Tim Webb, who died on 7 May 2017 aged 75, was a
long-standing and active member of the Association's committee, the originator and Webmaster of the Association's Website, and Hunter representative for many years. He was a regular supporter of our annual reunion dinners, and was our guest of honour in 2008, when he gave an entertaining and highly acclaimed after-dinner speech covering the Squadron's history from 1958 to 1965.
He was born and raised on a farm near Durban in South Africa, he loved the land and farming, and could have stayed as a farmer. Flying, however, was his passion, and he applied to join the South African Air Force, the Rhodesian Air Force and the Royal Air Force. It was the RAF that replied first and, after assessment and interview in South Africa, he was selected for pilot training in the UK. In October 1960, Tim left South Africa aboard the Capetown Castle bound for the UK. En-route, the ship had an explosion in the engine room, which killed seven crew. Tim and the other passengers and crew took to the lifeboats and were rescued, and transferred to another ship. A most unusual start to a career in the RAF.
He
started his officer training at RAF South Cerney, and then his flying training on Piston Provosts at RAF Tern Hill and RAF Acklington. Next was advanced training on Meteors at RAF 
Oakington and RAF Swinderby and, in 1962, he was awarded his wings. His training finished at 229 OCU at RAF Chivenor, which was the start of a long association with the Hunter.
Early in 1963, he was posted to 208 Squadron Hunters based at Khormaksar, Aden. Tim actually joined the Squadron at RAF Muharraq, Bahrain, where it was on detachment. He described some of his many escapades in the after-dinner speech which he gave to the Association, and he features in the books Hunter Boys and Storm Front. After his tour in the Middle East, Tim returned to the UK and to 229 OCU RAF Chivenor to do the Fighter Reconnaissance course before going to a Hunter recce squadron in RAF Germany, a sure indication that he had been an above-average DFGA pilot.
