Gaining An R.A.F Pilots Brevet In WW II
It does still happen ... FZjr was holding as a newly minted Plt Off in MB, the department he was working in was headed by a 1* and junior was the gofer. Years later, junior was on a stand at RIAT when the 1*, now with more **s, polled up with full entourage and greeted him as an old friend and merrily chatted away much to the consternation of all the 'nodders'.
I believe the gentleman concerned went on to be HMs rep. down your neck of the woods MPN11.
I believe the gentleman concerned went on to be HMs rep. down your neck of the woods MPN11.
Fantom
I believe the gentleman you refer to is Sir JC. I flew with him quite a lot on 48 when he was a Flt Lt captain and I a Plt Off/Fg Off nav.
He was a very good pilot and first rate operator and an extremely nice guy. I left the service late 73' but have bumped into him on many occasions over the years.The first time was at LATCC in about 75/76 when he was a Sqn Ldr deputed to accompany the CAS of the Pakistan Air force on visits to various establishments. He spotted me on the other side of the operations room ( even though my hair was no longer RAF length! ) and immediately came over to say hello.
Everyone I have spoken to, who knew him as a JO, said that he always made a point of coming over to say hello to old chums/subordinates, even when he was an ACM.
Sadly he lost his wife a year ago and was genuinely overwhelmed by the number of messages of sympathy and support he received. A first class man!
He was a very good pilot and first rate operator and an extremely nice guy. I left the service late 73' but have bumped into him on many occasions over the years.The first time was at LATCC in about 75/76 when he was a Sqn Ldr deputed to accompany the CAS of the Pakistan Air force on visits to various establishments. He spotted me on the other side of the operations room ( even though my hair was no longer RAF length! ) and immediately came over to say hello.
Everyone I have spoken to, who knew him as a JO, said that he always made a point of coming over to say hello to old chums/subordinates, even when he was an ACM.
Sadly he lost his wife a year ago and was genuinely overwhelmed by the number of messages of sympathy and support he received. A first class man!
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Yes, indeed ... Sir John was a real gent. Before that "Offshore appointment" I had the fortune to encounter him frequently at Bisley, as he was President of RAFSAA, and the OH served under him during his time at Bracknell. We then started bumping into each other here, especially during Poppy Appeal. Then one day I was outside Lloyds Bank with my OH, BIL and SIL [all ex-RAF and Poppy-ers] when he came by - "Hello everyone. This looks like trouble." 
The loss of Lady Sam was a devastating blow to everyone who knew her. What a fine lady.
The loss of Lady Sam was a devastating blow to everyone who knew her. What a fine lady.
JC was my SUO in first term at the Towers - impressive then. Met Sir Ivor when he was President of the Pathfinder Assoc and we were running the Pathfinder 50trh at Wyton. I have memories of him carrying W Junior (then 3) out of Warboys Church on his shoulders (despite having in the past broken his back and both legs) and I rang him one day to be told by Lady B that he was out at Moor Park playing 2 rounds - he was the other side of 90! One of the nicest people I ever met.
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Yes, it's nice when this happens. Remember a Post on here some time ago. Brand new young WRAF P/O in Control Tower. Visiting Two-star comes in, double-takes: "Weren't you the photographer at Aldergove (?) when I was inspecting there eighteen months ago ?"
P/O's (A T Controller now) bosom swells with pride (but not too far, as she had a head start, so to speak).
Danny.
P/O's (A T Controller now) bosom swells with pride (but not too far, as she had a head start, so to speak).
Danny.
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Excellent recall, Danny42C ... it was my Tower [EGXW], my WRAF plt off [Sarah], but it was Machrihanish 
Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael William Patrick Knight, KCB, AFC* had a remarkable memory for people/faces/names. Although, when he joined me in MY Tower to see off the Black Buck Vulcans, he didn't seem to remember me from Tengah when he was my OC Flying ... despite the various bo11ockings I received in my 1-ring days
I could post a photo of her in the Approach Room with the rest of the Watch at the time, but that would be improper.
* Possibly the briefest VSO Wiki I've ever seen!
Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael William Patrick Knight, KCB, AFC* had a remarkable memory for people/faces/names. Although, when he joined me in MY Tower to see off the Black Buck Vulcans, he didn't seem to remember me from Tengah when he was my OC Flying ... despite the various bo11ockings I received in my 1-ring days
I could post a photo of her in the Approach Room with the rest of the Watch at the time, but that would be improper.
* Possibly the briefest VSO Wiki I've ever seen!
Last edited by MPN11; 20th Jan 2017 at 19:06.
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MPN11,
Possibly another "small world": Would your "Sarah" be any chance be Sarah Searby (daughter of Wing Commander J. H. Searby (the Master Bomber at Peenemunde) ? Remember her on the Course at Shawbury (I was there Sep '62 - Sep '64). Very nice girl (as were they all)..
Do tell !
Another VSO with famous powers of recall was the (then) Air Commodore "Gus" Walker, Comandant of the Empire Flying College at Manby in '55. Saw me there only for a few moments in the July when I arrived as the lowliest of the low cogs in his machine, fresh off the Course at Shawbury.
Tail end of a long guest line at the Manby Autumn Ball. After at least a hundred guests, he remembered me without hesitation or prompting, asking how my (brand new) bride and I had settled down there. Made a tremendous impression on her - and on me !
Glad to see that the Post just before yours has been taken down.
Danny.
Possibly another "small world": Would your "Sarah" be any chance be Sarah Searby (daughter of Wing Commander J. H. Searby (the Master Bomber at Peenemunde) ? Remember her on the Course at Shawbury (I was there Sep '62 - Sep '64). Very nice girl (as were they all)..
...I could post a photo of her in the Approach Room with the rest of the Watch at the time, but that would be improper...
Another VSO with famous powers of recall was the (then) Air Commodore "Gus" Walker, Comandant of the Empire Flying College at Manby in '55. Saw me there only for a few moments in the July when I arrived as the lowliest of the low cogs in his machine, fresh off the Course at Shawbury.
Tail end of a long guest line at the Manby Autumn Ball. After at least a hundred guests, he remembered me without hesitation or prompting, asking how my (brand new) bride and I had settled down there. Made a tremendous impression on her - and on me !
Glad to see that the Post just before yours has been taken down.
Danny.
Mrs Searby was at Wyton for the unveiling of a Pathfinder memorial on the roundabout by SHQ in 92 or 93, but when I was there last October I realised the memorial seemed to have disappeared.
A few years after I retired the first time, would have been early 70s, was walking through Brancaster with the then Mrs W, saw chap walking towards me and noticed the empty sleeve - was amazed when Gus Walker greeted me by name and stopped to chat.
A few years after I retired the first time, would have been early 70s, was walking through Brancaster with the then Mrs W, saw chap walking towards me and noticed the empty sleeve - was amazed when Gus Walker greeted me by name and stopped to chat.
Last edited by Wander00; 22nd Jan 2017 at 09:56.
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Danny42C ...
Not the same. My young lady would have gone through CATCS in 81/82. No sub-text on the photo, just respecting the privacy of a number of officers/SNCOs in the picture
Another VSO with a memory was 'Cyclops' Brown, the Air Cdre at CAW Manby in '65/'66. It was reported that he did not emerge from his office for the first week, and when he did so he had learned all the names/faces/jobs of the officers and SNCOs on the Station. His first words to me [a brand new plt off] a week or two later in the Mess were, "Hello <first name>, and how are things in Strubby Tower?"
Not the same. My young lady would have gone through CATCS in 81/82. No sub-text on the photo, just respecting the privacy of a number of officers/SNCOs in the picture
Another VSO with a memory was 'Cyclops' Brown, the Air Cdre at CAW Manby in '65/'66. It was reported that he did not emerge from his office for the first week, and when he did so he had learned all the names/faces/jobs of the officers and SNCOs on the Station. His first words to me [a brand new plt off] a week or two later in the Mess were, "Hello <first name>, and how are things in Strubby Tower?"
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Oh, come on Danny ... should I really be posting a photo of a young WRAF officer in uniform, with a fine chest?
... we now return to 'normal' programming
... we now return to 'normal' programming
Sort of reminds me of one foggy day at Benson about 50 years ago. We are inbound from Norway and Benson is on the non-ILS runway (02) so we are doing a PAR.
The young lady doing the talkdown had a great reputation for doing a great job. It was rumoured that my very sharp copilot and her had taken a shine to one another. So, here we are, I have him flying the letdown and I am monitoring and looking for a runway.
Coming up to 4 miles she said "You are on the glide, on the centreline and approaching 4 miles, final check of greens and flies (she meant flaps)". We both instinctively looked down!
We came out of the murk exactly on minimums and I took over and landed. On the roll out she told us to change to Tower. I thanked her for the excellent talkdown and the Freudian slip!
The young lady doing the talkdown had a great reputation for doing a great job. It was rumoured that my very sharp copilot and her had taken a shine to one another. So, here we are, I have him flying the letdown and I am monitoring and looking for a runway.
Coming up to 4 miles she said "You are on the glide, on the centreline and approaching 4 miles, final check of greens and flies (she meant flaps)". We both instinctively looked down!
We came out of the murk exactly on minimums and I took over and landed. On the roll out she told us to change to Tower. I thanked her for the excellent talkdown and the Freudian slip!