David Donnelly

We are sad to report that David Donnelly of 89 Entry, C Sqn, passed away on the 23rd February 2024.

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David was born on 6th February 1945. After the war, his father was flying for BOAC in Montreal and David spent his early years in Canada. Following the family’s return to UK, he went to school at Wokingham where he joined the Air Cadets and learned to fly, gaining a PPL.

In 1963 he joined the RAF at Cranwell to train as a navigator and graduated in 1966.  Whilst at Cranwell he represented the College at basketball and athletics and was captain of gliding. Then followed postings to Aden, Bahrain and Benson, flying on Argosy aircraft. From there he went to Brize Norton on VC10s, flying worldwide.  In September 1970 he was sent on an exchange tour with the Royal Canadian Air Force at Trenton, Ontario flying all around the world on Boeing 707 aircraft.  Whilst at Trenton he met and in June 1971, married his wife Anna.

Returning to UK, postings at RAF Manby, Valley, and Upavon followed, before being posted to MOD in London. After attending the Army Staff College at Camberley David was posted to RAF Rheindahlen in Germany where he was the head of the UK delegation for Berlin. He returned to the UK in 1985 to the Air Navigation School at RAF Finningley. Another spell at MOD was followed by his final posting to NATO’s SHAPE headquarters in Mons, Belgium. 

Following retirement, David and Anna moved to Pateley Bridge in North Yorkshire in June 2000. He took up furniture restoration and went to College in Leeds to gain a City and Guilds in Furniture Restoration.  For a few years he enjoyed walking along the river to Glasshouses Mill where he restored old furniture.