Dougie Mee
 

It is with sorrow that I post the passing of my father-in-law, Flt Lt Edward Dudley Mee, MBE.

He passed away this morning, 4 July 2014 at 0430.

Doug was always proud of the flying he did in the RAF and I am sure many of you will be saddened at the news.

I will post further details later.

John Dale

There is a name to conjure with - what a lovely guy - a great help to me on the Gnat course at Valley. Sincere condolences


W

Dougie was a genius and is a legend… Good luck up top...

1980s
 

Sorry to hear the news John

Enjoyed your fathers presence at Valley when i was first there from 1981-85 in those days he was busy test flying Hawks out of maintenance, working sim details and doing a bit of Lobster Potting as a sideline.

Stories of his early days in flying, the loss rates on the Meteor quite hair raising. I recall he said the OCU at Driffield lost something like 50 pilots in a year.

Sad loss.

One of the nicest guys there ever was at Valley. I first met Dougie in 1975 during my Gnat course and again in 1980 when I did a Hawk refresher.

It was a privilege to go flying with him on one of his educational tours of North Wales; his wisdom and experience in the crew room when I was holding after my course were very welcome.

Mind you, the lobsters and fish which appeared from time to time were perhaps not something with which the water bailiff was very happy.

A legend in his own time to generations of aspiring fast jet pilots, he will be sorely missed. There are few others who can have been held in such genuine affection as was Dougie.

Dougie Mee
 

John,

So sorry to hear this news. Sincere condolences to all the Mee's. He was such a lovely man, and will be fondly remembered by all who've been at Valley over the many years.
He'll be dancing on his marble dance floor up above.....
Raising a glass....

Flt Lt Mee took a nervous & spotty 18 yr-old HB up on a Gnat Air Test in 1973, following my replacement of an Aileron PCU on the subject jet in the Hangar.


He was a real gent, and a quite awesome figure to me. Many thanks for the supersonic ride, Sir.


He will always be part of the Valley/4FTS story - RIP.


HB

A sad loss, Dougie was a gentleman.

I remember I was half way through my first gallon having very, very nearly been killed by a stude that I let dig a big hole that I only just climbed out of (the tower hit the crash alarm as we got airborne), when Dougie joined me and said something that stayed with me for my whole career:

"Remember it is only the good ones that will kill you!"

I never forgot that, and it is so true - you watch the weak ones carefully but let the experienced ones get you closer to the limits.

Blue skies Dougie, see you in the big LFA

A gent indeed, always a pleasure to do business with. Sim trips aside, I flew with him on a Hawk air test in 1979, almost 21 years to do the day since he flew with my father in a Vampire. Dad was a QFI at Valley late 50s and I think Dougie was too! I still have a picture of the 3 of us next to the Vampire T11 that used to adorn the gate at Valley, all in uniform and me wearing wings that were only about 3 hours old and still on the velcro. Whenever I saw Dougie he never failed to ask after Dad - I like to think they are now in the same crewroom again.

Very sad news. Condolences to Jean and family at Rhosneigr.

He wasn't always at Valley. I first flew with Doug in 1973 when he was instructing on the Varsity Refresher Squadron at Oakington, having moved from Strubby.

Some time later I was doing a Hawk air test with him at Valley when he decided to do a supersonic run -- something that was not taught on the FTS. We dived over the Lleyn peninsular -- Doug having assured me that the Hawk did not make a bang. When I later repeated the exercise, I always made sure I was over the Irish Sea, just in case it did!

I am a student nurse and ex cadet of 2378 Cybi ATC unit. I was privileged to support your father in law during his time with us at Penrhos Stanley. I just wish I had the pleasure and honour to know him, as you who have flown and talked with him did.
He was a lovely man to work with, and I just wish we could have done more for him.
My sincerest condolences to you and your family, and I hope in time, that the memories that such a great man as he left, help to fill the gap made by his passing.

Gavin

Sad loss of a great man. My wife served with him at Oakington, I served with him a Valley.
He was thought of by many as just another local fisherman.

Dougie Mee
 

A fine officer of the real Royal Air Force. My thoughts are with his family.

Thank you for all your comments and memories of Doug. The family will treasure them!

The Cremation for Dougie will be a Family event on Friday 11 July.

We are organising a Remembrance service to be held in Rhosneigr. I will post the date shortly.

John

Sad news indeed John, I met your father at Valley when I was on the MR team, you could not meet a nicer guy.
Condolences to all in the family.

He is probably writing the Airtest Schedule for his new wings even now! Proud to be his understudy at Valley for four years.
Like a second Dad to me.
All those years I never knew he was officially Edward. You only had to say Doug and everyone knew who you were talking about!

Cheers Doug, John H.

Late 70's as Valley was switching from the Gnats to the Hawk and the introduction of the 3 original Hawk Sims made by Redifon in Crawley.
Hands up those who remembered how the boxes arrived at Valley and what happened to Sim 3 in Bangor.
The Sim Synchro pair - Dougie (Mr Gnat) and Brian Todd (Make it fly like a Hawk) were the most entertaining and most knowledgeable pair of Gentlemen I had the pleasure of working with during my 25yrs of service.
Brian left us in 2011 and tonight I raise a glass or 3 to both of you for allowing me to be the back seat ride with Unit Test Pilot/Weather ship as we developed the "Fly Like a Hawk" software fixes, all written in Assembler code and loaded on a paper tape into the Redifon R2000A computer
Happy days....

Dougie Mee
 

Farewell Dougie !!,
With nice memories (Mainly !!) of our time together in the 1958 RAF Valley formation aerobatic team (with you in the "box").

Did he get a flypast at his funeral ( I hope)?

HB