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CHUCK' AGAR 1947 – 1969 Prepared by Stephen R Davies

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CHUCK' AGAR 1947 – 1969 Prepared by Stephen R Davies 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 York 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.
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