The Life And Times Of Derek Bunce – 306th Entry
Website Manager Note 12th June 2023:
This article has also been published in the 306th Entry Scrapbook Page. The content was e-mailed to me by Derek Bunce and I have been in touch with him.
Greetings,
Not quite sure who I am writing to. My name is Derek Bunce – H0595297 and I still remember my service number. I am 73 years old now, born in 1950, 16 years old when I joined the RAF, one of the youngest recruits. I Don’t know why I started searching the web this evening for 306 Entry at RAF Hereford, but here I am.
Interesting to read Alan Hastings notes. I thought we went to RAF Cosford to see Johnny Webb boxing. I remember it being an enjoyable outing. Don’t remember being over enthusiastic during the fight. I remember Alan Hastings well.Always thought he was lucky when he had his own room and a bath.
Interesting looking at all the 306 entry names, I fondly remember most of them. Would be nice to know where they are now. After passing out I was posted to RAF Benson, Oxfordshire, 114 Squadron(Argosy aircraft) as their clerk, it was a Flight Sergeant and myself in the office. Many happy memories of flying on Argosy aircraft. Had trips to Malta, Germany and a few other places, can’t quite remember where.
I became sick and hospitalised at Halton after a holiday to Majorca, spent a fair amount of time in hospital. Whilst in hospital I was posted to Binbrook, a Lightning squadron. The posting was cancelled because of my illness.
I returned to Benson to find my squadron clerk job had been taken as they needed a replacement due to the length of my absence. Ended up in the general office as the P2 clerk, I think that’s what it was, officer movements, postings, etc.
I think it was 1968 or 1969 I was posted to RAF Muharraq, Bahrain, a thirteen month tour. Worked in the general office there. On completion of my tour in Muharraq I was posted to 38 Group Tactical Communications Wing at RAF Tangmere, West Sussex. Tangmere was eventually closed down and we moved the whole wing to RAF Benson. Can’t remember the exact year, posted to RAF Bracknell, Officer Staff College.
I bought myself out of the RAF in 1973. I could not see a bright future for promotion as many RAF bases were being closed and promotion came to a grinding halt. I remained an SAC.
Whilst at Bracknell I met my future wife, an Australian, who worked for the Queensland Government at The Strand in London. We married later in 1973 and left a week after the wedding to start a new life in Australia. I had applied for the Australian migration programme and had the best ten pound trip all the way to Brisbane where my wife’s family lived. We had one daughter in 1989 who still lives in Australia and has recently married. The wheels fell off my marriage in 2006 after 33 years of marriage. I left Australia and moved to Thailand where I still live, more than seventeen years now. Thailand is my home and I see no reason to leave until I depart permanently from this life.
Anyway, enough of my rambling. It was nice to read your website and spend some time down memory lane.
Kind regards,
Derek Bunce
administrator@rafadappassn.org