Squadron Leader Leo "Larry" Hook - OC Station Flight, Wing IRE and Hunter Simulator Instructor RAF Jever - 1958/59 Newspaper report of: Wartime flying veteran retires Squadron Leader Larry Hook (right) receives from the Chief Ground Instructor Sqn Ldr Robin Williams a farewell gift from Ground Training Squadron No 1 FTS Linton-on-Ouse. SQN LDR "Larry" Hook has served his last day in the Ground School at No. 1 Flying Training School, Linton-on-Ouse, and after terminal leave he retires having completed more than 41 continuous years' service.      He enlisted in 1942 and was trained as a pilot in South Africa.   The following year, after OTU in Egypt, he was flying ground attack Hurricanes with No XI Squadron in Burma.   Later he converted to flying Spitfires in Malaya and on to occupied Japan.      After the war Larry joined 64 Squadron at Linton-on-Ouse flying Mosquito and then Hornet aircraft.   In 1948 he was posted to Bentwaters to convert pilots onto Hornet, Vampire, Tempest and Meteor aircraft.   Sqn Ldr Hook returned to Linton-on-Ouse to fly Hornets and Oxfords with 64 Squadron before attending the Central Flying School Course in 1949.      By now a Qualified Flying Instructor, Sqn Ldr Hook did two tours at Flying Training Schools at 3 FTS Feltwell,Cambs. and at 4 FTS in Rhodesia, before beginning a long relationship with the Hunter aircraft.      He was commissioned in 1954, and joined 19 Squadron.   They re-equipped from Meteor to Hunter aircraft and there followed a tour at 226 OCU Chivenor.   He went to Lebanon in 1958 with the British Mission, converting the LAF to Hunters.      Without pausing in the UK Sqn Ldr Hook next enjoyed his "best tour ever" at Jever in Germany, where he was the Wing IRE and commanded a Station Flight of Hunters and Ansons.      Back in UK at CFS again he commanded the Hunter Type Flight which added to the experience of all trainee flying instructors.   1963-66 saw him at Handling Squadron, Boscombe Down, working on seven aircraft types from Hunter to Scimitar and Canberra to Buccaneer.   For the next ten years he flew Basset, Pembroke and Devon aircraft with the UK Communications Squadrons, 207, 26 and the Air Training Flight at Bovingdon.   For some years he was the personal pilot to AOC-in-C Training Command.      From this fascinating flying career, much of it on single-seat aircraft, Sqn Ldr Hook arrived at 1 FTS RAF Linton-on-Ouse in 1976 with over 6,500 flying hours.   He was invited to extend his service to the age of 60 and consequently he has been Deputy Chief Ground Instructor there for more than six years.   His wife Beryl formerly served with the WRENS and they live at Copmanthorpe, York. His nephew has forwarded the following; Sqn Leader Leo Hook, known by many as Larry, was born 26th July 1923 in Batley, West Yorkshire, the youngest of 7 children.   He attended Batley Grammar School where he excelled both academically and at sport.   Leaving school as war broke out he found employment in the local cinema until in 1942 he was old enough to enlist.   At the end of the war on a ship home from India he met Beryl a WREN and within months of returning to the UK they were married and have been together for 66 years.   After retirement they decided to live in Copmanthorpe near York and have been there for over 30 years.