Ron 'Curly' Emeny AFM AE
Air Gunner 4/44-5/44, Signaller/AEO 4/46-4/50

Ron 'Curly' Emeny AFM passed away on 8th December 2001: our condolences go to Jess and their family: Ron evaded after suffering horrific injuries when shot down when on 207 Squadron, on the Mailly-Le-Camp raid of 3/4 May 1944. He was the last airman taken across the Pyrenees by the Comete Line, on June 6th 1944.

He had a long career in the RAF and told any number of stories of causing consternation among the local brass when very senior officers he had known in their early days spotted him during visits or on being posted in.

He played a major role in the establishment of the RAFES Museum at East Kirkby. The following article appeared in the 207 Squadron RAF Association Newsletter 1 2001.

Frank Haslam, website editor of the 207 Squadron RAF Memorial website, writes: Jess Emeny has very kindly checked Ron's numerous logbooks and has been able to provide this outline summary of Ron's career:

4/44/-5/44 207 Sqn Spilsby: AG in Lissette crew: shot down 3/4 May 1944, severely burned, evaded: last airman across the Pyrenees via Comet Line, 6 June 1944
1/45 No.3 AGS Castlekennedy
3/45 Manby 68AG(1) course EAAS
3/46 46 MU Lossiemouth, HMS Fulmar
4/46 207 Sqn Stradishall
1947 met WAAF Telephonist Jessie Owen
1948 April: married Jessie Owen
2/49 207 move to Mildenhall
5/50 No.4 Radio School, Swanton Morley
3/51 CXX Squadron, Kinloss
4/52 To Aldergrove with CXX Sqn
3/53 Joint Anti Submarine Flight, HMS Sea Eagle Londonderry
1/54 1 ANS Hullavington
5/54 2 ANS Thorney Island
3/57 1 ANS Topcliffe: awarded AFM
10/58 236 OCU Gaydon, AEO V Force
3/59 18 Sqn Finningley
11/63 32 MU St Athans: V Force Test Flight
12/64 Beverley Conversion Course: Air Engineer
1965 Left the Service as he did not wish to take a ground posting to Northwood: Ron was commissioned shortly before he left.

On leaving the RAF Ron had a number of managerial jobs in the vehicle construction business, firstly in Cardiff and then in Northampton. He next worked for National Tyres in Stony Stratford. He ended his working life with a complete change, running a very successful project called 'Workbridge' at the private St Andrew's Mental Hospital in Northampton: this aimed to help patients build confidence ready for their return to the community.

Ron took early retirement and moved to Hundleby, becoming involved with the Aviation Heritage Centre at East Kirkby and the establishment there of the Escape Museum. He was also closely involved with 2266 (Spilsby) Squadron ATC.

He gave long and devoted service to this Association. He was involved in the establishment of the memorial plaque and roll of honour in All Saints Great Steeping and the recent Spilsby Airfield Memorial, of which he was particularly proud. He was also a member of the CXX Squadron Association and the local branch of the Bomber Command Association, whose chairman Bill Green brought Jess to London to attend the Bomber Command Service at St Paul's on April 24th.

He was tireless in his support of the RAF Escaping Society. He was usually at the commemoration of the raid on which he was shot down, held annually at Mailly-le-Camp on 4th May. This year he was remembered at that ceremony by Bryan Morgan, former RAFES Press Officer and now chairman of the Air Forces Escaping Society, himself shot down on Mailly.

On the same day, at the dispersal on Spilsby airfield to which Ron had taken Jess a number of times to show her where his aircraft had stood before that raid on Mailly, there was a Ceremony for the Scattering of Ashes.

It was a joint service for the scattering of ashes of Ron Buck, former Treasurer of this [207 Squadron] Association, who went on to be a 97 Sqn Pathfinder after serving on 207, and Ron Emeny. Gathered at the dispersal were Betty Buck and her family, together with Jess, son Paul and family and many friends, including several members of the Association. Many others, including the Pittwood family (Ron's Mailly crew) sent messages of support.

The weather remained fine for the ceremony, with a light breeze. The local British Legion paraded with its Standard and provided a bugler. A cadet represented 2266 (Spilsby) Sqn ATC. Rev Richard Benson, Rector of the Partney Group of Parishes who dedicated the Spilsby Airfield Memorial, took the service. Afterwards there was a reception at the White Hart Hotel in Spilsby.

Betty Buck writes: Jess and I would like to express our heartfelt thanks to all who came to be with us when Ron Emeny's and Ron Buck's ashes were scattered on a dispersal at the old aerodrome where they both flew on ops. My Ron was at Spilsby October 1943 to January 1944, when he was posted to 97 Sqn PFF at Bourne. He had expressed a wish to have his ashes scattered on the airfield and when Ron Emeny died we found he had wished the same thing. Jess and I decided that it would be nice to give them a send off together.

I must thank Jess - she took on all the arranging. We thank all who came: the owner of the land who said he would be honoured to give the boys their last wish; the Rector for his very moving service; the Guard of Honour and Bugler for the sounding of the Last Post - and all who sent us best wishes for the day.

There is a tree in memory of Ron at East Kirkby. Jess Emeny died in 2012.

If you have further recollections of Ron Emeny to add to this page please contact the Editor.

page last updated 13 Dec 13