Operation TUNGSTEN veteran FANE VERNON

Operation TUNGSTEN veteran FANE VERNON entertained the audience at the Chalke Valley History Festival on 3 July with a fine rendition of the Barracuda Song from the FAAOA Song Book. He was supporting a talk by PAUL BEAVER and Air Vice=Marshal Edward Stringer on the 13 attempts to sink the TIRPITZ. Churchill was obsessed with the Beast, as he called the battleship, and sent a carrier force against her in a Norwegian fjord before Lancasters dropped Tallboy block-buster bombs which capsized her.

LAURENCE OLIVIER gave FANE his first flying experience from RNAS Worthy Down when he was in the sixth form at Winchester College. He was hooked and volunteered for the Fleet Air Arm.

FANE, an RNVR(A) observer, is the last surviving member of 820 Naval Air Squadron from the Russia Convoys and regularly attends the Palembang Dinner at RNAS Culdrose organised by Wings JASON PHILLIPS. FANE’s next endeavour is to persuade President Vladimir Putin (not a current member of the FAAOA) to present him personally with the Russian Arctic Star to which he is now entitled. Over to you, Prime Minister.