by Brian Carlin
“Pilot Officer Magee flew on fighter sweeps over France and air defence over England against the German Luftwaffe. Although the dark days of the Battle of Britain were over, the Luftwaffe was still on the job of keeping up the pressure on British industry and the country. At the time, German bombers were crossing the English Channel with great regularity to attack Britain’s cities and factories.
On 3 September 1941, Magee flew a high altitude (30,000 feet) test flight in a newer model of the Spitfire V. As he orbited and climbed upward, he was struck with the inspiration of a poem—“To touch the face of God”.
“Once back on the ground, he wrote a letter to his parents. In it he commented, “I am enclosing a verse I wrote the other day. It started at 30,000 feet, and was finished soon after I landed.” On the back of the letter, he had written the poem “High Flight”.
Just three months later, on December 11, 1941 (and only three days after the US entered the war), Pilot Officer John Gillespie Magee, Jr., was killed. The Spitfire V he was flying, VZ-H, collided with an Oxford Trainer from the RAF College Cranwell Airfield while over RAF Tangmere. The two planes were flying in the clouds and neither saw the other. He was just 19 years old”.
Appendix 4
29th Entry, St. Athan, Graduation List
27th March, 1958
Airframe Mechanics
Allen, R. G.
Curtis, F. G.
Melloy, J.
Simpson, N.
Arnold, P. J.
Dingie, F. D.
Miller, P.
Slingsby, A.
Barber, A. O.
Durack, G. B.
Mills, D. S.
Stannard, G.
Betts, D. R.
Eaton, T. E.
Morris, P. G.
Stone, P. R.
Bloom, M. J.
Forsythe, J.
Nobie, P.
Tanner, D. E.
Boyd, R.
Freaney, M. J.
Pickering, G.
Taylor, M. S.
Bradnum, P. J.
Green, D. M.
Potts, G. A.
Urmston, P.
Burningham, L.
Johnston, R. F.
Pyle, D. F.
Walford, P. A.
Carey, M. L.
Lawrence, L.
Quint, R. A.
Webber, P. N.
Chaffe, A.F.
Lillington, P.
Rees, L. M.
Whall, B. W.
Chew, A. M.
May, A. J.
Reynolds, D.
White, R. W.
Child, G. W.
McQuode, J.
Rowse, V. G.
Wilson, C.
Engine Mechanics
Always, P.
Humphreys, J. A.
Rossant, D. G.
Baldwin, F. H. M.
Lidgett, T. W.
Shade, J.
Bateman, M. A.
Marriott, N. B.
Trent, P. J.
Bushell, A. J.
Maynard, P. J.
Urry, C.
Collin, J. D.
Middleton, R.
Vickers, M. J.
Cox, V. H.
Moses, B.
Vidler, P.
Crawford, D. A.
Perrin, M. J.
Walker, C. C.
Gerard, M. B.
Preece, P. J.
Walmsley, D. L.
Hudson, D.
Rook, P. G.
Armament Mechanics (Bombs)
Barnes, L
Fairbrother, K. R.
Porter, S.
Carpenter, S. R.
Hammond, B. A.
Riley, A. R.
Davis, P. S.
Hillman, B.
Sinclair, S. M.
Downing, G. L.
Jeffrey, J. W.
Tyler, B.
Armament Mechanics (Guns)
Adams, D.
Jenkins, A. J.
Pemberton, A. A.
Arnold, R. T. E.
MacGregor, A. G.
Pritchard, R. P.
Atkins, C.
Martin, A. D.
Spinks, D. A.
Bertram, W.
Mash, A. R. A.
Spurie, W. F.
Cowan, W.
Mills, A. R.
Watkins, A. J.
Gale, A. J.
Milner, D. H.
Wheatley, E. I.
Horton, T.
North, A. M.
Woodhams, J. H. C.
Instrument Mechanics (General)
Bolton, P. J.
Haslar, T. A.
Roberts, C. W.
Bragg, A. J.
Hesp, R. H.
Stovold
Dennis, A. F.
Hill, A. E.
Sutton, J. A.
Etherington, D. R.
Honiset, T. D.
Thompson, D. J.
Hand, R. T.
Kitchin, G.
Whiting, R. H.
Hann, R.
Lavin, T. P.
Williams, D. J.
Harrison, A. E.
McGrath, J.
Wrigglesworth, A. M.
Harrison, L. B. G
Reynolds, S.
Instrument Mechanics (Nav.)
Anderson, A. J.
Gascoine, G.
Smith, P. A.
Cunningham, C.
Gilkes, E. A.
Sumner, J. P.
Dammery, T. W.
Graham, M. A.
Thorne, N. J.
Day, T. I.
Green, E. F.
Tovey, H. W.
Duff, W.
Newstead, P.
Williams, M. J.
General Mechanics
Allan, E. H.
Hilliman, R. C.
Masters, J. W.
Birch, R.
Hope, M. A.
Meadows, D. R.
Cook, S.
Johns, K. F.
Platts, N. G.
Govier, P. D.
Laming, B. T.
Pryde, A. V.
Gray, J.
Lepard, M. T.
M. T. Mechanics
Arthur, J. E.
Foster, C.
Roberts, S. A.
Baker, D. L.
Garner, W. J.
Rodgers, C. H.
Barber, D. C.
Grindrod, B.
Rogerson, J.
Beardwell, J. G.
Milligan, D. J.
Tait, A. A. S.
Clark, J. H.
Nixon, J.
Taylor, A. T.
Electrical Mechanic (Air)
Barker, M. J.
Disney, A. M. J.
Marlow, B.
Barnes, T. B.
Drinkwater, A. N.
Motteram, E. B.
Bassett, R. J.
Duff, R. A.
Mowbray, M. J.
Brand, G. R.
Edwards, N.
Nickels, R. V.
Brown, H. N.
Fox, R. S.
Oliver, M. H.
Burden, C. D.
Gillings, T.
Persse, W. W.
Butterworth, R. R.
Harvey, T. L.
Powditch, D. J.
Callighan, F. J.
Higgins, P. M. J.
Presland, W. E.
Carlin, B.
Humphries, R. J.
Priest, A.
Chaplin, R. J.
Inglis, B.
Richardson, B.
Chinnery, C. R.
Jackson, M. R.
Slatter, D.
Chown, P. A. C.
Johns, M. W.
Speer, R. E. J.
Clarke, B. H.
Johnson, N.
Staley, A.
Coaten, G. R.
Jordan, R. S.
Wiles, H. B.
Critchley, E.
Levett, S. F.
Wi
llis, T.
Davey, K.
Luckhurst, B. O.
Woods, D. W.
Key To Group Photo On Previous Page
Back row (l to r)
Arthur Priest; D.J. Powditch; Norman Johnson;
Derek Chinnery; D.W. Woods; Frank J. Callighan;
R.J.“Charlie” Chaplin; B. “Paddy” Richardson;
M.H. Oliver; R.A. Duff
Third row (l to r)
Brian Marlow; Pete A.C. Chown; M.R. (Bob) Jackson;
B.O. Luckhurst; M.W. Johns; Brian H. “Nobby” Clarke;
T. Willis; A.M.J. Disney; R.S. Jordan; M.R. Jackson
Second row (all standing) (l to r)
Richard R. Butterworth; S.F. Levett; R.S. Fox; K. Davey;
N. Edwards; R.J. Humphries; G.R. Coaten; P.M.J. Higgins;
W.W. Persse; M.J. Barker; C.D. Burden;E.B. “Ted” Motteram; H.B. “Andy” Wiles; D. “Spud” Slatter; R.J. Bassett
Front row (all seated) (l to r)
W.E. Presland; A. Staley; Howard N. “Ginge” Brown;
Geordie R. Brand; (Cpl. Boy) R.V. Nickels;
(Sgt. Boy) Eric Critchley; (Cpl. Boy) A.N. Drinkwater;
Brian Inglis; Ron E.J. Speer; Brian Carlin; T. Gilling