Geoffrey Callaghan (deceased)
Leaving a possible legal career, I enlisted as Clerk GD in 1949 at RAF Cardington. The first of several training visits to RAF Credenhill led to a posting to RAF Hospital Cosford. This in turn led to a "Dover House Interview" and arrival at HQ Allied Forces Western Europe (AFWE) in February 1950 as deputy to the NCO i/c Top Secret Registry Sergeant, Bill Payne -who later became a civilian interpreter in AAFCE. The "office" was in the highest attic in Cour Henri IV with a great view onto the formal gardens. Whilst joining in Scottish Country Dancing in the NAAFI I met my future wife, Joyce. Following more Credenhill Courses and a change to Clerk Secretarial, Corporal Callaghan moved to RAF Innsworth in 1952 becoming Sergeant PA to the AOC RAF Record Office. In 1955 I found myself in Athens as PA to HM Air Attaché. This extremely fascinating and rewarding job was cut short when I was awarded a permanent commission in the then Secretarial Branch.
Commissioned service took me to RAF Cardington, RAF Coningsby, Aden, RAF Kenley, a year at the RAF Staff College followed by a three year stint at the Ministry of Defence. After a brief spell as OC Station Services at RAF Waddington I went, in 1971, to RAF Scampton as OC Administrative Wing before choosing early retirement as a Wing Commander to work in the Lincolnshire area in 1974
Civil employment included 5 years as the Secretary to the Lincolnshire North Community Health Council, Admin Manager of a Water Well Drilling Rig firm, setting-up his own training company [YTS] before running a small company offering support services to newly formed enterprises. Having been diagnosed in 1984 with Parkinson's Disease and upon the death of my wife in 1994 I opted to move into sheltered retirement housing in Shrewsbury.