Herald - Issue 413

Page 30 • The HERALD • 7th October 2021 v THE HERALD - YOUR COMMUNITY MAGAZINE v PC PAINTING & DECORATING SERVICES Interior/Exterior Painting Decorating & Small Home Improvements Paul 07783 405977 Free Estimates ~ Fully Insured 30 years experience pcdecor8@gmail.com A.M.H. Handyman Services Internal & External Painting All aspects of DIY Work • Flat Pack Assembly Power Washing: Driveways, Patios, Paths & Decking Gutter, Fascia Boards & Window Cleaning (Bungalows only) Call or email Andy for a free estimate Tel: 07961 443623 handyandyharding@gmail.com Local and Reliable DECORATING Interior and Exterior Established 1985 07867 528307 mark.blake.decorating@gmail.com TALES FROM THE GRAVEYARD OF ALL SAINTS CHURCH, FAWLEY Written by Patricia Hedley-Goddard, Churchyard Archivist for the ancient parish church of All Saints’, Fawley There has been a church at Fawley since 971 A.D. and the graveyard contains over 3,500 known souls within it. Over the next few months, I will be writing up the stories of some of the people buried within the churchyard, many with living relatives who have so kindly contributed to these short histories. AIR COMMODORE JOHN CHARLES QUINNELL CB DFC On the north side of the church stands a memorial headstone in memory of Air Commodore John Charles Quinnell. roughout his life he was known to everyone as ‘Paddy Joe’. He was born in Tralee, in Ireland, to Irish parents, John and Emma Quinnell on 7th January 1891. He had three sisters, Leonora, Eileen and Mabel, and one brother, Albert. As a young boy he became very interested in the sea and sailing, and built his own boat which he sailed during the school holidays, sometimes with his brother Albert, exploring the coastline of Kerry. ‘Paddy Joe’ attended the Royal School of Dungannon, in Ireland. His father owned the Irish Times newspaper and when he le school, he joined his father’s sta and became a reporter. While visiting the Dublin Horse Show, in his capacity as a reporter, he begged a ight in a biplane, owned by a visiting Peer. is so inspired him that he was determined to join the newly formed Royal Flying Corps (RFC) on the grounds that he had once been up in an aeroplane at the Dublin Horse Show. (Di cult to get more Irish than that) Sadly, he was not accepted at that time, and was sent o to join the Royal Artillery in October 1914 at the beginning of World War 1 (WW1) aged 23. Within a year he had managed to get himself seconded into the Royal Flying Corps and achieved his RAeC ying certi cate by March 1915 ying a Maurice Farman Biplane, at the military school in Shoreham, West Sussex. Just 3 months later he joined Number 10 Squadron RFC and ew to France with them. In one of the rst aeroplanes which he ew for reconnaissance, Paddy Joe ew the plane with one hand, changed the glass photographic plate in a mahogany box strapped to one wing with the other, while his observer said : “I should watch it Sir, there‘s a Fokker coming up behind!” Nobody had then worked out how to re a gun avoiding the propeller. His skill and courage in combat earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) during WW1. Like many pilots in the early days of ying, he had his aeroplane adapted to carry his guns and shing gear. Although he had been born into an a uent family he knew that with his privileged life style came responsibility. Because of his knowledge and charm, even at this early time in the ‘ ying scenario’, he was a popular choice to give talks, and was own to di erent venues. He could enliven his talks with tales and humour. On 1st April 1918, with the amalgamation of the RFC and the Royal Naval Air Service, forming the Royal Air Force (RAF), he was automatically transferred and passed through Mildred Joan, the widow of Major Cyril Drummond of Cadland, at Westminster, and became stepfather to her three young sons, Maldwin, Bendor and Aldred and a daughter, Annabella. Under his guidance and enthusiasm they soon became hooked on the art of sailing and sometimes crewed for him. ey became guided and in uenced by this charismatic, funny and intelligent man who always had a fund of wonderful stories to tell them, with his beguiling Irish Brogue. A er leaving the RAF he concentrated on his love for sailing, where he was a popular and highly skilled yachtsman. A er WW2 ended he won an impressive 26 prizes out of 31 starts in ‘Jade’, his West Solent class yacht. He challenged for the Seawanaka Cup with his yacht Kyria soon a er this, but the 6 metre design was not a success. However, he did continue to further triumphs with ‘Yolaine’, ‘ e Deb’ and particularly his International One design Pirate 11. e boatmen who maintained his yachts lived in the cottages opposite the Jolly Sailor pub in Ashlett Creek. ‘Paddy Joe’ and his family lived at Cadland House until 1969 when they moved to Nelson’s Place, Fawley. For a great number of years he served as President of the Solent Yacht Club’s Racing Association and Chairman of the Solent Area Sailing Advisory Committee and it was in these two positions that he made his memorable and lasting mark. ‘Paddy Joe’ was on many important sailing committees and Maldwin Drummond always said that it was his Irish charm which enabled yacht racing to continue in the Solent. With the Harbour Master of Southampton, he devised a series of courses and racing marks which avoided the constant con ict between racing yachts and commercial shipping in the Solent, which had become an ever growing problem. ey named one of the race buoys o Cadland House a er him, ever known as ‘Paddy’s Lad’. He was the perfect step father. He taught Maldwin and his two younger brothers’ to sail, shoot, sh, tell the best of stories and to be mechanically minded – Paddy Joe had a well-equipped workshop. He also loved the horse racing and never missed Royal Ascot where he managed to charm his way into a special parking lot. He always took the salute on Remembrance Sunday at All Saint’s Church, Fawley. His saluting base was at the bus stop. Maldwin was at his bed side when Paddy Joe, his revered step father, died at his home, Nelson’s Place, four days before his 92nd birthday. True to his character, ‘Paddy Joe’ le a delightful Will, nominating several of his possessions to his favourite people. To Maldwin Drummond he le ‘my Highland Cattle and my geese’, and to Gilly Drummond ‘my shing rods and the remains of my cellar.’ However, perhaps his best epitaph is contributed by an old friend who said of him: “Paddy had a greater capacity for turning life into a party, than any man I ever met.” My heartfelt thanks to Gilly and Frederica for bringing this ‘personality’ alive in such a wonderful way, and generously sharing their memories and his obituaries and permitting me to include them in this article. the Royal Air Force Sta and Imperial Defence Colleges before becoming Air O cer Commanding No. 6 Auxiliary Group from 1935 to 1939. During this period the development of ghting aircra was in its infancy. e RAF had not yet worked out a safe reliable mechanism for a release gear for bombs and the gear o en stuck. Too many of the pilots died when their aircra came into land. ey had not realised that they had not released their bombs and on touch down, they exploded. At the commencement of WW2 ‘Paddy Joe’ served as Senior Air Sta O cer Advance Air Striking Force, in France, and again his bravery saw him mentioned in despatches. At the end of the war in 1945 he retired from the RAF when he was Air O cer Commanding ‘A’ Group RAF, a er attending the victory parade. He had made a great contribution to the RAF and its development. During his time in the RFC and RAF he had inspired the Persians and the Indians to set up their own Air Forces. is charming and charismatic man was greatly admired and missed. In 1923 ‘Paddy Joe’ had married Atwell, the daughter of James McFarlane, but sadly she died in 1945. ey had no children. ree years later he married Paddy Joe achieved his RAeC flying certificate in a Maurice Farman Biplane Air Commodore John Charles Quinnell, known to all as ‘Paddy Joe’