Obituary: Eric Hughes, MBE, airman

Eric Hughes, MBE, Airman.

Born: 14 October, 1933 in Nantyglo, Wales.

Died: 7 July, 2011 in Elgin, aged 77

HAD his father had his way, Eric Hughes would have followed him into the pits and become a mining engineer. But the teenager had other ideas and declined the offer of the job that was organised for him, setting his sights instead on the RAF.

He went in as a boy entrant at 17 and rose to the rank of squadron leader, twice cheated death in air crashes and saved the lives of countless others while in charge of an RAF mountain rescue team.

Born in Nantyglo, South Wales, the family moved with his father's work to Ramsgate, near the Kent coalfields, where Hughes was educated at St George's School.

Although he had ambitions to become a pilot and trained at RAF Cranwell, he ended up becoming a navigator and was sent to RAF Ahlhorn in Germany on his first posting with 96 Squadron. He remained there until 1955 and the following year married fellow former Sunday school teacher, Wendy. His RAF career took him to postings the length and breadth of the United Kingdom, as well as abroad. He was with V Force for five years and flew in Victors during the Cuban crisis. He had also been to Malaya, Australia and Canada's Goose Bay and navigated in almost every type of aircraft, including Buccaneers and Lancasters.

His first postings were to the Yorkshire RAF bases of Driffield, Leeming and Lindholme, before heading to Melton Mowbray, back to Lindholme and then Farnborough, where he was appointed to the Institute of Aviation Medicine. By the early 1970s, he was in Lossiemouth at the Royal Naval Air Station HMS Fulmar, followed by more spells south of the Border before returning to Scotland and RAF Kinloss, where he remained for the rest of his career.

A love of the mountains saw him join the RAF Mountain Rescue Team at Leeming in 1959 and go on to become president of the RAF Mountain Rescue Association. He was the officer in charge of the RAF Kinloss Mountain Rescue Team (MRT) when he retired in 1989, having chalked up 16 years in the role, making him the longest-serving officer in charge of an MRT.

During his time in mountain rescue, his guidance and influence on his team was immeasurable. He often went well beyond the call of duty for his colleagues and undoubtedly shaped their lives. Some went on to join the Special Forces, others became officers and team leaders.

However, his career was not without tragedy, although he dealt with it with customary aplomb. During a training trip in the French Alps in 1977, one colleague fell to his death on Mont Blanc. Hughes was a picture of calm as he handled the incident, the help he gave to the grieving family described as "priceless" by his colleagues.

He also survived two serious plane crashes. Early in his flying career he was in a Valetta twin-engined training aircraft that crashed shortly after take-off from RAF Leeming - a fact he had managed to omit telling his wife for virtually all of their 55-year marriage. The incident, in which all on board survived, only came to light recently during a reunion.

By far the most serious incident took place at RAF Kinloss in 1980, again on take-off, when his Nimrod suffered a major bird strike. The plane came down in a wooded area near the base and burst into flames. Thanks to his leadership in the ensuing confusion, 16 of the 18 crew got out.

He later described how he had decided "I am not frying in this tube" and leapt through the blazing rear door, followed by all but one of the remaining crew. Helped by a colleague, he then rescued the final survivor, who was hanging out of a window.

Both pilots died, but were posthumously honoured for their skill in controlling the stricken craft as it came down. The pilot was awarded the Air Force Cross and his co-pilot received the Queen's Commendation for valuable service in the air.

Possibly as a result of these near misses, Hughes had a great interest in aircraft crashes in Scotland, particularly those that came down during the Second World War. He was instrumental in the repair of a remote memorial near Ben More Assynt in Assynt, the only site where the crew are buried on a mountain. He also led an expedition to St Kilda to recover the remains of aircrew that crashed on the island of Soay during the war.

In addition, Hughes was heavily involved with ATC during his career, including at Gordonstoun, where he also loved working with the students on the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.

A great reader - he only ever read non-fiction - he was a member of the Folio Society for about 60 years, built up a huge collection of books at his home near Elgin and gave much of his extensive library of aircraft books to RAF Kinloss Education Centre to help air and ground crew with their studies. The Hughes Air Power Library there is named after him and aviation enthusiast Jim Hughes.

Shortly before he retired, Hughes was made an MBE and after retiral he volunteered each Friday at Logie Steading Bookshop near Forres, where he adored chatting to customers. Always interested in others, he regularly visited the sick and lonely in hospital and at home, caring for others whenever he could.

He first met his wife at Rams-gate's Cavendish Baptist Church. She was just 13 and a member of the Girls' Brigade when she fell downstairs on top of him. He was a member of the Boys' Brigade and, despite their unconventional introduction, they hit it off, becoming Sunday school teachers together.

They married in London, went on to have two sons and she cared for him devotedly when illness blighted his latter years.Shortly before he died, Hughes enjoyed a day out in the sunshine with a friend, returning home in his wheelchair having gathered wild daisies for his wife. Still charming and gregarious, it was a simple gesture that exemplified the man described by friends as "the original officer and a gentleman".

He is survived by his wife Wendy, their sons David and Christopher, daughters-in-law Pat and Marie-Therese and grandsons Anthony, Robert, Francois and Louis.