Old Buddie gets his memories down on print

Mar 10 2010 by Jeff Holmes, Paisley Daily Express

AYOUNG Jack Docherty swapped Ferguslie Park for exotic Singapore on his 19th birthday – January 3, 1956 – in search of adventure ... and that’s what he got.

The young Buddie was so bored at work he signed up with the RAF and left for the Far East ... but not before fate stepped in and he met his future wife at a dance in Paisley Town Hall.

She was just 15 at the time, three years younger than Jack, who was heading out of town, and it would be another three years before they would hook up again.

The rest, as they say ,is history.

Jack, now 71, has just published his memoirs, A Virgin Airman, and it’s packed full of Paisley anecdotes.

He told the Paisley Daily Express: “I have many great memories of a wonderful life and I just thought to myself, ‘why not get them down in print?’

“I was born in Caledonia Street, the youngest of 10 children – five brothers and five sisters – and went to St Mirin’s Academy.

“After leaving school I was a despatch clerk with Filshill’s in Love Street. Everyone loved Filshill’s Sherbet Shandies and my job was to check the vans which delivered the sweets.

“I became a bit fed up with the workload and decided to join the RAF. My boss, Tom Hannah, offered to double my money to prevent me from leaving, but my mind was made up. I had signed up for five years, so the RAF it would be.”

Jack trained in Yorkshire and was given 14 days disembarkation, which he chose to spend in Paisley.

He said: “My brother, Eddie, was the manager of the Picture House in the High Street, which is now the Paisley Centre, and he gave me free passes.

“I took a girl called Helen along but that proved disastrous. After the pictures we queued up to get the bus home. When it was our turn to get on, the conductress allowed Helen on but told me: ‘Full up!’

Embarrassed

“I was so embarrassed and had to walk home to Ferguslie Park.

“Then there was Jeanette, a typist in Filshills. We got on well and spent a lot of time together.

“I even started going to the ice hockey with her because Tommy Lemmon, one of the Paisley Pirates’ Canadian stars, was in digs at her house.

“But Jeanette eventually ended our relationship – by postcard from the Isle of Man!

“When I met Mary, I knew instantly that she was the one. It was a case of third time lucky.

“But I was leaving for Singapore, which was a fair distance from Glenburn!”

Jack added: “I left for the Far East on my 19th birthday – January 3, 1956 – from Southampton.

“When we set sail on Empire Fowey, there were 1,600 troops on board, of which only 150 were RAF personnel.

“Our scheduled route through Egypt was changed due to the Suez conflict. We detoured round by South Africa and our stops included Dakar, Cape Town, Durban and Ceylon, before finally docking in Singapore.”

Throughout the long journey, Jack spent lots of time writing to Mary. He missed her like mad.

However, when the ship berthed at Cape Town, he was blown away by the friendliness and generosity of locals.

He smiled: “The quayside was packed with cars offering troops a lift and one guy took four of us on a tour of the city.

“We finished off by visiting Table Mountain and he even paid for us to go up on the cable cars.”

Encountered

Jack also encountered the White Lady in Durban.

He explained: “She sang through a megaphone for the troops at the quayside. She was better than Vera Lynn!”

Jack’s Singapore experience was breathtaking but the moment his three-year tour of duty was up, he headed home.

“My train arrived at Canal Street Station and I made my way excitedly to my dad’s local, The Tea Gardens, in Causeyside Street.

“After a swift drink, we headed home to Scadlock Road and the family were there to greet me.

“The following day I jumped on a bus into Paisley town centre and the conductress handed me a piece of paper.

“It was Mary’s sister and the piece of paper had Mary’s address on it.

“She had moved to England and asked her sister to look out for me.

“I couldn’t believe she was living in Corby, 45 minutes from my new posting in Newark!”

The couple soon met up and within six months, had married.

After leaving the RAF, Jack was offered a job in Cambridge with a computing firm.

He said: “I loved Cambridge and we had two children, John and Lynn. I also have two lovely grandchildren.

“But I suffered a stroke a number of years ago and my doctor advised me to come home to Paisley, which I did in 1996.

“I had been invited back to Singapore on a number of occasions for a reunion but Mary wasn’t well enough to travel. Tragically, she passed away in 2008.

“I then took up the offer of a trip to Singapore and loved it. I went with my best man, Alex Wilson, who I’d met on my first tour of the country.

“Singapore had changed somewhat but it was great to see it again.

“I’m now looking forward to heading back over there again next year.”

l A Virgin Airman is available from WH Smith, in Paisley’s High Street, priced £9.99.