MISSING . . .
THE DAILY MAIL offers the opportunity to re-establish contact with long-lost relatives and friends. Each week, MONICA PORTER features the story of someone trying to find a missing loved one and a tale of people reunited. Produced in conjunction with the voluntary tracing service Searching For A Memory, run by Gill Whitley.
CALLING naval officers of 83 Flight. ‘In 1977, 26 of us were marched from the Dartmouth ferry up the hill to Britannia Royal Naval College to start our careers as junior naval officers,’ writes Chris Armstrong, 60, of Frinton-on-Sea, Essex. ‘Our intake was known as 83 Flight and we were training to be pilots and observers in the Fleet Air Arm. Bonds that have lasted a lifetime were forged in our six months of training. ‘We didn’t all go on to get our wings. I ended up serving in the Metropolitan Police before emigrating to South Africa. ‘I returned to Dartmouth in 2017 for a dinner to celebrate the 40th anniversary of our intake and renew friendships. ‘Sadly, Mark Simon was killed in flying training and Pete Cummings has passed away. Some transferred to the RAF, one is still serving in the Navy and several fly for various airlines. Others, like me, are retired. We plan to get together again in September at the Victory Services Club in London. If possible, it would be great to see those we haven’t been able to track down: Keith Denby, Tim Fosker, John Doidge, Colin Jones, Eric Lewis, Chris Parke and Nick Godber.’