Personal Profiles

Aspinell, Rodney

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Brocklehurst, David

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Denney, Clive

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DeVeill, Norman

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Ditheridge, Anthony

Anthony is the President of Camm Followers.

Text - Photo Andrew Norris, July 2009.

Edgeler, Richard

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Text - Photo Andrew Norris, July 2009.

Foster, W/Cdr. Robart William, DFC, AE

Robart is a Patron of Camm Followers.

Bob flew Hurricanes during the Battle of Britain with 605 (F) Squadron. Records indicate that Bob destroyed two Messerschmitt Bf109's, on 7th and 15th October 1940. He also damaged a further two, on 26th October and 8th November 1940 and damaged a Messerschmitt Bf110 and a Junkers JU88 on the 27th and 28th September 1940. He also shared in the destruction of another Junkers JU88 Oct 8th 1940 and damaged a Heinkel He111 during March 1941.

In April 1942 Bob was posted to 54 (F) Squadrons as F/Cmdr, the Squadron was posted out to Australia as part of their defence against the Japanese - on January 1943 the Squadron was posted to Darwin, where on Feb 6th February 1943 Bob opened the score for 54 Squadron by destroying the Squadrons' first victory against the Japanese, a Mitsubishi Dinah. Between the 15th March and 6th July 1943 he destroyed 4 Mitsubishi Betty Bombers, probably destroyed 2 others and damaged a Zeke.

Text Trevor Williams, September 2009. Photo Tim Hammond, September 2008.

Goodman, Martin

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Text - Photo Andrew Norris, July 2009.

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Hammond, Timothy CPhys MInstP

I have been interested in Hawker aircraft for 60 years since seeing one of the Cyril Peckham photographs of Hurricane PZ865. My father was also an air to air photographer during and after the Second World War.

After working for the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, in oil prospecting and in computer typesetting I worked for Hawker Siddeley Dynamics and its successor companies for thirty five years on the design of guided missiles ranging from Sidewinder to Meteor.

I was with the Hawker Hurricane Society for five years, being the Treasurer for four years and the Editor of its magazine for two years. In July 2009 I joined Camm Followers and became its Webmaster.

Text Tim Hammond, October 2009. Photo Tim Hammond, August 2010.

Lee, Colin

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McManus, Edward

Edward was on the Committee for the London Battle of Britain Monument. (The monument was unveiled by HRH The Prince of Wales on Sunday 18 September 2005).

He was Editor of the Battle of Britain Historical Society magazine Scamble! until August 2006.

Text Tim Hammond, October 2009. Photo TBA.

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Neil, W/Cdr. Thomas Francis, DFC and Bar, AFC, AE

Thomas is a Patron of Camm Followers.

Text TBA. Photo Tim Hammond, September 2008.

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Norris, Andrew

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Text - Photo Andrew Norris, July 2009.

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Palliser, F/Lt. George Charles Calder, DFC, AE

Charles is a Patron of Cammfollowers.

Charles has enjoyed a very distinguished RAF flying career. He served during the Battle of Britain with numbers 43 and 249 (F) Squadrons, flying Hurricanes. During 1941 up until May he flew offensive patrols over France with the Squadron, and would add to a steadily growing number of aerial victories. During May 1941 Charles served with 249 (F) Squadron during the 'Siege of Malta'. By now commissioned officer he continued to add to his score.

By the time his combat career had come to an end, F/Lt. Charles Palliser had scored approximately nine confirmed aerial victories. He was posted to South Africa where he was to meet his future wife Ruth. Charles took on the role of instructing whilst in South Africa, after the war he entered a career in Mining. Later he and his lady wife emigrated to Australia where they were blessed with one child, Gillian their daughter. Today Charles lives in retirement at his home in Australia. He has become one of the few Battle of Britain survivors of both 43 and 249 (F) Squadrons and in Australia.

Text Trevor Williams, September 2009. Photo TBA.

Rayner, Geoff

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Text - Photo Andrew Norris, July 2009.

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Schwarz, Frank

I was born in 1960 and I am interested in everything about aircraft and my main interest is World War II and the early jet age. I like Hawker aircraft and my favourites are the Tempest and Hunter.

I have visited the UK many times and met many famous pilots including Douglas Bader, Johny Johnson and Geoffrey Page and others from France, Germany and The United States.

In 2005 I started painting and sketching aircraft and made some small prints of the Hunter which were signed by Neville Duke and the Swiss air Force. My art works are shown on my Web Page Frank Aviation

Text and Photo Frank Schwarz.

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Sergison, Edward T.

Edward was born on the 5th of June 1947 at 2 Orchard Cottages, Frittenden Road, Staplehurst, Kent. He went to school at Staplehurst County Primary and then Swattenden Secondary School for boys at Cranbrook, Kent.

Ted left school in 1962 to take up his first job at Sayenden Farm, Staplehurst as a farm worker. In 1965 Ted joined the RAF (4277683), and joined the RAF Branch of Air Sea Rescue. Upon leaving the RAF Ted joined a light engineering firm in August 1967 but was involved in a serious motorcyle accident which hospitalised him for a number of months. He then went another five years before he was able to return to work. He returned to work as a Traffic Warden, and in 1977 joined the Kent Police as a Special Constable, for a further five years. He continued working for the Security Industry in various locations --- his last two being with Eurostar and as a Prison officer with HM Prison Service.

Now retired, Ted's interest in aviation began from as far back as the early 1950s. The Hawker Hurricane had always been his favourite. He has spent many years as one of the first Trustees of the Battle of Britain Historical Society and is currently their Historian. He was directly responsible for the memorial at Staplehurst Railway Station (perpetuating the Belgium fighter pilot Drupart, who was killed when his Hurricane of 229 squadron crashed on the Station on the 15th of September 1940.) He spent years fighting the Ministry of Defence, to see a headstone placed on the grave of Frederick Rushmers in Staplehurst Churchyard. Ted is a member of the Staplehurst Society and a current project is to see a permanent memorial to the Canadians and Americans who flew from Staplehurst Advanced Landing Ground during 1943-44 to carry on the fight deep into Europe. Ted's enthusiasm for our aviation history has earned him the respect of many of the 'Few', as well as pilots who flew with the Polish Air Force and the Americans. He has also earned the respect of the local Museums and other organisations connected with our history.

Text by Trevor Williams. Photo -

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Smyth, Ronald Henry, DFC

Ronald is a Patron of Camm Followers.

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Taylor, Mike

I started of at DH at Stevenage in the plastics department which was involved in applying rubber deicing heaters to hollow steel propeller blades for the Beverley’s. We also applied vast amounts of silicone rubber as an ablative to Blue Streak and the test pads at Spadeadam.
After 4 years I moved across the road to English Electric (BAC) and spent the rest of my career there. Once again I was involved in plastics making plastic components for missiles and aircraft. Although for 12 months I was involved with the propeller team at Hatfield in manufacturing Britain’s first set of wind turbine blades. Eventually we concentrated on the design and manufacture of radomes both missile and aircraft and we became the acknowledged European experts in the field leading joint teams with Germany and Italy for the Tornado and Eurofighter.
I left in 2000 when BAe in its wisdom decided we were not part of the core business and sold us off to Cheltons. I had a phone call from the pensions manager (I was a pensions rep) the day after it was announced and he said “Mike I would advise you to come and see me today and get an application form for early retirement. I phoned the wife up before I went to see him and she said so we can move to Skye 4 years earlier. I have to admit I was in tears the day I left but I have never regretted it.

Text Mike Taylor. Photo -

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Ward, Lloyd

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Text - Photo Andrew Norris.

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Williams, Trevor

Born in September 1952 in Wickford, Essex, Trevor was educated at both Wickford Junior School and Beauchamps Comprehensive. Leaving school at the age of fifteen, he went to work for a company in Battlebridge, 'Southern Precast', as a carpenter and joiner apprentice. Thus studying at Southend Technical College twice a week, he served a three year term of employment with this company until at the age of eighteen he began working for a local company , Plastic Extruders Ltd, having so far spent thirty seven years as both a machine operator and warehouseman IC2. His interest in aviation began from an early age of making airfix kits and attending airshows on a yearly basis. He joined 1474 Air Training Corps Squadron (Wickford) from the age of thirteen.

During the 1970s a new interest was becomoning popular, aviation archaeolog, the excavation of World War Two aircraf. About 1974 he joined the 'Essex Aviation Group', a newly set up group which had their museum premises at Duxford aerodrome in Cambridgeshire. The group had formerly been based at Southend (was Rochford) airport as part of the Southend Historic Aircraft Museum, collecting and assembling the aircraft that were eventually displayed within the museum that was situated in 'Aviation Way' off of Snakes Lane, Rochford. Whilst at Duxford the EAG as the group became known, occupied the Small Arms building on the airfield, where they were to be found for the next twenty five years. During his time with the group Trevor assisted at the excavation of over sixty aircraft crash sites.

In 1979 he married Jaqueline Helen Newton, left the EAG, but shortly afterwards became a member of the 'Boreham Aviation Society', which later became the 'East Essex Aviation Society', with museum premises in the old Martello Tower at St. Osyths, on the East coast of Essex. It was whilst with the Boreham Aviation Society together with Bill Gadd, the team investigated the crash site of B17F 'Southern Comfort', of the 364 bomb squadron, 305 bomb group. In March 1982 whilst Jackie was giving birth to his first son Darren, Trevor together with his colleagues took the pilot of 'Southern Comfort' back to the crash site where his beloved B17 had come back to earth back in 1943. Trevor developed a long and lasting friendship with the crew of the 'Southern Comfort', up until the deaths of each crew member.

Then as a member of the 'East Essex Aviation Society', again under the leadership of Bill Gadd, the group helped with the assistance of the London Fire Brigade Diving Team, to lift the complete remains of a P51D Mustang, from her watery grave a mile and a quarter off the Clacton coast, using one of the biggest sea dredgers based at Manningtree, Essex. The Mustang, from the 479th Fighter Group, crashed in January 1945. The pilot F/O. Raymond King died of hypothermia in Clacton Hospital shortly after being rescued by Clacton Life Boat. Today the Mustang, 'Little Zippie' remains one of the biggest and most complete aviation finds recovered.

Four years later he assisted at the excavation of Spitfire Mark Vb, BL372, the 65(F) squadron aircraft in which Battle of Britain ace, S/Ldr Humphrey Trench Gilbert DFC, RAF, was killed in on 2nd May 1942.

At the same time as the excavation, Trevor was also a helper and advisor to 'Airscene Museum', a Museum that had been set up in the old Sector E Operations Centre, Blake Hall, Ongar, by the Aspinell brothers, Rodney and Derek. 'Airscene Museum' excavated the remains of a Hawker Hurricane Z2663 of 249(F) squadron, which was lost in April 1941 together with its pilot P/O R.E.N.E. Wynn, RAF. The Museum asked Trevor if he would investigate this incident, and this lead to a long association with the veterans of 249(F) squadron. In 1990 Trevor organised together with Airscene Museum, the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Britain reunion for 249, at their former airfield at North Weald in Essex. There were in all thirteen original Squadrom members from that period, together with Malta veterans. From this Trevor was made an honorary member of the Squadron by the late Marshal of the Royal Air Force, Sir John Grandy. Trevor continues this association with 249 squadron to date.

In the 1970s while carrying out research for 85(F) Squadron, he was given the title together with colleague Alan Jasper, of Squadron Historian, and , as with 249 Squadron, still enjoys a connection with the Squadron Reunion Association to this day.

Trevor was blessed with another son whom he named after his favourite WW2 ace, Sammy Allard, an ace of both the Battle of France and the Battle of Britain, he was killed in a tragic flying accident in March 1941. Trevor made contact with the Allard family, again a friendship which still lasts to date, and Sammy lives on in his son, Sammy Allard Williams. Both sons Darren and Sam joined Trevor's old Air Training Corps, number 1474, and for three and a half years both Trevor and his wife Jackie became Civilian Instructors becoming very involved in the Squadron's activities.

In May 1999 Trevor joined the Hawker Hurricane Sociey which had just been formed at Tangmere, Sussex, by its founder Iain Arnold. In June 2000 after nearly twenty two years of married life, Trevor and Jackie's marriage broke up. Devastated, there followed a somewhat inactive period, it takes a long time to recover from such a break up. But in Trevor's own words "he had some wonderful friends and two wonderful sons who got him through it." In April 2002 a small group of individuals from the Hawker Hurricane Society, led by Colin Lee, left Dover for France, their aim was to excavate and recover the remains of a Battle of France Hurricane that had been based at Betheinville, just outside Pontfaverger. The aircraft was shot down by Messerschmitt Bf110s on the 12th of May, 1940, the pilot F/O Michael Smith bailed out too low and was tragically killed on impact with the ground. His Hurricane Mark I, L2053 and SD-M, fell in a field behind a small farm house in Artaise Le Vivier, which lays on the edge of the Ardennes, not far from Stonne. This was one of if not the first excavation that was carried out in agreement with the French Government, and overseen by French authorities. It had the blessing and permission of the Mayor of Artaise, and the agreement that half the Hurricane stayed in France to be exhibited in a Museum in Vareux, the other half would return home with the team. Well the English weather followed the team out to France because it bucketed down the whole time throughout the excavation. In Trevor's own words "an experience I wouldn't have missed for the world." A member of the Hawker Hurricane Society, Trevor became General Secretary a position he very much enjoyed until after approximately three and a half year he resigned his position and left the Society.

Text Trevor Williams. Photo Andrew Norris, July 2009.

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