It Runs In The Family – Alan Bell (29th)

My youngest grandaughter has recently become the latest in our family to join the RAF. Including her, this will be 5 genrations of family involvement with the service. My grandfather was a bomb disposal officer having first joined the Royal Flying Corps before transferring to the RAf. He was twice mentioned in dispatches for bravery. 

My father (trade Clk GD) served in Singapore, Egypt, Munchen Gladbach, Leconfield and Records Office Gloucester.

I joined as an Admin Apprenctice in 1956 and trained with the 29th Entry. My postings included Binbrook, Bomber Command (as was at the time), Changi, HQ Signals Command Medmenham, Episkopi Cyprus, British Embassy Warsaw and Bentley Priory.

My son joined in the 1980s and trained as an electronics fitter. His postings included Belize and Benson. Although he served for a number of years, the RAF was not for him and left to join an electronics firm in Gloucester.

So here we are with the 5th generation grandaughter at the beginning of her RAF career. She appears to have inherited her father’s engineering ability and is now training at RAF Cosford as an aircraft technician.

Per Ardua Ad Astra!!