Victor Vowles

Helen, Victor and Rachel dressed for a Royal Garden Party 17th July 1969

Victor (Vic) was born in Bristol the youngest child of Thomas Vowles and Agnes Weaver. He left his home to join the RAF in 1925 and served 21 years before leaving in 1946 . During the 1930s he served seven years in Palestine with 2 ACC squadron, the armoured car corps. In recognition of the long service, he received an invitation from the Queen to a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in July 1969.

Vic married Georgina Hobson in Bedford in 1938 but the relationship was short lived with Victor serving away from home during WW2.

He met Rachel during the war, she was serving in the WRAF at the time. Rachel had seen the war as an opportunity to escape her domesticated life. As their youngest daughter, her parents had expected her to stay at home and help her mother even though her older sisters had both been encouraged to have careers. By 1946 the war was over, Vic had retired from the RAF, settled with Rachel in a small village in Lincolnshire and their first child, Jacqueline, was born. They stayed in Lincolnshire for 12 years and had three more children during the 1950s before moving to Nottinghamshire around 1958.

Vic was always a big sports fan and during his RAF career played both football and rugby. He was at Wembley to witness England winning the football World Cup in 1966.

They retired to Queensland, Australia in 1982. Vic died just two weeks short of his 80th birthday after suffering a heart attack while gardening, another of his passions. Rachel passed away peacefully, aged 91, after suffering from Alzheimers Disease for several years.