Bill “Alfie” Fripp, The Oldest Surviving & Longest Serving British POW

This text and these images are excerpted from my brother’s diary during a recent visit with my family in England to record an oral history from my Uncle Bill “Alfie” Fripp, Britain’s oldest surviving and longest serving POW of WWII.

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Robert Fripp’s Diary – Tuesday 1st September, 2009

09.03 – DGM HQ.

During the sitting, a sense of a different approach to a particular morning exercise.

The sun is shining. The car is at the front of the building, ready to carry me off to adventures of the day, adventures of the Fripp Family kind with Sister Patricia & Uncle Bill.

20.03    Leaving c. 09.10 for Wimborne. On the way, an insight into using the tetrad in a different way to that I conventionally employ.

Collecting the Sistery Person who is staying with pals at Gravel Hill, Merley, just along from where the Fripp family lived between c. 1949–1954; and then to Southbourne & Uncle Bill. The aim in Patricia coming home is for us to film & record Uncle’s life story. Recently, Alfie Fripp has become the most famous Fripp in the family, and deservedly so. The recent media coverage on Uncle relates to the 65th. Anniversary of the Great Escape from Stalag Luft III.

Uncle Bill was well prepared I…

II…

III…

IV (Charles, Grandma & Maureen)…

V…

VI…

VII…

VIII…

IX…

X (at 5000 feet with a camera)…

XI…

XII…

XIII…

XIV…

XV (March 24th. 2009)…

Uncle Bill, aka Squadron Leader Alfie Fripp (RAF Retd.) is the oldest surviving & longest serving British POW. He now represents not only the Fripp family, but his generation of service people.

Leaving Southbourne c. 15.30, returning Sistery to her pals on Gravel Hill, arriving back at DGM HQ c. 17.50 with an overfull inbox.

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Thank you Brother, for lending me your photos and diary entries!

To learn more about my brother, legendary guitarist Robert Fripp visit his websites: http://www.dgmlive.com or http://robertfrippspeaks.com