The Association has learned of the death of Lt Cdr Robert (Bob) Warren RN in Dorset on 24 May 2013. He leaves a widow, Carolyn.
From Tony Dando
Bob Warren suffered a massive stroke in April this year and died a few weeks later in Poole Hospital. He and I first met in January 1964, a month after my HSP course passed out of Dartmouth. Our group of Midshipmen were sent on a DO’s course at Victory whilst awaiting a flying training slot at RAF Linton-on-Ouse. On the first day we were in awe of this other Midshipman who joined us and who was sporting his Observer wings. This of course was Bob, who had joined Dartmouth in 1961 at the age of 17, undergoing his Observer training at Hal Far and at Portland, and who was on the DO’s course prior to joining 815 Squadron on Centaur on 27 February 1964.
His introduction to frontline flying – still as a Midshipman – was quite dramatic. On 16 April 1964, a few weeks after joining the Squadron in Singapore, Bob was the Observer in Wessex HAS Mk1 XP148 with Richard Saker and the late Tony Claridge as pilots when the engine failed as they approached the hover and they ditched in the South China Sea. In June that year he was detached to Khormaksar , Aden, when 815 temporarily removed the anti-submarine equipment from their Wessex and were involved for the second time in the Radfan conflict in the Commando role. Back in the UK and following a period ashore at Culdrose, 815 embarked in Ark Royal in early 1965 for her Far East tour which also took in the Beira Patrol in early 1966.
It was during this time that fellow Observer Ron Gent and Bob became the greatest of friends. Ron says: “Like most Squadron fliers Bob and I worked hard and played hard, sometimes a little too hard. The Wardroom became our playground but our antics were not received well by some who did not understand aviators! Bob and I were usually at the forefront of any ‘shenanigans’ both in the Mess and ashore and we lived life to the full. Even when we threw Chinese crackers into the CO’s cabin late one night there were no repercussions and the CO was very forgiving, up to a point! Bob’s final departure has filled me with a great sadness, even more than I expected. He was a great fellow, full of fun and mischief, and a true friend. I could write a book on our exploits if I had the time! I’m sure it would be a best seller, even in the bookstalls in heavenly places. Surprised you jumped the queue, Bob, but be assured there are others shuffling up to the front and ‘yours truly’ is one of them – I’ll bring the book with me!”
Bob stayed with 815 until Ark arrived back in the UK in June 1966 and he then joined 706 Squadron at Culdrose as a Staff Observer. Jerry Corke recalls: “I can’t admire Bob Warren enough as Staff Observer on 706 who, with the utmost courage and eyes closed, came night dunking in Falmouth Bay with the students. At least I could see what was going on up front especially with a hurried but non-scheduled departure from the hover with a 194 ball and cable still streaming out behind the old Wessex 1. Shared several bevvies with him après night flying with some erratic RTB’s in his green TR.”
In 1967 Bob was once again off to sea, this time with 845 embarked in Bulwark. In 1969 he was based at Daedalus /Fleetlands and in 1970 he put his Observer days behind him, swapped specialisations and started his pilot flying training at RAF Church Fenton. By now he was a Lieutenant and was the course leader. Many have said that the single word that comes to mind when thinking of Bob is mischief! His idea of rank and seniority was to consign the junior Midshipman to the boot of his car for a course run ashore, deliberately forgetting about him on arrival at the pub.
Martyn Pearce recalls another prank from that time: “Bob was our course leader and kicked off by inviting the Midi’s including me to the roof of Rufforth (RAF Church Fenton Satellite) control tower with a large pot of white paint. Next morning with the Flight Commander on board Bob broke out of the circuit and tipped the Chipmunk on its side to show our art work – FLY NAVY in 6 foot letters on the roof of the tower!”
He also recalls that “Bob was physically very strong – I have never seen anyone hit a squash ball so hard. He was also a DIY king and decided to lay a concrete path down his garden. He ordered ready mix concrete and it was dumped on the pavement outside his house. He had miscalculated and there were literally tons more concrete than he needed with only a few hours before it set solid. He set to work with his brand new wheelbarrow from Halfords and laid a path/patio/driveway etc and did shift all the concrete before it set. The barrow having endured the work of several lifetimes in a few hours was in poor shape with the wheel bearing gone and a broken weld opening up a large hole. He returned it to Halfords and claimed his money back!”
Towards the end of his pilot training whilst at Culdrose with 705, Bob married Carolyn in Yeovil in December 1970. Carolyn’s father had begun to realise things were serious between them when Bob sold his beloved E type Jaguar! In 1971 Bob was awarded his pilot’s wings. During Junglie OFT he was flying a mutual sortie with another student where the plan was to crew change for solo circuits of a mountain bowl. When the time came for the pilot in the left seat to vacate the aircraft, and while this colleague was in the process of securing the left hand seat harness – which Wessex pilots will remember entailed standing on the external steps and leaning in through the window – Bob decided to take off and fly a circuit. The details of the debrief are not recorded!
After OFT Bob was once again back with 845 on the Wessex 5 and at various times was embarked in both Albion and Bulwark, returning the following year to Yeovilton with the Squadron before joining 846 on the Mk5 but also flying the Gazelle. His first son, Mark, was born in 1974. From 1975 to 1977 Bob was with 707 Squadron at Yeovilton and his second son, James, was born in 1976. The following year he was promoted to Lt Cmdr and he began fixed wing training on the Hunter T8, Sea Devon and Sea Prince, spending 1978 flying the Jetstream.
July 1979 saw Bob with 781 at Daedalus and around this time he was detached to Northern Ireland, flying the Wessex 5 there for a couple of months. In 1980 he underwent a QHI course. Martyn Pearce was on the course as well and recalls yet another of Bob’s pranks: “The poor Crabs did not know what had hit them. During the IT part of the course we each had to give a 15 minute lecture of our choice. The RAF contingent gave a magnificent presentation on principles of flight. We were just dozing off nicely when Bob was invited to give his presentation. He left the room.
Shortly afterwards the building erupted to a roaring crescendo and filled with smoke. Bob marched in with a chain saw at full chat and made for the Squadron Leader’s desk. He was however detained before he was able to cut it in half. Nobody dozed off during his talk on Chain Saw Safety!
During the same course, met briefing was delivered by a very serious WRAF Pilot Officer who arrived on a bike. She had difficulty mounting her transport one morning before she realised that the saddle had done a full 180. I don’t need to tell you who was responsible. A great character and sadly missed.”
Still in 1980, as well as being a Schools Liaison Officer, Bob was back at Daedalus with 781 and flying the Green Parrot Wessex 5’s. One of his regular passengers was Admiral of the Fleet Sir Henry Leach who wrote many letters of thanks to Bob. He and Carolyn were later invited to lunch with him at Admiralty Arch. The latter part of the year saw Bob once again back with 845 as a Flight Commander and in 1981 he retired from the Fleet Air Arm.
Bob’s involvement with the Wessex was not quite over. In 1984 Sykes Aviation at Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, obtained a couple of Wessex 60’s (the civilian Mk5) and recruited Bob as the stunt pilot for the Stanley Kubrick Vietnam War film “Full Metal Jacket”. Bob carried out all the flying sequences in the film.
Whilst Bob was still in the RN, he and Carolyn had started a holiday flat business in Southbourne, Bournemouth. They subsequently bought some more holiday apartments and flats around the town. Soon they moved to Hengistbury Hall, a large detached house near the beach, and those who knew Bob will know that this was the first of many moves which required his friends to paste more pages into the “W” section of their address books in order to cope with the many changes of home! A few years later Bob bought Gresham Garage in Bournemouth and had the idea of importing brand new cars into the country with deposit and finance all arranged for the customer. He advertised extensively and transformed a tired business into a leading new car franchise.
Following the sale of the franchise he and Carolyn purchased the Prestige Cleaning Company. The company cleaned a chain of supermarkets, a casino, and numerous other businesses in the Bournemouth area including the large Debenhams store in the town centre. After a while that successful enterprise was sold and they purchased Four Square Garage. At the end of the first day Bob wondered what they had done as he had sold precisely one light bulb and a gallon of paraffin! However he built this up into another successful car and servicing business. Next they purchased Ensbury Garage in Northbourne, and again turned that into a success. Then there was the launderette, the roadside diner on the A303 and the farm, looking after sheep from Scotland during the winter. Then at last, retirement from direct business involvement beckoned.
The Navy and the sea were such a part of Bob’s life that he purchased a 17 foot Shetland Cruiser to go fishing, another of his interests. This wasn’t Carolyn’s idea of cruising and after one winter with the boat stored at home Bob wanted to relaunch it early one Sunday morning. Together with a friend they towed it to Pontin’s slipway near Christchurch. Following the launch they were returning to Bob’s house when to their horror in the rear mirror it was noticed that the trailer had detached from the car and was overtaking them. A collision with the car was avoided but the trailer ended up scraping along a number of walls and eventually crashed into some wrought iron gates. No-one was around. Bob and his pal looked at each other, quickly reattached the trailer, legged it to Bob’s house before anyone noticed and hid the trailer round the back of the house.
Bob had a penchant for fine Port and I think many friends have suffered with his generosity in this respect. I remember one occasion which must have been in the late 80’s when, whilst on a visit to Bournemouth to see my mother, I borrowed her car and drove over to Canford Cliffs to have dinner with Bob and Carolyn. After the meal Bob and I retired to the snooker room building in the garden and having supped some rather good wine with the meal I think we then got through nearly two bottles of vintage Port, with my snooker game getting progressively more erratic as the evening progressed. I was too far gone to drive back to my Mum’s house so stayed the night – Bob was greatly amused by my inability to match his Port consumption. The hallucinations must have got to me by this stage as I am still convinced I slept in this magnificent bedroom decorated everywhere in ice blue including the bed linen. Bob and Carolyn were staunch supporters of the 815 annual lunch and a couple of years ago at this function I was telling this story only for Carolyn to say she had never had an ice blue bedroom in any of their houses!
Bob’s sense of humour was, to many of us, unique and on occasions perhaps rather too subtle. Sometimes it took a little time to fall into his joke – he knew what he meant, but did we? He was a wind up merchant and he enjoyed doing it. He was a true gentleman, polite and respectful, whilst at the same time outrageously mischievous. Those who met Bob were proud and privileged to have known him and this was borne out by the numbers who packed out Poole Crematorium to honour him and to say their final farewells last June.
Bob Warren was born on 11 June 1944 and died on 24 May 2013 at the age of 68. He is survived by his wife Carolyn and their sons Mark and James.
From Records
As an Observer:
On 16 April 1964 whilst flying in Wessex XP148 of 815 Squadron on HMS Centaur, the aircraft lost power on approach to hover, ditched and sank off Aden. All aircrew recovered unhurt.
815 Sqn 1964 – 66
706 Sqn RNAS Culdrose 1966 – 67
845 Sqn 1967 – 69
As a Pilot:
845 Sqn 1971 – 73
846 Sqn 1973 – 75
707 Sqn RNAS Yeovilton 1975 -77
750 Sqn RNAS Culdrose 1977 – 79
781 Sqn 1979 – 80
845 Sqn 1980 -81
Funeral Details
Thursday 6th June at Poole Crematorium, Gravel Hill, Broadstone, Poole BH17 9BQ at 12.30pm.
There will be a wake at Dudsbury Hotel and Golf Club, 64, Christchurch Road, Ferndown, Dorset BH22 8ST.
Family flowers only and donations to the Stroke Assoc to be sent to:
Harry Tomes Ltd
Barham House
31/33 Tower Road
Boscombe, Bournemouth
BH1 4LA