007 - 226 - Birthday surprise for airlifted chief. Lt Colonel John Wright was surprised by a trip in a helicopte ...
Birthday surprise for airlifted chief. 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 | 226 |
| File 2 | |
| File key | 7226 |
| File MB 600 | 1.7 |
| File megabytes | 1.6 |
| File resolution | 300 |
| File resolution 600 | 300 |
| File size | 20 x 18 |
| Folder | 7 |
| Home loc | |
| ID | 629 |
| Object ID | RAO/56/29 |
| Object name | newspaper article |
| Other number | |
| Provenance | |
| Reverse | 227 |
| Reverse 2 | |
| Reverse key | 7227 |
| 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 |
Birthday surprise for airlifted chief 1339 By PETER BARRINGTON JOHN Wright had the surprise of his life when the Army pulled a stunt for his 50th birthday . Lieut Col Wright thought he was starting a spell of leave , but instead found himself airlifted by the FOX FM Unipart helicopter . He was flown over Graven Hill , Bicester , so he could see from the air the message : Happy 50th Colonel spelled out in tyres below . " I am absolutely speechless . It is amazing and it was a wonderful sur prise , " said Col Wright . His wife Judy and daughter , Lucy , 15 , were also in on the surprise . He was driven in a 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 . Grateful The stunt was dreamed up by Maj Rick Attard , his second - in - command at the depot . Major Attard arranged for tyres stored for all three of the armed ser vices to be used to spell out the mes sage on waste ground . " We used 18-20 tyres for each letter and the message covered about 11 by five metres . 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 . I'm grateful for their help , " he said . To ensure John would be around for the stunt on his 50th birthday he was telephoned by another officer Col Ray York , senior stores officer , and told he had to take part in an Army briefing the next morning over troops going to Sarajevo . FFOX FI 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 . Ut 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 . Caught out ... John Wright with Sally Low Hurry of Fox FM " When I saw an ambulance and a Defence Fire Service fire engine wait ing at the field I still did not realise what was going on , not even when the ** G - RODS HAPPY 50TH COLONEL |
