Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

An interesting pair of Flying Log Books appertaining to Captain S. P. Long, Army Air Corps, who, having come under hostile fire on duty in Northern Ireland, became a Parachute Display Team Pilot, comprising Royal Air Force Pilot’s Flying Log Books (Form 414 types) (2), covering the periods January 1972 to May 1977, and June 1977 to January 1986, both with a fascinating array of photographs and other documentation included, such as a Priority / Restricted Report from Northern Ireland, dated 1 February 1976, confirming that the recipient’s aircraft was hit by hostile fire on the previous day, and with related damage photograph, together with his Army Flying Badge and R.N. Underwater Escape certificates, plenty of parachute drop images, and much besides, including the recipient’s A.A.C. light blue cap, with bullion badge, generally in good condition (Lot) £180-220

Long commenced his military career on being commissioned into the Royal Corps of Transport, in which capacity he was advanced to Lieutenant in January 1969 and to Captain in July 1973.

In the interim, however, he had transferred to the Army Air Corps, commencing his pilot training at the School of Army Aviation in January 1972, and, having attended the R.N’s Underwater Escape Course and qualified for his Army Flying Badge, he was posted to No. 655 Squadron (A.A.C.) in Germany.

Transferring to No. 669 Squadron (A.A.C) in Canada in early 1974, and thence the Batus Aviation Flight, otherwise known as “Gopher Airways”, he returned with No. 669 to Germany towards the end of the same year, when he briefly attended the Reconnaissance Intelligence Centre at Aldergrove in Northern Ireland - General Sir John Mogg, G.C.B., C.B.E., D.S.O., Deputy Supreme Commander at S.H.A.P.E., was among his passengers about this time.

In October 1975, Long returned to Aldergrove in Northern Ireland, where he remained on active service until the end of his tour in February 1976, in which period his Beaver aircraft was hit by hostile fire while on patrol on 31 January.

He next attended the Joint Services Parachute Centre, where he converted to Islander aircraft, but also flew Cessnas and an old Dragon Rapide, the whole for parachute display teams, and, by the year’s end he had amassed over 200 hours flying time for sport parachuting.

Placed on the Regular Army Reserve of Officers, Long continued to fly in a civil capacity until well into the 1980s, including an appointment flying Argosy aircraft for the cargo airline Air Bridge Carriers, but, more notably, in his capacity as a newly enrolled Flying Officer in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (Training Branch) from May 1980, he continued to use his skills as a Parachute Display Team pilot while on attachment to an R.A.F. Air Experience Flight at Netheravon, his passengers numbering the famous Red Devils, in addition to the Omani and Spanish Army Parachute teams, and, as further evidenced by his Flying Logs Books, he also took the opportunity to make his own parachute jumps.