WW2 aircrew in ATC

[Gletta]

Just for historical interest I am trying to put together a list of ww2 aircrew who went on to become a civil ATCO/ATCA or other job within ATC. IF anyone can help please add to the list - name - aircraft flown - ATC unit (and any other information if possible i.e. squadron ATC role etc)

thanks a lot

[kcockayne]

MANY ex WWII aircrew served as ATCOS. It was my privilege to have worked with the following (that I can remember).
Fred Mann Hurricanes (during the BoB). ATCO at LATCC.
Ron Holton Lancasters (force landed in the Sahara at night whilst ferrying the Lanc out to India; took part in the 1000 bomber raids on Germany). Chief Officer ATC at Edinburgh.
Harry Dalton, ex SATCO at Jersey (flew Wellingtons).
There were many more, but my memory for names is bad. I'm sure many of my ex colleagues will expand the list !

[chevvron]

Byron Jones - flew Mustangs from D-Day, de-mobbed at the end, recalled during Korean war and converted to Vampires, became ATCO at Southampton and Farnborough.
Bob Hutchinson - flew Spitfires during the war, had a few 'kills'. Told me he was doing an airtest one day in 1944 with no ammo; saw a dark shape go past with what looked like a flame from the rear (V1), turned and gave chase but couldn't catch it and had no ammo anyway. Became an ATC assistant at SATCC/LATCC serving at Uxbridge, Heathrow and West Drayton.
One of the senior controllers at LATCC during my period there (1969 -1971) was Des O'Connell who had a badly burned face picked up while flying in the war but I don't know what he flew.

[fisbangwollop]

Norman Alty, Lancaster Capt and won the DFC. Ended up as an ATCO at The Preston Area Control Centre Barton Hall. He was my next door neighbour and one of the reasons I ended up working the last 43 years in ATC:cool::cool:
http://www.49squadron.co.uk/personnel_index/detail/Alty_N

[Loki]

Peter Ward Hunt DFC and bar...Hampden, Manchester, and Lancaster pilot. Ended his ATC career as the SATCO at RAE Bedford.

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

AC "Lucky" Craven ATCO on London Airways at SATCC. Last surviving member of his bomber crew, hence his nickname.

Jimmy Birchall Deputy SATCO at Heathrow. One of the office ladies was German. Jimmy - a very polite gentleman - asked what she did in the war "I was in the Hitler Youth, what did you do? Jimmy: "I flew Lancasters". I don't think they spoke again!

Larry Curry, Ex SATCO Leavesden. He was badly burned but I don't know what he flew.

Dennis Cooper ATCO at various airfields. Flew with 617 squadron.

[Brian 48nav]

When I joined CAA in late '73 the vast majority of ATCOs aged c32+ were ex-military aircrew, those who were post-WW2 had in the main been either navs or signallers, but there was a fair sprinkling of ex-pilots.
Virtually all those who were 50 plus were ex-WW2 aircrew. For instance, on my watch at London Centre we had Dick Yeo a Fleet Air Arm pilot who had been on Arctic Convoys, Reg Prior and Jimmy Cox had been school buddies who met up again in a POW camp both having bailed out of burning bombers, Norman Whitelock had been a QFI at Bibury, Graham Stevens was one of several who had been trained at Pensacola in the USA etc etc.
There must have been hundreds of ATCOs who had seen wartime service as aircrew. Just mentioning those names above has made me think how much more respect those guys ( all were ATCO 1s ) were due compared with the plastic MBA type managers that NATS is full of these days.
A former member of Loki's cadet course was writing a history of ATC and he may well have information re WW2 personnel. He used to post here but I'm having a senior moment and can't recall his nom de plume.

[Brian 48nav]

Just did a quick search here under ATC History and found that the man's nom de plume is xpz67 - try sending him a personal message.

[pzu]

My late father Ken Crossley was RAF(VR) Air Gunner attached 34 then 31 SAAF, commissioned in Egypt then briefly 221 Sqd, then MT Officer Steamer Point Aden, took Demob mid '46 joined Vauxhalls at Luton, had a serious fall out with a Shop Steward, :ugh: rejoined Oct '46 (without advising Air Ministry of his problem at Vauxhall)

Then on rejoining became an ATCO following training at Watchfield Dec '46 - Feb '47, various UK postings finishing at Acklington Dec '50; left RAF and joined Airwork at Usworth as an ATCO meanwhile joining RAuxAF as ATCO later SATCO with 608 Sqd at Thornaby

Following closure of Usworth joined Crown Gents as an ATCO with the DCA in East Africa various postings Nairobi (Easleigh & West/Wilson), Dar Es Salaam, Tabora, Entebbe, Tabora again - his successor had fiddled the imprest account!!!, Zanzibar, Mombasa and finally Entebbe again where for a very short period he had the dubious pleasure of being the local (unpaid) Deputy Director :ugh:

Following a run in with the local Tax man, returned to the UK in March '66 to take up the 'Colonial Gentlemans' dream of running a Pub!!!:D

PZU - Out of Africa (Retired)

[ZOOKER]

W.R.P. Perry.
Pete was the chairman of my final NATS selection board in 1979, and the ATCO i/c at EGCC. Another ex-Lancaster man and along with Norman Alty, a DFC. I was on the same watch as Norman who trained me in the tower.
We also had a gentleman called Ron Tuck, who, I believe flew Spitfires.

Mega respect to these guys.

[viva77]

Dick Stokes - Heathrow ATC. Ex Lancasters and a member of the goldfish club.
Also described landing with FIDO as the most scary thing he did in the war.

[Loki]

Also at Heathrow, among several others, was Paddy Haycock, who was IIRC a W/OP on Lancasters.

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Ahh Paddy - great bloke indeed. One rainy, windy evening he was on AIR and he suddenly said: "Who's that avoiding flack over Richmond tonight?" A scared voice replied: "Is it heavy tonight London?"

Also Geoff Large, my first Sup at Heathrow. He flew Bomber a/c back from Canada but my brain is too shot to remember the salient details.

Dick Stokes was running the training office when I arrived at Heathrow in '72. I had no idea he was ex-Lancs.

[Loki]

HD Geoff Large? B25s I think....at least at one point during the unpleasantness.

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

OK Loki.. I recall Geoff telling us a story one night about flying said aeroplanes to the UK without some important paperwork - maps? Had us rolling around.

They were a great bunch, completely mad of course.

[folkyphil]

Sgt Jan Masat, 310 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF.

Jan worked at LATCC as an ATCA in the Training Section, and latterly the Information Section.

It is thought that Jan served in France before joining 310 Squadron. Their records list him as "pilot/link trainer instructor".

This is interesting, as he was the only person on the squadron's "ground staff" to be listed as a pilot.

Jan, as so many of his generation were, was tight-lipped about his wartime service.

[Minesthechevy]

Agree almost totally, but I cannot comment on 'these days' having been out of it for 9 years. Certainly a largely valid comment up to 2006.....

[vector4fun]

Is this British only, or are you interested in Yanks as well? I worked with a former U.S. A-20 pilot for a number of years in American ATC.

[FantomZorbin]

folkyphil

Sgt Jan Masat, 310 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF.
Jan was on FIR during my time on D&D, he kept us entertained during many of the long night watches! A remarkable gentleman who was a pleasure to work with. ISTR he had great difficulties occasioned by the soviet bloc.

[tyler_durden_80]

Don Charlwood, Flight lieutenant RAAF.

A product of the Empire Air Training Scheme, he served a complete tour as a navigator on 103 squadron RAF, flying wellingtons, halifax's and finally Lancasters.

After the war he wrote his memoirs of his war service https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Moon_Tonight

Don then worked for 30 years for the department of civil aviation in Austalia (now Airservices Australia) as an Air Traffic Controller, as well as a training and recruitment specialist.

Don passed away in 2012, and is remembered by an award named after him given to the outstanding graduate of each trainee ATC course.

[Range Rat]

Early 80's Shanwick.
Jock Ellis - Spit and Typhoon
Roger Leyland - Spit
Bob Good - Sunderland
Alistair McKie/McKay - Wellington
There were quiet a few others but time and memory have let me down.
Apologies to all I have forgotten.
Great Guys.

[leopilot]

While on a Cadet course in the 1960s I came across many controllers who were ex WWII aircrew. At Aldergrove was a Hugh(?) McGrath who walked with a limp. Apparently after his Halifax was shot down over France he walked across the Pyranees into neutral Spain nursing a broken leg!
Later at Southampton I met Denis Cooper (mentioned in a previous post above) and also Ron Hooper who had been a bomb aimer on Lancasters. The latter told an amusing story which I have retold many times. Apparently on long bombing missions some crews carried a large tin can for use when nature called. Anyone needing this would call on the intercom for it to be passed along. Anyone that is, except the poor rear gunner who could not be accessed in his turret. After several missions he complained that it was alright for the others but it just made things worse for him becuase he could hear the others passing the can around. Ever sympathetic, the rest of the crew decided to use a coded message and if they needed the can they would say, "Ron, you've left your light on". This worked for a while until one day a very angry rear gunner grabbed Ron by the throat and threatened to beat him up! When asked why he replied, "Because you are putting all our lives in danger by flying us around Germany with your light on. You'll get us all killed!"

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Leopilot... Do you know what happened to Denis Cooper after Southampton? I drive past his old house every day and often wonder about him. He told a story about flying in bombers. One night over Germany he suffered what he politely called a "loose bowel" and grabbed a newspaper to employ as a toilet. He then "flushed" it down a tube used for dropping flares but somehow it "lit back" and he got covered from head to foot!! Another crew member said: "Crikey Denis you smell like a sh@t house", to which Denis replied "I am a sh@t house!"

[DC10RealMan]

Peter Ward-Hunt (ex Bedford) was a Flight Commander in 106 Squadron at Syerston.
His Squadron Commander was Guy Gibson who a few months later went on to command 617 Squadron during the famous "Dambusting" raid on the Mohne and Eder dams in May 1943.

[Talkdownman]

Leo, I think your Hugh(?) McGrath was Harry McGrath. Walked with a stick, which is hardly surprising.

[055166k]

Super Dooper old stories, what? Some of my family live about 1 km from the Ruhr river......some live just outside Bielefeld [near the viaduct]. I wonder if we'll ever stop glorifying insane slaughter? No doubt next year there will be yet another obscure celebration to justify jingoism.

[Mr Oleo Strut]

The insanity was total war, 055166k, forced upon the world by a monster culture that had to be defeated. No sane person revels in raining down death, but without those brave aviators and their sacrifices none of us would be here today. Lets celebrate our survival and make sure that the terrible events of the war do not happen again.

[smallonions]

What a crass comment.

There are plenty of people on here who have relatives in London, Coventry, Manchester and probably knew people in Auschwitz etc etc.

Maybe you should remember you probably have freedom of speech due to people whose names are being remembered here.

I cannot see 'glorification in insane slaughter' in any comments above. Dear God.

I really hope you are a troll.

[DC10RealMan]

055166k.

I was stating a fact about Peter Ward-Hunt and his wartime service.

I was standing at the memorial at RAF Wickenby, near Lincoln on Thursday which commemorated 1076 young men, most of them teenagers who flew from there in defence of this country in its direst hour of need and now lie in graves all over Europe.

Last year I was at the site of the prison camp for Ukrainian women just downstream from the Mohne Dam most of whom were drowned in the ensuing floods in 1943.

I felt a lot of emotion but jingoism or celebration were not amongst them.

[leopilot]

Brendan - Sorry I don't know much about what happened to Dennis Cooper. I left Southampton in 1972 and I believe he took over from me as SATCO for a short while but then left (retired?) not long afterwards. My abiding memory of him was one day at Southampton when an RAF Devon arrived carrying an officer of Air rank who was met with a guard of honour before being driven off in a staff car. Dennis, observing this from the tower, looked down and said, "Ah, it's old Tommy! Of course, he never got anywhere!"

[Brian 48nav]

Before my time at Boscombe ( 83-86 ) there had been an ATCO named McGrath, can't recall his first name, who had some sort of 'gammy leg' as a result, I think, of what you described above.
Apparently a hard barsteward, according to the much younger ex-cadets who worked there, and he became Mayor of Salisbury.
He is mentioned, I think, in Max Hastings book on Bomber Command. My copy is in store so unable to check.

055166K

Stu, I think you've overstepped the mark with your comment - as others have said this thread is not about glorification of war, the OP asked a simple question and many of us have been pleased to contribute and recall those colleagues who had served our country during WW2.

[Loki]

There were a few blokes at Glasgow in my time there. John Clark, a watch sup was a Mossie navigator. I think the Satco Bill Bain (?) was a Lanc pilot, as was the training officer; can't remember his name. One of the assistants was crew on Whitleys and spent most of the unpleasantness as a POW.

[chevvron]

Before my time at Boscombe ( 83-86 ) there had been an ATCO named McGrath, can't recall his first name, who had some sort of 'gammy leg' as a result, I think, of what you described above.
Apparently a hard barsteward, according to the much younger ex-cadets who worked there, and he became Mayor of Salisbury.
He is mentioned, I think, in Max Hastings book on Bomber Command. My copy is in store so unable to check.
Bill? I was scheduled to go to Boscombe after my Approach Radar course and he was to be one of my mentors but Mike Hunt (say that quickly) diverted me to Farnborough at the last minute as that was my final posting.

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

leopilot... thanks for that gem!

[Eric T Cartman]

@ Loki
Bill Bain it was - Chief Officer, & the Training Officer was Bill Walton. The ATCA was Jim McCutcheon - he was an LAC on a 102 Sq. Whitley shot down in May 1940 & became a Caterpillar Club member after bailing out to become a POW for the duration - & a good bloke he was too :-)

My Watch SATCA at Heathrow, Bob Cook, was a Sergeant with 219 Squadron on Blenheims & is on the Battle of Britain Roll of Honour.

[Danny42C]

It seems difficult to tease out exactly when ATC became a sub-branch of GD post war, but Wiki gives:

"....[RAF] Watchfield was also involved in Air Traffic Control as the School of Air Traffic Control used Watchfield between 1 November 1946 and 10 February 1950 before moving to RAF Shawbury. [4]"

Clearly the obvious people to train as Air Traffic Controllers were the large number of aircrew (with ex-pilots and navigators being particularly suitable) who had remained in (or returned to) the RAF post-war, and for whom there were no longer flying posts available. Even when I transferred from GD(Pilot) to ATC in Apl '55, I think my Course at Shawbury was 100% ex-war aircrew: every Control Tower in the land could rustle-up at least one complete ex-bomber crew from its members.

This arrangement suited everybody; the new Controllers operated in a world completely familiar to them, they knew the layout of airfields like the back of their hands, circuit, approach aids and R/T procedures were second nature to them, and they had emphathy with the post-war aircrew (who were mainly their contemporaries). In a word, they were "naturals" for this new job, and they all "spoke the same language" as 'buddies'.

From the RAF point of view it was win-win too. At their wartime ITWs all had learned basic meteorology, navigation, signals, Theory of Flight, armaments and Administration and Organisation of the RAF - and they'd had years of hard and often dangerous experience to back it up. As I recall, it was only in the early '60s that the new recruits started coming in in any number; these now had to be taught ab initio all the skills that the Old Brigade brought with them gratis as far as the training organisation was concerned.

It is not surprising that there were hundreds of these old timers around until the time I retired in '72, when the inevitable clear-out had to happen, and the new boys and girls took over.

Danny42C.

[chevvron]

I thought the School of Air Traffic Control was at Aldermaston between Watchfield and Shawbury but maybe Aldermaston pre-dated Watchfield.

[Over+Out]

When I joined at LATCC, Woo was a Chief Sector Controller.
I was told a story that he flew Wellingtons in the war and was caught in a search light and they dived to escape it.
During the pull out, the nav, was winding back the trim with both pilots pulling as hard as they could, the wings bent upwards.
They then dropped the bomb load at their target and the wings were written off back in the UK.

[055166k]

I apologise for my earlier post........respected pprune colleagues have made valid remarks. I was wrong......sorry.

[obwan]

055160

Full marks, you get my vote.:D

[Brian 48nav]

Well done Stu! Much appreciated.

Brian W

[Gletta]

Thanks to all of you for your contributions.

I am only interested in those that served in the UK Services but thanks for the offer for the US controller.

When I have exhausted one or two other avenues I will put together a list and post it here.

Keep 'em coming!!

[Gletta]

Amazing story

Wg Cdr Peter Ward-Hunt - Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1505400/Wg-Cdr-Peter-Ward-Hunt.html)

[Jay Doubleyou]

Training officer at Aldergrove in my time ( 1964/5 ) I understood that he was William James Querke McGrath, that he was indeed the aircrew member who walked over the mountains to freedom on a broken leg (the version I was given was that he walked over the Alps as an escaped prisoner into Switzerland, rather than as an evader into Spain, but heroic either way!)
He was known simply as "Q" or "the wee man"

[Liobian]

Permit me to add the name of Bob Seed - SATCO Pershore in the early '70s.
I was told he'd flown Spitfires, but I know not when. No doubt someone can find that info.

[Brian 48nav]

I've dragged a few more names out of my grey cells:-

T R Newton - the boss at Birmingham in 1974, he had been an ATCO1 since 1949, I guess must have been in WW2.

On C Watch at LATCC in the '70s,

Archie 'Jock' Moffatt
Stewart McIvor
Bernard McDonnell
Reg Prior
Jimmy Cox
Norman Whitelock
Graham Stevens
Bob Rowland-Rouse - he may possibly have been just too young
John Woodbridge - who may also have flown Lancasters
Dick ( R K L ) Yeo

There must have been a similar number on the other 4 watches, 'Talkdown Man' may be able to recall some.

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Norman Whitelock, now there's a man. When he was Watch Sup on C Watch Heathrow he used to do strip-bashing for the last hour to get an extra ATCA on an EG!

[vintage ATCO]

John (Jack) Costello was an ATCO at Luton when I started. Didn't say much about the war but I gather he was in the Royal Artillery and evacuated off the beaches at Dunkirk. Back in Blighty 'was bored' and transferred to RAF.

Only remember two stories.
As an instructor on Wellingtons, student opened up too quickly on take off and aircraft shot off the side heading towards the control tower.
"What did you do, Jack?"
Sucks on pipe . . .
"Do? Do? What do you think I did? I retracted the undercarriage of course."

He flew an Anson during the Berlin Airlift, checking the Eureka beacons at the Berlin airfields. They wouldn't give him a gap in the landing stream so fitted in visually in between.

I am sure I must have known others.

Great idea this thread.

[Gletta]

More than just a stroll to Spain it seems: :)

THE ROLE OF THE IRISH IN WW2 from Ireland?s Own 2013. by CON McGRATH | Erne Heritage Tours (http://erneheritagetours.com/145/)

[Il Duce]

ATC RAF Brize Norton in the late 1970s was where I had the pleasure of working with Master Pilot Lapka. A Polish pilot who flew in the RAF during WW2; I'm afraid I don't know what he flew, though.

[Loki]

Then there was the field examiner...Jimmy Stewart? Mosquito pilot I believe. I was in the bar in the officer's mess one lunchtime at Boulmer, towards the end of my cadetship when he sidled up to me and asked me what my reaction would be if I were to be posted to Glasgow. I said I'd be quite pleased, so he asked me to put that down on my preference chit that we all had to complete. A week later with some months to run at Border radar I was posted to Glasgow.

[Gletta]

Maybe Stanislaw Lapka born 1915 died 1978 302 squadron Spitfire pilot in Battle of Britain?

[jiver2]

Bernard McDonnell was my Dad. Trained up in the early 50's at Blackbushe. Used to cycle to HR from Woking, couldn't afford his own car 'till 1958! Approach Control at HR then West Drayton. I remember being taken up into the old tower a couple of times in late 50's, the dark radar room and the observation room at the top. Retd from West Drayton 1979. Passed away in 2009, and Mum in Sept this year. Had a ATCO colleague called Pat Carroll, also deceased, although I think Mrs Carroll is still around.
Entered active service WW2 early 1945, (delayed/transferred training) 55 squadron (navigator) but missed Alamein (1942) Kept in touch with his crew at least up to the '90's.
Had a brother, Jo, killed in a Hurricane off I o W, 1942. I have service records.

[Gletta]

For those interested in ATC history and indeed some pictures of a few of those mentioned here take a look at the Guild of Air Traffic Control Officers' (GATCO) ATC history website at https://atchistory.wordpress.com/ Anyone is welcome to contribute to naming people or adding information on units, radar, buildings etc

[leopilot]

Many thanks for the newspaper article concerning Q McGrath's escape. What a fantastic story! Previously I only had the briefest outline from one of the other controllers at Aldergrove. Q himself never spoke of it nor, like many of his contemporaries, of any of his other wartime experiences.

[Gletta]

In case any former ATC staff are interested Social | GATCO (http://gatco.org/social/)

You do not have to be a GATCO member.

[chiglet]

Alan Pring. ex PATCRU flew Hurricanes [I think] we also had a Lanc tail gunner as an ATCA in the tower at Manch Bob ???? I made a model of his a/c with a Rose/Rice twin.50cal rear turret. Bert Spalton I think flew Hudsons, Phil Miles was ex Meteor but probably served in the war as did John Brown Manch tower watch manager

[kcockayne]

Loki

I never knew that Jimmy Stewart was a Mosquito pilot. Very great respect to him !

[Ahh-40612]

John "Duff" Cooper was on B watch LATCC in the 80s , Wellington &/or Lancs.
. Still see him around Sandhurst.
I was always lead to believe Woo married Willy Messerschmidt's daughter!!

40612
Loving retirement.

[Lon More]

A number of familiar names there. I think when I started in 1967 most of the controllers were ex aircrew.
Jock Ellis at Scottish.He told of flying his Typhoon into a sanddune during a sandstorm
Asso at Scottish, Bunny Crane, ex Mosquito IIRC and had done some flying for films

There's an incomplete list of RAF Officers here,World War II unit histories & officers (http://www.unithistories.com/units_index/default.asp?file=../officers/personsx.html). Although I suspect many were FS and not mentioned there

[BRIEFING OFFICER]

Worked with Norman Whitelock at Hack Green in the 60's.


Neil Broadbent (EX RN/FAA.) Bob Drinkwater ex Lanc rear gunner and
?Chadwick (he was an ADC to the Duke of Kent who was killed in the Sunderland crash.......all at ATC Manchester at the time.

TR Newton was at EGBB ATCO i/c ex RAF (NON aircrew).
George Russell ex RAF Upper gunner Lancs ..was at AIS EGPK and then i/c AIS EGBB


Few more but the memory is not what it was!! (retired in 1986 after 27 yrs

[levesley]

Q is well covered elsewhere. He was a legend at Aldergrove though he had left/retired before I got there in 1969. Harry was I think someone quite different. Harry ran the Aerodrome FTU at Aberdeen at which I was a student in 1967. Harry did indeed have a limp; plus thumbstick, deerstalker and plus fours too. I don't think Harry was air crew. The story was that he served under Fritzroy Maclean (Sir Fitzroy Hew Royle Maclean) in Yugoslavia, working with Tito's partisans. Exactly what Harry's military status was remained a bit obscure - possibly SOE though Maclean had served with the SAS in Africa.

[IFPS man]

Pete Dinham ( ATC at EGKK in the 70's) was in the RAF and was an "extra" in the Dambuster film when it was being filmed at Hemswell......
Iman

[ROBSAUSTINHEALEY]

How about Basil Friendship, ATCO.

A real character at Stansted when I was there in the late 70's. Sergeant Friendship, DFM and bar (the non-com equivalent of the DFC, and much rarer...). Posted to France with No 3 Sqn (Hurricanes) on 10th May 1940. Started with 2 HS126s on the 12th, 2 Me109s and a Ju87 on the 14th, an Me109 and a Heinkel 111 damaged on the 15th, He111 on the 17th, Ju87 on the 18th, shared a He111 on the 19th and finished with an Hs126 on the 20th....

Totally irreverent with managers and one-time publisher of "Transmit".

Top bloke.

[Lon More]

Bob Cheyne, lastly at IANS in Luxembourg. If he wasn't ex-mil. his moustache certainly was

[Willi B]

FLTLT Tom Currie DFM, ex WW2 SIG and instructor at Shawbury on the GCA courses at Sleap in the mid 60s. A real gent!

[eastern wiseguy]

Levesley. I thought you may have mentioned Bill Eames who ended up as Chief Officer at Aldergrove. He had left before I arrived there in 1985 but he can still be found in the mess on occasion.

D-Day at 70: War hero Bill Eames on his part in the Normandy landings - BelfastTelegraph.co.uk (http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/life/features/dday-at-70-war-hero-bill-eames-on-his-part-in-the-normandy-landings-30332893.html)

[levesley]

I don't ever remember anyone at EGAA ever mentioning his service. He took over as Chief Officer well before I left in 76 but I don't ever remember any discussion about him or with him that even hinted at his war service. Bill's office was in an adjoining building so he wasn't ever an everpresent in the tower so contact was more fleeting than with the watch keeping staff.

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Not sure if anyone has mentioned Larry Curry, ex-SATCO Leavesden. He was badly burned in the war but I know nothing else.

Sadly, Basil Friendship passed away in 2001.

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

I just remembered - good friend of mine, with whom I have long lost contact - was Trevor Devine St John-Murphy - "Spud" to his mates. I believe Spud flew Mossies. Typical ex-RAF aircrew Spud had a huge handlebar moustache and he was as mad as a hatter. Doing outbound radar at SATCC one day a Comet asked to stop climb with a pressurisation problem. Spud, recently having had a fam flight on a Comet, told him it was probably the pressure dome at the back of the aircraft. Minutes later the Comet asked to continue climb and asked how Spud had known the cause. "It's this new radar; very sensitive you know!"

[chevvron]

Mention of Spud Murphy who I met at LATCC c1971 reminds me of assistant Arthur Bramall who like Spud, hard a large amount of face fungus.
Arthur once told us that during his flying training, he was given a check ride by another instructor who told him to do a steep turn. He omitted to say 'one' steep turn and they did 13 before the instructor told him to stop!!

[Minesthechevy]

Does anyone herein remember Spud's biscuit-tin? IIRC - and it's nearly 40 years ago mind - a local-to-him bakery had a run of biscuit tins made with a scene out of Lowry gracing the lid and sides. Unfortunately, they'd not checked the artwork before placing the order, and the first batch were released into the shops with a scene more out of one of Ron Jeremy 's movies. Spud managed to get one of these before the shelves were cleared.

[Lon More]

Was that the one with the cricket game on the lid? I had one, sold it at auction a couple of years ago for 400 quid,

[BRIEFING OFFICER]

BOB?? Was Bob Drinkwater. Rode to work occasionally at the old tower in Manchester on a big hunter!