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Last of the 39ers has died

I'm surprised not to see anything yet on Squadron Leader Alfie Fripp who passed away a few days ago.

Alfie Fripp Hero of the REAL Great Escape who was the oldest surviving and longest-serving British POW dies aged 98 | Mail Online

From what I heard on R4 from his grandson this man was a credit to the RAF.

SGC

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sir George Cayley

From what I heard on R4 from his grandson this man was a credit to the RAF.

Indeed. He spoke at a recent Sqn Association dinner and we were all immensely moved by his talk. A very sad loss.

What a great guy, I am ashamed to say I hadn't come across him until the news of his death was announced.

A couple of points, it's interesting to see that his total WW2 medal entitlement was the 1939-45 Star and the War Medal - a combination usually only seen with men who became POWs early in the war. The other point is his beret badge which I hadn't seen before. It is the badge of the RAF POW's Association and consists of the RAF eagle within a representation of a circle of barbed wire. Considering how many thousands of RAF POWs there must have been I am surprised that I haven't come across an example in the years I have been trading in badges.