We sadly must now report the passing of Mqm Tay Nick Ireland who died on Sunday 21st July 2024.
Nick started as a flight cadet at RAF Cranwell in 1960 and was promoted to Under Officer in intake 78. He suffered a serious back injury while a member of the Cranwell modern pentathlon team and was told he could never eject from an aircraft as, if he did, he would never fly again. He flew many types of aircraft in both the RAF and SOAF/RAFO including fast jets.
In 1961 he moved to Akrotiri in Cyprus to fly the Canberra PR9. He did border reconnaissance over Kuwait and was based in Bahrain. He and his navigator were nicknamed ‘The Space Twins’ as they were frequently at heights of 40-50,000 ft. He spent his 21st birthday above Iraq at 60,000 ft and said above him was black and below blue, with the earth's curvature on full display.
In 1964 he moved back to the UK and converted to flying Gnat and Jet Provost and becoming a qualified instructor. During 1966/67 he served briefly as ADC to the Commandant of RAF College Cranwell before moving on to a training role at RAF Halton. Whilst here hs also worked as a very successful representative for Courts Marshall Defence. He felt that the airmen didn’t have anything like the kind of representation they deserved and he poured over law books in a local solicitor’s office to ensure he could provide a solid legal defence.
In 1971 he returned to pilot/instructor duties in The UK and Germany flying mainly Phantoms.
In 1977 he left the RAF and joined SOAF 8 sqn at Thumrait flying Jaguars. Whilst in 8 sqn he was awarded the WKHm and promoted to Raaid Tayyar. Then in 1983 he was promoted to Muqaddam Tayyar and posted to RAFO Masirah to form No.20 Squadron with a second purchase of Jaguar aircraft. Nick commanded No.20 Squadron until 1986 when he was succeeded by Rod Harrison and then retired from RAFO service and left Oman.
It wasn't long before he was back in the RAF training the cadets at University AIr Sqn (Manchester) flying Bulldogs and then progressed to instructing pilots on the Harrier both in the air and on the simulator, in the UK and in Germany, until he finally retired from the RAF in 2005.
Following retirement he worked part-time as a receptionist at Oakham NHS Hospital. When he fully retired, he kept himself busy by volunteering to help children to read at the local primary school where he lived. He was the Flood Warden and apparently was the first person to greet anyone new moving into the village and knock on their door to say hello. In addition he volunteered with The Commonwealth War Graves Commission and whenever he was travelling away from home, he would check in at cemeteries and tidy up graves and pay his respects.
Our thoughts are with his daughter Karen, his son Tim and his adopted daughter Ingrid at this difficult time.
The funeral will take place on 23rd August 2024 at 11:15 hrs at Northumberland Woodland Burials and Crematorium, Bockenfield Wood, Felton, Morpeth NE65 9QJ.
Flowers will be family only.
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