THE RAF CAREER OF JOHN CHARLES 'CHUCK' AGAR 1947 – 1969 Prepared by Stephen R Davies

1947 - Aircraftman Charles Agar reported to the RAF Police School at Staverton to begin his initial police training in July, after completing his recruit training at RAF Wilmslow in Cheshire. He recalls that the airfield at the time was not in use and that the former aircraft hangars, station headquarters, sick quarters, cookhouse, NAAFI and the hutted accommodation for the other ranks were located on the west side of the unit, while the RAF Police Dog Training School was located on the east side of the unit and separated by a public road that ran north and south. At the time the school, which was divided into ‘A’ Squadron and ‘B’ Squadron, was an extremely busy place running initial police courses for airmen on regular engagements and airmen on National Service as well as running post-graduate advanced courses. While ‘A’ Squadron was located at Staverton, ‘B’ Squadron comprising National Service trainees was located at RAF Churchdown, a somewhat isolated satellite unit situated between Yale and Bristol. Because there was an acute shortage of accommodation for the RAF Police trainees at Staverton, many of them, including Aircraftman Agar were billeted ‘under canvas’ with four men sharing a tent that was devoid of electric lighting. Even so, the trainees were expected to be smartly turned out each morning for the inspection parade. Each man was issued a camp bed and five blankets; sheets were not issued, and although there were electric lights in the nearby huts there were no electrical sockets and therefore adapters fitted to the light fittings had to be used when ironing uniforms. Each week the Station Commander; Group Captain A A Newbury, personally inspected the trainees on parade. He would turn up in his private car to be met by the wing commander and while his pet German Shepherd dog ran around loose he would inspect each man in minute detail.

In December, Aircraftman Agar, having successfully completed his initial police training, was posted across to the Dog Training School to begin his training to become a dog handler. Unfortunately, at the time there was an outbreak of distemper in the kennels and as such the dogs affected were quarantined and the movement of personnel around the kennels was strictly controlled so as to minimize the spread of the disease. Initially, Agar and a fellow trainee were allocated to the meat preparation area to assist in butchering the meat each morning for the dogs. It was in connection with that task that they went out on a couple of occasions with a three ton truck loaded with clean empty dustbins to the abattoirs in Cheltenham, Painswick and Stroud to collect the meat. After the ‘restrictions’ connected with the distemper infection were lifted, Agar and his fellow trainees began their training under the guidance of corporal instructors; Darnell, Irvine and Bruce.

In late February, with his training successfully completed, newly promoted Acting Corporal Agar and his dog were posted to RAF Marston Moor near where he joined three other dog handlers stationed at the unit. Although at the time, RAF Police dogs were entitled to a daily ration of two and a half pounds of meat and eight ounces of dry tack biscuits, there seemed to be a problem in justifying and obtaining it from the NCO in charge of the cookhouse. The senior dog handler, himself only an acting corporal, went to report the matter to the Station Adjutant, who was the officer nominated to command the RAF Police, but he seemed unconcerned and dismissed the dog handler with the unconvincing promise that he would deal with the matter. When the situation had not improved after a couple of days, Agar was sent to complain to the adjutant again who turned out to be quite aggressive and unconcerned. After the confrontation, Agar managed to obtain a lift in the transport that was going to York and on the way he was dropped off at RAF Rufforth, which was also the home base of the RAF Police District Assistant Provost Marshal (APM); Squadron Leader Wilson. Having gained an audience with the APM, Agar explained the problems he and his colleagues were having in obtaining the daily rations for their dogs. As luck had it, the APM was on friendly terms with the Army major quarter- master in York and promised to sort out the problem. Agar returned to his unit and sure enough the following day and thereon after, the allotted rations for the dogs were ready to be collected. The APM it seems had fulfilled his promise to help. Unfortunately, the Station Adjutant heard about the intervention and was furious. He sent for Agar and demanded to know who had given him permission to go and speak to the District APM. At that point, Agar stunned the officer by replying that he was not aware that he had to seek permission to speak to his brother-in-law. After that, it seems that there were no further problems with the adjutant.

1948 - On the 13 July, having completed his tour of duty at RAF Marston Moor, Corporal Agar was just one of a group of eighteen RAF Police dog handlers who arrived at Port Said in Egypt after a long and tiring voyage from the UK by troopship. Shortly after the vessel had moored in the harbour the operation to disembark the passengers began using Army landing craft to take them ashore. Once assembled on the quayside the RAF contingent, who were wearing full marching order and carrying one of their two kit bags, was marched down to the railway station. By the time they arrived there they were all sweating profusely in the scorching heat. However, they were not dismissed to rest but were lined up by a RAF Regiment sergeant and given a lecture about Egypt; the political situation and more importantly, the Egyptian people themselves. Amongst the many 'do's and don'ts' the sergeant listed was a warning not to display fountain pens in breast pockets because the Egyptians were very quick to steal them without the owner realising. When the sergeant looked down to his own breast pocket to demonstrate what he meant he realised with some embarrassment that some-one had already stolen his pen. After the lecture, the RAF contingent were told to stand easy to await the imminent arrival of the train that was taking them on to the transit unit at RAF El Hamra. However, some time later when the train failed to appear, the contingent was dismissed into the shade of a nearby railway shed while enquiries were made as to whereabouts of the train. When it was confirmed that the train was running late, the troops were given a light meal comprising a sandwich, a small cake and a mug of tea. After a couple of hours, the troop train finally appeared and the men were ordered to board it for the journey to El Hamra. After spending a week at RAF El Hamra living in tents, Agar and the other seventeen dog handlers were posted to the RAF Police dog training school that had been established at 112MU at Wadi Ysira, to be re-teamed with dogs. With the exception of one volunteer from the Woman’s Voluntary Service (WVS), the unit was an all male establishment.

By early September, having successfully re-teamed with a new dog Corporal Agar was posted initially onto the ‘B’ Mobile Dog Section. The Mobile Dog Section provided RAF Police dog teams on a random basis to patrol RAF units at night along the Suez Canal Zone. Shortly after joining the team he was patrolling one particular unit with his dog when suddenly the sound of a bullet passed close to him. It transpired that one of the RAF guards, thinking he was an intruder, had opened fire on him. Apparently, no-one had bothered to inform the armed guards that a dog team was patrolling their area. After that incident Agar was always a little wary when patrolling new areas in the still of the night.

1950 – In January, Corporal Agar, having served as a dog handler at six different units within the Suez Canal Zone was posted to RAF Habbaniya in Iraq with Corporal Alexander to form a new dog section there. During his twenty months spent in Egypt the RAF Police dog teams had played an important role in helping to protect RAF assets from theft and damage and indeed, on a number of occasions those seeking to steal or destroy RAF material, who were routinely armed, had been apprehended by the dogs on patrol. After a short while two other dog handlers and their dogs were posted into Habbanyia bringing the section strength up to four teams. For Agar, Habbanyia was the best RAF station he had served on up to that point. It was like a small town and well appointed with amenities. The food being served in the cookhouse was good and plentiful and the daily rations for the dogs were of an equal standard. Unlike Egypt, the Iraqi people seemed friendlier towards the RAF and were not as inclined to steal anything not guarded. Once settled in to their new environment the dog handlers concentrated their night-time patrols around the technical and domestic areas of the camp while NCOs from the RAF Police Mounted Section with their horses patrolled the airfield and outer reaches of the camp.

Corporal Agar arrived at Southampton two days before Christmas on the Troopship Empire Ken, after serving almost two and a half years out in Egypt and Iraq. After completing his disembarkation leave he was posted onto station police duties and was later promoted to the rank of sergeant.

1953 – In January, Corporal Agar who was stationed at RAF Staxton Wold was promoted to the rank of sergeant and posted to RAF Bentley Priory, the home of Headquarters Fighter Command. Shortly after his arrival at the unit he commenced initial inquiries into a reported theft that had occurred in the WRAF Officers’ Mess. Because his investigation highlighted that the suspect was a WRAF officer he was required to call in the services of a provost officer from No 5 RAF Police District to take over the case. Shortly after, a flight officer was quietly detached from the headquarters pending her court-martial for theft.

1954 - During January, Sergeant Agar who had spent only a year at RAF Bentley Priory was posted overseas to Germany. After a journey by ferry and train he arrived at RAF Buckeburg where he received his posting to No 105 RAF Police Flight based in Luneburg which was located south of Hamburg on the border between West and East Germany. At the time, the Scottish Camerons, the Irish Hussars and the Welsh Fusiliers were stationed in the area and between them ensured that the RAF Police and RMP were always kept busy. Shortly after Sergeant Agar’s arrival in Luneburg a soldier from the Irish Hussars was stabbed in the town by two German youths during a scuffle and later died in the Station Sick Quarters. As a result of the incident the Irish Hussars were confined to camp the following evening in an effort to prevent any acts of revenge being carried out by the regiment. The Camerons and the Fusiliers however, were not confined to camp and during a routine search of two members of the Camerons leaving barracks they were found in possession of bayonets. Fearing that other armed soldiers were already in town the RMP and RAF Police were alerted to round-up all soldiers and return them to barracks. Expecting a night of trouble the RMP patrols were issued with side arms but the RAF Police went out on patrol unarmed. In the event, the night passed peacefully but tension between the Army and the locals remained high for some time after the death of the Irish soldier.

1955 - With the disbandment of No 105 Flight, Sergeant Agar was posted to No 10 P&SS Detachment at RAF Bruggen on the German side of the West German – Dutch border near Mönchengladbach. Arriving at his new unit, which was under the command of Flight Lieutenant J Horsman, he was placed in charge of the traffic section which was an extremely busy unit and covered a vast operational area which included the North-west border area, Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg and Northern France. As well as attending traffic accidents involving British military personnel, their families or British civilian employees working for the British armed forces, the section was responsible for conducting convoy escorts between the ports in Northern France, Belgium and Holland and RAF units in the North-west area of West Germany. A close working relationship was maintained with the other law enforcement agencies within the operational area but the Dutch Koninkijke Marechaussee (Royal Police) and the Belgian military police were particularly helpful.

1956 - In June, Sergeant Agar, having completed his tour of duty in Germany and returned to the UK and was posted to RAF Faldingworth which was being prepared for the storage of RAF nuclear weapons.

1961 - After being stationed at RAF Faldingworth in the UK for just over four and a half years, Sergeant Agar was posted to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, which at the time was home to five squadrons of Canberra bomber aircraft. During his initial arrival interview with Flight Lieutenant Tobin, he learned that the unit was about to begin what were described as Tropical Trials, which in effect was the establishment of a special storage area capable of holding nuclear weapons. Having spent his previous tour of duty guarding a similar site at Faldingworth, he was understandably a little disappointed to be doing the same type of work again. The initial temporary site, small in comparison to the sites in the UK, was protected by a high double perimeter fence, lots of barbed wire, security lighting and the entrance was controlled by the RAF Police. Not long after settling in to his new job he received a telephone call one day from somebody purporting to be one of the armourers stating that a trailer would be arriving at the site later that day and that it was to be taken inside and stored in the equipment tent located in the middle of the compound. Later, a vehicle turned up at the outer check- point to deliver the trailer and at that point, Corporal D Exley carefully checked the accompanying paperwork before drawing his pistol and pulling the lid off the trailer to reveal a man hidden inside. The man quickly identified himself as a member of the security test team from No 24 RAF Police District and readily declared that their carefully planned intrusion into the site had failed. The RAF Police guarding it of course had passed their first security test because they had arranged a system of confirming telephone calls with the officer in charge of the site and on that occasion the story of the trailer was quickly discovered to be false. During his time at Akrotiri Agar lived in Limassol, in accommodation hired out by a Cypriot landlord to the RAF as married quarters; across the road from him lived a senior technician and his German wife. During a conversation one day Agar was surprised to learn that the technician’s wife was the niece of former Grand Admiral Erich Raeder who, as a convicted Nazi war criminal, was serving a life sentence in Spandau Prison in Berlin.

1963 - Sergeant Agar was on duty one night at RAF Akrotiri in the police control room located within the Special Security Area which had been built to replace the temporary Tropical Trials Compound. The lighting within the control room at night was routinely turned down to the minimum so as to allow those working inside to see what was happening outside their post. Agar was reading through the previous entries in the police occurrence log and as he looked up he instinctively scanned the horizon to his left and noticed a bright light which appeared to be on the high ground on what was known as the old French camp a few miles away. It was unusual because that area was disused and not normally illuminated at night, however, it was nothing to cause alarm and so Agar returned to his reading. After a few minutes, he looked up again from the desk and was surprised to see that the light had moved to the right and seemed a little higher than previously. Curious at what the light might be, he took up a pair of binoculars and went outside to take a better look and was somewhat alarmed to see that the light seemed to be coming from a saucer shaped object, similar to the images published in newspaper reports about ‘flying saucers’. As he continued to study the object he saw that the light emanating from it shone like burnished gold and that the object was definitely hovering above the ground. As he watched it, the object moved again and stopped. At that point, Agar re-entered the control room and contacted three of his men who were on duty in three different watchtowers located within the security site. He explained what he was looking at and asked the corporals to confirm his observations. After a short while all three corporals came back to him to confirm what he had seen. At that point, every RAF Police NCOs on duty that night was alerted to the object and all confirmed seeing the same strange light from different positions within the base. Although the airfield was closed, the light was still in the same position, and so Agar telephoned the duty officer within the airfield control tower and reported the matter. Although both controllers on duty saw the object, the officer initially tried to explain that it was a satellite. However, he was forced to agree with Agar that satellites do not suddenly change position and the mystery increased when a second similar object was seen in a position that seemed to be behind the first. Although the object later disappeared the incident was formally reported but Sergeant Agar and his men heard nothing more about it.

In November 1969, after completing 22 years service as an RAF Police NCO, Chuck retired from the , but later became a member of the Association.

The above story was taken from my books about the Global History of the Royal Air Force Police (Available from Amazon) which record the activities of the branch during its first 100 years (1918 – 2018). Fiat Jusitia.