RAF funeral question

[wings folded]

Old duffer,

I take your remarks in the spirit in which they were intended. I did not contact the Community Relations Officer at a (then) prominent nearby base. I phoned instead the Staish who I happened to know socially.

It was he who proferred a contingent from the cadets.

I do not know if it is so, but as I remarked, a divorced woman was being interred at the same time, and a huge contingent of military people seemed to be engaged in that operation, so perhaps he had none to spare.

My good friend was long since retired from service, but he had maintained contact with his unit; I attended more than one summer ball with him at the base and it was touching to see young flight lieutenants greet him with respect although they could not wipe their own noses when he was in active service.

The Staish, and a Wing Commander who I also knew socially, had their crests duly fallen when I spoke with them in the aftermath about this sorry episode.

Very sad, I think. And I never was part of the outfit. Just saw it all from close but outside.

I'll just add a PS, it was my initiative to have his cap, epaulettes and medals put on his coffin; I know nothing of the protocol of such things, and we did not have a Union Flag nor RAF standard to hand, but the aforementioned were in a box of his personal affairs which was easy to locate.

[teeteringhead]

Here's a few where PPrune and others - RAFA, ATC etc - helped to get it right:

http://www.pprune.org/military-aviat...-war-hero.html



http://www.pprune.org/military-aviat...uest-help.html

http://www.pprune.org/military-aviat...y-friends.html

http://www.pprune.org/military-aviat...nk-so-too.html

http://www.pprune.org/military-aviat...uest-help.html

And let's make sure we keep doing it!