Eddie was in the Royal Air Force for some 35 years.   During this time he enjoyed a successful, varied, and rewarding career and made many friends.   It's quite impossible to do full justice to the whole of this period in the time available to me this afternoon, so I am just going to pick out a few of the highlights from his flying career.

In 1935, when Eddie was a mere 5 years old, an event took place which was going to have a great influence on his future career.   It was the arrival of Alan Cobham's flying circus.   Flying circuses travelled the country giving air displays and joy rides with the aim of promoting air mindedness.   These displays helped to fire the enthusiasm of the youth of the country to fly.   When the war came in 1939, there was a ready supply of volunteers for aircrew.   Both Eddie, and I for that matter, were strongly influenced by Alan Cobham.

In September 1951 Eddie joined the RAF as a Cadet Pilot.   He had the good fortune to start his training during a period of expansion due to the Korean war.   This meant that there was little delay between courses, and his training proceeded with urgency.   The RAF standards for pilot training are exceedingly high and very demanding, so it came as no surprise to find that at the end of the ITW ground training course alone, about 40% of the original candidates had been rejected.

In March 1952, Eddie flew out to Southern Rhodesia for the next stage of his pilot training.   Whilst his aircraft was refuelling at Entebbe airport in Uganda, he watched a BOAC Comet land and take off, and said that's for me.   Little did he think then that one day he would fly the Comet and play an important role in the introduction of the Comet into service with RAF Transport Command.

The next stage of flying training (called Basic) was done on the Chipmunk.   Eddie quickly confirmed that flying was what he wanted to do, and he found flying exhilarating.   Eddie once described aerobatics as poetry in motion.

He went solo after seven hours of instruction.   Years later, he was able to describe the thrill and excitement of going solo.   For those who don't fly, first solo is a very important milestone in any pilots career, and is a great morale booster.

The final stage of his flying training (called Applied) was done on the American built Harvard.   Eddie successfully passed out in November 1952 with an above average assessment and won his wings and also the Cup of Honour.   He returned to UK a few days later.

In mid December he was sent to RAF Feltwell in Norfolk for a month's acclimatisation training.   This was necessary because even though we had trained in simulated instrument flying, most pilots from Rhodesia had never flown in cloud, bad weather, or icing conditions.   It was quite a cultural shock to return to flying in the depth of the English winter weather.

In March 1953, Eddie went to RAF Full Sutton for his jet conversion on the Meteor which again was a quantum leap forward.   One was dealing with an aircraft that had no propeller, and which was much heavier and faster than the Harvard.   Flying on just one of two engines was another new dimension.   At this stage Eddie was selected for posting to a Venom squadron in Germany so he went to RAF Driffield for conversion on to the Vampire, followed by operational role training at RAF Chivenor.

In August 1953, whilst flying a Vampire at Chivenor, Eddie had cause to bale out of his aircraft because it was falling to pieces as a result of a mid air collision.   He landed in the sea and was picked up by a pleasure boat unharmed.   He was very lucky to survive.   This incident clearly demonstrated that he was able to keep a cool head in an emergency, and do everything correctly - a valuable attribute in any pilot.

Eddie became a member of the exclusive Caterpillar Club.   He was the 559th user of a GQ chute to save his life by parachute.   Naturally, he was pleased that all his safety equipment worked well.   It was also typical of the man that later he gave some money to the airmen who had packed his parachute.   Surprisingly, it was not until after his death that I discovered the details of this incident in his log book.   [See further below].

In October 1953, Eddie joined his first squadron - No. 98 Squadron at RAF Fassberg, in Germany flying Venoms which was a development of the Vampire.   He enjoyed his time in Germany and did all the usual things that any young fighter pilot would do either operationally or socially.   After a year on the squadron, he took over the role of Squadron Adjutant.   The Squadron moved from Fassberg to Jever where the squadron converted to the day fighter role on Hunters.

Unfortunately, No. 98 Squadron was one of the first to be disbanded under the "Sandys axe" which proposed that future UK defence would mainly be done by missiles - everyone but the politicians knew this policy was fatally flawed, but the cuts still went ahead and the number of RAF fighter squadrons was reduced by over 50%.   So ended an enjoyable four and a half years in Germany.

Eddie was an active member of an old boys association having the unlikely title of The Jever Steam Laundry.   This meets in London every January and Eddie always enjoyed attending these reunions.

It would take far too long to explain how this organisation got its title.   However, if you want to know more, go on to Google and type in The Jever Steam Laundry.   You will be surprised by this large and active organisation.

On return to UK, Eddie was posted as a Flight Commander at the boy entrant Technical Training School a RAF Cosford.   However, Cosford also proved to be a life changing posting because there he met Amaryl who was serving in the PM's.   They were married on 20 December 1958 and as you will all be aware, Amaryl devoted the next 48 years to Eddie's comfort and well being.   He could not have been looked after better.   He remained at Cosford until March 1960.

In April 1960 Eddie joined No. 216 Squadron at RAF Lyneham as a Comet 2 copilot thus fulfilling his earlier desire to fly Comets from the day he first saw one at Entebbe in March 1952 whilst on the way to do his training in Rhodesia.

This began a love affair with a superb aircraft which lasted until the day of his death.   Very few aircraft have captured the hearts and minds of everyone who came into contact this aircraft - aircrew and ground crew alike.   The Comet was a very rare bird in this respect.   Feelings and emotions about the Comet era perhaps run even stronger today than they did originally.

At this time, Comets were kings of the sky and were the only jet transports regularly flying the world's air routes.   Unlike today, the Comet had virtual freedom to go anywhere, or at any height it wanted above 30,000 feet.   Between April 1960 and February 1962 Eddie became an experienced and effective copilot on the Comet 2 having flown virtually everywhere in the world and crewed on a number of important VIP and casualty evacuation flights.

Eddie transferred from the Comet 2 to the Comet 4C flight in February 1962, and converted on to the new aircraft, initially as a copilot.   The experience he gained as a copilot on the Comet 4C proved invaluable when he became a Captain in 1963 and he quickly obtained his "B" Category which enabled him to carry VIP's all around the world.

Amongst those personalities he flew were Prime Ministers such as Harold Wilson, Alec Douglas Home, and Dr Hastings Banda.   A notable and demanding flight took Denis Healey, who was then S of S for Defence, to some 20 different airfields in 12 days whilst circling the globe.   He flew numerous Chiefs of Defence Staff and service chiefs.   For example, one particular flight of interest collected all the holders of the VC and GC from various places around the world and brought them all back to London.

In March 1966, Eddie joined the training branch at HQ Transport Command at Upavon where he ably looked after synthetic training aids such as flight simulators until June 1968 when he returned to 216 Squadron at Lyneham as the Comet 4 Flight Commander working with me, as Squadron Commander, from 1969.

As far as our Air Force life was concerned, I had the good fortune to have Eddie's services on two separate occasions, both on the Comet 4C's.   Latterly, he was my deputy and a very able and efficient one he turned out to be.   Everything could safely be left to him and I never had the slightest worry that anything would go wrong.   Eddie was always extremely loyal, diligent, supportive, efficient, and particularly helpful with things on the squadron.   I was enormously grateful for his support.

In retirement, Eddie became an active member of the Comet Association which meets every two years - another old boys and girls association.   He took great pride in meeting former colleagues at these reunions.

After his successful flying career, Eddie went on to serve in a number of different ground appointments until he retired from the RAF in May 1986.   These included running the Ops room at Bahrain; at MOD looking after aircraft modifications; Strike Command at High Wycombe; NATO Brussels, and finally to MOD again in Foreign Liaison.

I hope I have managed to convey one side - the flying side of Eddie's many sided and interesting life.   I think I probably speak for everyone here when I say that we are all much the richer for having known him.   Everyone enjoyed his company.   He was also a very old friend and we will all miss him very much.

Monday, February 12, 2007

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Report of Eddie's near miss at RAF Chivenor on 7th August 1953:

Flying Vampire FB.5 VV490 RS-J from No 229 OCU at Chivenor the tailplane of Eddie's aircraft struck the starboard wing of Vampire T.11 WZ467 also from 229 OCU.   There was only minor damage to the T.11 wingtip.   This was during a "join up formation" manoeuvre.   Eddie's Vampire went out of control and into a steep spiral dive, crashing into the sea 2 miles off Ilfracombe.   Eddie baled out successfully and landed near Lee in North Devon.   (Thanks to David Watkins).