Jim Draper 17th November 2010

Just as it seems the news could not be any worse, the sad news that Dave Turton did not make the millenium came to me from Mike Bryant. He sent me a synopsis of Dave’s life which I add here as it just goes to show how different our lives were after Halton.

Dave was born in Leicester in 1942. His father took a job on the south coast, and Dave was educated at the Goring-by-Sea RC Secondary Modern School. It was about then that he gained his passion for cricket, and was very proud to have played for Sussex in the ‘Under 16’ team. 

Dave joined the RAF In 1958 and became a member of, very briefly the 90th, and then the 91st Entry of Aircraft Apprentices at RAF Halton, training to be an Armament Fitter. At the end of the 3 year training period, he was posted to RAF Scampton, a V-bomber base in Lincolnshire. 

From 1966 to 1968, he served in the Merchant Navy as a Steward, and rose to the rank of Second Steward (also known as the ‘Captain’s Tiger!).

In 1968, he achieved his then ambition – he travelled to Africa, and joined the British South African Police (BSAP) in Rhodesia, where he became a Patrol Officer at Mukumbura on the Mozambique border. It was a base camp situated between two regular terrorist infiltration routes and a very hot area with bullets and mortars flying around just about every day. Dave was regarded as a sound and reliable member of the BSAP District Uniformed Branch but then applied to join the CID and is thought to have become a detective in Bulawayo. It is believed that, at some time during his 10 years of service in the BSAP, he was shot by a terrorist whilst on patrol. Dave ended his BSAP service as a Section Officer in 1978.

He then became the security manager for a private firm and, in 1981, he left the country he loved and moved to South Africa, He continued to work with a security business until 1988 when he received a quiet, but friendly, warning that he should leave South Africa as soon as possible.

Having returned to the UK, he worked in a Blackpool hotel for a couple of years and then returned to the south coast, where he took various temporary and part-time posts. He settled in Bognor Regis and became a popular member of the community. He died on 20 October 1998 through ill-health, and a measure of the respect and affection in which he was held is that the chapel at his funeral was packed to “standing room only” capacity.

Danny Cantrell 6 December 2008 00:57:50

After 50 years I have come across this site to the 91st Entry! Better late than never. It is now 1 o’clock in the morning so I am going to bed but I’ll be back! Looking forward to seeing my old friends in the new year.

RKSAYERS 21 April 2008 01:07:27

I have just seen a Rover Gas turbine engine, (a development from the one I saw at RAF Henlow during a visit with my ‘trade’in 1960?) at the Southlands car museum at Paraparauma near Wellington. Interesting aero engines as well.
The Claude Butler bicycle was a Rolls Royce, my father had a tandem version. With reference to the previous note, I have now idea who stole it. I was lucky, I just had my tyres let down. Bob

Norman Hirst 12 April 2008 14:29:09

Never mind the racing car, Who nicked my Claude Butler bike from the
air-raid shelter behind the block in 1961?

David Montgomery 19 March 2008 19:38:46

Appeal for information – does anyone know what happened to the Buckler racing car PBH 1 that was built at RAF Halton?

Mike Keitch 17 May 2007 06:36:21

Well, I guess it’s time after 55 years to put my head above the parapet and put a few words on our site! Over the years I have bumped into a few of you particularly plumbers at Halton reunions and am still proud to include Dave Andrews and Ainslie Cruickshank as close friends. The 3 of us were among 6 armourers who went to Honington on first postings and we had a lot of fun – mostly it seems following Cruickshank from one barmaid to another. We did mad things like a bunch of us going to Paris at literally a moment’s notice for a bank holiday – no kit except toothbrushes, no tickets, no accomodation and no maps! Slept in Gare Du Nord one night, cemetary the next and so on! My RAF life went from Honington, to Feltwell for officer training, Cranwell for Eng Off training, then 92 MU Faldingworth moving nukes by road and air. How many of you knew we had nukes in Cyprus and Singapore? Did a 400ft beat up on one trip over Masirah in a Brittania carrying 6 weapons. The Brit pilot didn’t want to be eclipsed by 2 Hunter pilots who had done a beat up first. I’d been in the SSA at Honington serving nukes hence my first commissioned post was back to nukes at Faldingworth. I never lost the nuclear tag to the end of my career. From 92MU to St Athan then Berlin. I could write a book about the Berlin tour alone eg like the time I was arrested by East German VoPos, or the time I went on a secret squirrel tour of Military sites with a mad Irish Intelligence officer from the Sherwood Foresters who liked to provoke our East German tails! Then to Benson on ex FEAF Whirlwinds (all those rivetted patches on the side opposite the cargo door were due to Ghurkas in Borneo throwing in rifles with fixed bayonets before they themselves climbed aboard!) From there to R&D at Swanton Morley CSDE, followed by Scampton as OC Arm (nukes again). My oppo at Waddington was Gerry Hayes- he and I always called each other “brother” and one day one of my airman asked why did we have different surnames. Together, Gerry and I often fooled TacEval teams by helping each other out with bombing-up teams ,vehicles and equipment if one of us looked like not meeting Wartime targets for generating loaded aircraft. Then back to CSDE and l then left the RAF for the first time in 1982. Went back in 86 after over 3 years as Works Manager for a right wing council in Sussex. I could hack 9 bolshie trade unions but dealing with 2-faced Conservative councillors was another matter entirely. Went back into the RAF in 1986. Did 3 years at MODPE doing armament R&D then the best tour of all as RAFLO Arm at HQ3AF at Mildenhall. Worked as adviser to USAF (nukes again), USArmy, USMC, USN (more nukes) and various secret squirrel places. Great fun. I can confirm that not a single cruise missile ever went out on the British roads – they stayed in their storage buildings from the day they were flown in to the day they were flown out. Those poor peace women got it so wrong! Then to Colt as OC MEGS then finally as OCEng & Supply at the RAF Armament Support Unit at Wittering oveseeing the run-down of the RAF nuclear force.(last time on nukes!). Retired in 1997 to Scotland, met Stephanie and together we’ve been running a B&B in Sutherland. We spend the winter in Az where we have a small holiday home near Mexico. That’s it – guess the only bit to make anyone envious is the last bit! I was very sorry not to have made it to the window dedication but the Reunion in 2009 is definitely in my long term diary. A major sadness in my life was the death of my great pal Gerry Hayes. Some of the plumbers know the story – basically he was hounded to his death by the media following a completely fabricated TV programme about him by Granada TV. My wreath spelt out 91- he would have loved that. His daughter, Vicki is now my “adopted” neice. Finally, I would love to hear from anyone who remembers me. Best wishes to all 91st members.

This Post allows you to tell all the stories you have locked away in your memories. Bring them out, dust them off and share them with the rest of us.

Each Story is monitored before publishing, mainly to correct obvious typing errors and to check that it is suitable for publication.