Dave
Critchley
Well known to most on the squadron, a happy
cheerful bloke, even after his wife left him and the troubles that followed.
Dave was one of the lads that
travelled around the usual RAF camp discos, as well
as regular trips to Luxemburg. On one of these trips, Dave met Sandy, a WRAC
from Rheindalen. They hit it off from the start.
Following a night out
at the local RAF disco, we would head to Sandy’s block where Dave would say
goodnight to her and the rest would wait patiently in the car. Goodnight seemed
to take a long time then.
Both seemed to be
having a bad time in the service and decided to leave. Trouble was that the
police didn’t like the manner in which they went and they were arrested, which
led to them getting kicked out the mob. Seems fare, as it was what they wanted
in the first place.
After Bruggen, a lot
of the FLM’s got posted to Coltishall and Dave and Sandy settled there too.
Dave would often be signed onto camp to use the local facilities.
During the time that
I knew him in Norfolk, Dave would be working as a delivery driver. On one
occasion I visited Dave at his house, only to find that he was making a delivery
during the night. Sounded a bit dodgy to me!
This occupation soon
led to Dave becoming a HGV driver, something he wasn’t content with and ended
up applying for work at Norwich Airport with Air UK Ltd. This was the making of
Dave. Back, into Aircraft Engineering. A career that he stayed with until the
day he died. A career, that saw Dave working twice in Germany and three times in
the UK. Each time with Sandy, until after 14 years they went their own way.
Each time I have
tried to find Dave, I have come across the same answer …… He is in Africa!
No one knew where he was. He disappeared. It is only by tracking people down
now, that I have at last found Dave. Unfortunately, too late!
During the latter
years of Dave’s life, he had developed a cancerous mole on his chest. This was
successfully removed with laser treatment. However, he did have to visit the
hospital twice a year to make sure that the cancer didn’t come back. Dave,
never being one for doctors and Hospitals didn’t have these follow up
appointments and later developed a tumour at the base of the neck. Something
that later killed him.
Sandy
and Dave had moved to the UK following their second trip to Germany. This is
when they went their own way. Sandy’s work had finished in the UK, but there
was an opportunity in Ireland. Sandy moved to Ireland and is now living in Cork.
She and her partner have recently moved into their new home. Having spoken to
her, she is still the bubbly character that we all remember and I am sure, like
me, you would want to wish her and her partner all the best for the future. I
know she would want to meet some of you.
Mark (Jara)
Jaroszynski
The
last time that I saw Jara was in 1984 when we were both on our fitter’s
courses. It was just a quick hello as I was leaving.
Jara
was another character on the squadron. The good thing about 20 Sqn and being
single was that everyone socialized with each other. Jara was no exception. The
married people will be saying, ‘well we did too!’ and your right. Hence why
I am here getting this thing together.
Does
anyone remember ‘maltesers and mars bars?’ Who was his girlfriend at the
time? Jara eventually went on to marry someone. I hope to track her down.
I
had spent 1997 until 2003 at RAF St Athan on Jag Majors with the MoD. As a
result of my enquiries, I found that Jara died whilst serving at Saints and I
never knew it!
Jara
was a Cpl at saints and is supposed to have died in a motorbike accident. I have
still to get this confirmed. He died on the 22nd of March 2001 and
will be dearly missed.
Update...
According
to Dave Lee, (the old one, if anyone remembers the two).
Dave
bumped into Jara in '89 at 8 sqn-saints. He informed Dave that he was leaving
the air force.
Whilst
working at Fleetlands, Dave was informed by an old pal Stu, that Jara had died
of Lymph gland cancer. They had given him a RAF funeral with Stu as one of the
bearers.
Stu
said that Jara had the last laugh by having one of the Blues Brothers songs
played at the service.
From
Stu...
Hi 20 Sqn Jags,
I'm the Stu that Dave Lee
mentioned in his update on Jaro, as an ex Sgt sooty working on 8 Sqn (EROS) at
St Athan I new Jaro quite well, he worked as a Cpl in the RB199 build area and
I ran the processing section (clean NDT Inspection). Jaro died of
stomach cancer shortly after his 40th birthday, the RAF were extremely good in
the fact that they didn't let him go at 40 as was his plan, due to the nature
of his illness they kept him on, for a while it appeared that he was beating
it, then it came back with a vengeance!
Jaro was given a full military
funeral in the Station church followed by cremation at Bridgend, it was at the
Crem that he had "Everybody" by the Blues Brothers played at the end
of the service. He had a full Honour guard and as the coffin disappeared
a lone trumpeter played the last post........ not a dry eye in the place!
He was carried by myself (Stu
Gibson), CT Brian Jones, Sgt Mick Foster, Cpl Ian Smith, Cpl Martin Simmons
and unfortunaly I can't recall who the last pall bearer was.
This was my last official duty
before leaving the RAF and it was heartbreaking, as we took his coffin
from the hearse all you could hear were his children saying "I want my
daddy", the church was absolutely packed as was the crematorium, the
Honour Guard were told to return to the bus with the weapons once the coffin
had entered the crem, they refused and left a rock ape guarding the weapons so
that they could line the walls of the crem for the rest of the service.
Jaro was a character who is
missed by all who he worked or came into contact with.
PS hope you don't mind my
ramblings but I thought I'd put the story straight for Jaro's sake
....You have and I thank you
for that!
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