Some news in that concerns a bit of XXIV’s history from the 1950’s and was spotted by Association Member Tony Johnson. The obituary notice giving all the details is on this link to the Daily Telegraph, dated 8th September 2014.
Air Marshal Sir Richard Bolt – OC XXIV, September 1955 – January 1957
Sir Richard Bolt
Tags: In memorium, RAF, XXIV
The 24 Sqn RAF Association BLog Book 
10 Sep, 2014 at 4:19 pm |
In 1980, towards the end of my tour as OC XXIV Sqn, I heard that Air Marshal Sir Richard Bolt was planning to visit MOD UK in his capacity as CDS New Zealand. Aware that he was a former OC XXIV, I contacted him and invited him to spend a few hours at RAF Lyneham with his old Squadron. He duly accepted and paid us an official but informal visit, during which we entertained him to lunch in the Mess. Later, I presented him with a Squadron shield and in return he presented the Squadron with a magnificent ebony Maori hunting weapon with an inset silver plaque engraved to mark the occasion. This valuable item was put on display under lock and key in the silver cabinet in the Squadron HQ but – sadly – by the mid-1990s it had mysteriously disappeared without trace. Its current whereabouts are therefore unknown, which is very unfortunate to put it mildly. Anyway, all of us who met Air Marshal Bolt that day found him to be a charming and modest gentleman who had made time in his busy schedule to fit in his side trip to Lyneham because he genuinely set great store by his connection with XXIV Squadron. By any standards, he was one of the most distinguished men who ever served on our famous Squadron. Keith Chapman. 10 Sep 14.
17 Sep, 2014 at 6:00 pm |
He was CO when I switched from 47 Sqdn to 24(C). Flew with him on 3 occasions prior to his departure.. When returning from the Honolulu Detachment in 1957, we gave him a lift from Fiji to Amberley, Australia
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