Published at 05:33, Friday, 25 July 2008

For all of his long life, Ronald Huie was fascinated by aircraft. He joined the RAF as a boy entrant, served in far-flung parts during the World War Two and, when a medical problem grounded him, worked in air force administration for many years.

Ronald Huie: During the war he flew as a navigator with Coastal Command during the Battle of the Atlantic and then served in the far eastern theatre, for which he was awarded the Burma Star

When he retired he held the rank of wing commander and, even then, his close links with the service continued and he was appointed the Regular Forces’ Employment Officer, in Carlisle.

His post here entailed finding civilian jobs for men and women who had left the army, navy and air force and he used his powers of persuasion with prospective employers to considerable effect.

He did the job in an old-fashioned and old school way which made him very well liked.

At home in Brampton, his abiding passion for all things aeronautical had him very frequently tuning his radio set in to the Carlisle Airport controllers’ frequency, so that he could keep abreast of all that was going on there.

Born and brought-up in Gateshead, he joined the RAF as a boy of 16 and became an apprentice fitter at Halton, near Aylesbury. As a technical apprentice he was one of the group always known as ‘brats’.

He went on to the RAF College at Cranwell, servicing Armstrong Whitworth ‘Whitley’ bombers before moving on again, to train as a observer in Britain and in Canada, where he spent some time in Quebec.

Eventually, observers became navigators and he flew with Coastal Command on maritime patrols during the wartime period known as the Battle of the Atlantic and then he moved on to locations much further afield.

As a navigator on the big Consolidated ‘Liberator’ bombers he served in the Gambia and then in India and Ceylon and the far eastern theatre generally, for which he was awarded the Burma Star.

When the war ended he held the rank of pilot officer but then his medical condition meant a recall to the UK where he joined the RAF’s administrative branch, training in accountancy, personnel work and management and working in various parts of Britain.

He was appointed adjutant at the RAF 15 Maintenance Unit, in Lichfield, then became a statistics officer and was promoted to flight lieutenant. Then followed some time in accountancy.

In 1956 he was posted to Aden, where he became a member of the command accounts staff, was promoted squadron leader and visited various Gulf states and Cyprus.

He later served in Germany, became a wing commander in 1966 and was stationed at Biggin Hill before, in 1974, joining the RAF Trade Standards staff.

He left the air force in 1978, aged 55 and then became the employment officer in Carlisle, retiring 10 years later to do voluntary work with the Forces’ Help Society, the Lord Roberts‘ Workshops and the Soldiers’, Sailors’ and Airmen’s Families Association.

He was a member of the mess at the RAF 14 Maintenance Unit in Carlisle, where he supported most of the various functions, in particular the Saturday Club. He played golf and he played snooker.

He had married, in Middlesbrough, in 1947 and although his wife’s given name was Alice, she was always known as Lyn. She died in 2005.

Their first home in Cumbria had been at Spadeadam Farm and they moved to Brampton about 20 years ago.

Wing Commander Huie was 84 when he died and he leaves his daughter. A son, also called Ronald, died in 1971.

His funeral took place at Carlisle Crematorium, with Co-operative Funeralcare, Brampton, making the arrangements and his ashes will be buried in his wife’s grave at Brampton Cemetery in August.

Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk