Page 95 - All About History - Issue 28-15

All About
YOURHISTORY

Harry outside the
RAF Heliopolis
Station Church on the
day of his wedding

America. These Sabres were 11 metres long with a On 30 November 1967, British troops were
wingspan of the same distance. His job was to strip evacuated, leaving Aden under NLF control.
the engines and body, pack them on a loader and The Royal Marines, who had been the first
send them off to be reused in Britain. British troops to arrive in Aden in 1839, were
By now a sergeant, Harry was sent all over to the last to leave — with the exception of a Royal
strip planes, usually along with an electrician, Engineer detachment. Renée and Angela were
engineers and a few airframe men. It used to take airlifted out and taken to a camp in Hucknall in
them up to six weeks to strip a plane. Harry was Nottinghamshire. Harry joined them a few months
Harry and
posted to Aden, Saudi Arabia, in 1966, when Angela later, they then moved to RAF Abingdon, and then Renée before
was ten. The British were in the process of giving finally to RAF Valley in Anglesey. she became
Aden back to its people and so the area was in Harry worked at RAF Valley until 1976, when he unwell
much turmoil. retired after 38 years of service to his country. He
The local Adenese vendors used to come around lives there to this day, unfortunately a widower.
the RAF married quarters selling their goods, and He has four children and seven grandchildren. On
Renée used to barter with them in Arabic. A family 1 January 1942, he was named in the New Year’s
favourite was cold breaded Barracuda sandwiches, Honours List that was published in the London
washed down with Amstel beer that came in crates Gazette. He was also awarded a War Medal for his
of 24 ‘stubby’ bottles. Living on the RAF base, full time service during World War II, as well as
Harry mainly worked on the Blackburn Beverleys, a a Long Service medal (awarded after 18 years of
British heavy transport aircraft flown in the 1950s service), and a Long Service ‘bar’ (awarded after 36
and 1960s. years of service). He calls these his ‘silver pennies’.
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