835 Royal Naval Air Squadron Old Comrades Reunion Website
Newsletter 2008
GEORGE ARBER has moved to 11 Hastings Drive, Surbiton, Surrey KT6 5NX (Tel: 0208 390 3737). He tells us that he goes to the occasional FAA reunion, and asks to be remembered to all his friends in the Squadron, wishing them well, and saying “Keep smiling and enjoy life while you can”.
WILLIE ARMSTRONG probably has the longest and most eventful service record of anyone in the Squadron. He tells us that he joined the Navy as a Seaman Boy (Second Class) in 1937, and retired as a Lieut-Cdr in 1970. He served in the Atlantic, the Arctic, the English Channel (Dunkirk), the Channel Islands, the Mediterranean and the Indian and Pacific Oceans. He flew in the Shark, Osprey, Roc, Skua, Swordfish, Albacore, Walrus, Henly, Blenheim, Maryland, Barracuda, Anson, Avenger, Sea Prince and Firefly. (Sorry Willie, if I have left any out!). When he left the Navy, he became the Chief Administration Officer at Huntingdon Technical College. Since 1985 he and his wife Sallie have been enjoying his well earned retirement.
KEN ATKINSON and his wife Elizabeth are both well – apart from “suffering from advancing years!” Ken is an inspiration to us all. He is still flying – and from the pilot’s cockpit! He writes, “In July 07, I had a 30 minute flight in a Tiger Moth at Kidlington airfield, as a birthday present from one of my sons. The pilot must have been reasonably impressed by my ability, as he allowed me to land the aircraft – or as he put it, “drive it on” – in bumpy conditions. The last time I flew a Tiger Moth (or indeed any aircraft) was in 1950.” This great feat has been recorded for posterity in a photograph, which many of us were lucky enough to get as a Christmas card. Well done, Ken!
BILL BANHAM.
When he left the Squadron, Bill joined the Fairey Aviation Company, and
in due course became Manager of their Sales and Products Support
Division (Hydraulics) based at Heston. After 29 years with them, he
joined Fairey Microfiltrex based at Fareham for a further
10 years. Since he retired in 1984, Bill has done a lot of voluntary
work, mostly at the Sue Ryder home near Nettlebed. He still helps there
a couple of days a week, in what used to be
Ian Flemming’s ancestral home. Bill tells us that he has 2 daughters, 6
grandchildren, and – wait for it! – 16 great-grandchildren, more than
half of whom live in Australia or New Zealand.
JOCK BEVAN and his family are well. His 2 sons live close to him in Ardfern, and are into organic farming. His nephew, Tim Bevan, directed the splendid and hugely successful film, ATONEMENT. Jock writes, “I get great pleasure from keeping tabs on my old mates, but feel I haven’t done anything during the past year that might possibly be of interest to any of them”. I’m sure this is not the case, and we all hope for a further report next year!
AL BURGHAM and his wife Jean are also an inspiration to all of us: still together and still happily married with a combined age (I believe) of nearly 180. Al tells us that he has kept in touch with almost all our 835 fighter pilots, and several of the TBR pilots. He is still driving. He and Jean spent a highly enjoyable Christmas with their son Ian and his family at their lakeside cottage near the Provincial Park – a haven for wildlife. Ian has just had a book of his poems published. Two of his daughters are in the UK: Julia at Edinburgh, and Emma at Oxford. Emma will be getting married this August in Aberdeen, and we all very much hope that Al and Jean will be there. Al has recently had a problem with bladder stones, and will be having surgery at about the time you read this letter. However, having survived Surtees in the Arctic, I’m sure a few stones will be no problem. Best of luck Al, and we will all be routing for you.
DI CONWELL writes “I feel it is time for me to say “au revoir”, with regret. I am now out of touch with any of the Squadron, except of course, Humph and Reia Jones.”
JOHN CRIDLAND’S niece, Fiona Davies, has sent us this update. “Really there is little to tell you about John except that he continues to be happy and well cared for in a specialist facility for Alzheimer’s sufferers in Cleveland, Ohio. He has some good friends who visit him regularly and who tell us he is in good spirits, but really has no memory at all. Earlier this year, I applied for his Arctic Star and sent it to him. His carers say he liked it, but did not really understand that it was for him. They have put it in a showcase outside his room for all to see”. Many thanks for this, Fiona.
PETER CROSS. The death has been reported of one of our “Long lost” members, who served in 835 from January to September 1943. After leaving the Squadron, Peter flew night-flying Mosquitoes with the RAF.
BILL DALTON and his wife Di are well – apart from struggling with arthritis. Bill says he has not much news, but then adds “We still keep in contact with my brother’s long-lost girlfriend, Marie Kay, whose eyesight is fading, but who still enjoys being taken out for lunch.” The fact that Bill and Di are still in touch with Marie some 65 years after Bill’s brother Jack Dalton disappeared in mid-Atlantic, is surely proof of the camaraderie enjoyed by all members of the Squadron – full or honorary, male or female, living or dead.
JOHN EAMES’S daughter Florian writes: “John asks to be remembered to all the friends and colleagues from the Squadron. Unfortunately, his health has deteriorated, and he and his wife Penelope (who has had a severe stroke) are now in a residential nursing home in Fishbourne, near their house in Chichester. John would love to hear from any of his colleagues who may remember him, with any news or recollections from the Squadron (although due to his health, he may not be able to reply). John and Penelope’s new address is Manor Barn, 2 Appledram Lane, Fishbourne, Chichester, West Sussex PO20 7PE.” Many thanks for this, Florian.
DERRICK EDWARDS and his wife Leslie are both reasonably well – “she keeps me on my toes”, he writes. In 1950, Derrick joined the Royal Navy on a 4 year short service commission. He was posted to Malta, which he much enjoyed since it coincided with his honeymoon. In his 4 years’ service he flew 11 different types of aircraft, including Mosquitoes, Sea Vampires, Sea Furys, Avengers, Meteors, Fireflies and (wait for it!) Swordfish. He has recently had an article published on the Roc and the Skua. Congratulations, Derrick; it is a major accomplishment to get anything published nowadays!
CHARLES GOUGH and his wife Julie had a difficult year, having to cope with poor health and the death of Charles’s brother. Charles sometimes goes to the Merseyside “first of the month meetings” but says the number of those attending is declining.
DENIS HUDSON keeps in touch, mainly by phone, with quite a few of the Squadron. He is “reasonably fit” – not bad for close on 90! – and is justifiably proud of his 3 grandchildren, all of whom have degrees.
HANS WERNER-GROSSE and his wife put us all to shame. They have just returned home after a holiday in Switzerland: skating, skiing, and dancing the night away. They had a great time. Hans is still flying his glider. He will outlive us all!
HUMPHREY AND REIA JONES write: “Humph is still working for the Army at its 4 star HQ at Wilton in the engineering support area. He remains in good health and has just qualified for his bus pass! He serves as a Town Councillor for Tidworth, and continues to enjoy touring round Britain with a caravan. Reia will soon have completed 20 years working at a Joint Service HQ at Andover, running the General’s outer office. She is well, and is the Managing Secretary of the small caravan club that we rally with. She still has the small pink car that many will remember. We run the Squadron website: www.835Squadron.co.uk which is well worth a visit, with sections including History, Contact, Stories, FAQ and the Newsletter.
JOHN LLOYD has not been too fit. Together with his good friend, Margaret, he is doing his best to put together something for the Newsletter, but this may have to be sent to you separately some time in the future.
DICK MALLET. Did you know that Dick had the distinction of being in the first Albacore to be shot down in World War II – in the English Channel, off Calais! He is currently writing his reminiscences for his 14 grandchildren, who – like so many young people today – are showing much interest in what their antediluvian ancestors got up to in the war. Dick is still driving, and has made a very reasonable recovery from the accident that he had – through no fault of his own – while coming to a recent reunion. By the time you read this, he will be about to celebrate his 90th birthday. Well done, Ops!
SAM MEARNS has been adding a ground floor extension to his home “using endless rubble and stones from the old Coastguard house, and limestone blocks from the rebuilt Lifeboat house.” The reason for all this activity is that his wife Anne has had several operations on her leg, and now finds stairs difficult if not impossible. Sam himself has recently been in hospital with a lung infection, but is now considerably better. As some of you know, Sam was for many years a stalwart of the Courtmacsherry lifeboat. Probably only those who have crewed in a lifeboat can fully appreciate the camaraderie that this gives rise to. And it must mean a lot to Sam and Anne that this new extension now gives them, not only “an enchanting panoramic view of Courtmacsherry Bay”, but also a sight of the lifeboat that has long been part of their lives. I am reminded by the old adage “how better can a seaman end his days than by watching other people put to sea.”
DAVID NEWBERY says he doesn’t feel that he has much to contribute to a newsletter. We wish him the best possible luck with the chemotherapy he is currently having to cope with.
DONALD PAYNE. (Since I’ve been asking all of you for a contribution I suppose I had better make one myself!). I am lucky enough to be keeping reasonably fit, and am still able to drive, pay a bit of bowls and do a bit of gardening. I must be the only member of the Squadron foolish enough still to be working! I’m having two books published later this year. One is a book on the Swordfish – hopefully the publishers will be sending you details in due course.
LESLIE PAINE tells us that he is Editor of “The National Association of Primary Care Review”, and that he is writing a short history of The Psychiatry Research Trust, of which he is the Director. He is also working on “a set of tales about characters in a mythical London hospital, known as Saint Morts” (if this does half as well as “Doctor in the House”, Leslie will soon be a millionaire!). It seems that he too has plans for a book about the Swordfish.
BABS PITTS has decided to stay in the house that she and Ted were so happy in in Longlevens. She is reasonably fit, and has 2 new knees. Some of her cousins live not far away, and she sees quite a bit of them. The garden where Ted grew his splendid vegetables has been made more “old-age-friendly”. Babs values the support of the Squadron; and perhaps this is the right place to record the affection we all had for Ted, who achieved many good things in life (like landing safely although he couldn’t see the batsman) with the minimum of fuss.
DERYK RAVENHILL. It is a happy coincidence that the names Pitts and Ravenhill are close alphabetically, because Ted and Deryk were close both in childhood and in the Squadron. In the latter, rumour had it that because Ted’s eyesight was not too good, when he came in to land, Deryk stood up in the observer’s cockpit, and relayed the batsman’s signals to the pilot. After the war Deryk went to East Anglia where he now lives, seemingly surrounded by tall and beautiful young ladies. We used to think of him as being exceptionally tall: but apparently – like most of us in our mid-eighties – he has shrunk, and his daughter Phinoula is now taller than he is.
JOHN ROBERTS’s daughter, Barbara Hemmingway, tells us that her mother is reasonably fit physically, but that her memory is not what it might be. However, she is being well helped and looked after. Barbara and her husband have 3 grandchildren – all boys – “How Dad would have loved teaching them cricket!” she writes. Barbara herself is well and enjoys gardening. Her husband is into classic cars, though they don’t, she says, have as much spare time as they would like because running the family business is so time consuming.
BOB SELLEY writes “I am very sorry to have to tell you that I shall be unable to produce the Annual Newsletter this year. Midge and I are both getting caught up by anno domini; and Midge has some medical problems which have slowed her down considerably, so much so in fact that I have been appointed her “Official Carer”. The amount of spare time I have is therefore very much limited. After serving nigh on 3 years in 834, organised 3 reunions and produced 2 Newsletters after the reunions ended, I feel I have done my bit. I am extremely grateful to those of you who have given me such support during my editorship, particularly those of you who took the trouble to write and express their appreciation of the work that had been put into the production of the Newsletters”. Bob has only 2 other bits of news. He writes “all 4 grandchildren are doing well at school. Luke, who is hoping to become a surgeon, was made head boy of his school…… Our only other bit of excitement (if you can call it that!) was receiving a speeding ticket for travelling at 39mph on what I thought was a 40mph zone, but turned out to be a 30mph zone.” No-one has done more than Bob to keep the spirit of 835 alive; and I’m sure I speak for us all when I say “Well done, thank you, and all the best to you and Midge in the future.”
DAVID WHITTICK and his wife Joyce have not much news. Because of his stroke, David finds speech difficult; but otherwise he is reasonably fit, and can get about, drive, garden and enjoy his computer. Joyce’s balance is not 100%, but she insists she is “fine”. They have 9 grandchildren, the youngest aged 6, all of them doing well.
Most of us who served in the Squadron are now closer to 90 than to 80. So it is hardly surprising that we are not as sprightly as we used to be. May I take it as said that we all wish one another the best of luck with our various health problems.
If you want a Newsletter next year, will someone take the job on? I said I would do it for one year only.