However, he was unlucky enough to have a mid-air collision near
Chivenor with another Hunter. Tim was court-marshalled, and sent to CFS to train as a QFI. Once qualified, he went to RAF Acklington to instruct on the Jet Provost, then the RAF's basic trainer. This was not to his liking, so he arranged a posting to Iraq to fly Hunters, seconded to the Iraqi Air Force. Unfortunately this was in 1967 and, with the start of the Six-Day War, the Westerners had to be evacuated - at night in convoy to the Iranian border. Tim then returned to his job at RAF Acklington.
He was lucky enough not to have to wait long for a posting to 4 FTS at RAF Valley, as a Hunter QFI in the advanced training role. He then continued on the Hunter at 229 OCU at RAF Chivenor, on 234 Squadron, and then went to the RAF Wittering Hunter Wing, on 45/58 Squadrons. He then went back to 229 OCU, by then renamed the Tactical Weapons Unit, and moved with it to RAF Brawdy. As a squadron leader, Tim was OC Standards Squadron. He mainly flew Hunters, but he also introduced the Hawk to the TWU and, in addition on Standards Squadron, he had the last two Meteors in the RAF, then used for flag-towing. He was proud to say he was the last of the RAF's Meteor squadron commanders. He was awarded the Air Force Cross for introducing the Hawk to the Tactical Weapons Unit.
After completing Staff College, he had a ground tour in a NATO post at the US base at HQ AAFCE, Ramstein, Germany and, on promotion to wing commander, became Chief Instructor at 4 FTS, RAF Valley, on the Hawk. During this time the BBC were making the series Fighter Pilot, and Tim appears in it. He then had a tour at PMC Innsworth and, on promotion to group captain, was Deputy Director of Tactical Training in MOD. Then it was back to RAF Brawdy, as Station Commander, the pinnacle of his career. He was a flying Station Commander, not a desk-bound one, highly regarded as a pilot and instructor, and much respected by all ranks at RAF Brawdy, and in the local community.
His final posting was a return to PMC Innsworth and, in 1992, he took early retirement from the RAF. Tim then did 15 years as the Secretary of the North Devon Agricultural Show living in High Bickington, not far f
rom RAF Chivenor. He clearly took with him all of the enthusiasm and effectiveness that he had shown in the RAF as, under his tenure, the show became the largest one-day show in the UK. He finally retired in 2012, and moved to the Basingstoke area.
Tim met his wife, Sally, at RAF Khormaksar, and they married in 1963. They have two sons, Mike and Peter, and five grandchildren, Matthew, Emily, Christopher, Emma and Thomas.
The Association is indebted to Phil Price, who gave Tim's eulogy, and to his son, Mike Webb.
