Very sorry to hear from the latest “Flypast” that he died on Dec 11th. His books in my collection are the excellent,well thumbed “B-17 Flying Fortress Their history and how to model them ” and “Lion In The Sky” US 8th Air Force Fighter Operations 1942-45. He wrote about 40 books since the sixties mostly specialising in USAAF and Luftwaffe. Was at one time with Alan Hall on the “Aviation News” team .
Another loss to the aviation literary scene but his name and books will not be forgotten.
By: G-ORDY - 5th January 2009 at 12:16
I had a telephone chat with Andrea – Jerry’s widow – on Saturday evening, we’d lost touch, a great shame, as there was a memorial service for Jerry held on Friday which I would have loved to have attended. At least we are back in touch and my wife and I will be meeting up with Andrea soon.
By: heli1 - 5th January 2009 at 11:04
I have to add my condolescences to all those who have posted…I worked with Alan Hall and Jerry Scutts in the early days of Aviation News ,in fact up until 1977 when Alan was at Amersham and when Jerry was working on other projects .The loss of Mick Stroud too was a shock as I hadn’t expected it.
Is it just me or has the aviation journalism world changed since those days …Freedom of Information ,the web and digital cameras make it much easier to gather information now that we don’t seem to have the likes of these experienced professionals and their “story ferreting “abilities any more ?
By: Binbrook 01 - 5th January 2009 at 10:38
There were 5 aviation authors that sadly passed away last year, as Mike Stroud who took on the job of starting Aircraft Illustrated passed away in July.
I worked with him for a number of years while working on World AirPower and Wings of Fame and so on. Sadly, I think I did manage to speak to Jerry, at Mikes memorial function at Brooklands in late November.
RIP Gents
Tim S
By: T-21 - 1st January 2009 at 15:06
I have nearly all of the Aviation News and I preferred the newspaper version. Still refer to the plans for modelling. When was the last one produced ?
By: G-ORDY - 1st January 2009 at 12:27
I don’t believe it – my wife and I were only talking about Jerry the other evening, what with Alan Hall passing away a few weeks ago and now Jerry I’m starting to get worried … I’m the only one left from the three-man editorial team we had on Aviation News back in 1972-73.
Having moved out of aviation journalism many years ago I lost touch with many of my old contacts.
There are lots of crazy memories I still have from those days in New Plaistow Road – like the tale of Alan’s trousers … which I won’t recount now … but I remember listening to Radio 1 in the office one afternoon and Jerry saying “There’s cousin Mick again” – his cousin was Mick Jagger!
Godspeed Jerry.
By: BSG-75 - 31st December 2008 at 18:34
Four actually (at least),
Tim
My apologies Tim – no deliberate intent to leave out any names etc at all on my part.
By: Consul - 31st December 2008 at 18:29
Thats three writers lost in 2008? Chaz Bowyer, Ray Sturtivant and now Jerry Scutts – I can see copies of work by all of them from where I sit – another sad loss.
Four actually (at least), as Alan Hall himself passed away recently and as well as being a publisher he was also an author – for example he produced a work on the Avro Anson well before the better known (and more extensive) Air-Britain work was produced.
Tim
By: BSG-75 - 31st December 2008 at 18:12
Thats three writers lost in 2008? Chaz Bowyer, Ray Sturtivant and now Jerry Scutts – I can see copies of work by all of them from where I sit – another sad loss.
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December 31, 2008 at 3:10 pm