Page 15 - issue17.05.2019
P. 15
Royal Air Force News Friday,May 17, 2019 P15
News
All Fired up
for Civvy St
Staff Reporter
RETIRING AIR Force fire fighter
WO Steve Shirley bowed out in a
blaze of glory – on board a vintage
World War II tender.
The veteran Waddington-based
airman, who has clocked up 36 irman, who has clocked up 36
a
y
years service, hitched a ride on the ears service, hitched a ride on the
v
vehicle borrowed from the RAF fire ehicle borrowed from the RAF fire
museum which he set up.
H
He was given a rousing send e was given a rousing send
off by Station Commander ff by Station Commander
o
G
Gp Capt Tom Burke and p Capt Tom Burke and
colleagues, but says he will
still be volunteering for
duty at the museum.
A station spokesman
said: “Steve is the fountain
of knowledge here. He
l leaves with a heavy heart eaves with a heavy heart
and will be sorely missed.
“ “It’s great to know he will It’s great to know he will LOVE ME TENDER: WO Shirley
no
not be resting on his laurels and t be resting on his laurels and hitches a ride off the station on board a
w
will continue to work to secure the ill continue to work to secure the vintage WWII fire truck.
PHOTOS: SAC JAMES SKERRETT
future of the museum.”
Survival ace
In Brief
MEMORIES: Mr Hawkins, centre,with hits the wall
members of his RAF branch at Valley.
Miller time
A WORLD War II Bomber
Command veteran returned to
RAF Valley 75 years after serving
at the Welsh station.
LAC Phil Hawkins arrived
when he was 19 to work in logistics
during his aircrew training, serving
alongside the USAF delivering
aviation fuel.
During his stint on the Angelsey
base he was in the audience to see
wartime band leader Glenn Miller
just before the American musician
disappeared during a flight over the
English Channel.
Valley spokesman Sqn Ldr Dave
Williams said: “ “It is a rare honour
to meet veterans from WWII, and
even rarer to meet those who were
here at RAF Valley.
“It was great to
show Phil around,
and we were able Staff Reporter The combat-hardened former he passed on his hard-won “As a SERE trainer he is one of
to rekindle a few Marine had already seen action combat skills as one of the RAF’s our own and we are lucky to have
memories for him. A FORMER Marine who went with the Marines in Africa and top instructors teaching rookie his experience, wisdom, passion
The base has on to serve 13 frontline tours Northern Ireland before joining air crew extreme survival and and enthusiasm for operations.”
changed a great in Afghanistan with the RAF the Air Force in 1998. resilience techniques. MACr Draper (pictured above
deal since those before becoming one of the He went on to complete his Training Officer Mark signing the Wall) was joined at
days, but we Service’s top survival experts has astonishing tally of frontline Fairhurst who selects candidates Cranwell by some of the latest
think we were added his name to the list of Air tours at the height of the war in for the honour of signing the Wall graduates from the demanding
able to pin- Force living legends. Afghanistan serving on Chinooks of Gallantry, said: “Billy is humble SERE course.
point where MACr Billy Draper joined the with 18 Squadron on some of the about his exploits but there is no He spoke to them about his
Phil worked ranks of some of the UK’s most most dangerous missions of the other aviator we have had here frontline combat experiences
from one of his distinguished air crew as he signed conflict. with as much flying experience in with the Royal Air Force and the
old photographs.” the Wall of Gallantry at Cranwell. Between frontline postings non-permissive environments. Marines.