From Fire to Faith and Freedom

From left Jimmy with son Steve in Germany; Jimmy, back left, keeping up with tradition, serving Christmas lunch to the ground crew; Officer cadets on outdoor exercises on the Isle of Man; a Kittyhawk painted with a shark's jaws.

FROM FIRE TO FAITH AND FREEDOM

From the time he was a young boy, Jimmy had been brought up in a loving family of regular chu1-chgoers. The outbreak of war with its attendant horrms and hea1·tb1·eak did nothing to diminish his faith. In fact, if anything, it would lead to a sti-engtheni1,g of it. The1·e is today a sense of thankfulness and wonder as he 1·emembers and talks about the miraculous nature of his wartime experiences. In lighter moments he often jokes that he asks the Almighty why he was 1·escued from his burning plane to hear the imagined reply "I have wo1·k for you to do -you are to fathe1· a vicar 1 " That. of course. also meant the joy of g1·andchildren and great grandchildren as well. His son, Steve, is a vicar in Mancheste1·. But in a more serious vein he is often conscious that not eve1·yone had such mi1·aculous escapes. and this is where his story comes home. The wa1· often found him in extreme situations and yet it was at times like these that he did not feel abandoned. be it in the flames in the cockpit or being lost in bad weather. As he reflects on what he went through and survived, what comes to his mind is the powerful opening of Psalm 46, so often used in military services, "God is ou1· strength and refuge. a very present help in trouble." In his 95th yea1· Jimmy had the privilege of speaking at the Buckinghamshi1e RAF Centenary Celebration Service at his home chu1-ch of St Mary's. Chesham. The packed cong1·egation included representatives of the county council. representatives of the RAF and the Ai1 T1·aining Corps. His own contribution didn't, however. go exactly as planned. In the prog1·amme was an edited video of his sto1·y and experiences but due to technical difficulties il was unable to be shown. Not wanting the congregation to miss his story the vicar invited him to the front of the packed church. Jimmy. who said late1· he didn't have time to be nervous. spoke and recounted the simple p1 ayer in the cockpit -Please God get me out of this - and his miraculous escape from death. Milita1·y men and women in particular knew all too well what he spoke of and sensed the hope that came from the words that clay.

.The precious gift of life was given to him so he could speak of "One. who is a very present help in trouble."

And that is his gift to the 1·eader today.