We are bidding farewell to Mo on Friday 11th July 2014.
The Ceremony will commence at 12:45 in Gurudwara Sahib Garib Nawaj, Springfield Rd., Hayes, UB4 0LT.
From there , the procession moves onto Breakspear Crematorium, Ruislip, HA4 7SJ, via RAF Northolt , arriving promptly at 14:30. Here Friends and Colleagues may offer their last respects to Mo, lying in state in the Chapel.
The Ceremonies will culminate in a final prayer and a meal back at the Gurudwara. You may attend all of the above or then choose to come directly to the spacious Crematorium, for 14:30 .
Please do join us in supporting Mo one last time.
No flowers please. Donations are welcome towards a supported charity . RSVP.
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From the fourfax records: Mo served on Britannias at RAF Brize Norton until their disbandment in December 1975; January 1976 to June 1976 on Lightnings at RAF Wattisham; July 1976 to July 1979 on Jaguars at RAF Coltishall, initially in ASF, then on 54 Sqn upon promotion to Sergeant. De-mobbed in July 1979 and in August of 1979 joined British Airways at Heathrow Airport. June 1989 left British Airways and joined Emirates Airlines in July 1989.
Responsible for rescue of Sardo-voyager (PSI bus at Decimommanu) which broke down with a seized engine near an oil refinery due to lack of oil, during a day trip to the Grottos during the 1971 Sqn detachment. Personal assurance by Sqn.Ldr. Pat King that the Sardo-Voyager was fully serviceable during a briefing for a subsequent detachment!
If I might be allowed to introduce myself, I am the Director, Project Engineering & Airframe Compliance, The People’s Mosquito Ltd. We are a charitable organization with but one aim – to restore a Mosquito to flight status, and see it based in the UK, as a flying memorial to all those who were associated with this magnificent aircraft. After negotiations with the CAA, we can announce that our New Zealand partner, Aerowood Ltd has begun production of a series of Mosquito wing ribs in Canadian Spruce and other woods, a the first stage of the project. Obviously, we would welcome any help towards the quite considerable costs of this venture, and since No. IV Squadron operated both the PR.XVI and the superb FB.VI (the version we are building) we do hope that members of the Association might wish to donate towards our fundraising appeal.
You can find out more about our work on the following webpage, which also has a splendid colour film, shot in August, 1944, showing the Mosquito in action.
Keith Vaughan (Royal Air Force Photographers’ Association) has written the first part of a career history about Sqn Ldr Bryan W. Smithers, DFC, 1918-2004, whose first posting was to No.IV Sqn, 1939-40. Thirty years later Keith worked closely with him on African aerial survey projects in the air and on the ground.
Included is an illustrated wartime newspaper article detailing operational training and methods. A probable explanation of a photograph from your gallery is featured, as well as some transcripts of the Operational Record Books.
Another one from Pete Mears’s archive. “Ahden during Exercise March Hare 1973. The field was so soggy we could only operate one Harrier (XV797) with each sortie consisting of a vertical take-off and landing from the MEXE Pad. The four pilots, Pete Taylor, Jock Heron, Whitney Griffiths and Pete Bennett, (shown fighting for the cockpit), managed fourteen sorties in one day – was that a record, I wonder? The aircraft and pilot were lost in a crash the following year.”
What? A Hollywood-style formation drama: “Saving Bugsy Bendell”
Where? 40,000ft in a No.IV (AC) Sqn pair from RAF Jever, 2nd Tactical Air Force
When? Second sortie on 28th March, 1958
Why? The Hunter’s pre-modified oxygen masks and connector system
On that memorable day 54 years ago, when flying from RAF Jever, my second sortie of three started quite normally. With two full inboard drop tanks the F Mk 6 took 7 minutes, so an extra 75 seconds from wheels roll to make 40,000ft. Within what seemed to me, both then and now, like a slowly developing Hollywood film drama, events rapidly unfolded, literally out of a bright blue sky but this way up above a lot of clouds. It had been a standard pairs take-off and climb-out through these several layers of cloud, mostly thick, deep and bumpy, with eventual tops above 30,000 ft.
Fg Off Tony ‘Bugs’ Bendell being briefed during a IV(AC) Squadron Sylt Armament Practice Camp by Fg Off Alan Pollock (right in dyed, rifle green 26 (AC) Sqn flying suit) probably in March 1958
1. Harrier Force Association all ranks get-together in the Punch Bowl, 21 Scotgate, Stamford, on Friday 6 December from 5pm onwards
2. Ian Wilkes’ WIWOH (When I Was On Harriers) Annual Christmas Drinks, Railway Inn, Ketton, Sunday 15 December 8pm onwards
From Frank Tewkesbury (now living on the Gold Coast in Australia):
Trying to make contact with ex-Flt Lt Bill “Shafer” Shepherd who was a Swift aerobatics pilot at RAF Gutersloh
between 1961-1964. He used to live at Redland in Bristol but where he is now, only he knows. I was an SAC and used to work with him in the Operations Room during our Battle Flight commitments. Great bloke. Would love to get to talk to him again.
“COLD WAR, HOT JETS” BBC 2 now being screened on FRIDAY, 8th November at 9pm and, one imagines, one week later. The first programme’s focus seems to be on the ‘development of the jet engine’.
You may remember that we tried, many moons ago, to marshal whomever we could for the programme which the BBC was wanting to research and film, initially on airmen’s earlier memories and reminiscences about the Korean Air War. It was rather strange how this focus at the Beeb altered from the half dozen we suggested mostly ex-Sabre. Separately the BBC team seemed not to grasp both the importance, vulnerability & high losses of the SAAF Mustangs – an excellent voice recording by AV-M John Howe of this aspect has been easily available at the Imperial War Museum in the Korean War section for decades, at the touch of a button, with an impressively rapid fire description of his memories of all those sorties and targets.
The BBC contacts and I were particularly grateful for Ken Parry’s timely E & pointer to our making contact, from memory through Richie Profit, with Flt Lt J J Johnny Walker, who is now living out in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia but Johnny did manage to meet up in UK for some filming with the BBC team. He had flown Meteors in Korea with RAAF 77 Sqn Meteors.
From what Eric Macey has kindly let us know now is that some or all of that venture may well have been absorbed completely into this wider two-part programme, originally for the series “Jets in the Cold War” and now re-titled “Hot Jets, Cold War”. Besides Johnny & Eric Macey (AV-M who was on 4 Course Hunters at Pembrey then 263 and 1(F) Squadron Hunters and then over into V-Force), I believe that Martin Bee has also contributed on the Fighter side but sadly not his U-2 experiences of five decades ago, amazingly still rather ‘sub rosa’ despite other publications elsewhere.
Just a final thank you also to all those who helped us trace our ex-Korean Air War guys for the BBC and set the Beeb off on this track which seems to have morphed into some of this two part documentary.
I have been asked by Susan Liversidge to inform the Sqn that her husband, Wg Cdr(Retd) Brian Liversidge died on 20 Oct 13. Brian was your sites operations officer at Wildenrath from 1972 to 1975. He was again with the HF at Gutersloh in 1985 when he commanded 33 Wg RAF Regt.
Sue Liversidge’s address is: 12 Wroxham Close, Colchester, Essex CO3 3RQ
Condolences to Sue.
[Update]
From Jack Cobb and Syd Morris:
The funeral service will be private, but a Service of Thanksgiving for his life will be held on Monday 18th November at 14:00hrs. St Leonard’s Church, Lexden Road, Colchester Essex CO3 4BL. Enquiries to Hunnaball of Colchester 01206 760049
Afterwards at The Officers’ Club, St Johns Green, Colchester, CO2 7EZ. Sue L says all are welcome to share some memories over a few beers.
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