For those who met George at Legends…

George’s Grand Day Out

George Ford, an 84 year old ex-farm labourer and village hall caretaker (retiring from the latter a year or two ago), Poppy Appeal collector and parish organiser of all and sundry had a very special day on Sunday 11th July. As his fellow village hall organiser commented during the recent D-Day anniversary commemorations: “But we don’t think of old George as a veteran”. But a veteran he is, albeit of a different campaign in a different theatre of war, and as such also deserved to ‘have his day’. On 11th July 2004, George was invited to the Flying Legends Air Display at Duxford by a long time neighbour who thought he might enjoy it. And enjoy it he did!

1173410 Leading Aircraftsman George Ford. Fitter / Armourer. Enlisted 9th July 1940 aged 20, Demobbed August 1946. Trained at Morecambe (Square Bashing) then Melksham, Wiltshire.

Posted to 149 Squadron at RAF Mildenhall working on Wellingtons, George was posted in July 1941 to 27 Squadron in Northern Malaya, who were flying Blenheim Mk1’s. From there he went to Ceylon where 160 Squadron were equipped with B24 Liberators before transferring again to 320 Maintenance Unit on which he worked on various aircraft including Thunderbolts.

During his time in the Royal Air Force, George travelled from the UK to Northern Malaya, through Singapore and the Dutch East Indies to Ceylon and India over the course of 4 years, all the while with Far East Command.

Setting off early, George first attended a memorial service dedicated to the memory of a Belgian fighter pilot, F/Lt Francois de Spirlet, who was killed at Duxford on 26th June 1942 whilst flying in the Royal Air Force with 609 (West Riding) Squadron. A bench, with a beautiful brass plaque supplied by Timpson Ltd, was unveiled in the presence of 5 wartime members of the squadron in the grounds of the Red Lion Hotel at Whittlesford – the squadrons favourite drinking spot whilst stationed at Duxford.

It was then a short trip to the airfield, and after a short time George was invited out to the flightline courtesy of The Fighter Collection who host the annual show, escorted by TFC engineer Russell Swann from Brighton. Here George was able to have a closer look at some of the aircraft participating. On viewing the P39 Airacobra, an aircraft that arrived in the country only last week and is the first to fly here since 1944, George was approached by one of the American groundcrew and given a thorough tour and briefing on the aircraft – to the great envy of the countless enthusiasts who could only look on from the concrete! Walking along past the rows of Mustangs and Spitfires afterwards, George was finally reunited with an aircraft he had not been close to for almost 60 years – the massive American built P47 Thunderbolt fighter. Standing in front of it, and holding one of the guns with which he had been so familiar all those years before, George developed an alarmingly youthful twinkle and a grin like a Cheshire cat as he held his audience captivated with tales of test-firing the guns, diving Hurricanes and Japanese bomber attacks, buckets of tea and bacon sandwiches, all accompanied with sound effects. On moving along to the Hurricanes themselves – an aircraft which scored more ‘kills’ in the Battle of Britain than even the Spitfire – George was approached by a group of young men clad in original wartime uniforms who, having enquired as to whether he had indeed been an armourer, proceeded to reunite him with an ammunition box from the wing of a Spitfire. Dressing him correctly with a wartime forage cap, they then stood captivated for twenty minutes as they followed George – who was now miraculously 20 years old again and using his walking stick as a prop rather than to lean on – on a journey through the wartime Far East, his memory never faltering. It was only when the area was being closed in order to prepare the aircraft for flying that George was finally dragged away much to their regret.

Having refuelled briefly with ‘Char and Wads’, a term familiar to many a wartime ‘erk’, it was time to sit in a chair and watch the flying. Though walking with the aid of a stick, and having received more than the usual quota of hips, George couldn’t restrain himself and jumped up, pressing himself up against the barriers as Spitfires flew overhead, Hurricanes wheeled around, Fortresses roared off, Mustangs dived, and the P39 that had been explained in such detail displayed for him. It can only be imagined what George was seeing as the Thunderbolt flew past…..

The grand finale of the show is, as always, one unique to Flying Legends – the Balbo. As a mass formation of 30 aircraft dating from the Second World War passed overhead, George was driven from the airfield, his first visit to Duxford over and the first time since the war he had been on an airfield since his youth. Back to the pilots pub, the Red Lion, George was fortified with ham, egg and chips and a pint before the long drive back to his Haddiscoe home, applauded by the group of enthusiasts also enjoying their post-show drink and perhaps tiring from the many people shaking his hands and wishing him the best. Parting from them, he spoke one last time:

“It’s very nice at 84 years old to be able to spend a day as good as this”.

Thanks to all of you who helped make George’s day so special yesterday. No-one’s seen him about yet today but he was still as high as a kite when we got him back last night! Thanks, it’s very much appreciated.