R. ALLEN Obituary

Ronald Allen - A.F.C;  1917 – 2008

Born in Liverpool in 1917, Ron began life in relatively humble surroundings. Both his parents’ families were originally from Ireland, and for generations, almost without exception, had worked as porters or warehousemen on the docks.

Ron and his elder brother Bill, were both able to break that mould. Ron won a scholarship to Liverpool Collegiate School and, having matriculated and passed his entrance exams, was accepted into the Civil Service in London, specifically the Ministry of Transport.

But Ron had always dreamed of being a pilot, and perhaps with an eye to the increasing likelihood of conflict with Germany, he joined the RAF Volunteer Reserve and, after work and at weekends, learned to fly.

He was subsequently called up on the outbreak of war in 1939 and began his RAF training in earnest. He had almost completed his advanced flying course when it was discovered that he suffered from colour blindness, particularly at night and, as a result, his chances of continuing as a pilot with an operational squadron were in jeopardy.

Ron, however, with characteristic determination, was able to plead successfully that his long and arduous training should not be wasted and that he be allowed to continue flying, so that, not long after, he was transferred to Brize Norton as a ferry and test pilot. He subsequently transferred to Kemble from which he flew for the remainder of the war.

This change of fortune, though probably disappointing for Ron at the time, was no doubt fortuitous. His wife Joan, and his sons, Michael and David and their families will be forever grateful that events turned out the way they did. Of the members of Ron’s original unit, only one other man survived the war.

The types he flew and tested, day after day, in all weathers, were many and varied, from Spitfires and Hurricanes to four-engined bombers. He had more than a few prangs and scrapes, but was always able to walk away relatively unscathed. His unit at Kemble was a small one, and, being a brilliant pianist of all styles and tastes, he never failed to be a popular and welcome visitor to the many airfields to which he flew.

Ron never saw combat, indeed his aircraft were never armed. By his own admission, the only time he thought he saw an enemy raider, “He ducked into the nearest cloud and stayed there until he thought it was safe to come out!”.

Nevertheless, he obtained a commission and ended the war as a Flight Lieutenant, and was awarded the Air Force Cross, not, as far as we know, for any specific act of bravery or gallantry, but in recognition of his dedication and devotion to duty over the previous five years of almost continuous flying.

Ron returned to to the Civil Service after the war, specifically in what was then the Ministry of Transport and served in almost every department, from aviation to ports and railways, rising to the grade of Principal Officer. He was latterly in the Highways Planning Department, an experience which was to stand him in good stead in later years when, as Latton Parish Clerk, he became ‘poacher turned gamekeeper’ and was able to expertly negotiate, together with his colleague, Diana Holmes, a favourable route for the A419 Latton Bypass. (Whether he was responsible for the concrete surface, we may never know!).

Ron and his wife Joan always remembered their wartime years in Cirencester with affection and, following his retirement they moved to Ashton Keynes, making many new friends and becoming active members of the community and the local church.

Ron volunteered his services to Latton as their parish clerk for a number of years. He was a founder member of the the local Probus and of the Cirencester RAF Association. He had been a longtime member of the Masonic Society in London and became an active brother of the Earl of Bathhurst Lodge in Cirencester.

Always a kind and gentle and above all, modest man, Ron’s clarity of thought and erudition were an inspiration to everyone he met. His warmth and gentle humour always guaranteed to break any ice. Both his sons became pilots and will always remember him with love and the greatest affection.

Ron died peacefully at home on the 2nd of January 2008, lucid and good humoured to the end. He will be sorely missed by his wife, Joan.

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