Arthur Henderson's Story

Another regular, signed on for 3 years.  Ex Air Cadet Flight Sergeant from 281 (Southport) Squadron.  Served at Middleton St. George on Flying Training Command  No? FTS  Vampires Mk V and Mark XI.  Airfield then closed in 1956 for upgrade for Fighter Command.  Posted as Corporal to Ternhill, again Flying Training Command No 4 FTS with piston engined Provosts, served as NCO i/c Station Flight.

Then into Civvy Street back home to Southport living with Mum.  Taken on by Short Bros & Harland at RAF Woodvale near Southport as Air & Ground Radio Engineer responsible for all Air Traffic Tower equipment, ground transmitter and receiver sites and auto direction finding (CRD and CADF) and telemetry. Plus servicing Mosquito, Meteor, Anson, and Chipmunk radio equipment.  After 3 years RAF contract lost by Shorts.

After my service with the RAF

I moved to work for Swissair at Zurich Airport as a Technical Specialist in the airborne radio servicing department.  Now qualified on air radar systems. (Weather Radar, radar altimeter, Doppler navigator, and ATC transponder).

3 years later new change of scene, joiner Ministry of Transport & Civil Aviation posted to Bletchley Park Signals Training School to learn all about the UK ground facilities (back to school again).  Next posting Stansted, Air Calibration Flight (Pembrokes, Doves, and the very first HS125), now licensed Air Radio and Radar Engineer (ARB approved).

1967 sent off to University to read Electrical Engineering and Electronics graduated B.Sc., next posting Headquarters!! Next step Membership of the Royal Aeronautical Society and Chartered Engineer status.  Then spent years being posted up and down Britain until retiring in 1994 as a Senior Air Traffic Control Engineer at the Scottish and Oceanic Control Centre, Prestwick, with responsibility for the integrity of air navigation systems and communications within Scottish and Oceanic Airspace.

Have since spent 2 years as a Technical Adviser to the Saudi Arabian Presidency of Civil Aviation with responsibility for all Navigation facilities up the Eastern side of the country bordering onto Iraq and up to Syria, including 5 airfields.  With my office based at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.

Then decided to retire to Lincolnshire.  Got the notion to teach.  Did a 1 year teacher training course to gain Qualified Teacher Status as a Maths teacher. Spent two years teaching in Secondary School, GCSE Maths.  Now taking it easier, employed by Lincs County Council as a home tutor for secondary school age children unable to attend school for medical reasons.

Oh, and I nearly forgot to mention, got married whilst at University, had two children, now both married.  My lovely wife Christel has stuck it out with me all these years (35 in all) even during the Saudi experience, and while we both spent 4 ½ years in the Royal Observer Corps in Scotland.

There is no doubt that my whole life has evolved from my time spent at RAF Yatesbury.  It has been one long adventure, with far too many stories to tell.