Visiting Basil and Eleanor and their family on their many RAF bases around Britain, together with our young family, taught us all a lot about life in the RAF - it is certainly not just about flying. Basil’s lively accounts of his various jobs revealed just how versatile you had to be, from navigating, to managing the Officers’ Mess and recruiting new personnel. 

The most dramatic base we visited was Lossiemouth, where we heard and saw the Sea Kings practising sea rescues.  Basil told us one story about a holiday-maker who had to be rescued three times in one week:  he had capsized his boat, then got blown far out to sea on a lilo, and finally, (obviously now wary of the sea), had got stuck half way up a sea cliff.  You can well imagine Basil’s expressions of growing incredulity as he recounted these three dramatic rescues...

Walking with him on our Lake District fells, we learnt a lot from his stories; I got to know precisely how to set a squirrel trap, how to descend into a very deep ‘chimney’ shape pothole in a harness contraption – and more importantly - how to survive in cave systems and get out again safely.  His attention to detail was amazing, and continued all through his retirement when he took up house repairs and applied himself to domestic jobs like emptying the dishwasher - cleaning the filter with great panache every time.  Latterly his versatility revealed itself even more, caring for Eleanor with alacrity, verve and tenderness.  And always with good humour.   We shall all continue to tell his stories and remember him with respect, admiration and great fondness.  He has greatly enriched our lives.