My Dad was a pilot in the RAF in the early 1950s, he is on the right hand end top row in the photo below but not in the photo below that as he took it with his little Box Brownie camera. Life was very dangerous for the young pilots and he told me that very sadly nearly half of the young men in these photos died in flying accidents. In the early 1950s countrywide many of these trainee pilots were killed but it was all covered up at the time. It is very sad to think of it and I'm sure after all this time people still aren't aware.
I remembered an incident that happened when my Mum was in hospital, My Dad went down to the hospital shop and there in the queue was a very tall extremely handsome young man wearing only a theatre gown and his boots totally unconcerned at the strange looks he was getting. Typically my Dad started talking to him and he was saying he was a soldier from the rehabilitation centre for wounded servicemen and women at Headley Court but their X Ray machine was out of order. He told my Dad he was in the Guards. He asked my Dad if he had ever been in the services and my Dad told him he had been a pilot in the RAF. He said the soldier took a step back and said a long drawn out "Respect!" No said my Dad "Respect to you!" So on that that note I would like to say "Respect" to every serviceman or woman who has been killed or wounded in conflict or in the line of duty over the years.
