Tweets

Subscribe to:

FourFax Stats

  • Total Stats
    • 412 Posts
    • 151 Pages
    • 193 Comments
    • 53 Comment Posters
    • 30 Links
    • 7 Post Categories
    • 4 Link Categories

Archives

Sqn Personalities 53-55

No. 4 Squadron at RAF JEVER during the period July 1953 to November 1955

Commanding officers

Sqn. Ldr. PGK Williamson: Posted WEST RAYNHAM 8-53 Sqn. Ldr. Peter W. Gilpin

A Flight

Flt Lt. Geoff G Lee: Posted CFS 11-53 Flt.Lt. John McN Wallace: Posted 10-54 Flt.Lt. Sam D’Arcy: Posted ETPS 12-54 Flt. Lt. Brian Iles Fg. Off. Ernie Lack: Posted bomber command 9-53 Fg. Off. Snowy Ewens: Posted 11-55 to Gunnery School? Killed on asymmetric practice in a Meteor T7 sometime 1956. Fg.Off. Bob Molden: Posted CFS 3-55. Killed 4-55 Provest; wing snapped? Fg. Off. Danby Laycock: Posted Bristol Recruiting Office 3-55 Fg. Off. Les Bradley: from Ashington area I think Fg. Off. Bill Simms Fg. Off. Ginger Friend: think had plans for HM Customs & Excise Fg. Off. Roy Williams: Posted to B?ckeburg PHU 4-55; SYLT 5-55 Sgt. Plt. Bill ‘Ted’ Williams: Badly smashed up at SYLT by a VW on peri track. Hospitalised for about six months. Came back to Sqn. after we had converted to Hunter Mk 4 which was not happy on elevator after 350 knots or so without using trimmer. Beat up the caravan at OLDENBURG and did not recover from dive, 23-10-55. (WV271 which I had left there having gone u/s on a diversion the previous Friday evening. Was told to get back by road PDQ as was OO for weekend.) Flt. Lt. Brian Watson: Ex CRANWELL Plt. Off. Derek Stacey: Ex CRANWELL. Crashed into wood in FASSBURG area, out of bottom of large cunim on low level X-Cty. Vampire 5 Fg. Off. Fred Maycock: Pianist extraordinaire and artist impressionist. He and I were messing with his super radio and picked up the first Comet 1 crash search aircraft. Fg. Off. Pete Langstone Fg. Off. Alan Armitage Plt.Off. Michael Shearer: (Well known name at Newcastle!)

B Flight

Flt Lt. Tony Vasey: Posted 10-55. Heard from Canada, chap I trained with then in RCAF, that Tony had lectured him at their Staff College, late 50’s early 60’s I guess. Fg. Off. George Beaton: Posted 9-54 CFS then MIDDLETON ST. GEORGE where I had a ride on his practice for Battle of Britain display in 1955. Fg. Off. Doug Bridson: Posted COSFORD – ST. ATHAN. Flew Commercials on his leaves. Talented snooker player damn him. Fg. Off. Dave Clayton: Posted 3-55 RAF FARNBOROUGH. Tony Pearce and I went to the show as his guests and rode the C119 with the cine crew. Got some great shots myself sat between the legs of the Movitone tripod. Fg. Off. Pete Phillps: Posted 3-55 CFS – SWINDERBY Fg. Off. Bob Smith: Another lad from Northumberland. Saw action as Forward controller in 1956 when the RN had an almost direct hit on their Landrover I heard. Posted 6-55 92 Sqn.. LINTON UPON OUSE. Fg. Off Les ‘Speed’ Swart: Heard he was with 111 Black Arrows team in Hunters sometime later. Fg. Off. Ron ‘Chub’ Gray: Left Sqn.. November 55 for demob. Joined 607 (County of Durham Squadron at RAF OUSTON 3 March 1956 and probably the cause of the demise of the RAux AF 10 March 1957. Later in Army Emergency Reserve, then TA 251 (Sunderland) Field Ambualnce RAMV(V) as MTO then QM. Still at these advanced years showing a little chubbiness Fg. Off. Ken Richardson: Killed while on Air Firing detachment SYLT 8-10-54 Sabre Mk. 4. Leading a tail chase of 4 (Dave Clayton Pete Phillips, Ron Gray) when flag went u/s, broke up on impact with sea south of island. Fg. Off. John ‘Jock’ Jack: Trained in USA on T-33’s. DH Vampire 5 and 9, then the Sabre 4 which he thought was the best thing since sliced bread, but flew too slow a circuit, stalled and crashed south of JEVER 8-7-54. Fg. Off. Pete Smith Fg. Off. Charlie Boyack: Read he got involved with management of Red Arrows when he was a Wingco. Believe was involved with helicopter squadron (?19) ; info from pilots of Westland Wessex on practice casevac with 251 Fd. Amb. at Scharfoldendorf mid 70’s. Fg. Off. Ian ‘Jan’ Madison: Wise with his money, bought new a beautiful VW Beetle small rear window which would be worth a mint now. Met him in Newcastle late 50’s; was at RAF ACKLINGTON I believe. Fg. Off. Tony Pearce
Fg. Off. Bob Daniels: Always gave his tackle a dose of after shave! Shudder! Fg. Off. Malcolm ‘Bill’ Blake Plt. Off. Fred Dawson