Captain David BARCLAY MBE (1906-1981)

This Is Your Life Big Red Book

programme details...

  • Edition No: 125
  • Subject No: 125
  • Broadcast live: Mon 29 Feb 1960
  • Broadcast time: 7.30-8.00pm
  • Venue: BBC Television Theatre
  • Series: 5
  • Edition: 27

on the guest list...

  • Margaret Kerr
  • Tom Caskie
  • Grp Capt Ronald Cauthery
  • Nina - wife
  • Bill Gray
  • Jimmy Mitchell
  • Gordon Kerr
  • Sister Jean Stalker
  • Robert McKean
  • Kathleen Andrews
  • Harry Drysdale
  • Isabella Rendell
  • Margaret Rendell
  • Malcolm - brother
  • Bryan Fauber
  • Patricia - daughter
  • John Kerr

production team...

  • Researcher: Ronald Vivian
  • Writer: Ronald Vivian
  • Director: unknown
  • Producer: T Leslie Jackson
related pages...

Life Savers

heroes of the emergency services


Split Second Danny

Radio Times feature on the programme's chauffeur

This Is Your Life Big Red Book



The Glasgow Herald article: David Barclay This Is Your Life

The Glasgow Herald 1 May 1965


Air Ambulance Pioneer Retires


From Our Scottish Air Correspondent


Captain David Barclay, the Scottish air ambulance pioneer who retired yesterday at the age of 60, said he thought it would be wrong to go back to the pre-war "hedge-hopping days" of small aircraft in the Highlands and Islands.


"Bigger aircraft are required and I look forward to the day when British European Airways will operate an all-Viscount fleet on all but one of the northern routes. Flying is much easier now than in the hedge-hopping days."


"When I started flying to the Highlands and Islands in 1934 we had no radio, de-icing equipment, and other modern safety devices. Today's better equipment and aircraft mean we can fly above the rough weather."


Captain Barclay, whose last flight as an airline pilot yesterday was at the controls of a Heron aircraft, had a "royal" reception on the islands of Tiree and Barra and at Renfrew Airport.


Piped From 'Plane


His daughter, Patricia, a stewardess with BEA, who is based in Jersey, made the last flight with him at his request. A crowd greeted him at Tiree, where he was presented with a pewter beer mug.


About 150 islanders cheered as he was piped from the Heron on the sands of Barra. There were more speeches and Captain Barclay was given a bottle of cockles.

unknown source article: David Barclay This Is Your Life

Unknown source 8 May 1965


The pilot who saved 1000 lives


Captain David Barclay of the world famous Scottish Air ambulance Service, whose mercy flights have saved 1000 lives, has made his last official flight.


A pilot for 38 years, he has retired just a few days after his 60th birthday.


Appropriately his last operational flight was from Barra and Tiree, where he is best known and loved by the island folk.


As a tribute to the veteran flier BEA pilots and air ambulance nurses from Glasgow's Southern General Hospital formed a guard of honour as he stepped from the plane at Renfrew.


Captain Barclay's eyes glistened with tears as he gave Sister Jean Stalker a farewell hug. She has accompanied him on his flights for the past 15 years.


His daughter, Patricia (25), an air stewardess, went with him on his last flight.

Series 5 subjects

Evelyn Laye | Donald Caskie | Eva Turner | Billy Butlin | James Slater | Edmund Arbuthnott | Louis Langford | O P Jones
Richard Hearne | Francoise Rigby | John Barclay | Thomas Drake | William Merrilees | John Lord | Russ Conway | Stanley Bishop
Leonard Stanmore | Arthur Askey | Robert Oldfield | Alicia Markova | Frederic Morena | Hilda Rowcliffe | Thomas Salmon
Harry Welchman | Harry Webb | Nat Gonella | David Barclay | Richard Todd | Thomas Bodkin | Gracie Fields | Michael Ansell