to regret it a bit. What a very nice person he was, so whatever your motive for mentioning him here, thanks for the memory.(Twas 46 years ago now!)
Early January 1975: it having been decided that running the Turkish Refugee Camps at Episkopi would be a good job for newly-promoted to Sqn Ldr GD officers, I was voted to go first. I met the then SASO at HQNEAF, Air Cdre Roe, in the bar circa 1700 hours on the day I arrived, to be told that I was most unlikely to do my designated 3 months. And so it turned out - a referendum of all those in the two camps was held a week or so later, asking if they wished to go to Turkey. The question got a 100% 'Yes' response, we bought some bathroom scales from NAAFI and went into the Air Movements business and, ten days or so later, all of the Turkish Cypriots had been flown out - and then shipped back into Northern Cyprus.
My contribution to continuing history - and, yes, Rex Roe seemed a very nice bloke, indeed.
Because, sad old buffer that I am, I was reading one of my old diaries and I came across my account of the evening in question.
Before and after that tour at Brampton I didn't hear much about Rex (Joe) Roe which is strange, because he was a great Character.
Rgds SOS
Hang on a sec, the old grey cells are beginning to fire up!
Now I remember that I did, briefly, meet Joe Roe before the Brampton tour.
It was in the OM at Episkopi, when he was SASO out there.
I was in transit to a posting at Salalah and had to stop over at HQNEAF for 2 days to be given a sh## load of briefings (or if you prefer a shed load).
He spotted me as a newcomer in the bar and bought me a Keo.
Great guy.
Rgds SOS
aw ditor
5th Sep 2013, 18:18
SOSL
House you refer to in 1' was/is "Watermeadows" and is still there on the Huntingdon road. Presumably flogged off some years ago to pay for ................. ?
AD
Thanks. In the bar over a beer, he asked me how old I thought he was! As I was a toady bloke I thought.....he looks about 55 (and he is a group captain) so I said 50 sir! He was 42.
On his previous tour as SASO with the kipper fleet he told me that he had taken no leave! I do not make it up!
gwynorod
6th Sep 2013, 08:14
Served under Joe when he was boss of 204 Sqn at Ballkelly in the early 60s. Probably the best boss I ever had in the Service and probably also the hardest working. Despite not having a crew of his own, he was a consummate aviator and really knew the LRMR business backwards. He was fiercely protective of the squadron and if any s..t came flying the squadron's way, he would cop it first and sort out the hooligan responsible later. I recall him once saying to me "It's easy to be loyal to the people above you, but a damned sight more important to be loyal to those under you" I've never forgotten that one.
Hi, you may be right, but I have a nagging doubt.
Watermeadows was certainly the C-in-C's residence, when I did my second tour at Brampton in 1992, (John Willis was C-in-C, then) and a later occupant was AM John Allison and finally IIRC AM Colin Terry.
The residence was quite isolated, situated well away from the edge of the village.
Watermeadows was eventually sold on the civilian market and last time I saw it, from the Great Ouse riverside path, it looked to be beautifully maintained.
As for Sir Rex, during my first tour at Brampton, in 1979, I seem to remember that he decided not to live in Watermeadows, he actually occupied a delightful house, right in the middle of the village, called the Old Vicarage or possibly the Old Rectory, I can't remember which. He preferred to be right in the middle of the community, not on the far edge.
Rgds SOSL
P.S. If you remember those days and you were the Jetstream EA at the time I would welcome a PM from you.
RAFEngO74to09
7th Sep 2013, 13:15
Watermeadows, Brampton was indeed sold off some years ago - currently valued at GBP 1.1M.
Haraka
7th Sep 2013, 13:16
The Old Rectory was indeed in the middle of the village, set back from the High Street and diagonally across from Brampton Grange. It was occupied by a ( my ) G.P. in the mid 80's.
teeteringhead
9th Sep 2013, 13:43
I was a stude at Syerston when Joe Roe was Staish. He certainly looked "well-worn"; we all thought he was about to retire!
One evening in his final week he appeared in the ante-room at 1700 (cue baby pilots leaping to their feet) and boomed:
"Gentlemen - you won't often hear a Stn Cdr say this - but the drinks are on me!"
And I'd better not mention his attempted final JP trip that week ......!
(but simmy may remember!)
.........and he was dissuaded.