Good morning Sir, kindly tell us about yourself.

“I was born in January 1945 in Takoradi. My father was a Chief Accountant at Ghana Railways and

my mother was an entrepreneur. I attended Takoradi Methodist School for my basic education

and continued at the Sekondi College. I was enlisted as part of Regular Career Course 8. During

the selection process, there were 319 of us but only 9 of us made it into the Air Force and we

commissioned on September 1966 into the Flying Wing. I served the Colors for 19 years including the

period of training and retired voluntarily. I worked with a timber firm after leaving the Service. It was

a South African based company called Bell Equipment Limited who were into the manufacture and

sales of heavy duty machines. I was their representative here in Ghana and I extended their services

to the western part of Africa. I have been married for the past 50 years to Mrs. Quayson and we are

blessed with 7 children.“

What aircraft were you on Sir?

“I started with the Chipmunk and advanced to the Beavers and Otters. I also flew the Skyvans. I was

initially with No 1 Squadron but after becoming a B-CAT pilot, I was posted to the Communications

Squadron. I later trained as flight instructor then went as the Officer Commanding the Flight

Training School.”

Sir, how would you compare the current No 1 Squadron to yours after your recent visit to the

Base?

“The No 1 Squadron I knew had the best pilots in the Air Force. Currently the place is virtually dead

with little activity compared to our time. We had quite a number of aircraft as compared to now.”

Sir, do you have any UN Peace Keeping experience?

“I did not serve as part of the traditional UN operations we know it now. However, in June 1967,

Congo requested for military assistance from Ghana. I was a part of the detachment of pilot

and Air Traffic Controllers that went for the reconnaissance. We were trained on the T28 aircraft.

The Mission finally ended in February 1968. The pilots consisted of Fg Offr Aryeetey, Fg Offr Andy

Mensah, Fg Offr Dan Gomez and Plt Offr Quayson. The Air Traffic Controllers were Fg Offr Weah, Fg

Offr DK Osei-Kofi and Fg Offr Gasu.”

Sir, please why did you retire voluntarily?

“I left after my Senior Division Course at GAFCSC. After the 1979 and the attempted 1981 coups,

there was so much unruliness amongst Service personnel. It was so bad that some personnel wore

mufti to work with weapons and dressed shabbily to muster parades. There were actually several

attempts on my life too. I could no longer bear it and had to leave.”

Sir, tells us about some of the happenings during the coup.

“I vividly remember the May 1979 coup by the late Jerry John Rawlings. Jerry and I were very good

friends. We used to smoke the same pack of cigarettes. He was never the rowdy type. Jerry never

drank alcohol only soft drinks. I had just returned from the US after a course in the first week of May

when I met him. He lived next to my room at the Air Force Officers Mess in Accra. He complained

about how the country was being run and said if I were around, I would have joined them. I did not

understand what he was saying but I did not bother to inquire more. After a few minutes, he was

picked up by Tsatsu Tsikata. I reported back to Takoradi and a few weeks later, the first attempted

coup happened. The second one happened on June 4 1979 and all officers above the rank of Major

or equivalent were rounded up. I remember some were kept in the Guardroom and others at what is

now the Clothing Store at the Base.

Thank you sir. Do you have any final words?

“I will encourage service personnel to desist from engaging in hearsays. Thank you for having me.”