Top award comes out of the blue for Lyneham corporal
7:00am Friday 25th September 2009 in News
RAF Lyneham corporal Matt Fish was delighted to be the first serviceman other than an engineer to be presented with a top flight safety award last week.
Cpl Fish, 27, was commended with the Adrian Ray Memorial Award, which is given to the officer or airman who has made an original, outstanding and practical contribution to flight safety in memory of Flight Lieutenant Adrian John Ray who lost his life while serving with the RAF.
Cpl Fish was chosen for the award after he spotted a mistake in a manual that could have led to the loss of the aircraft his team was flying.
The corporal, who has been stationed at Lyneham since 2007, was mysteriously called home a week early from his latest detatchment to Afghanistan and asked to attend a formal regimental dinner meal in Shrivenham with a senior officer.
He said: “It was not until we had finished the meal that things started to become clear as Air Vice Marshall Kurth announced it was time to present the Adrian Ray Memorial award.
“When my name was read out, there was a big cheer from the room and it was then that I was informed this was the first time a member of the logistics branch had ever been nominated, let alone been presented with the award.
“When made our way to the bar, so many people were shaking my hand and congratulating me. All of the logistics officers were offering to buy me a drink to thank me for finally taking the award from the engineers.
“Unfortunately, I could not accept as I had to drive myself back to Lyneham.”
