The Griff C The Magazine of the Royal Air Force Police Association September 2016 Views expressed in The Griff are those of the Editor and individual contributors and do not necessarily represent RAFPA policy. No part of this publication may be reproduced by any person, at any time, by any method, without the express permission of the Editor or originator in writing. September 2016 Farewell to a Battle of Britain Hero On Thursday 21st July Wiltshire Branch members, Peter Todd, Andy Davies and Eric Harriman represented the RAF Police Association at the funeral service, in Bath, of Squadron Leader Percy Beake DFC, AE, Ld’H, RAFVR who died at the age of 99. Sqn Ldr Beake was a former Battle of Britain Spitfire pilot who went on to command a Typhoon Squadron supporting the D-Day oper- ations. Last year Sqn Ldr Beake was awarded France’s highest military medal, the Legion d’Honneur. His death means that, of The Few who fought so bravely to secure control of the skies from Hitler’s forces, only 17 are still alive today. A Spitfire and a Hurricane from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight flew over the cemetery in tribute and a trumpeter from the RAF Central Band played the Last Post. During his war time service he shot down two enemy aircraft and was shot down himself while off the French coast and was forced to turn his aircraft upside down in order to parachute into the sea. He was spotted by the Germans but was lucky that the RAF rescue launch got to him before the enemy. On another occasion his plane ran out of fuel and he crash-landed in a field. When the war ended he went to work for Unilever as a mill manager. His wife of 75 years, Evelyn, predeceased him by five weeks. Sqn Ldr Beake’s family described him as a man of deep Christian convictions, high moral fibre and he had a strong sense of doing one’s duty. Submitted by: Brian Flinn 2016 The Griff Page 2 September 2016 who’s who in the RAF Police Association - 2016 Hon. President Hon. Vice President Air Commodore Frank Clifford OBE, RAF Group Captain S R HORNE MA, RAF Force Protection Force Commander, Provost Marshal/Cdr RAFP AO RAF Police Life Vice Presidents: Steve Cattell E Mail: [email protected] Neil Rusling E Mail: [email protected] David Wardell E Mail: [email protected] John Walton MBE E Mail: [email protected] Elected Officers/Posts Co-opted Chairman: David J Budd Vice Chairman: Alan Mitchell 2 Page Close, Ashford Park, 2 Ellesmere Court, Newbridge, Chippenham, Wiltshire SN14 0TG Newport, Gwent NP11 5DG Tel: 01249 443949 Tel: 01495 240580 E mail: [email protected] E mail: [email protected] Treasurer: Mike Thornton Co-opted Secretary: Jeremy Fenton 20, Thomas Mead, Pewsham, E mail: [email protected] Chippenham, Wilts., SN15 3YS Tel: 01249 464787 E mail: [email protected] Membership Secretary: David Wardell Web Master - Moderator: Mike Thornton 40, South Western Crescent 20, Thomas Mead, Pewsham, Poole, Dorset BH14 8RR Chippenham, Wilts., SN15 3YS Tel/Fax: 01202 747176 Tel: 01249 464787 E Mail: [email protected] E mail: [email protected] Association Trustees: RAFPA Independent Accountants: Ted Hellewell [email protected] Pearson May John Armfield [email protected] Alan P Shaw BEM [email protected] RAFPA Web-site address: Tony Lake [email protected] www.rafpassociation.com Voluntary Posts RAFPA Archivist: John Curtis Editor The Griff: Mitch O'Neill 28 Tennyson Avenue, Gedling, 11, Florentine Way, Waterlooville, Nottingham, NG4 3HJ Hampshire, PO7 8JY Tel: 01159 612662 Tel: 02392 796703 E Mail: [email protected] E Mail: [email protected] 2016 The Griff Page 3 September 2016 letters to the editor Watching British Army Girls on TV recently, I realised that my life in the RAF was pretty easy. I joined in February 1962, basic training at Bridgenorth. They ran out of gas, so I never had to do the 'Gas Mask' test. The only pack I had to carry was my 'Small Pack', which I carried to SSQ's to report special sick with German Measles. The first question the M.O. asked me 'Have you been with any dirty women lately? My 12 years was served during the 'Cold War', although I never wore an NBC suit, gas mask or steel helmet and I did two tours of Bomber Command. My overseas tours were in Cyprus, Singapore, Borneo and Gan. I often wondered why they had dogs at Gan. During my service I handled 10 dogs in 8 Dog Sections and looking back it was a case of getting paid for taking dogs for walkies! In a recent edition of Provost Parade I read an article about RAF Police going to Malaya and Singapore to boost their morale. I have an idea, take them to any Bomber Command, QRA, bomb dump or revetment area and show them where RAF Police stood hour after boring hour, day after day, year after year underneath Vulcan or Victor bombers. Then an overseas tour in Aden, Libya, Sharjah, Borneo, etc. before repatriation back to the UK to stand and 'count rivets' once again. Not really police work. Question, How many rivets in a Vulcan's wing?, I've no idea, never got the same answer twice. Submitted by: Frank Paxton Archie Potts looking thro' his collection of old photographs, discovered this one taken at RAF Hucknell c. summer 1953. Two Generals arriving to attend a conference. The escort was provided by Cpls. Alan Duckett and Archie Potts. It's there the memory starts to play tricks!, have forgotten the VIP's names and what the conference was for. Maybe there might be some members out there who can fill in the missing info. Ed Limassol - Cyprus 1962 We were having a discussion about changing names from single to double barrelled. The Chief Tech looked at his wife, who was German born and said 'What will we change ours to?' Later on he mentioned that he had wanted to work at an SSA but was refused. I enquired if that was because his wife, Doris, had lived in East Germany. Apparently that wasn't the reason, her uncle was incarcerated in Spandau Prison. Knowing that only top Nazi officials were kept there I asked who her uncle was and was surprised to learn that it was Grand Admiral Raeder, who had commanded the German Fleet. He was the only Nazi in the family. When top Nazi brass visited the family home the old mother had to be kept out of the way, as her favourite grandson had been killed and she would have expressed her contempt, violently. Raeders younger brother, once a Luftwaffe Colonel was demoted to Corporal for not toeing the Party line. Submitted by: Chuck Agar 2016 The Griff Page 4 September 2016 Important Notice - Please read and action I would be obliged if you could place the following notice to members in the next edition of The Griff. Continued Provision of the Printed Version of the Provost Parade. Members should be aware that the proposal concerning continued provision of the printed version of the Provost Parade being dependent upon the annual payment of £4.00 to the Association Treasurer was carried at the 2016 Annual General Meeting. If you want to continue receiving the printed version of the Provost Parade send your money now! Payment can be by: Cheque or postal order made payable to the RAF Police Association Bank transfer to the Association current account No 91630878 Sort Code 01-05-02 (please include your Member Number and ‘PP’ in the reference of the payment - e.g. MNo1234PP) PayPal/Credit or Debit Card making payment to RAF Police Association (please include your Member Number and ‘PP’ in the reference of the payment -e.g. MNo1234PP) The electronic version of the Provost Parade will continue to be freely available to members on the Association website. Submitted by: Mike Thornton - RAFPA National Treasurer Brent McCarthy Trust – founded by Jodie McCarthy (his sister). The Trust raises money for bereaved military families of service personnel killed in action. 8th July – Graduation Parade – newly graduated RAF Police showing a cheque for £1530.00 – money that they had raised for the Trust Fund. Submitted by: Gill Hellewell 2016 The Griff Page 5 September 2016 more letters to the editor These are the 15 volunteers from the EMB who turned up at the Radcliffe on Trent RBL to set up the goods, to serve the paying public at our annual jumble sale. We opened the doors at 11.00 and closed them at 12.15. During that time took £516.00. All of the clothing Used Postage Stamps stock not sold will go to a reclamation yard on Monday to be weighed and sold. I would like to thank the Wiltshire The other items not sold were collected by Branch for taking the time collecting a charity worker who collects on behalf of Used Postage Stamps for the Charity the Nottinghamshire Police who then which I received today. To date we have store, transport and distribute to a European charity. Well done to all volunteers involved. raised £9585.60 from used postage Submitted by: John Curtiss stamps, which are collected from our offices. The Charity receives £20 per kilo. With your help this has enabled us to issue Grants to date of over £300,000 to injured Service Personnel. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me and again many thanks for your support.