Framlinghamian 2022 - Flipbook - Page 289
SOF | OBITUARIES
In 1978, he returned to the UK and ran a
9780646923918 (paperback), with the
Government Youth Training Scheme until
memorable quotations that: “He who
emigrating and retiring to Australia in
has never learned to obey cannot be a
1986. His calm and unruffled disposition
good commander.” (Aristotle) and: “The
inspired his many colleagues and friends.
function of leadership is to produce more
He took on a major role with the Red Cross
leaders, not more followers.” (Ralph
as Disaster Officer for the Sunshine Coast
Nader).
and was President of Probus in 2000.
Peter included detailed descriptions of
James Ruddock-Broyd contributed
his war-time experiences in the SOF
an obituary to The Daily Telegraph,
publication ‘Their Swords in our Keeping’
which contained much of the above, but
which was first published in 2005, giving
additionally referred to more of Peter’s
accounts of his glider-towing operations,
early life and Framlingham links:
including experiences of Operation
‘At Framlingham, Peter, as he was always
Market Garden at Arnhem, D-Day at
known, excelled in sports and was a key
Pegasus Bridge, and later, operations in
member of the Shooting VIII. Later, he
the Far East. He subsequently, and as a
also flew St Dermot Boyle, when he was
result of reading the OF Magazine, met
Marshal of the Royal Air Force, to his alma
up again with fellow OF, the late David
mater for Speech Day in 1959. During
Brook, similarly a member of the Glider
the war one of Bailey’s co-pilots was the
Pilots’ Association, and Editor of their
College French Master Martin Irving.
magazine, The Eagle, (see the Spring
He was a great supporter of reunions,
1994 issue, p32.). He had harrowing
both of his own Squadrons and of
memories of having witnessed the deaths
the Society of Old Framlinghamians,
of other friends and OFs.
and attended their first Supper held in
Worcestershire in 1982 and several
reunions in Australia, where a large
number of OFs are domiciled. He came to
the UK to celebrate his 90th birthday at
the RAF Club in Piccadilly with the reunion
of 80 Squadron.’
Peter Bailey met Shirley, a dental nurse in
Melbourne, and they married there in 1946
and had two children. Sadly for Bailey she
returned to Australia in the 1960s.
Peter Bailey with other fellow OFs
When he retired to Australia, he married
Peter’s action-packed life is chronicled in
Joy Mason in 1997 after a long friendship.
Follow Your Leader: A Biography of
She died in 2011. He is survived by his two
Wing Commander Peter Bailey ISBN:
children and a stepchild.
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