Barney Barnes passed away unexpectedly on 16th March 2022 following complications during routine surgery. Fun-loving and easy-going, he remained a teenager at heart to the end. He will be much missed by Ros, his wife of 22 years, and her family, his two daughters, Stephanie & Katherine, from his marriage to Mary, and his three grandsons, Thomas, Matthew and Patrick, of whom he was very proud.  

Born in Roorkee, India, on 1 Dec 1942, Barney joined the Royal Air Force aged 19 to train to be a navigator. He flew Valiants (very briefly!) with 90 Squadron at RAF Honington and then Victors at RAF Marham with 55 and 57 Squadrons. After 3 years as an Operations Officer with the Joint Air Reconnaissance Intelligence Centre at RAF Brampton, he went to fly Vulcans at RAF Waddington with 50 Squadron and at RAF Scampton as an instructor on 230 Squadron Operational Conversion Unit (OCU).  He was the Deputy RAF Detachment Commander for a year in 1981/2 at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, USA, before returning to the UK to fly the Hercules at RAF Lyneham with 30 and 70 Squadrons and then as an instructor examiner with 242 Squadron OCU and 57(R) Squadron.  Whilst at Lyneham, he also spent a 4-month detachment in the Falkland Islands, was part of the famine relief effort in Ethiopia and was deployed to the Gulf in 1990/1.  His flying career came to a close in 1994 when he was posted to HQ 38 Group, RAF Strike Command High Wycombe, as an Operations Officer Air Transport Force (AKA Ascot Ops).  His commission was extended to age 57 at which point he transferred to the RAF Reserve - and was finally (!) promoted to Squadron Leader.  He continued to wear his RAF uniform, carrying out the same role, until he took 'early' retirement the day before his 71st birthday!

The RAF was a huge part of Barney's life for over 50 years and he was a keen supporter of the RAF Benevolent Fund. We would love you to share some memories and photographs of him on this page and would be very grateful for any donations that are made to the Fund in his memory.