Trace family of pilot whose log books have just obtained
 

I have just bought a set of log books (numbers 1,3 & 4) of Flg Off - Flt Lt 4147087 M.A Telford who started flying at Hullavington (2 FTS) in June 1954 on the Provost, his career goes on to June 1962 flying Chipmunks as tug pilot for the RAFGSA at Bicester, his log book shows 208 Sqd in the Gulf, Shawbury, Ternhill, Akrotiri, Leconfield etc etc, flying any thing from Provost, Chipmunk virtually all Mks of Meteor, Hunter and Vampire and Venom, Pembroke and Sycamore.

Would be interesting to find out if he is still alive - his family ?, how his log books ended up in a charity shop and what did he do in the missing log book 2.

Any ideas out there how I go about the search, any help greatly appreciated. zetec 2, Bicester.

Further to the above I have found a copy of the London Gazette showing 4147087 Flg Off M.A Telford was promoted to Flt Lt on 28 July 1965, so maybe his career didn't stop with flying in June 1962 and that he remained in service, no more flying - desk job ? are there any more log books, the plot thickens. zetec2, Bicester.

As for charity shops, the short route is house clearance after a death. To easy for family, especially with small modern housing to take an easy option and bin paperwork.

Royal Air Force personnel - The National Archives

is a place to start

looks like the AirForce List would give you his career progression

If you Google him there is a Flt Lt M A Telford listed in

RAF Little Rissington: The Central Flying School 1946 - 76

By R. Deacon, A. Pollock, M. Thomas, R. Bagshaw

in 1972 - looks like he won a tropy........ he also has three entries in the index

M A Telford was gazetted as Pilot Officer to Flying Officer on 17th June 1956

he was Gazetted as Specialist Aircrew on 20th Jan 1974

http://www.naval8-208-association.co...r%202007-1.pdf Page 12 has Mr M A & Mrs G L Telford present at the Naval 8/208 Squadron Dinner

http://www.radfanhunters.co.uk/gallery208-6.htm at the first picture (but 2picture not found"!)

A gathering of Squadron pilots in the Officers' Mess bar at Eastleigh in 1959 (Pete McLeland)
From l to r are; Pete Biddiscombe, Alastair Macnab, Sam Key (fez), Mike Telford, George Ord, ???? Miers and Bebe Sharman.

he appears on this very forum in a picture at

http://www.pprune.org/military-aviat...ld-days-3.html

also in
http://www.pprune.org/archive/index.php/t-414446.html
sharpend
15th Mar 2011, 12:20

Actually, Mike Telford was my QFI at Leeming in 1965! Told tales of crashing his aeroplane in Oman!

petermcleland
14th Mar 2011, 12:35

Here is a 208 Squadron photograph that I have not published before:-

http://www.petermcleland.com/slides/...tSalisbury.jpg

Taken at Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia (now Harare, Zimbabwe) in 1959...
The pilots on the front row from left to right:-

Alastair Macnab, Terry Hill, Dinga Bell, Tim Cohu, Roy Morris, Dicky Brown, George Ord, Boss Ramirez, Sam Key, Mac McLeland, Pete Biddiscombe, Des Melaniphy, Mike Telford, Stu Grieve and the last is our Engineer Officer, Paddy Thompson.

208 Squadron Assoc looks like your best bet for news and contacts...... http://www.naval8-208-association.com/

He's not listed "In Memoriam" so sounds like he's still with us..............

Flt Lt Mike Telford flew Chipmunks at Little Rissington, especially with this display team: 1970 Four Chipmunk T.10s of CFS, Little Rissington, "The Skylarks” Flt Lts W R T Hobson, M S J McKinley, T Anderson, M A Telford and G Cullen.
I corresponded with him for a while and he sent me two photographs of himself and colleagues

Gents thank you for your replies, helped me to start the process of filling in the gaps, I will report back as I find more info, again thank you, zetec2, Bicester.

zetec2
If you haven't already tried, BT Directory Enquiries online is worth a try. Try looking for a Telford in the town where you obtained the books.
FWIW there's one Telford listed in Bicester together with a telephone number and address - so a possible relative - assuming that the charity shop you bought it from is in Bicester?

WT

zetec2, PM for you....

From the 2004 RAF Retired list : M A Telford AFC. Born 20/1/36, commissioned 9/6/54 Retired 3/10/78

Again thank you for the replies and info re Mike Telford, whilst trawling through 208 Sqn data came across this photo - does it wring any bells with anybody out there, who, where , why relevant to 208 ?. again thanks in anticipation, PH, Bicester.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y94...psfvtp8mhq.jpg

The image depicts Wg Cdr Don Cameron, CO of 442 Squadron, RCAF, in front of squadron Vampire for the last flight of Canadian Vampire, 6 Dec 1956 (DND) What it is doing in the 208 Squadron page, I have no idea?

Again thanks for the replies, picture is coming together, PH, Bicester.

Such a shame for the family to dispose of them like this, one only hopes they kept hold of his medals.

Yes, indeed! I've been wondering what his AFC was awarded for.

Thanks to PPRuNe readers I have just about got a complete picture of Mike Telford, plus family info, will decide hoew to progress over next couple of weeks and pass on the info through this forum, again thank you to all for your help b rgds, PH, Bicester.

I was rather astounded to discover that there is no published record listing all gallantry awards and the citations - you have to work your way through the London Gazette and that normally doesn't publish citations

Mention of Pete Biddiscombe above - my flight commander in Cadet Wing at the Towers early 60s

Well "Dinga Bell, Tim Cohu, George Ord, Boss Ramirez (possibly?), Sam Key, Mac McLeland and Pete Biddiscombe" are still around and should be able to help further?