Sqn Ldr Anthony Hugh Currey Back MBE AFC
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Sqn Ldr Anthony Hugh Currey Back MBE AFC
Forgive my putting this in the Military Aviation forum rather than the history or 'where are they now?' one, but I suspect that there is slightly more chance of a PPruner who knew Tony Back frequenting this forum than the others.
Tony - or Mr Back as he was known to me, for his was one of my school masters - was born in South Africa and after taking a Double First in Maths at University in his home country, came to the UK and did a postgraduate degree in Aeronautical engineering. He joined the RAF after he'd finished his degree and served from 1953-1969. He was at CFS in the mid-50s and then went on to Hunters, serving in Germany and the UK. When he left the service, he went into teaching, first at Wrekin College and then - when compelled to retire as per his contract in the days when this was not against the law - spent a further five years at Queen Mary's Grammar School in Walsall. Several of his former colleagues (and my former teachers - the Pavlovian reaction of responding to their requests remains strong 30 years on...) would be delighted to learn more. He impressed his students and colleagues, but most definitely hid his light under a bushel - much of the known detail about him had to be pieced together for his retirement tribute and then his obituary, and its accuracy in some places isn't certain.
It appears that his MBE was awarded for his being part of the leadership of the joint mountaineering expedition to South Georgia in the 1960s, and he was an enthusiastic skier, mountaineer and sailor. I believe, from a solitary online source, that his AFC may have been awarded as a result of his work as a Flight Commander on 92 Squadron (which he left in 1959)..
If, by chance, anyone does know of him and might be able to confirm any details this would be most gratefully received, since there is an aspiration to pay a small tribute to him in the alumni magazine to mark what would've been his 90th birthday and to let his pupils know that their suspicions he had an interesting and impressive hinterland were correct. Thanks.
Tony - or Mr Back as he was known to me, for his was one of my school masters - was born in South Africa and after taking a Double First in Maths at University in his home country, came to the UK and did a postgraduate degree in Aeronautical engineering. He joined the RAF after he'd finished his degree and served from 1953-1969. He was at CFS in the mid-50s and then went on to Hunters, serving in Germany and the UK. When he left the service, he went into teaching, first at Wrekin College and then - when compelled to retire as per his contract in the days when this was not against the law - spent a further five years at Queen Mary's Grammar School in Walsall. Several of his former colleagues (and my former teachers - the Pavlovian reaction of responding to their requests remains strong 30 years on...) would be delighted to learn more. He impressed his students and colleagues, but most definitely hid his light under a bushel - much of the known detail about him had to be pieced together for his retirement tribute and then his obituary, and its accuracy in some places isn't certain.
It appears that his MBE was awarded for his being part of the leadership of the joint mountaineering expedition to South Georgia in the 1960s, and he was an enthusiastic skier, mountaineer and sailor. I believe, from a solitary online source, that his AFC may have been awarded as a result of his work as a Flight Commander on 92 Squadron (which he left in 1959)..
If, by chance, anyone does know of him and might be able to confirm any details this would be most gratefully received, since there is an aspiration to pay a small tribute to him in the alumni magazine to mark what would've been his 90th birthday and to let his pupils know that their suspicions he had an interesting and impressive hinterland were correct. Thanks.
Anthony Hugh Currey Back (2608191).
He got his AFC in the 1959 New Year’s Honours list and an MBE in the 1966 New Year’s Honours list
He was a member of the No.20 Squadron aerobatic team formed in February 1957 on the Hunter F4.
He was CO of A Flight, 92 Squadron during 1958-59.
By 1968, he was CO of the UAS at Ouston that served Newcastle and Durham Universities and Sunderland Technical College.
A couple of snippets:
and also
He got his AFC in the 1959 New Year’s Honours list and an MBE in the 1966 New Year’s Honours list
He was a member of the No.20 Squadron aerobatic team formed in February 1957 on the Hunter F4.
He was CO of A Flight, 92 Squadron during 1958-59.
By 1968, he was CO of the UAS at Ouston that served Newcastle and Durham Universities and Sunderland Technical College.
A couple of snippets:
In August the Squadron moved to RAF Waterbeach where they undertook the “Battle Flight” commitment and also provided reinforcements for the Fighter Command flypast at the SBAC (Society of British Aircraft Companies), show at Farnborough. Some pilots were also to take part in a twenty two aircraft loop with No.111 Squadron so all the Hunter Squadrons Numbers 1, 19, 56, 65, 63 and 92 were in the Cambridge area, which gave the opportunity for a get together. This was achieved by holding a punt race on the River Cam. Somehow 92 managed to maintain six pilots on standby and to enter two complete crews plus Sam, the Squadron dog, for the races. They were unable to supply a judge as they knew (a) that they should win easily and (b) if they didn’t win easily, a judge wouldn’t make any difference anyway.
In the first race ‘B’ Flight provided the first team, consisting of Brian Cox, Al Durward, George Aylett and ‘Smudge’ Smith, which streaked into the lead but when only half a dozen punt lengths from the finish they took a great fancy for the river bank and ended up in second place.
‘A’ Flight team, consisting of ‘Tinkle’ Bell, Dave Ozanne, Jim Edwards and Tony Back. They decided that paddling the punt wasn’t getting them anywhere so they all got out and pushed. They finished third although one of the two teams which beat them was later disqualified by the judges because, although they started off with a crew of four, they somehow managed to acquire another member en route.
After a grand finale in which everyone ended up in the water, they all changed into dry clothes to the accompanying strains of an argument between the judges and the owner of the punts. The latter was demanding up to £100 for the non-existent damage to his punts. It was finally agreed that they should forfeit their deposits (£12 in all) and the owner went away very dissatisfied. Everyone adjourned to the bridge by the Mill and improved on the record profit by that pub for an evening’s work.
In the first race ‘B’ Flight provided the first team, consisting of Brian Cox, Al Durward, George Aylett and ‘Smudge’ Smith, which streaked into the lead but when only half a dozen punt lengths from the finish they took a great fancy for the river bank and ended up in second place.
‘A’ Flight team, consisting of ‘Tinkle’ Bell, Dave Ozanne, Jim Edwards and Tony Back. They decided that paddling the punt wasn’t getting them anywhere so they all got out and pushed. They finished third although one of the two teams which beat them was later disqualified by the judges because, although they started off with a crew of four, they somehow managed to acquire another member en route.
After a grand finale in which everyone ended up in the water, they all changed into dry clothes to the accompanying strains of an argument between the judges and the owner of the punts. The latter was demanding up to £100 for the non-existent damage to his punts. It was finally agreed that they should forfeit their deposits (£12 in all) and the owner went away very dissatisfied. Everyone adjourned to the bridge by the Mill and improved on the record profit by that pub for an evening’s work.
However, good news greeted the Squadron on New Year’s Day 1959, when it was learned that ‘A’ Flight Commander, Flight Lieutenant Tony Back, had been awarded the AFC in recognition of a great year’s work in which he gave many spectacular individual aerobatic displays at various shows throughout the country. He was posted in New Year 1960.
Thread Starter
Anthony Hugh Currey Back (2608191).
He got his AFC in the 1959 New Year’s Honours list and an MBE in the 1966 New Year’s Honours list
He was a member of the No.20 Squadron aerobatic team formed in February 1957 on the Hunter F4.
He was CO of A Flight, 92 Squadron during 1958-59.
By 1968, he was CO of the UAS at Ouston that served Newcastle and Durham Universities and Sunderland Technical College.
A couple of snippets:
and also
He got his AFC in the 1959 New Year’s Honours list and an MBE in the 1966 New Year’s Honours list
He was a member of the No.20 Squadron aerobatic team formed in February 1957 on the Hunter F4.
He was CO of A Flight, 92 Squadron during 1958-59.
By 1968, he was CO of the UAS at Ouston that served Newcastle and Durham Universities and Sunderland Technical College.
A couple of snippets:
and also
