Jim Duffy

originally of Letterkenny, County Donegal, Ireland. He was the son of Sarah Ferry and John Duffy. Below is a piece written about him when he retired from RAF. Taken from a magazine called White Horse, He passed away in late 2003.

 

*****

PERSONALITY OF THE MONTH

Warrant Officer J. J. Duffy, MBE, BEM Station Warrant Officer

Warrant Officer James Joseph Duffy joined the Royal Air Force on January 16, 1947, by way of the Recruiting Centre, Belfast. In a career that has spanned 41 years, Mr Duffy has served on at least 27 units.

His first unit was Royal Air Force Long Kesh in Northern Ireland on recruiting duties which involved bringing the raw recruits from Northern Ireland to Wilmslow in Bedfordshire for recruit training and en- listment. He served a further tour in Northern Ireland at Aldergrove before being posted to Royal Air Force Burtonwood in January 1948.

From there he went to the Far East serving in Tengah and Seletar in the trade of Equipment Assistant (now a Supplier). After Seletar, in August 1948 he went with the RAF Task Force to Malaya in order to assist in the opening of the airfield. He recounted one of his many stories of the local natives, called Dyaks/Headhunters, to our magazine.

Whilst in Malaya young Duffy was a bit of a boxer and frequently received various bumps and bruises. One night he ended up with his nose well and truly broken and was admitted to the hospital for treatment. His nose was duly re-arranged and it was whilst he was in i.he hospital ward that he and his fellow".' patients smelt a strange odour. For two days the smell got stronger and stronger until they could stand it no more. In the corner of the ward was.one of the Headhunter,'- and he appeared to be the source from where the smell was coming. Anyway, under the Headhunter's bed was an old sack. When the sack's contents were emp- tied out onto the floor, it was found to contain several human ears of various shapes and colour. Unfortunate- ly there were no noses to be found! The Headhunter's sack was confiscated and suitably disposed of.

After Malaya and Kuala Lumpur Mr Duffy was posted to RAF Hednesford in 1950.

In April 1950 he was posted to JASS Londonderry (HMS Sea Eagle) where he worked alongside Royal Navy Regulators in patrolling the streets of London- derry for 'lost' matelots and airmen. In October 1952 he went to General Service Training at Hereford and he course report read 'a pleasant airman who, if he develops a more forceful personality should make a sound NCO'. In retrospect, an understatement with the award of the British Empire Medal and his being made a Member of the British Empire in later years.

Just 14 miles up the road from Londonderry in November 1952 he joined 210 Sqn (Shackleton) at Ballykelly as NCO 1C Orderly Room. His instant recol- lection of this tour was the monthly flights to Gibraltar and back. He crossed the water yet again, this time to Kinloss in September 1959 to work in the Discip office. This was followed in June 1962 by an overseas tour to 264 Signals Unit in Cyprus on what proved to be very hush-hush business. Say no .more!

Mr Duffy was posted back in July 1964 to 2 Wing at RAF Halton in the transition period of aircraft apprentices becoming craft apprentices. In his relatively shore time there, around 3,000 apprentices passed through his domain — some of them are even here at Abingdon today!

From Halton he arrived at Steamer Point in Aden in December 1966 and was put in charge of various political prisoners in the detention centre. The in famous Colonel 'Mad Mitch' and his Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders were also stationed there a that time as was a young Jr Tech Garrett (the ex Station Magazine Editor) and an even younger SAC Kendrick (the new Magazine Editor).

He returned to Brampton on Discip duties in October 1967. A short stay there was followed by a posting to 11 MU Stafford in May 1968 again on Discip duties. In November 1973 he was posted to Swinderby or recruit training which saw the intake and training of 150 raw recruits each week.

On to Neatishead in January 1975 as Station Warrant Officer for three years followed finally by his arrival at Abingdon in June 1978 as Station Warrant Officer. This tour has seen the arrival of six Station Commanders!

Mr Duffy is to retire from the Royal Air Force on February 22, 1988 and along with his wife Kath' and one of his two daughters, Christine, will reside ii Abingdon. He has no plans to retire and tells us that he has many 'fingers in the pie' for jobs and one of them i as an eight-day clock-winder.

Mr Duffy will be sadly missed by al! at Abingdon am indeed all in) the Royal Air Force who have had the pleasure of making his acquaintance. We wish him every success in whatever he does.

White Horse