On a recent flight north, our former President, Dacre Watson (SH 56-62), took some photos while flying over St Bees. They can be seen here.

As part of his trip he passed through Kirkbride to refuel and came across some people who know Clive Milburn (F 58-63), who was at school with him and who also went into flying.

This prompted Dacre to send in the following commentary: “I thought that OSBs of a certain age might be amused by this photo taken at Carlisle Airport on 10th June 1962. On the left is Clive Milburn, myself in the middle and Mike Harrison on the right.

The occasion was CCF Day and we had just returned from doing a two-ship flypast over St Bees for the Inspecting Officer as he took the salute at the top of the Terrace steps by the War Memorial there. In fact this was the second time that Mike and I had done such a flypast at St Bees in 1961, so in theory we were ‘old hands’ at this. Nothing could have been further from the truth and I would say that the foolishness of youth mingled with a carefree disregard for any common sense whatsoever was well to the fore. Personally, I blame St Bees for giving us a confidence far beyond our true capabilities. We had the use of two Austers (paid for by the school) that day and we decided that Mike would lead since he was more experienced, having flown some 38 hours to my 36; we had no radios on either aircraft so Clive and I followed Mike down to the beach just off St Bees where we would circle and wait for the signal to commence the flypast. The idea was that a cadet with a radio would monitor the progress of the Inspecting Officer out of School House, alerting another cadet located on the beach that the show was about to start; once the inspecting party reached School House Lane a further call to the beach was made whereupon the cadet there would fire a green very light, which Mike in the lead Auster would hopefully see, and we would then start our run-in in line astern towards the school with the intention that we should cross the crease just as the band started and the Salute was being taken: 80 mph at 800 feet. To our surprise and, indeed, I think to everyone’s, it worked, though I would imagine that luck played a greater part in the exercise than judgement. I can’t remember who the Master was who drove us up to Carlisle, but when we landed he did not seem to be in a rush to get back, so our return to St Bees was well after the day was over and there was no danger of any formalities; I never did care much for marching round in circles. They were good days and I doubt that it would be allowed today.”

 

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