Big Red Book
Celebrating television's This Is Your Life
Robert Roland STANFORD TUCK DSO, DFC (1916-1987)
THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Wing Commander Robert Roland Stanford Tuck, Royal Air Force fighter pilot, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at the BBC Television Theatre while on his way to BBC Television Centre to discuss the possibility of televising parts of his forthcoming biography, Fly For Your Life.
After a brief spell with the Merchant Navy, Robert joined the RAF in 1935, becoming one of the first qualified Spitfire pilots. At the outbreak of the Second World War, he joined No. 92 Fighter Squadron, where his victories in the early days of the Battle of Britain gained him his first Distinguished Flying Cross. Promoted to squadron leader with No. 257 Fighter Squadron in September 1940, Robert fought in combat over northern France, where he gained further victories and a second DFC, along with a Distinguished Service Order for 'outstanding leadership, courage and skill'.
On 28 January 1942, he was hit by anti-aircraft fire while on a mission, was forced to land in France, and was captured by the Germans. He spent two years in Stalag Luft III as a prisoner of war before successfully escaping in 1945. Robert retired from the RAF in 1949 and established a mushroom farm in Kent.
programme details...
- Edition No: 15
- Subject No: 15
- Broadcast date: Sun 6 May 1956
- Broadcast time: 7.45-8.15pm
- Recorded: Tue 3 Apr 1956 8.00pm
- Venue: BBC Television Theatre
- Series: 1
- Edition: 15
on the guest list...
- Albert Stringer
- Johnny Lockton
- Sydney Mercer
- Alan Putt
- Wg Cdr 'Titch' Havercroft
- Bill Maloney
- Frank Sloman
- John Ryder
- Jack - brother
- Joyce - wife
- Zbishek Kustrzynski
related appearances...
- Douglas Bader - Mar 1982
- Laddie Lucas - Apr 1984
production team...
- Researchers: Peter Moore, Nigel Ward
- Writer: Gale Pedrick
- Director: unknown
- Producer: T Leslie Jackson
- names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life
- with thanks to Simon Stanford Tuck and Michael Stanford Tuck for their contributions to this page
Photographs of Robert Stanford Tuck This Is Your Life - and a photograph of Robert Roland Stanford Tuck's big red book
Manchester Evening News 7 May 1956
The BBC reacted sharply to the North's first "trade night." To appear in This Is Your Life (that of wartime fighter ace Robert Tuck), Szbishek Kuztryzynski, ex-Polish officer who escaped with him from a German prison camp, flew 6,000 miles to and from Canada.
But because Eamonn Andrews, who has compered this delicate series with such skill, is on his way to the US, this was a telerecording. A pity, for much of the drama was lost.
Weekly News 11 May 1956
Tom Pepys TV and radio topics
This week, the traditional penitent's garb of sackcloth and ashes must be assumed because only in this can I honestly stand up and confess to unworthy prejudice and ill-considered criticism. For the umpteenth time I have found a programme which at first annoyed and displeased me, to be an enjoyable and worthwhile feature. This is almost as confidence-sapping as finding that a programme has belied its early promise and proved a stinker.
"A programme" is not strictly true, because Sunday evening brought to our (BBC) screens two programmes which earlier have been the subject of some ill-chosen comments.
The first was This Is Your Life and this time the story was that of Wing Commander Tuck. My dismay at finding myself enjoying this story was not overwhelming. The first editions of This Is Your Life were spoilt by the memory of that first shattering 45-minute episode, handled (man-handled rather) by Ralph Edwards. It seemed impossible that anything good could come out of such a noisome, fulsome blast of hot air. But, bless 'em, the BBC in general, and Eamonn Andrews in particular, have successfully refined gold from dross.
Two factors made Sunday's instalment the best to date: Wing Commander Tuck's story was well worth the telling and, secondly, the parade the supporting cast meant not one scrap of embarrassment to anyone; indeed Wingco Tuck's obvious and steadily mounting pleasure at meeting so many old friends was communicated to the viewers. And unless I madly miss my guess there would be an excellent party somewhere in the neighbourhood of Shepherd's Bush that very same evening.
Series 1 subjects
Eamonn Andrews | Yvonne Bailey | Ted Ray | James Butterworth | C B Fry | Johanna Harris | Donald Campbell | Joe BrannellyStanley Matthews | Henry Starling | Ida Cook | Lupino Lane | Hugh Oloff de Wet | Elizabeth Wilde | Robert Stanford Tuck