91 Year Old Spitfire Pilot Needs Your Help
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This thread has been running now for nigh on 10 weeks without any sign of those documents. There now needs to be a formal SIB investigation into how those documents went missing.
Whilst that investigation is under way the Gate Guardian at Benson should, as BEagle has suggested, be renovated and then it should be repainted in the markings of Alec's Spitfire as an act of expiation.
Whilst that investigation is under way the Gate Guardian at Benson should, as BEagle has suggested, be renovated and then it should be repainted in the markings of Alec's Spitfire as an act of expiation.
My own experiences as a militaria/medal dealer led me to have a healthy cynicism about museums, and their cavalier attitude to security of the items in their care. On at least two occasions I was the unfortunate purchaser of items which I subsequently learned had been stolen from a local museum, in both cases by volunteer workers. On another occasion a friend who had been the CO of an ATC squadron had given items from the squadron to the local town museum when the squadron disbanded. When that museum was closed as a cost-cutting move by the council he enquired about what was to happen to said items, only to discover that they had "disappeared". I am not saying that this is what has happened to vortexadminman's father's medals, but he should not hesitate to report the matter to the police should they not come to light soon - this may shake the RAF Museum up a bit.
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Caz, I know someone who should be able to get the contact details for the SIB and I will PM you them tomorrow so that you can set the ball rolling.
Good suggestion about the gate-guardian. Beagle was absolutely correct about it needing a re-furb - an anhedral tail-plane???! Beagle is so right about some things. Pity his comment about Benson's operational commitments at that time was shy of the mark like many of his offerings about the rotary world.
Hopefully, somebody at Benson will manage to source Alec's items soon; the lack of progress is ominous.
WC
Good suggestion about the gate-guardian. Beagle was absolutely correct about it needing a re-furb - an anhedral tail-plane???! Beagle is so right about some things. Pity his comment about Benson's operational commitments at that time was shy of the mark like many of his offerings about the rotary world.
Hopefully, somebody at Benson will manage to source Alec's items soon; the lack of progress is ominous.
WC
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Without Care
I am not sure that the SIB would take much notice of someone who left the Service 15 years ago and is resident in France.
I believe that it is now incumbent on the Stn Cdr at RAF Benson to contact the SIB and request that they instigate a full investigation.
I am not sure that the SIB would take much notice of someone who left the Service 15 years ago and is resident in France.
I believe that it is now incumbent on the Stn Cdr at RAF Benson to contact the SIB and request that they instigate a full investigation.
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Think dropping a few hints to some magazines and newspapers will help?, after all, a tabloid newspaper knocking on the station commanders door may get him off his butt and get it sorted, same too for their local MP
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Firstly, I support this attempt 100%.
BUT . . . what reaction do you expect from an outfit that can do something as crass as tell people they're sacked by email?
I KNOW that wasn't done here, but it's the whole shebang, nobody gives a **** about one old bloke's memorobilia and THAT just sums up how far we've sunk. We get the mouth-music every November and I remember Bliar lining up with the rest placing his wreath on the Cenotaph, but what do YOU reckon, does he care? The evidence seems to point elsewhere.
It's a travesty and I'm disgusted. But frankly, that's my problem, because the people concerned here won't give a **** UNLESS they ARE called to account.
Best of luck
BUT . . . what reaction do you expect from an outfit that can do something as crass as tell people they're sacked by email?
I KNOW that wasn't done here, but it's the whole shebang, nobody gives a **** about one old bloke's memorobilia and THAT just sums up how far we've sunk. We get the mouth-music every November and I remember Bliar lining up with the rest placing his wreath on the Cenotaph, but what do YOU reckon, does he care? The evidence seems to point elsewhere.
It's a travesty and I'm disgusted. But frankly, that's my problem, because the people concerned here won't give a **** UNLESS they ARE called to account.
Best of luck
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UPDATE
Had a Msg from RAF Benson stating that the History Team have completed a thorough search of all the archives & haven't been able to locate Alec's items.
The Station Commander has requested that Alec & myself be invited to meet the Commanding Officer Base Support Wing "it is hoped that a face to face meeting will alow us to resolve the matter more effectively" ? They would also ensure that there is sufficient time for a brief tour of the areas of the Station where Alec was based.
I spoke with Alec & he indicated that he would love to revisit Benson. I asked Alec's lovely wife, Audrey if she would like to take my place, but she insisted that I accompany Alec as I would be in a much better position to describe details & explain things to him, because of his failing eyesight.
I wrote back to Benson & accepted their invitation & asked if they could arrange transportation. I felt that a return car journey would mean that Alec (who would be 92 by then) would be stuck in the car for six or seven hours & that would be too long for him. I said that we lived only a few miles from Humberside Airport (nudge, nudge, wink, wink). Benson said that they could not supply air transport, but kindly offered to send a rail warrant.
I went on the British Rail website & found out that the return journey from Cleethorpes (our local Station) to Didcot Parkway would take a total of nine & a half hours & we would have to change trains a total of six times, so that was totally unaceptable. I have asked that, if I was able to arrange for a private plane to take us down there would they give the pilot permission to land ?
I have just had a reply back from Nikki the PRO, who has been fantastic throughout this issue. She said that it would not be a problem to land a plane at RAF Benson. The pilot of the aircraft needs to ensure the necessary paperwork & arrangements are in place & can be completed with just a couple of days notice.
So all I have to do now is find a kind pilot who is current, that can fly us from Lincolnshire to Oxfordshire & back sometime after April !!
The Station Commander has requested that Alec & myself be invited to meet the Commanding Officer Base Support Wing "it is hoped that a face to face meeting will alow us to resolve the matter more effectively" ? They would also ensure that there is sufficient time for a brief tour of the areas of the Station where Alec was based.
I spoke with Alec & he indicated that he would love to revisit Benson. I asked Alec's lovely wife, Audrey if she would like to take my place, but she insisted that I accompany Alec as I would be in a much better position to describe details & explain things to him, because of his failing eyesight.
I wrote back to Benson & accepted their invitation & asked if they could arrange transportation. I felt that a return car journey would mean that Alec (who would be 92 by then) would be stuck in the car for six or seven hours & that would be too long for him. I said that we lived only a few miles from Humberside Airport (nudge, nudge, wink, wink). Benson said that they could not supply air transport, but kindly offered to send a rail warrant.
I went on the British Rail website & found out that the return journey from Cleethorpes (our local Station) to Didcot Parkway would take a total of nine & a half hours & we would have to change trains a total of six times, so that was totally unaceptable. I have asked that, if I was able to arrange for a private plane to take us down there would they give the pilot permission to land ?
I have just had a reply back from Nikki the PRO, who has been fantastic throughout this issue. She said that it would not be a problem to land a plane at RAF Benson. The pilot of the aircraft needs to ensure the necessary paperwork & arrangements are in place & can be completed with just a couple of days notice.
So all I have to do now is find a kind pilot who is current, that can fly us from Lincolnshire to Oxfordshire & back sometime after April !!
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Perhaps Stn Cdr Benson could ask OC 32 Sqn if they could fit a round trip in on a Training Sortie? This would perhaps allow Alec's Wife to accompany him as well.
Last edited by cazatou; 18th Feb 2011 at 14:17.
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Duncs
You would need a rear crew member, properly trained in evacuation drills in the "unlikely event of an emergency", as well as the pilots. Given the age of the Pax it would be advisable that such a crew member was also well trained in first aid.
You would need a rear crew member, properly trained in evacuation drills in the "unlikely event of an emergency", as well as the pilots. Given the age of the Pax it would be advisable that such a crew member was also well trained in first aid.
Last edited by cazatou; 18th Feb 2011 at 15:02.
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I think that the Station Commander and the PRO at Benson have done as much as they can. Using a Military aircraft to ferry a civilian to visit a Station would be a complete misappropriation of these assets. This would be akin to a Royal using a Chinook to go to a stag party. Of course that would never happen.
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KF
If you read my posts again you will note that I specifically suggested using Training Hours - which would be flown anyway. What I have suggested would be an ideal training sortie for new Cabin Staff as well as the Flight Crew.
The RAF in which I spent 31 years of my life was an RAF that was a "can do" Service where you looked for ways to do the job - not for obscure reasons that seemed to "possibly suggest" that there was some obscure "Health and Safety" regulation which might prohibit such a course of action.
Please enlighten me - how would you carry out the "Dams Raid" at 60 ft at night against a defended target whilst showing lights in the light of current "Health and Safety" legislation?
If you read my posts again you will note that I specifically suggested using Training Hours - which would be flown anyway. What I have suggested would be an ideal training sortie for new Cabin Staff as well as the Flight Crew.
The RAF in which I spent 31 years of my life was an RAF that was a "can do" Service where you looked for ways to do the job - not for obscure reasons that seemed to "possibly suggest" that there was some obscure "Health and Safety" regulation which might prohibit such a course of action.
Please enlighten me - how would you carry out the "Dams Raid" at 60 ft at night against a defended target whilst showing lights in the light of current "Health and Safety" legislation?
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Please enlighten me - how would you carry out the "Dams Raid" at 60 ft at night against a defended target whilst showing lights - in the light of current "Health and Safety" legislation?
Okay what would you do if the weather wasn't suitable to fly the sortie? Keep postponing the visit until it was suitable whilst keeping up a lot of valuable assets and people to facilitate one visit on standby?
The RAF in which I spent 31 years of my life was an RAF that was a "can do" Service where you looked for ways to do the job
Red On, Green On
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Benson had no trouble taking 15 spacies on a Merlin for a day, including a trip through the London heli-lanes, and some spacies from Hampshire were cabbied to Hendon and back in a Wokka not so long ago.
The Dark Blue seems to have a better understanding of how to read/operate within the rules. Perhaps they could help
The Dark Blue seems to have a better understanding of how to read/operate within the rules. Perhaps they could help