Vol 26 l Issue 37
INSIDE THIS WEEK: ‘Nation has lost a link to generation who triumphed in the skies in the dark years of war’ RAF Woodvale chiefs have paid tribute to Mr Procter. They said: “We were extremely saddened to hear of the passing of Peter ‘Percy’ Proctor. “Percy was an inspirational individual known to many here at RAF Woodvale and his passing will be felt by all. “Stationed overseas for large parts of his career, his selfless service to his country, at the time of its greatest need, was an example to us all. “His sense of duty carried on through his life, exemplified by his parachute jump which raised money for the RAF Association which provides welfare support to servicemen and their families. “The Station Commander at RAF Woodvale, Wing Commander (Wg Cdr) David Hooton (47) spoke to Percy after he recently left hospital. “His indominable fighting spirit, like many of his generation, was to the fore,” Wg Cdr Hooton said. “Percy’s death is felt keenly by current serving RAF personnel, but it is also a loss to the nation as yet another link to the generation who fought and triumphed in the skies during the dark years of the Second World War is lost. “He was a fantastic example to the trainees of the two University Air Squadrons (UAS) based at RAF Woodvale. Liverpool (LUAS) and Manchester & Salford University Air Squadrons (MASUAS) are currently training the next generation of potential RAF recruits. “Peter ‘Percy’ Proctor is an individual they will remember with fondness.”
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FOND FAREWELL TO FORMER SPITFIRE PILOT AND SKYDIVER PERCY
Tributes paid to popular veteran of the Second World War who did a parachute jump for charity at age of 92 Report by Danielle Thompson
A FORMER Spitfire pilot who served in the Second World War and made national headlines when he completed his first parachute jump at the age of 92 has passed away at home. Peter Proctor, also known as Percy, joined the Royal Air Force in 1942 aged just 18 and never used his parachute whilst flying the famous fighter plane. But six decades later, the Burma Star Association veteran raised £3,000 for charity after leaping from 13,000ft in the air – despite having false hips and knee! - while strapped to an instructor from the RAF Falcons Parachute display team. The money he raised was all donated to the RAF Association which provide welfare support to servicemen and their families. The much-loved former lorry driver, who lost his beloved wife of 56 years, Olive, 10 years ago, organised the 60th anniversary VJ Day celebration in Southport town centre in 2005. A well-known face in the town, he also collected cash for charities. During the war he also flew Hurricanes and was stationed in Africa, Egypt, India and Burma.
Picture by ITV Anglia.
‘Percy’ Proctor, pictured before and taking part in his skydive, and, inset right, during wartime.
He later came home to work at a shoe factory before spending three decades as a lorry driver. Peter was a member of the Burma Star Association, which aims to relieve hardship or distress among those who served in Burma campaign, and their families. He died aged 97 at Elm House Nursing Home. A funeral service will take place on at 12.30pm on Monday, September 23 at Marshside Methodist Church, before heading to Southport Crematorium
at 2pm. Instead of flowers, the family are asking for donations to be made to Cancer Research UK or Queenscourt Hospice in Kew. In ‘The Flying Memoires by Peter Proctor’ he describes awaiting his call-up papers in 1942. He went to the recruiting office at Bolton to volunteer and was told they could be accepted as rear gunners, to which he thought, “I wanted to be at the front of the aircraft not the back so we decided to wait Continued inside
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