Pen Portraits: what happened next
Pen portraits of post-graduation life, as submitted to the 69th Association newsletter over the period 1994 - 2011
Neville Hugh Perfect - Airframes
On leaving Halton I was posted to Linton-on-Ouse to work on Sabres in ASF. The Sabres were eventually replaced by Hunter Mk4s and then Mk6s. The CO was Group Captain (later Marshall of the Royal Air Force) Spotswood and there was more bull than we had at Halton. So my first illusion about life after Halton was shattered (I never had my fingernails inspected on parade at Halton!).
Linton-on-Ouse closed and I moved up to Middleton St George with 92 Sqdn for a brief spell before being posted to RAF Jever in Germany in August 1957. By this time I had met and married my wife Ann, a Beverley girl, and subsequently mother of our three children. She must have had brains, as well as beauty, as all three children graduated with Honours Degrees and the eldest went on to a 'Masters'.
At Jever I served, what amounted to, a second apprenticeship as Mod Bay Corporal under a Chiefy Thompson who had plied his craft for many years at St Athan. Having now become a bit of an expert myself, I was posted to 8 FST at Swinderby where I eventually took over the Mod Bay as a Senior Tech. When Swinderby closed I was posted to 60 MU Lightening CWP Mod Team at Leconfield.
By this time I had volunteered to become a "Crew Chief' and in 1965 I attended the 10 month course for Vulcan Crew Chiefs subsequently arriving at Scampton in 1966 to serve 5½ years on the Mk II Vulcan/Blue Steel.
The highlight of my time at Scampton was a "Ranger" to the Milwaukee Airshow in 1970 - we took two Vulcans and two Crew Chiefs on each. With me in XL318 (now at Hendon Museum) was Bob Honeywood (69th airframe) and in the other aircraft was Pete Freeman (66th Airframe and the scourge of rooks). Our fellow guest at the airshow was Jim Lovell, recently returned from his trip on Appollo 13, and we had the pleasure of his company on several occasions during the week.
Then followed a spell as shift boss at RAF GAN for nine months with a return to Scampton for a three year last tour of duty as i/c Airframe Support Bays.
After demob in 1974 my wife and I started a glass and china retail business but after a couple of years we decided we could make more money if we took up other employment so sold the business to a neighbouring retailer.
I had a brief spell with Sunstrand UK Ltd developing hydrostatic transmissions and moved from there to Marconi Electronics Devices working in the Works Engineers Department with George Booker (69th) - small world!
Finally I 'returned to source' as a civilian instructor at RAF College Cranwell teaching sheetmetal work and airframe technology. I retired in 1992 when the workshop technology course closed down.
My interests now are gardening, DIY, the Lincoln Engineering Society and treasurer of my Masonic Brigade - yes I'm one of the rolled up trouser brigade, but don't believe all you read in the papers: four ex Brats in the lodge; we get everywhere.
- RAF Halton and the Brats
- The Aircraft Apprentices Scheme
- Clubs, Societies and Sports at Halton
- RAF Halton's goats
- Tributes to Halton and the Brats
- The 69th and the Apprentices Network, 1951
- The Presentation of the Queen's Colour, 1952
- Summer Camp, RAF Formby, 1953
- The 69th and the Queen's Coronation, 1953
- The 69th's Graduation Review, 1954
- The Senior Entry - a graduate's letter, 1954
- A full list of 69th Graduates
- Halton days: stories from the 69th
- The 69th's Burmese Brats
- The 69th's commemorative window
- 69th Entry Reunions