Derek joined the Royal Air Force for his National Service after graduating from Imperial College with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. After induction at RAF Cardington he was posted to RAF Jurby for his 3 months OCTU, emerging with a Commission as a Pilot Officer, then on to RAF St.Athan for technical training.
He completed his Service as a Flying Officer at RAF Abingdon with 53 Sqdn as i/c the engine bay for the Beverly transport aircraft. During this posting there were many detachments overseas including Istres in France, el Adem in Libya, Habbanya in Iraq, Bahrain, Sharjah and Aden and also in Cyprus for the Suez fiasco, where EOKA missed him.
Following demob he joined and American oil company CAL TEX in London where he met and married Diana to whom he is still devoted. They were transferred to the CAL TEX refinery in Bahrain where they spent the next 40 years. During this time he kept up his RAF contacts through RAF Muharraq, joined the Malcolm Club and the local branch of the RAFA. There was little welfare work there but plenty of fund raising with sufficient funds raised to furnish one of the rooms at Sussexdown now suitably named "The Bahrain Room". The Bahrain branch closed in the 1970´s when the RAF left Bahrain and the RAFA Standard is laid up at the Anglican Cathedral in Manaman, the Capital of Bahrain. Derek and Diana have 2 children, both born in Bahrain and their son works in Dubai keeping up the family tradition.
On retirement he and Diana decided to settle in Spain, where their daughter-in-law comes from, and very soon joined the local RAFA branch as an active member, quickly becoming the branch Welfare Officer, a decision neither he nor the branch regrets. He has attended welfare training courses both here and in UK and he maintains healthy links with our surrounding organisations on welfare matters.
Jack retired to Spain with his partner Pamela just over 4 years ago after a long career mostly associated with the Services and the RAF in particular. He served in the RAF for 15 years including 3 years as an Apprentice (80th Entry Locking), serving in UK, Iraq (RAF Habbaniya), Germany and Aden (covering all the Gulf bases), plus several other places on detachments. On leaving the RAF he changed into "civvies" and worked for the Service for a further 25+ years serving at Henlow, MOD London (9 years) involved with aircraft avionics, and finally back to Henlow in RAFSEE looking after many Ground electronic and computer projects. He took early retirement in 1995 but soon found himself working firstly on specialised Flying helmet projects and then on RAF Radio Paging projects. He still consults on the latter and occasionally runs familiarisation courses for the MOD. His main hobbies over the years have been music and theatre, he ran and played drums in a big band for 20 years and played for numerous shows in pit orchestras.
Reg joined the RAF in 1960, straight from school, as a Boy Entrant in the trade of Air Radar. After graduating from training at RAF Cosford, he was posted to various locations around the UK including Watton, Yatesbury, Coningsby, Cottesmore, Cosford and Topcliffe, with a two and a half year “holiday” at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus in-between, finally retiring from the RAF as a Sergeant in 1973.
Reg joined ICL as a Computer Engineer and graduated to Service Management and Project Management, before being made redundant in 1999 at the ripe old age of 56. Unable to find gainful employment, Reg realized all his assets and moved to Spain in 2000 with his wife Mary, now sadly deceased.
He has always had a great love of music and played the Tuba, also dabbling with the saxophone and clarinet, in various Voluntary Bands throughout his RAF career and also in civvy life. He was also given the dubious task by the Station Commander at RAF Topcliffe of forming and conducting a Voluntary Band. It has to be said that Reg played with probably more enthusiasm than talent but at least it was enjoyable.
He was a founder member of the Benalmádena Branch of the RAFA and has served on the committee continuously in the role of Treasurer and sometime Secretary, as well as carrying out extremely rewarding duties as one of the Branch’s Welfare Officers.
Following a query from the RAF Music Services about bringing one of the RAF Bands to Spain, Reg jumped at the opportunity and organised two very successful concerts by the RAF College Band and RAF Regiment Band in 2005 and 2006 respectively. Unfortunately bureaucracy got in the way of further concerts but it is hoped they can be revived one day.
As if the RAFA didn’t keep him busy enough, he also works one day a week at the municipal library in Benalmádena.
Having just reached retirement age and in receipt of a UK pension, Reg is looking forward to many more fruitful years serving the Royal Air Forces Association in Benalmádena.
Corinne, the Branch Vice-Chairman, is the mother of 3 and grandmother of 5. She retired early from Social Work in 2006 and moved from UK to Spain with her partner Barry.They live in the campo of Tolox, a small white village on the road between Coin and Ronda. As an ex-RAF person she joined RAFA and soon put her experience in Social Work in UK to good use by becoming a Welfare Worker with the Branch welfare team.
Georgina left school in 1988 and went to work for Sainsbury's Supermarkets where she completed her City and Guilds in Bakery. It is here in the same year that she met her husband Russell. They had there son Samuel in 1997 and shortly after, due to fitting in work around a new family Georgina started work in a nursing home for retired nurses. Georgina studied and completed her NVQ2 in Care in the Community. In 2002 having decided caring was the thing she liked to do most she joined Dorset Ambulance Service and after much training qualified as a State registered Paramedic, working front line for the NHS. Georgina worked closely with the armed Police and the fire service too.
As a family they have been coming to the Mijas area of Spain since 1990, and always said "one day we are going to live there". So in 2006 when her husband was made redundant they decided that that was a good a time as any to take the plunge and move. We finally moved to Fuengirola in November 2008.
Her dream was to set up her own care business and give the standard of care to elderly ex pats that she myself would expect to receive. In March of 2009 Georgina met with RAFA and has ever since been providing care for ex RAF service people and their families. She has recently been made an associate member and when the position of Public relations officer came up she thought "I can do that" and although it seems like an old cliché thought "I can do that AND make a difference!" Those who know Georgina already will know she is very determined, and hope that with the support of other members will be able to make that difference.
Andy joined the Royal Air Force in 1989 as an L Tech TC, and spent time at 2SU RAF Bampton Castle working on HF Radio, RAF Buchan on the Type 92 Radar, RAF Stanmore/RAF Bentley Priory on Radar Display Systems and finally 1001SU RAF Oakhanger on Satellite Communications.
He left the Royal Air Force in 2003 as a Cpl to work for Serco on the Paradigm Skynet 5 Contract, where he is working in Secure Satellite Communications for the MoD.
He's not a committee member but took over from Steve Mullis as Web Master in 2004, and we thought you would like to know a little about him.
Andy lives in Chippenham/Bournemouth back in the UK.
