John Pritchard – Obituary

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Older readers of Model Boats will remember Jonh Pritchard's series of articles on RAF launches in the 1970s & 80s. John passed away on March 21st aged 86 and his son has written to Editor Paul Freshney with an obituary – see below.

I felt that John's passing would be of interest to many of our members in view of the contribution he made to model boating.

Colin

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Dear Sir,

I regret that I have to inform you that John Pritchard, a well respected contributor to your august Magazine passed away at Withybush Hospital on March 21st, aged 86.Older readers will remember his immensely respected RAF Air Sea Rescue launch articles which featured from June 1975 to April 1989 giving an overview of the much neglected subject of RAF Fast Rescue launches illustrated with photos, accounts of rescues, and invariably accompanied by hand drawn plans. The plans I believe are still available from Model Boats Plans Service and I have recently seen features about models on the internet acknowledging their usefulness. We well remember our father with his drawing board perched on the bannister of our then home in Therfield, Hertfordshire as he meticulously draughted his masterpieces, often relying on photos from numerous correspondents to get them just right.

In 1979 Airfix released one of its most popular kits ; the RAF ASR ‘Whaleback’ in 1/72nd scale as a direct result of my father’s advocacy. John served with RAF Marine Craft unit 1111 at Lyme Regis then variously at Port Fouad, Ishmailia, El Hamra and Fanara (in the Canal Zone) and Ein Shemeir (Palestine), before returning to Lyme Regis and Gosport prior to retraining as a Teacher. His links with the RAF continued with a 5 year stint in Takoradi, Ghana as deputy then Headmaster of the Combined Services Primary School teaching children of the Air Force and Naval Training Mission based there. His work for model boats paralleled the time that he served as Headmaster of the Roger de Clare First School at Standon/Puckeridge in Hertfordshire.1970 -1988.On retiring he moved to Pembrokeshire, firstly living in Milford Haven then for the last 15 years at Freshwater East .He will be cremated at Narbeth Crematorium on 22nd April. Family flowers only, Any donations if desired to Tenby RNLI (where his involvement with boats first started).

Yours sincerely,

On behalf of the whole family,

Bob Pritchard (eldest son of the above)

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

[Andy HustlerParticipant @andyhustler32076]

It is a great shame when some one with such great skills and knowledge passes on but he has left a legacy that will go on many years in to the future and continue top inspire the next generation of model boaters .

Andy

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

I well remember Johns articles as it was his writings that moved me toward larger high speed hulls. I got my old copies of MB out last night and with a wee dram I re-read some of Johns words.

As Andy says John leaves us all a legacy.

Paul

[David WooleyParticipant @davidwooley82563]

Hi Colin Just picked up on the sad news of John Pritchards passing. I most certainly remember his articles from the 1970s and thanks to one of John's drawings in a 1975 edition of the magazine that prompted me in 2011 to build a model for my grand son who is now firmly hooked ,

Dave Wooley .

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