My friend Frank.Raymond.Appleford,
Here in Melbourne, Is looking for some info on this Gentlemen Pilot :confused: ,
Frank is an Aussifide(Nat/Oz) pom now day’s, after living in Oz for nearly 30 year’s coming from Southeast England, Hampshire, Village of King’s somborne.
I have known him about twenty year’s, and we worked together at the O.J.Nilsens Electrical Industry’s company, and I did the Bach pad thing at his place a few time’s over the year’s as well, so I guess you could say he became almost my surrugate Father in way’s!!!.
He call’s himself a very early baby booma as he turn’s 60, in July this year, He grew up at what he called the hub area, As big plane thing’s flew over all the time, and talk’s of LOT”S of type’s, right down to Tigermoth’s 😎 .
Now day as he put’s it, He has not got the time to keep up with Aircraft, So it’s left up to me to update him all the time, but his job now day’s is family tree stuff, and now I own his whole library of aircraft book’s 😎 .
Growing up on THE T.O.M. Sopwith Estate in England 😮 , was a very lucky call by his father Frank’s say’s, and say’s they were really decent people, to live under, and treated everyone very good.
Hence another huge connection for Frank to historic aircraft, but at this time he said Tommy Sopwith Jr I guess :confused: , was trying to kill himself in high speed boat’s :confused: .
But the sight of the Huge Queen Mary, in the Distance, and hearing her loud reverberating call, soon had him joining the Merchant Navy, and he was off to see the world.
His three greatest love’s from growing up in England would have to be Boiler’s(steam engine’s), Motorbike’s and Aircraft(and of course still England and History, just underneath his thick skin, and I forgot sailing).
He did not want to be another Aglab, like what look’s like now getting back to early 1700’s, everyone was before him, some gamekeeper’s as well, So he left old blighty for ever in the end.
He has a site called “Appleford’s of Hampshire”, which is a huge family tree thing, He has been working on it for year’s, If tell’s lot’s of story’s on people and has some great picture’s and different family link’s everywhere.
Any information on N.R.L.Appleford would be most appreciated and will help Frank find out a little more of the puzzle of how the Appleford’s originated, as the tree has now become HUGE.
Here is his contact Email Address
Frank.Raymond.Appleford.
[email]steam@relax.com.au[/email]
Please post any info here as well, as I will try and get him on here, one day soon, He doe’s have a little look in sometime’s as a guest.
I have still not got this putting in link’s thing right yet, and DaveH, ran me though it.
I getting there slowly, but in the mean time to look at Frank’s very English flavored site,
Just type Frank.Appleford in to google, he is very well known in the family tree stuff, and his site’s link will be before your eye’s.
Again the sites called the Appleford’s of Hampshire.
Thank’s in advance, if you can help in this quest in anyway 🙂 .
By: gedburke3 - 10th July 2008 at 18:21
Robin Appleford
Hi all,
So as to avoid any confusion here, Robin Appleford of 66 Squadron (Battle of Britain) does not visit websites threatening people.
The posting from ‘Concerned’ is obviously talking about an entirely different Mr Appleford.
I just thought that perhaps people may assume that they were one and the same person.
Gerry
By: Concerned - 9th July 2008 at 10:54
It sounds as if Frank has lead an interesting life.
You can find Frank these days in the chat room at www.knowhere.co.uk, you can get there by visiting the page http://chat.state51.co.uk/chat/knowhere/chat.html
Unfortunately these days though he spends most of his time in there being rude to people online, supporting an individual who issues threats of physical violence and lies about others, and very often floods everyone else’s comments off the page of the chat room, by making the same rude comments over and over, pressing the “return” key, sometimes for hours on end. You’d expect this type of behaviour from a teenager, which is why it’s shocking to see a 65 year old man behaving this way, and for someone who’s lead such a life, it’s a shame to see him wasting his remaining years in such a pursuit.
By: STORMBIRD262 - 5th June 2005 at 16:53
Youngest in B of B
Did this chap get any victory’s at all ? :confused:
Man, 😮 that’s young to be in charge of such a powerful fighter plane, Wet behind the ear’s still, and lucky to have any bum fluff :rolleyes: .
Can someone please try this Link for me, as I am still in the learning stage for doing Link’s.
It’s Frank Appleford’s ” Appleford’s of Hampshire ” and has a very English flavor to it.
I think he would be rapt if more English people signed his guest book 😉 .
Try this please.
http://www.relax.com.au/~steam/
And tell me if it work’s o.k 🙂 .
By: STORMBIRD262 - 3rd June 2005 at 20:59
Thank you so very very much Geoff,
Frank will be really rapt with that info mate.
Thank’s again, it’s an amazing Forum, with amazing people from all walk’s, which make’s for amazing research. Gota like That.
By: von Perthes - 3rd June 2005 at 08:40
From ‘Men of the Battle of Britain’
‘Alexander Nelson Robin Langley Appleford
42736 P/O Pilot British 66 Squadron
Appleford was born in September 1921, making him one of the youngest pilots to take part in the Battle of Britain.
As a candidate for a short service commission, he began his ab initio training at 12 E&RFTS, Prestwick on August 8 1939. After a short introduction course at Uxbridge he was posted to 11 FTS, Shawbury on September 26. With his training completed, Appleford joined 66 squadron at Duxford on May 13 1940. He was shot down in combat over the Thames Estuary on September 4 and baled out slightly wounded. His Spitfire, P9316 crashed near Howe Green Farm, Purleigh.
Posted from 66 squadron on December 18 1940, Appleford went to 8 FTS Montrose for an instructors course, after which he went to Southern Rhodesia to instruct at 22 FTS, Gwelo. He was hospitalised on November 3 1941, firstly in Nairobi and then Durban until mid-1942. Appleford went north and joined the Aircraft Delivery Unit, Cairo on June 2, staying with it until January 10 1943, when he went to 274 squadron, Benghazi, to fly Hurricanes on coastal defence.
His tour completed, Appleford was posted to 71 OTU, Ismailia as an instructor. After six weeks he returned to the Aircraft Delivery Unit and on November 15 1943 went south again to the Central Flying School, Bloemfontein. From early February 1944 until May 1945 Appleford instructed at various Air Schools in South Africa.
He returned to Britain on July 1 1945 and joined 587 squadron at Weston Zoylond on August 24. He was released from the RAF in August 1946 as a Flight Lieutenant.
APO 9.10.39 PO 18.5.40 FO 18.5.41 FL 18.5.42′
Geoff.
By: STORMBIRD262 - 3rd June 2005 at 03:42
No luck yet!!!
Here’s Frank’s, Appleford’s of Hampshire Web site address, for a touch of old blighty.
Sign In
June 1, 2005 at 3:41 pm