Last NCO Pilot entry?
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Thanks FC,
I'm afraid I only met him once and I don't recall his name. He was a gent however and I seem to recall him being a fairly big chap. I'm sorry to see he's no longer with us.
He was taking great delight in giving 'Doof' (IMcW) a hard time with radar presentations in the sim!
Regards,
MM
I'm afraid I only met him once and I don't recall his name. He was a gent however and I seem to recall him being a fairly big chap. I'm sorry to see he's no longer with us.
He was taking great delight in giving 'Doof' (IMcW) a hard time with radar presentations in the sim!
Regards,
MM
Last edited by Magic Mushroom; 2nd Nov 2014 at 16:47.
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Great thread......I have a few answers to questions mentioned earlier:
M Plt Shardlow was the Lyneham ops chap. Terrific raconteur...once told me a story about flying a Brigand towing a target with an LAC as the target operator. I can't remember the details accurately, but it was a story about someone writing something offensive on the banner which he was tasked to tow at some display or other...when he was told on the radio what was on the banner, it was only the fact that he had an LAC on board that stopped him ditching the ac!
Blacky Blackwell is no longer with us...regaled us with stories such as changing seats in the Meteor whilst airborne......
The M PIlot at Marham was Vic Burroughs, great chap and good story teller too!
M Plt Shardlow was the Lyneham ops chap. Terrific raconteur...once told me a story about flying a Brigand towing a target with an LAC as the target operator. I can't remember the details accurately, but it was a story about someone writing something offensive on the banner which he was tasked to tow at some display or other...when he was told on the radio what was on the banner, it was only the fact that he had an LAC on board that stopped him ditching the ac!
Blacky Blackwell is no longer with us...regaled us with stories such as changing seats in the Meteor whilst airborne......
The M PIlot at Marham was Vic Burroughs, great chap and good story teller too!
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Squadron Leader C. E. SLATER, M.B.E., D.F.C., A.F.C. (1305635) plus [Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air ]
Was a Master Pilot before being commissioned 1955.
His enlistment service number shows he enlisted in Blackpool in 1940.
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/...upplement/6141
He retired in 1977.
His flying career would have made a good book, had he been given permission to write it.
Was a Master Pilot before being commissioned 1955.
His enlistment service number shows he enlisted in Blackpool in 1940.
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/...upplement/6141
He retired in 1977.
His flying career would have made a good book, had he been given permission to write it.
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Transporting sand coloured berets in and out of interesting places.
edit:
He was a pilot on 267 Sqn in "Malaya' from 1955 to 1958 and was one of several decorated in 1958 for operations there. My father was Flt Cmr. The Sqn was flying pioneers into the jungle. During this time the SAS was reforming there.
His claps show he later was involved in Borneo (as well as Malaya) -- I suspect in Operation Claret, where the SAS were engaged:. See the wiki link.
Between Malaya and Borneo he may have been involved in other operations overseas. Skilled Pioneer pilots with experience of special operations were probably pretty thin on the ground.
I spent nearly 3 years in KL joining my father -- who had been posted there in Mid 1955 -- the second half of which we lived on the Camp, which was a very small and tight knit community.
Last night I made a search on Google and by chance discovered this. An auction held in 2015.
https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/a...5-a4ba00bc0577
edit:
He was a pilot on 267 Sqn in "Malaya' from 1955 to 1958 and was one of several decorated in 1958 for operations there. My father was Flt Cmr. The Sqn was flying pioneers into the jungle. During this time the SAS was reforming there.
His claps show he later was involved in Borneo (as well as Malaya) -- I suspect in Operation Claret, where the SAS were engaged:. See the wiki link.
Between Malaya and Borneo he may have been involved in other operations overseas. Skilled Pioneer pilots with experience of special operations were probably pretty thin on the ground.
I spent nearly 3 years in KL joining my father -- who had been posted there in Mid 1955 -- the second half of which we lived on the Camp, which was a very small and tight knit community.
Last night I made a search on Google and by chance discovered this. An auction held in 2015.
https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/a...5-a4ba00bc0577
Last edited by roving; 8th Aug 2017 at 08:11. Reason: adding more detail
Nigerian In Law
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FED (#102) and Al R (#108) et al,
Should've been a tie with a one-rung ladder, for us unfortunates on Limited (ie Nil) Career Permanent Commissions ! Are any left ? - all dead, I suppose (except me !)
The idea surfaced in 1952. Anyone know when it ended ? (the advantage was that the RAF had thrown away the only stick they'd had to beat you with). Although some managed to transfer to Branch Commissions, with a slim chance of a "scraper". But not in ATC, AFAIK.
Well the pension has come in handy, at least !
Danny.
Should've been a tie with a one-rung ladder, for us unfortunates on Limited (ie Nil) Career Permanent Commissions ! Are any left ? - all dead, I suppose (except me !)
The idea surfaced in 1952. Anyone know when it ended ? (the advantage was that the RAF had thrown away the only stick they'd had to beat you with). Although some managed to transfer to Branch Commissions, with a slim chance of a "scraper". But not in ATC, AFAIK.
Well the pension has come in handy, at least !
Danny.
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More detail here.
https://weaponsandwarfare.com/2016/0...-raf-overseas/
https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarch...arch=267%20sqn
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Claret
https://weaponsandwarfare.com/2016/0...-raf-overseas/
https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarch...arch=267%20sqn
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Claret
Last edited by roving; 8th Aug 2017 at 08:52.
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As a bit of pedantry I have seen Master Aircrew described here as "NCO Pilots". As Warrant Officers they are neither Non-Commissioned nor Commissioned, they are somewhere in between. 
Sgt. pilots.....
....the first crew I joined in Ballykelly in 1965 had a Sgt co-pilot. It was heavily hinted that he should be commissioned - he declined. It was then suggested that he might not be allowed to remain flying. He opted to leave and went to BOAC/BEA not sure which.
Slightly before that time a Sgt pilot on a Shack course ahead of me was sent away for a w/e and came back as a Flying Officer - yes, it really was that quick!
When I was doing my flying training at Topcliffe there were F/S pilots, Master Pilots and Master Navs. I learned a lot from them.
The Ancient Mariner
Slightly before that time a Sgt pilot on a Shack course ahead of me was sent away for a w/e and came back as a Flying Officer - yes, it really was that quick!
When I was doing my flying training at Topcliffe there were F/S pilots, Master Pilots and Master Navs. I learned a lot from them.
The Ancient Mariner
When I went to Labuan in 1965 there were two first tour NCO pilots on the squadron, Jim Lawn and Dave Cramp. Jim did my initial theatre conversion and later on in life Dave did my Commanders Check when I joined Bristows in 1978.
Jim was at Redhill scooting around with the DH 125.
Jim was at Redhill scooting around with the DH 125.
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Master Pilots
When I was in Malta in 1965 there was a M/Plt "Taff" George on the Comms Flt who flew Valettas, including the VIP one. In 1969 on my photo interpreters course at Bassingbourn, there were three M/Plts who were being re-mustered into ground trades: M/Plt Jerry Cullum and two other whose names escape me
Of interest I was on the same IOT as Fred Ayris in 1969 and there was also a second NCO pilot namely Leo Faulkner who was also commissioned. At the time the view was that the RAF was trying to commission all the NCO pilots to ensure that all actively flying were officers.
Don't forget his trusty hound Shulla !! (Spelling may be suspect).
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For info I was the last Sgt Pilot to graduate on 3 Apr 1964 at Leeming. I ended up being the last one because of a recourse with broken nose/hospital (Rugby). Great and fun times - ended up in the SAAF as a Lt Col (Commandant) and flying/running a cargo airline in ME and Africa. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE FINEST AIR FORCE IN THE WORLD - it certainly trained me well.
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.........
I heard that he did apply for a commission, and at Biggin Hill was asked who Macnamara was (USA Sec Def), "the leader of the band" was his reply! Biggin was not amused. The crew on 204 had a Sgt Pilot at the same time Jim C.... My next tour, on 205 had 2 NCO Pilots, flying on the same crew
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As was the norm in the mid 1960's, when young RAF airmen like me conversed with Flight Sergeants we respectfully called them 'Flight'. This was OK until I had to share an office at Khormaksar with an ex NCO pilot named Flight Sergeant Flight! - a tricky situation for a 20 year old!. However, to avoid embarrasment he kindly agreed to be known as 'Chief''. A nice man. Regards....Paul
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Hehehehe 
welcome to the forums BTW.
welcome to the forums BTW.
