This Is Your Life: Robert Pountney

Robert POUNTNEY (1944-)

THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Robert Pountney, RAF winchman, was surprised by Michael Aspel during a training exercise from RAF Lossiemouth to Clashnach Cove in the far north east of Scotland.

Robert, who was born in Liverpool, joined the Royal Air Force as a 15 year old trainee. He was posted to Middleton St George on Teeside in 1960 then later spent time in Bahrain. Following a parachute course he trained to become a winchman at RAF Valley in Anglesey.

He was posted to Chivener in Devon in 1971 before returning to Angelsey in 1977 to train others at RAF Valley. Robert has been part of some of the most high profile rescues including the Piper Alpha oil rig blaze in July 1988 - the nation's worst platform disaster.

"You're joking? I'll kill someone!"

programme details...

Edition No: 791
Subject No: 780
Broadcast date: Wed 5 Dec 1990
Broadcast time: 7.00-7.30pm
Recorded: Tue 2 Oct 1990
Venue: RAF Lossiemouth
Series: 31
Edition: 7
Code name: King

on the guest list...

Grp Capt Brian Pegnall
Maureen - partner
Robert - son
Roy Carey
Erlend Grieve
Gary Lawrie
Bessie - aunt
Neep Turner
Tony Gear
Peter Bruce
Stephen Bruce
Justin Llewelyn Thomas
Bob Law
Rick Gallioni
Cal Pollock
Alan Clam
Jonathan Laver
Paul Readfern
Sam Harkess
Gillian Harkess
New - mother
Len - stepfather

production team...

Researcher: Elizabeth Ross
Writer: Roy Bottomley
Directors: Brian Klein, Terry Yarwood
Associate Producer: John Graham
Producer: Malcolm Morris

names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

related pages...

Life Savers

heroes of the emergency services

The Night of 1000 Lives

a celebration of a thousand editions

Screenshots of Robert Pountney This Is Your Life

Scriptwriter Roy Bottomley recalls this edition of This Is Your Life in his book, This Is Your Life: The Story of Television's Famous Big Red Book...

A bluff of a different kind surprised RAF helicopter winchman Robert Pountney of 202 Squadron Search and Rescue from RAF Lossiemouth, on the east coast of Scotland.

But the 'injured' man in the rock-climbing gear turned out to be Michael Aspel, with the Big Red Book hidden under his climber's jacket.

He had turned out for a routine practice mission to rescue a climber who had fallen on to a ledge halfway down the cliff face at Clashnach Cove.

Virtually the whole of RAF Lossiemouth headed for the vast hangar from where we broadcast the programme on 2 October 1990.

Bob's most dramatic mission came on the night of 6 July 1988, when the 'scramble' bell rang. It was the first indication that the oil-rig platform Piper Alpha was ablaze.

Winchman Bob Pountney and his crew flew to the rig, 120 miles north-east of Aberdeen. The inferno below was the scene of the worst oil-platform disaster anywhere in the world. Three times he was winched down to the deck of the rescue support ship to haul badly burned stretcher cases to the helicopter.

Sadly, one died, but the other two survived to join us on the programme, and to thank our guest of honour and his crew.

Series 31 subjects