Hugh Harrison trained on Course 27B at Falcon Field starting on 26 June 1945 and ending on 10 September 1945.



Born in Yorkshire, Hugh started flying with Cambridge University Air Squadron as a student reading Aeronautical Engineering. In 1944 he left Cambridge University to join the RAF and train as a pilot at Falcon Field in Arizona flying the Stearman, Valiant and Texan. Falcon Field’s Course 27 was returned to England without graduating when the war ended.



Back in the UK he qualified for his wings at No 6 Flying Training School RAF Tern Hill, where he was Course Commander. He was commissioned and began his operational career as a Spitfire pilot in the UK and then flew Tempests with No 6 Squadron in Egypt, Iraq and Jordan. As a Flying Instructor on Meteors he joined the staff of the Central Flying School as a Flight Commander and led the formation aerobatic team in displays at home and abroad, representing Flying Training Command at the Farnborough Golden Jubilee Display.



In 1956 he was awarded the Air Force Cross.



He flew Hunters with 63 Squadron then commanded 79 Fighter Reconnaissance Squadron flying Swifts in Germany. In 1960 he was awarded the Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air.



While taking part in Lightning trials at the Central Fighter Establishment, Squadron Leader Harrison was selected for the Royal Air Force Bobsleigh team and drove a two-man bob in the 1961 International Championships at St Moritz. Following an RCAF exchange appointment as Chief Instructor of the Tactical Air Operations School in Canada on the T33, he returned to the UK to plan the merger of RAF College Cranwell with RAF Technical College Henlow. A short posting as Joint Warfare Advisor at HQ Scottish Command was followed by his posting as Chief Instructor of No 6 Flying Training School (Flying Training Command). He was himself a graduate of No 6 FTS after his pilot training at Falcon Field.



Wing Commander Harrison was then posted as Station Commander to RAF Acklington before being appointed Air Attaché at the British Embassy in Baghdad Iraq, returning 2 years later as Member of Air Staff at HQ Training Command responsible for all forms of flying training up to wings standard.



He was then posted as Group Captain HQ Near East Air Force, Episkopi Cyprus with responsibility from Gibraltar to Australia, with his final posting back at RAF Newton in the UK as Senior Air Staff Officer HQ Air Cadets for the ATC and for RAF sections of the Combined Cadet Force before his retirement in 1981.



Married for 51 years to Margaret, they had 2 daughters Susan and Kathryn.