Cornwall Air Ambulance is deeply saddened by the passing of one of the charity’s first aircrew members, Bob Alderson.
Bob played an instrumental role in the launch of the service over 37 years ago. Bob undertook his paramedic training with the Cornwall Ambulance Service back in 1986, where he passed the examinations and joined the first cohort of students to complete this extended training course for ambulance staff. He did well with his skills and knowledge training and in early 1987, became an easy choice to join the very first crew of the UK’s very first air ambulance.
As part of a team of eight embarking on what has now become a national success, Bob played a significant part in those early days and is a pioneer for air ambulance operations that we see throughout the UK today. Cornwall Air Ambulance would not be where it is today without Bob and the first aircrew.
Bob on the front cover of Flight International magazine Nov 1987
Fellow crewmate and now Operational Projects Consultant for Cornwall Air Ambulance, Paul Westaway, said: “With his good sense of humour, Bob was greatly appreciated by his team, and we became strong friends from those early days. I appreciated his candour and direct approach but also, we often saw the funnier side of life when it was appropriate.
“I remember as part of the public operations activity in the first few months Bob and his crewmate were sent out on a mission, adorned with radio microphones and recording devices. The discussion between Bob, his crewmate and the pilot in the first two minutes of flight after take-off were quite entertaining. When we listened back to the recording there was quite some discourse on whether the incident was at Praze or Praze-an-Beeble. The patient to whom they were responding was in the village, but the pilot was very keen to identify the ideal landing site so clarification on the exact location was important. After much scrutiny of maps the crew agreed that it was the same village occasionally known by both names. After some further thought however the pilot stated he remembered the village as one of his favourite pasty shops was in the middle on the high street! Following the crews’ arrival and management of the patient, the crew including Bob needed to carry the patient through the village on the primary stretcher to the nearby field where the pilot had landed the aircraft. Whilst it is true to say that Bob was strong and fit, the carry was long and by the time he reached the aircraft, his sentences were short and punctuated with heavy breathing! Listening back to the tape afterwards with Bob it started seriously but very quickly became the source of great amusement between us with the pasty shop becoming the main navigational marker and Bob’s excessive wheezing. Of course the patient was well cared for but that particular mission didn’t make it to the BBC airwaves!
The first aircrew at RNAS Culdrose Ground School – Bob is on the far left of the front row
“On another mission, Bob and I responded to an incident at Ding Dong mine involving a young man who had fallen down the shaft and injured his spine. Assessing that I was prepared to go down the shaft and through his cautious wisdom, Bob agreed that I should respond initially with the Fire Service lowering me down into the shaft. Bob remained atop and coordinated the delivery of equipment and supplies down to myself and Leading Fireman Jack Aitkin, who were with the patient down the mine. We managed the young man carefully onto a ParaGard stretcher and then guided him safely as he was hoisted up by the Fire Service ready to be received by Bob.
“The media had found out about the incident and radio and newspaper reporters were aplenty when we finally emerged from the mine. Bob had been busy answering questions whilst providing me with the necessary medical equipment down the mine. When we got back to base, Bob dryly said, “you do realize you were only stood on a plug of rubbish in the shaft and that there was approximately 300 feet of empty shaft beneath you?” He held out a cup of tea that he made for me and shook his head and said I used to be young and impetuous once, now I’m a little wiser!
“A true friend, a great example of quiet competence and a man who always put the patient first.”
On behalf of everyone at Cornwall Air Ambulance, we would like to thank Bob for his service and offer our sincere condolences to his family and friends.
Bob and fellow members of the first aircrew visiting the Cornwall Air Ambulance airbase in January 2024