Nev Boulton

'Nev' Boulton

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''NEV' (RICHARD NEVILLE) BOULTON
Married to Thelma since 1977.
Children: Ian aged 36 and Alexandra aged 35.
Now living in Devizes, Wilts.
At FISGARD from May 02 1949 to September 1950.
Left RN April 1958.

RN CAREER Post Apprenticeship
HMS THESEUS: May 1953 to November 1953, including 6 weeks at Hal Far, Malta (804 Sea Furies and 820 Firefly Squadrons).
RNAS Culdrose: December 1953 (various + workshops) to April 1954.
ROYAL ARTHUR: May until June 1954 - 361 Petty Officers' Course (six weeks).
HMS BLACKCAP (RNAS Stretton, Warrington): June until November 1956. Venom and Vampire Receipt & Despatch Unit on Tiger Moths, Vampire 5s, Vampire Trainers, Venom 20s and 21s.
Released from RN in April 1958 (discharge by purchase).

"I hated fitting, so I learnt to fly gliders. At Stretton, I started a flying club with Commander Air (Commander Ron Hay) and built a glider winch, and helped to build a Slingsby T31 glider from kit (and test flew it). As a member of the Army Gliding Club, I helped with the Dartmouth cadets summer gliding courses at Bramcote.
I did several makers' courses (DH Venom airframe and engines, Dunlop Maxaret and Dowty fuel systems)."

HMS GANNET (RNAS Eglington, Londonderry): 719 Fairey Gannet Squadron, I/C D Flight. Gannet airframe & engine courses at Arbroath.

"Then I was taken off aircraft work and made "Buffer of Eagle Site", which resulted in my being refused promotion to AA3 because I was 'not currently employed on aircraft', making me very angry. I complained to my MP then applied to BOAC for a job as a Flight Engineer Officer, and was accepted. I was posted to Station Flight (S51 & S55 helicopters) and took airframe & engine courses at Arbraoth in the Spring of 1958 when I was also offered a May 01 Britannia 312 course at Heathrow by BOAC, subject to my getting released from the RN. So I phoned Commander Hay (the ex-Commander Air of Stretton, who was by then the Drafting Officer at Lee-on-Solent) for help, and was released in April 1958 for �200.

       "I then joined BOAC (later British Airways) as a Cadet Flight Engineer officer with two other ex-'tiffs' and served on Britannia 312s, VC10s, DC10s & Boeing 747s, clocking up 18,000 flying hours worldwide. In 1974, I was seconded to Gulf Air Bahrain for three months when they took over the VC10s from BA. In 1975, I was seconded to Air New Zealand when I was being trained to operate DC10s - I also held New Zealand Flight Engineer and RT Licences, and Civil Aircraft Department (CAD) Flight Engineer Instructor's rating on the DC10.

Nev at the panel of a 747 in 1985

      "In 1968, I was injured when (as a passenger in a 707) #2 engine caught fire and fell off just after take-off. After landing, I happened to be on the starboard wing, getting the passengers out, when the port wing blew up.

"I became an instructor, teaching pilots and flight engineers how to operate DC10 and B747 aircraft. I held Maintenance Approvals for airframes, engines, electrics and radio on all types, plus a Flight Engineer's Licence, a Private Pilot's Licence, an RT Licence and IMC Rating.

"I then became a CAA Examiner and Instructor (simulators) and retired from BA as a Senior Flight Engineer in 1988, only to be 'recycled' as a 747 Virgin Atlantic Flight Engineer!

"In July 1994, I was paid off by Richard Branson when he purchased Airbus aircraft, which did not carry flight engineers.

"I have been married three times; being abroad 200 days a year is not helpful in matrimony.

"In retirement, I have approximately one acre of garden - so now I'm a park-keeper!

"I have complete machine-shop facility with lathe, milling machine, gas & arc welders, and I build coal-fired and electric 'sit-on-and-ride' 5 inch gauge railway engines."