WgCdr Bill McQueen MBE RAFRO

[langleybaston]

I understand that Bill passed away last weekend,

Whereas just about all Mobile Met Unit [MMU] officers were and are RAFVR, Bill managed to obtain or retain or wangle RAFRO status as I understand the matter.

He was SMetO Coningsby and then led the Mobile Met Unit through its most eventful and difficult days. As the Falklands war was kicking off Bill arrived at Ascension by air as a Sqn Ldr and was famously accosted by Captain McQueen RN who was sending "surplus" arrivals packing ."Only room for one McQueen here. The Navy can do the Met".
Fortunately for the RAF and Black Buck, reason prevailed, and we did the business as well as state of the art could provide. Bill was awarded an MBE, a reflection of the enormous team effort in place at Ascension and later at Mount Pleasant.

Afterwards he ran the much expanded MMU [with the aid of successive adjt,s Pete Davies ad George Phillips] during several crises including the Balkans, and Gulf War One.

Wg Cdr McQueen, by virtue of commanding the MMU and being here there and everywhere near the sharp end probably had more gongs than almost any regular officer.

This is an incomplete obit because our careers were parallel, I was never an MMU insider, and I hope that others can fill in the gaps.

As Port was the drink of choice of the MMU, please raise a glass to Bill.

[Mercury Rising]

People joining the MMU before 1990 were commissioned into the RAFRO which assumed previous commissioned military service and therefore no ab initio military training was required. From 1990 new members of the MMU were commissioned or enlisted into the RAFVR with appropriate ab initio military training. It all changed in 1996 when, as a result of the Reserve Forces Act all members of the MMU (including Bill!) were transferred into the RAFR and recruitment, selection and training were brought into line with the regular RAF.

Bill's funeral will be held in Doncaster at midday on the 22nd of June and all are welcome. A wake will be held at the local golf club where I suspect a lot of port will be imbibed!

[NickB]

Ah - sorry to hear this.
Only met him a couple of times - once at Netheravon and I'm certain I gave him a lift to/from a restaurant in Weeze in my shiny new Golf GTi when he visited RAF Laarbruch in 97.
'Blue Skies Sir' seems particular appropriate - or should that be CAVOK?
RIP Bill.

[langleybaston]

People joining the MMU before 1990 were commissioned into the RAFRO which assumed previous commissioned military service and therefore no ab initio military training was required. From 1990 new members of the MMU were commissioned or enlisted into the RAFVR with appropriate ab initio military training. It all changed in 1996 when, as a result of the Reserve Forces Act all members of the MMU (including Bill!) were transferred into the RAFR and recruitment, selection and training were brought into line with the regular RAF.

Bill's funeral will be held in Doncaster at midday on the 22nd of June and all are welcome. A wake will be held at the local golf club where I suspect a lot of port will be imbibed!

Thank you for that enlightenment: as CMetO BFG I only held a Dormant Commission in case WW 3 broke out, and the mysteries of the MMU were kept from my eyes ..... or sometimes I averted them.
I knew enough to be initiated into "a nice drop of port. Do you good! Get it down you!" Followed by the famous "dull-ead!" in the morning.