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Following an active career in the Services Clifford Blunt has settled in the Somerset village of Mark. Born on 9 January 1931 in London he was educated at Leyton County High School, and married in 1951 at the age of 20.
Clifford served 32 years in the Royal Air Force and was stationed at innumerable places including the following:-
RAF Padgate, Hornchurch, Bircham Newton, Spitalgate, Henlow, Chigwell, HQFTC, AMSB, Uxbridge, Weeton, HQ RAF Germany, CRE, Cottesmore, Air Ministry (Air Secretary's Branch), Staff College, RAF Episkopi, Ternhill, Coningsby, HQ Strike Command and HQ Training Command.
When in RAF Hospital Halton in Buckinghamshire with a skin complaint I had to have thrice-daily medicated baths. The bath was situated on a low plinth in a large bathroom with a shower unit.
One of the nursing sisters, Stella, was fond of playing practical jokes and she often came in and threw a bucket of cold water over me as I was in the bath. I warned her I would get my own back at her if she persisted!
The next time she did it I leapt out of the bath -- stark naked -- grabbed her and forced her (fully clothed in the white summer uniform) into the shower unit. I turned the powerful shower on with cold water and held her there until she was soaked.
Unfortunately for her the white uniform became completely transparent -- and she was not wearing very much underneath!
Obviously she could not escape notice if she left the ward the correct way so she ran the complete length of the ward and left to change in the Nurses' Quarters via the fire escape.
I became a hero to the other officer patients in the Ward!
After leaving the RAF, Clifford worked for two years at the Meat Research Institute, and 13 years on St John Ambulance. Throughout his married life he had no less than 33 homes.
Clifford Blunt, Somerset, 2002
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