One of our hero's, Lt David Wickins, will be remembered at a Service of Thanksgiving for his life at St Brides Chapel, London. on the 3rd May at 11.30 am. Mrs Wickins extends an invitation to attend to any members of the CFVA or any other persons who knew him.

David Wickins was one of those rare persons who joined as an A/B, became Ldg Seaman - progressed up to Cox'n PO -then Sub/Lt on "D" type  MTB's 752 and 604. He finally settled down with his wife in Santa Ponsa. Mallorca where he died at the end of January 2007.

An appreciation for the life of

Lt Cdr Tom Ladner RCN. 1916 – 2006.

Tom Ladner was born on the 8^th December 1916 in Vancouver – the son of Lawyer, MP, Diplomat – Mr Leon Ladner, and Grandson of a Cornish miner who had sought his fortune in the Californian and Fraser River gold rushes before turning his hand at farming.

Educated at the Shawnigan Lake School on Vancouver Island – then Leys School Cambridge. He went on to the University of British Columbia - then into Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto. During a debate in the University he had proposed that Canada should withdraw from the Union of the British Empire if GB should declare War. However, once War was declared he volunteered alongside his closest friends –‘ Corney’ Burke and ‘Wimpy’ Maitland and they generally became known as ‘The Three Musketeers’ during their War time careers.

By Wartimes end – Maitland had earned a DSC and Bar, a Croix-de-Guerre and two mentions in dispatches. Burke had earned a DSC and two Bars with four mentions in dispatches while Tom Ladner earned the DSC and Bar with four mentions in dispatches.

After his initial training at HMCS York, Toronto he transferred to HMS King Alfred Sussex UK for his commission – arriving in the UK during the first day light bombing raid on London.

His first posting was onto a former Canadian Pacific Liner – by then the Armed Merchant Cruiser ‘Forfar’. She was torpedoed by the famous U-Boat ace Kapitan Lt Otto Kretschmer in U99.

Tom Ladner was one of the 27 survivors

He joined Coastal Forces with the 8^th MGB Flotilla and became the CO of MGB 75.

During one raid off the Dutch Coast his boat became so damaged that he could not make the ‘open sea’, so he hid his craft behind a large Buoy ..”until things quietened down”.. He then made his way back to Felixstowe on two Engines only with a large hole in the Bow - taking a short cut through a minefield.

After a two month leave – which he managed to take in Canada – he returned to join a ‘Dog Boat’ Flotilla and headed for the Mediterranean Theatre. It was in this area that he earned his first DSC There are many of his exploits that could be recorded here but luckily they can be found in the many books written about the Mediterranean War – he was a real hero and we owe so much to the likes of Lt Cdr Ladner – his Crew’s - and of course his contemporaries from all the former Dominions

Captain Alasdair Macdonald Watson, D.S.C., V.R.D., R.N.R.

Captain Alasdair Watson, who has died aged 87, fought, as commanding officer of Motor Torpedo Boat 5001, in one of the last naval actions of the Second World War in the North Sea.

On 6^th April 1945, with neither moon nor phosphorescence, conditions ideal for attack operations, six German E-boats sped from the Hook of Holland to make a final gesture of defiance in the Second World War. They were far across the North Sea before they were picked-up by a Wellington bomber equipped with radar and VHF communications.    As the E-boats closed the line of buoys through which convoys passed, the frigate, HMS Cubitt, closed from the north and opened fire causing them to turn north into a trap.

MTBs 781 and 5001 were waiting further north and were ordered to steer west and were almost on top of the enemy when they sighted them heading at right angles across their bows.   MTB 781 passing close astern and raking the enemy with gunfire just missed ramming the nearest E-boat.    MTB 5001 broke through the enemy’s line, exchanging fire with the boats port and starboard.    Turning to starboard in a classical Nelsonian manoeuvre both MTBs continued to engage the enemy at close range and the E-boats swung round to escape to the south-east.    Although badly damaged the E-boats returned fire hitting 5001, which, unlike diesel-engined German boats, was driven by highly flammable petrol stored aft.  MTB 781 turned to the rescue meeting 5001 bow-on to avoid the impending petrol explosion astern, enabling the crew to escape by jumping from one vessel to the other. 

Alasdair Macdonald Watson was born in Edinburgh on 24^th February 1920, the eldest of five children.    His father, Alexander Pirie Watson was a surgeon in the Great War and his mother, Ann (née) Macdonald, a nursing sister, served in Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service in Salonika.      His first interest in the Navy was sparked, aged five, watching destroyers in the Firth of Forth.     

Educated at the Edinburgh Academy and Fort Augustus Abbey School, Alasdair excelled at rugger and won his school colours in 1938.  The headmaster, Commander Fairie R.N. encouraged his interest in the sea by purchasing an old fishing boat for use by the boys on Loch Ness.

He enrolled as a medical student at Edinburgh University in 1939; but the war intervened. Enlisting on 2nd August 1940 as an Ordinary Seaman in the Royal Navy at Rosyth, he was posted to Lancing College and, after six weeks living in garages in Hove, he started 21^st August 1941 as a naval rating and ended the day as Lieutenant, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve.

Alasdair was posted to HMS St. Christopher, Fort William to learn Fast Motor Boats.      In January 1942 he was 1^st Lieutenant of MGB 326 and on the night of 27^th/28^th February 1942 took part in Operation Biting.    That night bombers dropped an airborne assault group on the Bruneval German radar station. They attacked the site, photographed equipment, took components and retreated to the beach rendezvous; but the navy was delayed waiting silently in the dark while a German convoy passed across their bows before repatriating the raiding party.

In August 1942, as 1^st Lieutenant of MGB 326, Alasdair served in the main landing at Dieppe, and was mentioned in despatches. 

He served in 12^th and 14^th MGB flotillas earmarked for clandestine operations, ferrying frogmen for beach samples and SOE agents to the French coast, he was again mentioned in despatches.

On D-Day 6^th June 1944 he commanded MGB 330 leading the assault wave from Portsmouth, and escorting Landing Ship HMS Prince Henry, carrying his cousin, Lieutenant Ian Macdonald, Canadian Scottish Regiment, to the beaches of Normandy, where four days later he was killed.

Ironically in 1945, Alasdair was appointed Senior Officer German E-Boats based for evaluation at HMS Hornet, Portsmouth.  He was awarded the DSC in December 1945 for his war service.

From 1946 he spent many happy years teaching maths, science, coaching rugby and athletics at Dalhousie Castle, Melville House, Ladybank and Clifton Hall Schools.

In 1951 he joined the Royal Naval Reserve at HMS Claverhouse and from 1958 to 1966 he commanded HMS Scotia, a training establishment in Pitreavie.   In 1963 he was promoted Captain and served as ADC to the Queen, retiring from the navy in 1971.

Alasdair was president of the Combined Operations Association based near Furnace on the shores of Loch Fyne, where he lived, the scene of many exercises for the Normandy invasion.

In 1960 he married Isobel Elizabeth “Elsie” Crawford of Comrie, a keen golfer, with whom he spent many happy years until her death in 1994.   Related through his mother to the Macdonalds of Keppoch, Alasdair wore Keppoch tartan and is buried in the family plot at Cille Choirill, Roy Bridge.

As a long time and well respected member of the British Military Powerboat Trust.

– An exceptional gentleman who became fully engrossed with the aims of the Trust –

It is felt to be fitting that an appreciation for his life should be made on these pages.

Squadron Leader Bevis Denton (`Bob’) Davies AFC RAF

`Bob’ Davies was born on 11^th July 1920 at Gravesend where his father was a Trinity House river pilot.  His father had served in the Royal Navy commanding a destroyer during World War One and a flotilla of mine sweepers in World War 2.

He was awarded the DSC.

Bob was actually christened `Bevis Denton’ However, from a very young age Bevis Denton Davies knew his own mind and assumed the Christian name of Bob, which stuck.

He was educated at Gravesend Grammar School, `matriculated’ and gained a place at the College of Aero and Auto Engineering in Sidney Street, Chelsea.

His flying training started in September 1941, on the ubiquitous ‘Tiger Moth’. Being selected to complete his training in the United States, Bob was awarded his wings and commissioned on 5^th September 1942.  It was at this stage of his flying career that his exceptional flying skills were first recognized and he became a Qualified Flying Instructor: After collecting his officer’s uniform, he moved to California, and then to South Carolina, where he spent the next 8 months honing his QFI flying skills. Returning to the UK in summer 1943, but having to go through the whole British retraining process – Bob did not join a Bomber Squadron until July 1944.

Bob and his crew then completed 18 day and night operations with the Squadron, during a period of very heavy losses for all of RAF’s bomber fleet.  Bob was a great believer in `luck’, and over this period he had his fair share: In September 1944, a bomb dropped by a Lancaster flying above them fell through his aircraft just aft of the top gunner’s position. Apart from the tail gunner losing his oxygen supply, the aircraft continued to behave normally. They set course for home but due to the weather, in the end had to make a forced landing at Old Buckenham south of Norwich.

A man of independent spirit he not have too much respect for `rules’, demonstrated in an earlier episode when an unauthorized long weekend led to some days of reflection in the `bad boys’ detention centre at Shedfield.  He was also admonished for inadvertently wrecking his COs nearly new `runabout’ aircraft.

None of this though was considered particularly important as Bob was promoted to acting Squadron Leader and posted as a flight Commander to 214 Squadron, flying from Oulton. Bob’s luck continued to hold. Returning on three engines from one countermeasure operation, he was given priority to land and the aircraft ahead was instructed to `go round again’. Unfortunately, this aircraft was shot down by a German night fighter intruder. A short time later, the intruder returned and shot up the de-briefing room just as Bob and one of his crew were leaving. Bob remained with 214 Squadron until the end of the war, completing some 12 operations, including the Dresden raid. He was recommended for a DFC by his Squadron and Station Cdr, but it was refused at Group level for reasons unknown.

After the war, Bob wanted to remain flying and joined No 102 Squadron engaged mainly in trooping flights to Karachi. Unsurprisingly it was Bob who flew the last operational Liberator sortie.

In 1946, Bob converted to the Avro `York’ and joined No. 242 Squadron at Oakington flying lengthy trooping flights to Singapore. It was on this route, in 1947, that he collected his Court Martial for indulging in a little unauthorized formation flying – which might have passed unnoticed had they not been involved in a slight collision. Both aircraft landed safely but disciplinary procedures were inevitable. Bob was fortunate to receive only a reprimand and loss of his B/VIP flying category from the Court Martial. He was grounded for a period working in squadron ops and then only allowed to fly freighting sorties. In the summer of 1948, the Berlin Airlift changed everything and during 10 months he flew 330 sorties, at an average of 1 a day.

After his outstanding efforts on the airlift, he was posted to White Waltham, as the personal pilot to the C in C Home Command – Air Marshall Sir Robert Foster, flying a De Havilland `Dove/Devon’.  Bob and his navigator were exceptional aviators – a necessity in the VIP role - their skills being highly regarded by the Air Marshal despite some unusual but successful bad weather approach techniques and when Sir Robert Foster was promoted to Air Chief Marshal and posted to RAF Germany, Bob and his Navigator went with him.

Bob was to fly many famous politicians/world leaders including the German leaders, Conrad Adenauer and Willi Brandt, who always rewarded him with a case of Rhine wine. During this period he was awarded his Air Force Cross, recommended by the ACM, but in his usual stubborn way, insisted that if he was to be decorated, then so should his Master Navigator who was duly awarded the Air Force Medal.

In early 1955, Bob returned to the UK to join the Transport Command Examining Unit, where he qualified to examine crews flying `Anson’, `Devon’, `Valetta’ and `Viking’ aircraft. This took him all over the RAF world and it was in this period that Bob’s first marriage ended in divorce. However during the divorce procedures, Bob met Eunice. This time Bob had met his match, they were married and were to share the rest of his life together.

In 1958, he was posted to the Officers Initial Training School. Despite his own rather checkered career, Bob was a hard task master. After this brush with the personnel world, Bob found himself at a desk job in the Personal Department of the Air Ministry in Theobalds Road, which he stuck until the summer of 1963, retiring at the age of 43

Apart from flying, Bob had two other great passions in his life: one was his beloved Bull Terriers, of which he had nine consecutively over 45 years; the other was cars, particularly owning and driving large American cars. The next few years all involved driving and chauffeuring, using his own and others cars until finally he became a chauffeur with the Bahrain Embassy, for whom he worked for 13 years until his final retirement in 1990 at age 70.

In retirement, Bob did a lot for RAF Squadron Associations, in particular that of No 214 Squadron, serving on the Committee from the beginning,

Bob’s final years were trying, even with Eunice at his side. His rapidly failing eyesight meant that he had to give up the pleasure of owning and driving his special cars and, as his eyesight continued to deteriorate, he could no longer read, relying on `talking books’. Bob bore all of this with stoicism and fortitude, his dry sense of humour always to the fore.

In an RAF career spanning some 23 years, of which nearly 20 had been in the cockpit, Bob flew 30 wartime operations and 330 flights on the Berlin Airlift; in a total of 23 different aircraft types and logged 7315 flying hours. He was an exceptional pilot – one of the top 10% -, a thinking but risk taking pilot – and more importantly - he never lost the twinkle in his blue eyes.  He had no respect for self important, self serving authority - but he nevertheless rose above some difficult times to become a highly respected senior officer in his Service.

He still felt however that he – a survivor – had a responsibility to those who didn’t finish the course and he completed a great act of pilgrimage, identifying and recording the graves of all those airmen who had died flying with 214 Sqn.  

Bob to the end was a truly lucky man.

Mr Ronald Arthur Henderson.

It was with great sadness that I heard of the ‘Crossing over the Bar’ of former A/B (Asdic) Ron Henderson, who passed away on Christmas Day 2007.

A member of the Coastal Forces Veterans Association (3291), this well loved gentleman was justly proud of serving his country during those dark days of the Mediterranean War and the memory of this honoured gentle person will be kept alive by his family and all those who really knew him.

He served in the Mediterranean during the years 1942 – 1945,

(one of his last ‘ships’ being ML 866 engaged in the dangerous employment of Mine sweeping).