He has made dinner for Prince William, been guard of honour for Prince Charles and flown fighter jets for the Royal Air Force. Kingswear resident and ex Air Vice Marshal Mark Green has led an exciting life to say the least. But these days he is enjoying a quieter, more restful time and you can often find him on the water or on his terrace watching the comings and goings on the River Dart. He caught up with our reporter Steph Woolvin for a little chat...
Mark Green has moved house over 27 times! He has worked in a whole host of countries and lived with his family in North America, South Africa, Germany, England and Wales so you can understand why he and wife Jane now like to stay put in the South Hams. All this travelling took place with the RAF, a career which started in the school playing field:
“When I was very young I didn’t know what I wanted to be and my parents didn’t have any aspirations for me. But one day at school I watched an aeroplane fly overhead and wondered what life would be like as a pilot.” When he realised how much work was involved he didn’t flinch, instead he put his head down, joined the Air Training Corps and eventually won a flying scholarship. This allowed him to get his pilot’s licence at just 17: “I learnt how to fly before I could drive!” Mark then went to university to read aeronautical engineering. “Prior to starting the course at Imperial College, London I applied for the RAF cadetship programme. There are many different trades and roles within the Air Force - engineers, doctors, dentists, logisticians - not everyone is a pilot. However, I had my mind set that I wanted to fly. Fortunately, I passed the three-day selection process consisting of interviews, aptitude and IQ tests which meant the RAF sponsored me to go to university. I wore Acting Pilot Officer rank and would go flying at weekends and during the holidays.”
He says his friends thought this was all rather ‘cool’, but that was mainly because he had a car so they could all get around! “It did feel a bit like a strange double life, once a week I went into town to the headquarters for lectures which was great because I got to meet others doing the same thing from colleges and universities around London. There were around 120 of us and it was these guys that I would go flying with at the weekends.” All this increased Mark’s motivation and soon he had 150 hours flying time under his belt and had been sent to a number of different countries including spending a university summer holiday in Cyprus where he helped on search and rescue operations: “I was definitely living the dream,” he says with a smile.
At the end of university, he started his 32 weeks of officer training at RAF Cranwell and was later selected to join a Harrier Squadron based in West Germany. “I was captivated by the Harrier. I thought that flying a fast jet that could launch from an aircraft carrier and then stop in mid-air and then land vertically was just amazing.”
After some six years of operating the Harrier around the world, he started his route via promotion through the ranks. He said that this meant he spent less time doing the thing he loved - flying. “You start to do more managerial roles often combined with ground tours. However, I cannot complain as I got some great jobs such as deciding on future Harrier upgrades. I also tested aircraft weapons and was deployed to HMS Invincible which was fantastic. Landing a Harrier on an aircraft carrier was an unforgettable experience and I got an insight into the Royal Navy with all their rich heritage and traditions.”
During all this time Mark’s loyal wife, Jane, stood by him setting up home wherever he was sent to next. “We lived all over the world and enjoyed moving around together. It was tough at times, there’s no doubt about that, but our children got to see some exotic places and I think looking back it did help broaden their minds. They turned into confident young people and they look back fondly on those days. My son, Tim, is now a helicopter pilot in the Royal Air Force so it can’t have scarred him too much!”
One of the highlights over their military years was hosting Prince William, Mark says, however it wasn’t fine dining and caviar! “He was 22 at the time and came to do work experience at RAF Valley in Wales where I was stationed. Jane said he was welcome to come to our house for dinner along with some of the young officers so he could meet the people he would be working with. We didn’t want anything too formal so we did a curry and asked others to bring a dish. Some of the younger chaps wanted to get involved so they went down to a beach shop and bought kids’ buckets shaped like castles. They then filled them with vodka jelly and we turned them out onto the middle of the table so they made the centre piece! William loved them!” That wasn’t his only brush with royalty - Mark was also asked to help make up the guard of honour for Prince Charles’ wedding to Camilla. “It was a great honour to be on parade as the happy couple walked into St George’s Chapel. We also really enjoyed the reception in Windsor Castle.”
Mark and Jane have always had a link to Dartmouth as Jane’s parents moved here after her father retired (he was a pilot during World War Two). “We often came to see them and fell in love with the area,” Mark says. “We spent hours fishing, walking and sailing during the children’s school holidays - it felt like a little bit of stability during our many, many moves.” The family settled here permanently in 2014 when Mark left the RAF. They set up home on the Kingswear side of the river in one of the houses just above the Higher Ferry. “From our balcony we can watch the cadets at the Naval College learning their sea skills. It’s nice to sit and listen to their antics whilst sipping a gin and tonic!
“It is good to see military spirit still endures. Last year my son was due to fly up the river in a helicopter so we hung up a Royal Air Force flag. The next morning Jane looked out the window to see that some of the cadets had crossed the river and climbed up in a night raid and swapped the RAF ensign for a huge Royal Navy one!”
Mark is enjoying being in one place and says after years of damp and dingy RAF housing it is a joy to be in an airy, bright house overlooking the river. If not enjoying sailing or lobster fishing, Mark can be found walking his ‘failed guide dog’ Nando. Mark believes the golden lab didn’t pass his tests as he can get a little over excited! They think he was sponsored by the chicken restaurant chain which is why he got that name: “People do think it’s a rather strange name for a dog; I think they presume we just really like that restaurant! Nando is a clever chap and has worked out every shop in town where he is offered a biscuit or indeed an Alf’s sausage and tries to drag us in if we walk by, always hopeful!”
First published in By The Dart magazine in December 2020
