Letters

Dear Sir,

Have just seen about Harold Parkin on your website. Please except my condolences to the family. Had a few phone calls and letters from him many years ago and his photo with the crew of Y-Yorker in black and white, which I found in my grandpa’s memorabilia and training manuals box from 44 Sqn. I remember one conversation of Harold telling me what age he was in the photo and how he played it down. Like so many others during the war, it was just a job.

Dave Pilsworth

My son Nick brought my attention to an article about a rather heavy landing I did a few years back at which he was an unwilling passenger.

I now live in South Africa and am rather out of touch with things in the UK. However good old Phil almost got it right and little damage was done and the aircraft was flying 6 weeks later. One point he left out (maybe deliberately) was I was sitting in the right seat, as it was the last flight of our co-pilot Stan Grierson. He was off on his captains course after this trip and I thought he deserved it. Seat changing was frowned on. The board of inquiry didn’t ask the question, so why should we mention it?

The only injury suffered was a bruise to my left arm from the Station Commander who asked me if there was anything he could have done to help and I, crab-like, didn’t answer.

My days on Vulcans ended after the next flight when I took the C in C Bomber Command on a flight .

After a short tour on Gnats I was back at Waddington, running Air Plans for my sins.

Ivor Gallwey