One of the last wartime hero fliers has passed away at his Gatehouse home, just a month before his 99th birthday.
Jack Jarmy was a teenager when he volunteered to join the RAF after the outbreak of World War II.
He went on to complete two tours with the Chop Squadron, so named because of the heavy losses it incurred, some ten per cent each mission, flying over Germany and his wartime service earned him a Distinguished Flying Cross.
Jack was born in Romford, Essex, on April 26, 1922, and went to Ilfracombe Grammar School.
At only 18 he volunteered for aircrew duties in the RAF and was attested at RAF Uxbridge on April 17, 1941, just nine days before his 19th birthday.
Jack’s training took place at several locations, including Stratford-upon-Avon and North America, and he undertook flying training on biplanes in Arcadia, Florida.
Monoplane training took place in Montgomery, Alabama. Jack was then posted to Canada where he graduated as a Pilot Officer Navigator in Winnipeg in November, 1942.
He returned to Britain on SS Queen Elizabeth to complete two operational tours in Bomber Command.
At the end of the World War II, Squadron Leader Jack remained in service until he retired on April 26, 1977.
During his Air Force career he was stationed at numerous locations in addition to those in the UK, including Northern Ireland, and the Middle East.
Having retired Jack, and his loving wife Joyce, lived in Gatehouse of Fleet where they enjoyed many shared interests including golf and travel.
Jack was also a keen angler.
The couple, having travelled the world over many years, enjoyed in their later years frequent visits to Madeira where they had their own apartment.
Members of the family very much enjoyed joining them on their trips to the island.
However, the family home in Gatehouse was the central focus of many get-togethers and a real favourite for their grandchildren.
During his career Jack flew numerous aircraft, including Stearman PT17 biplanes, Vultee BT13 Monoplanes, Hastings, Stirling III, Wellingtons and, of course, Lancaster Bombers.
He was a member of number 75 (NZ) Squadron and during one bombing raid to Peenemunde, he stepped up to the astrodome and saw above another Lancaster with its bomb doors open, a mere 100 feet above.
Jack shouted: “Turn hard port”, and then watched the Lancaster’s bomb-load drop past the starboard wing tip.
As a result of this action, Jack’s Lancaster and all its aircrew members within it were saved from certain death.
His squadron became known as the Chop Squadron because of the heavy losses they had, frequently over 10 per cent in each raid.
Many evenings he witnessed the silent ritual of personal possessions and clothing being taken away from beds in the room where the aircrew slept.
Jack found the New Zealanders great comrades who were highly efficient and their popularity grew further as they all shared their food parcel deliveries, including the fruitcakes which were almost impossible to get in wartime Britain.
On Lancasters, Jack was posted to 218 Squadron at RAF Chedburgh where he commenced his second tour of operations.
218 Squadron was nicknamed the Gold Coast Squadron, after the governor and people of the Gold Coast officially adopted the squadron.
After one attack on Dresden, and having been attacked by night fighters, navigation equipment was damaged and Jack, using the astrodome, navigated the plane using the stars, away from its incorrect destination, the Russian front, back to base.
He completed his second tour of duty on April 24, two days before his 23rd birthday and, only a few days later, the end of the war in Europe.
Jack completed 41 operations in total and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
He had a number of commissions, following the war, in the Middle East, Libya, Gibraltar, Cyprus, and Northern Ireland.
He was brother to Cath, Jim and Betty, father to David and Alan, stepfather to John and Peter, and was very proud of his 10 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren.
