John Ward - and his extended military family!
John, a 30 Sqn Association member, has kindly sent me some research he has done into his family and has discovered that a lot of them served in the forces going back to 1888!
He has used the research site ‘Relatively Seeking’ and what a great site it is too. In fact John, I have nicked your idea and am doing some family research of my own…
Here goes:
Sgt (AQM) 30 Sqn (Beverley’s) 1964-66 Kenya, Bahrain and Aden (Det.)
The junior service of the British Armed Services, the Royal Air Force (RAF) has been in existence for 107 years (1918-2025), and both myself and my extended family have played some part since the days of the Royal Navy Air Service (RNAS). First, my own bit-part in the history of the RAF before moving on to describe the more significant roles performed by other family members.
4264975 Sgt (later Flt. Lt.) John Malcolm WARD RAF (1942)
I know, it’s a 47 Sqn photo - but it’s still John!
I joined the RAF on a significant date, the 6th June 1961 (17th D. Day Anniversary), and left on another significant date – 1 April 1987, (69th Anniversary of the formation of the RAF).
I trained initially as an Instrument (General) Mechanic, having spent the previous two years as an art student in Huddersfield. However, life took another direction in January 1963 when I commenced aircrew training as an Air Quartermaster (AQM). During the following eight years I served on 53 Sqn and 47 Sqn (RAF Abingdon), 30 Sqn (Kenya and Bahrain), 84 Sqn (Aden – detached), and again 47 Sqn (Abingdon) on the freight transport aircraft the Blackburn Beverley. From September 1967 until March 1971 I served on 36 Sqn (Lyneham) on the Beverley's replacement, the Hercules C130.
Notable events as AQM:
47 Sqn, Abingdon (Bev’s) Jan 1964. Moving of RAF within Cyprus from Nicosia to Akrotiri.
30 Sqn, RAF Eastleigh (Kenya). Aug 1964. Rescue of Belgium personnel from Entebbe.
36 Sqn. (Herc’s) November 1967, ‘Ex. ‘Jacobin’ – withdrawal of British Forces from Aden.
36 Sqn. March 1969. Invasion of Anguilla.
36 Sqn – 21 Jul 1969. Man landed on the moon. However, on the same day Hercules XV197 encountered an in-flight emergency - #2, 3 & 4 engines failed almost together with total loss of hydraulics, a manual undercarriage wind-down and flaps wound partially down followed by a hairy emergency landing at Ankara, Turkey. We discovered after landing that gunge in the fuel tanks had blocked the fuel strainers, probably through climbing into thinner air. Interestingly, #1 engine had fuel problems on its previous flight and before we departed Lyneham the captain gave that engine a full power check that proved satisfactory. Remarkably it was the only engine that kept running!! The captain was awarded a ‘Green Endorsement’
Commissioned in 1971 as an Air Traffic Controller, and later Area Radar Controller, I served at RAF Binbrook (Lightning Fighters), RAF Boulmer (Northern Radar), RAF Buchan (Highland Radar), RAF Manston (Master Diversion airfield), RAF Sek Kong (28 (AC) Sqn, AAC. & RHKAAF, and finally at RAF West Drayton (LATCC Mil. North).
Notable event: 1981. Both Heathrow and Gatwick unavailable due to thick fog. It was a Sunday, basic ATC staff on duty at RAF Manston – 21 airliners diverted to Manston in a 90 min period!!! I was the only radar qualified controller available
I had been fortunate enough to return to squadron life in 1982 when posted as Senior Air Traffic Control Officer (SATCO) on 28 (AC) Sqn (Wessex) at RAF Sek Kong (Hong Kong). I was made a Hon. Loadmaster!
Life after the RAF was always going to be in a lower gear, but I did manage to get the old adrenaline pumping again for ten years with a core position in vehicular transport management with Eurotunnel (1992-2001), playing my part in the development of another historic British transport establishment.
On my family 'maternal line' I descend from the ancient LOXLEY family of Bradfield in Hallamshire (South Yorkshire). The Hallamshire Loxley's claim descent from an Earl of Huntingdon and count Robin Hood as one of their own (if you believe the legend!). Notwithstanding, the family have been accurately traced back to Thomas de Lockesley, Bailiff of the Bradfield manor in 1347. As a family of some standing they married into families of similar status, including the FIRTH’S of Sheffield (Thomas Firth & Sons, Steelmakers), the ancient RICH family of Penistone, with links to the FAIRFAX family of Yorkshire. These links, and also paternal connections, lead me to relations who served in the RNAS, RFC, RAF and WAAF:
Maj. Charles Ellison RICH, RNAS RFC RAF (1888-1957)
Charles (my maternal 8th Cousin, 5x Removed) was an Australian who descended from the ‘Rich’ family of Penistone. He joined the RNAS in 1914 in England and was commander of the RNAS Station, 1 Sqn RNAS at Capel, Folkestone, Kent. This Airship base was developed to combat the German submarine menace in the English Channel. From 1 April 1918 he was transferred into the RAF, rank Captain.
Maj. John Charles Bradley FIRTH, MC RFC RAF (1894-1931)
John (maternal 5th Cousin, 3xR) first joined the Shropshire Light Infantry and then transferred to the General List in April 1917 and from there into the RFC. By April 1918 he was a trained pilot and a member of 45 Sqn. RFC, flying 'Sopwith Strutters', and later 'Sopwith Camels'. In March 1918 he was considered an Air Ace having 11 confirmed enemy 'kills' and he had been awarded the Military Cross:
Supplement to the London Gazette. 18 July 1918:
For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He has on various occasions, during a period of two months, completely destroyed two enemy planes and shot down out of control seven others. The latter by reason of the manner in which they were observed to go to earth, were probably all rendered useless for further service. He has set a very fine example as a patrol leader, and had displayed much skill and courage.
He had a share in the downing of two other enemy planes. Later, in November 1918, he was awarded the Italian Bronze Medal for Valour during operations on the Austro-Italian front.
No. 45 Squadron had been formed at Gosport on 1 March 1916 and moved to France in October with 11/2 Strutters to operate in the scout role. In mid 1917 the Strutters were replaced with Camels.
At the close of that year the squadron tranferred to the Austro-Italian front to carry out offensive patrols and ground attack sorties. In September 1918 the unit returned to France before returning to the UK and was disbanded at the turn of the year. John Charles Bradley Firth left the RAF in 1919 and he must have found the transition to civilian life very difficult. Sadly, on 23 August 1931 he took his own life by cutting his throat at his home 'Spital House', Blyth, in Nottinghamshire – it is said the knife he used was made by Thomas Firth & Sons!
Recent research shows that at the time John was serving on 45 Sqn in France, the Hon. Beatrice Leslie Hore-Ruthven (1871-1930) (my 16th C, 4xR) was the wife of Thomas Octave M. Sopwith – the designer of the Sopwith aircraft which Maj. J Firth was flying at the time!
Cpl. Owen HOWSON, MM RFC RAF (1892-1967)
Owen Howson (my Great grand-uncle) was a former West Riding policeman who joined the Yorks & Lancaster Regiment shortly after the outbreak of war in 1914. After initial training he was posted to France and soon made the rank of Cpl. On the 1st July 1916 he won the Military Medal on the first day of the 'Battle of the Somme'. The citation reads:
Corporal Owen Howson. For great gallantry in the field and for the splendid way in which he conducted a bombing attack on the enemy's trenches, he and one other man together destroyed an enemy's barricade.
On the 4 December 1917 he transferred to the RFC. He served with the RAF and later as a MOD Policeman until retirement in the late 1950s.
Lt. Jabez Gilbert PAGDIN, RFC RAF (1898-1918)
Jabez (4th C, 3xR) was a student at Liverpool University. He joined the RFC as a Balloon Observer in June 1917 and died from pneumonia (on observer duty) in the Lincoln area in October 1918.
Gp. Capt. Albert Peter Vincent DALY, AFC RFC RAF (1891-1985)
Albert was the husband of Mary Catherine Wilson (8th C, 5xR). An Irishman, he joined the Connaught Rangers in 1914 before transferring to the RFC. Earlier, from 1910 to 1913 he was a Sapper in the London Electrical Engineers, TA. and then a Private in the 1st Canadian Expeditionary Force. It was in 1915 that he transferred to the RFC and qualified as a pilot in March 1916. He served on No. 8 Sqn, followed by No. 60 Sqn and then in late 1916 became a Flight Commander on No. 29 Sqn, at Izel-le-Hameau, Arras, France. On 1 February 1917 he was shot down by Lt. Werner Voss and became a Prisoner of War until the end of hostilities. After the war he continued his RAF career and was awarded the Air Force Cross in 1929. In 1937 he was promoted to Gp. Capt. and became Station Commander at RAF Marham. He served throughout WWII and retired at the end of 1945. His death was in 1985.
Gp. Officer. Elizabeth Constance BATHER, OBE WAAF (1904-1988)
Born in Winchester, Hampshire, where her father was a housemaster at Winchester College and her mother was of the FIRTH family. Elizabeth (5th C, 3xR) was educated at St Swithun's School in the city. In April 1939 she joined the Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) with the rank of Company Assistant. She served in Bomber Command rising to be Senior Staff Officer in charge of WAAF's and also went to Canada in 1941 to help set up the Canadian Women's Auxiliary Air Force. She was promoted Squadron Officer in March 1942 and Wing Officer in January 1945 and was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1946 New Years Honours.
In 1945 Bather joined the Metropolitan Police with the rank of Chief Inspector and the following year succeeded Superintendent Dorothy Peto as head of women police, being promoted to Superintendent herself. Bather attempted to 'feminise' the force, redesigning the uniform in 1946 and allowing policewomen to wear makeup on duty. In 1946 she also removed the bar to married women joining and serving policewomen from getting married. She gave evidence to the Wolfenden Committee in favour of decriminalizing homosexuality. She was the second commander of the London Metropolitan Police's A4 Branch (Women Police), from 1946 to 1960, and the first female police officer in the UK to be promoted to the rank of Chief Superintendent (1949).
Honours: OBE (WAAF).
LAC. Leslie Gordon James DURBIN, CBE MRVO RAF (1913–2005)
Leslie Durbin (6th C, 2xR) was born in Fulham, London. At the age of 13 he won a London County Council scholarship to study silversmithing at the Central School of Art. In 1929 he was apprenticed to Omar Ramsden the leading silversmith of that time, and in 1939 won two awards from the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths. Later that year he was called-up for military service and joined the RAF's Allied Central Interpretation Unit.
The Sword of Stalingrad
In 1943, Leslie Durbin was given indefinite leave of absence from the RAF being seconded by Winston Churchill to work on making The Sword of Honour for Stalingrad, the gift of H.M. King George VI to the Citizens of Stalingrad to commemorate their heroic stand in the defence of their city during the Second World War. Leslie Durbin made all the gold and silver parts, the quillon (cross-guard) and the scabbard fittings, under the guidance of J. W. Latham of the Wilkinson Sword Company.
Leslie Durbin was detailed to take the sword around the country on exhibition and it was shown in London, Cardiff, Belfast, Birmingham, Sheffield, Manchester and many other cities. Wherever it went, long queues formed and 30,000 people a day viewed the sword. It was finally presented by Winston Churchill to Marshall Stalin, at the Tehran Conference on the 29th November 1943, and is now displayed in the Defence Museum in Volgograd, formerly Stalingrad.
In addition, L. G. J. Durbin made the Sword of Honour, presented in May 1946 to the Marshal of the Royal Air Force, the Rt. Hon. Lord Tedder, G.C.B. by the Corporation of the City of London on his admission to the Honorary Freedom of the City. Leslie Durbin also designed the reverse side of the first British £1 coins – the four national emblems; the £2 coin for the 300th anniversary of the Bank of England, and two £5 coins, one for the late Queen Mother’s 90th birthday, and the other for the late QEII’s Golden Wedding Anniversary.
Honours: MRVO; CBE. 6 June 1963: Hon. Doctorate of Law, University of Cambridge. Goldsmith’s Awards. Note: His call-up to the RAF in 1939 was delayed so that he could complete a silver dish for H.M. The Queen, and on his eventual joining, he was upset to find all his leave periods for the first six months cancelled because of his late arrival! His wife was Phyllis Ginger, an artist whose well known work was a portrait of Cliff Holton, centre forward of Arsenal.
Leslie was a member of the Goldsmiths Company who are supporters of No 30 Sqn and presented a sword in recent years to an officer on the squadron and that evening they enlarged on Leslie Durbin’s sword making achievements.
2nd. Lt. Gordon Philip Eric JEFFCOCK, RFC RAF (1887-1963) (5th C, 3xR).
Served in the RFC from 1914 to 1918, and RAF to 1922. (a FIRTH family descendant).
Sgt. Edwin WOOD, 989818 RAF (1916-1941) (4th C, 2xR).
(W.Op / Air Gnr) 51 Sqn RAF (VR). RAF Dishforth, Armstrong Whitley V Bomber.
Killed 5 Jul 1941 over Brest, France.
LAC. Walter WOOD, 1501351 RAF (1921-1944) (4th C, 2xR).
341 Sqn (Ground Crew). Killed 20 Dec 1944, France.
Fg Off. Alec Stanley DAVIES, RAF (1922-1950)
Husband of Iris M Pagdin (4th C, 3xR – related to Jabez Pagdin listed earlier in this document).
Pilot at RAF Ternhill. Killed 7 Feb 1950 in a ‘mid-air’ collision.
Fg Off. Fairfax Guy WADE-PALMER, RAF (1922-1984)