007 - 225 - Heli-surprise for depots birthday colonel. Lt Colonel John Wright was surprised by a trip in a helic ...
Heli-surprise for depots birthday colonel. Lt Colonel John Wright was surprised by a trip in a helicopter over Graven Hill, Bicester, where a happy birthdauy message was laid out in tyres.
Image details
| Access number | |
|---|---|
| Cat by | |
| Cat date | |
| Copyright | |
| File | 225 |
| File 2 | |
| File key | 7225 |
| File MB 600 | 8.3 |
| File megabytes | 1.8 |
| File resolution | 300 |
| File resolution 600 | 600 |
| File size | 26 x 20 |
| Folder | 7 |
| Home loc | |
| ID | 628 |
| Object ID | RAO/56/28 |
| Object name | newspaper article |
| Other number | |
| Provenance | |
| Reverse | |
| Reverse 2 | |
| Reverse key | |
| Status | In Store |
| Status by | AJA |
| Updated | 2nd September 2015 |
| Updated by | AJA |
| X date | 1992 |
| Equipment registration mark (ERM) | |
| Full name | Lt Col John Wright |
| Early date | 1992 |
| Late date | 1992 |
| Transcription |
NEWSCLIP / APCUT BICESTER ADVERTISER . 17 JUL 1992 RAO / 56 / 28 Heli - surprise for depot's birthday colonel Lucy , 15 , who were also in on the surprise . John Wright had the sur prise of his life when the Army pulled a stunt to cel ebrate his 50th birthday A33 Then he was driven by Rolls Royce to his office at No 2 Sub Depot at Bicester Ordnance Depot to be greeted by col leagues and a 50th birthday cake . Lieut Col Wright thought he was beginning a spell of leave , but instead found himself be ing in the FOX FM Unipart helicopter being flown over Graven Hill , Bicester , to view a special message Happy 50th Colonel spelled out in tyres . " It was a a wonderful sur prise , " said Col Wright after he landed with Sally Low - Hur ry , Fox FM's roving traffic re porter . He was reunited with his wife Judy and their daughter , HAPPY 50TH COLONEL The stunt was dreamed up by Major Rick Attard , his sec ond in command . Major Attard arranged for tyres stored at the depot for all three of the armed services to be used to spell out the mes sage on waste ground . " We used 18 to 20 tyres for each letter . The only problem was that for the best effect John had to see the message from the air . So that's where Fox FM came in , " said Major Attard . To ensure John would be around for the stunt he was telephoned and told he was re quired for a briefing that morning . Early Monday morning John was picked up from his home at Ambrosden by a police car and driven to a sports field at St George's Barracks , Arncott . John said : " I thought at first I was being driven the wrong way to the meeting , but I was told the venue had been changed . When I saw an am bulance and a Defence Fire Service fire engine waiting at the field I still did not realise what was going on , not even when the helicopter landed . It was a marvellous surprise . " He was also flown over the house he is building at Horton cum - Studley . b Col Wright and Sally Low Hurry leave the Flying Fox |
