Squadron
Leader David Berry gained his Private Pilots' Licence at the tender age
of 17 under the Air Training Corps' Flying Scholarship scheme; a year
on he joined the Royal Air Force as a pilot. Forty years and 10,000 flying
hours later he retired. In his time he was a fighter pilot and flying
instructor but the bulk of his service was occupied with world-wide transport
flying and a large part of that with the Britannia. Joining the fleet
in 1962, just two years after its inception, he was one of the last to
leave on its demise some 13 years later. He received a commendation from
the C-in-C, Air Support Command in 1969 and was awarded The Queen's Commendation
for Valuable Service in the Air in 1974. His connection with the Britannia
recommenced at The Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment,
Boscombe Down which continued to operate one until 1984. Indeed, David
was the last military pilot to fly the Britannia.
An interest in writing stems from completion of an education degree course as a mature student. Initially he found an outlet as editor of two 'in house' periodicals. There have been successes with magazine articles and in 1990 he had a book published, 'Tales from the Crewroom', an anecdotal personal recollection of RAF flying. A more serious account, the history of the Bristol Britannia in Royal Air Force service, followed in 1996. His flying days gave him material for yet another book in 1999 - 'Specialist Aircrew', the life and times of a 1951 to 1991 RAF pilot.
One of his major pastimes, with retirement, is travel and in particular motorcaravanning. (In 2003 he and his wife, Valerie, travelled the USA for six months in their own motorhome.) In 1995 his 'The Motorcaravan Handbook' was published followed, in 1998, by a guide to operating an American motorhome. His penultimate book was 'a motorcaravan book to end all motorcaravan books' - 'The Recreational Nomad'. The latest book, completed in September 2005, is a greatly revised and much expanded edition of his RAF Britannia history. This is entitled 'The RAF Britannia and its people'.
David has maintained one Service link; he plays his part in the running of The Britannia Association by editing a twice yearly magazine.
An interest in writing stems from completion of an education degree course as a mature student. Initially he found an outlet as editor of two 'in house' periodicals. There have been successes with magazine articles and in 1990 he had a book published, 'Tales from the Crewroom', an anecdotal personal recollection of RAF flying. A more serious account, the history of the Bristol Britannia in Royal Air Force service, followed in 1996. His flying days gave him material for yet another book in 1999 - 'Specialist Aircrew', the life and times of a 1951 to 1991 RAF pilot.
One of his major pastimes, with retirement, is travel and in particular motorcaravanning. (In 2003 he and his wife, Valerie, travelled the USA for six months in their own motorhome.) In 1995 his 'The Motorcaravan Handbook' was published followed, in 1998, by a guide to operating an American motorhome. His penultimate book was 'a motorcaravan book to end all motorcaravan books' - 'The Recreational Nomad'. The latest book, completed in September 2005, is a greatly revised and much expanded edition of his RAF Britannia history. This is entitled 'The RAF Britannia and its people'.
David has maintained one Service link; he plays his part in the running of The Britannia Association by editing a twice yearly magazine.
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RAF father and RAF son! This photo was taken on the occasion of Tim's completion of training at Cranwell - hence the rather severe hat angle!
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