THE PJI"s WHERE ARE THEY NOW Part 5

MIKE DUFFY

The above photograph is of Basic Static Line course number 72 with the PJI's seated in front with a very young looking Sgt Mike Duffy seated on the left. This was a large RLI course with a few Selous Souts mixed in with them. 

Mike Duffy applied for PJI training and was attached to No. 1 PTS in July 1977, from C. SQN. SAS. He trained basic static line and HALO courses, as well as air, dispatchers and under-studied the UT/PJI training course. Along with the other PJIs, between training of courses, Mike was routinely involved in Fire Force deployments, numerous Special Force operations by the SAS and Selous Scouts, and also combined forces ops which included the RLI and RAR. He remained attached to PTS from SAS until 1979, when he transferred to the Rh AF, before retiring in early 1981.

Mike and his wife Lesley decided the future in Zimbabwe was too uncertain for a young family, and moved with their young daughter, Lara, to South Africa. (It should be mentioned here, that Paul Hogan and his trucking business helped greatly in their move). Mike had previously met a South African whilst on a fishing trip, who offered him employment as an apprentice refrigeration mechanic. Mike qualified as a commercial refrigeration mechanic in 1983 and worked in the trade for a few years before he accepted a position with a mechanical engineering firm and eventually controlled the fixed mechanical maintenance programme for the client, the then KwaZulu Government. During this period, Mike and Lesley had two sons.  All three children have completed tertiary education and gone on to do well, the two eldest moved to the UK and become naturalised.

In 2004, Mike was attracted to the Private Security Industry or “Circuit” as it is sometimes referred to. He met, and was employed by, an old SAS colleague, John Gartner.Through, Johns buisness he worked in Baghdad and Afghanistan for a USAID Contractor, and then, still with John’s business, moved to a new theatre in West Africa, where he worked in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Mali.

Mike and Lesley attended the PJI reunion in Busselton WA, 2008, where he jumped towing a Rhodesian flag. Until his rig time-expired a couple of years ago, Mike maintained his enjoyment of parachuting with occasional jumps. Mike’s other great interests always included hunting, fishing, target shooting and firearms. He has had a number of articles on guns, ammo and hunting published by local magazines.

 Mike and Lesley still reside in Pietermaritzburg RSA and now have their first grandson in the UK.

The year 2008. The occasion Rhodesian Air Force PJI reunion. The place Paul Hogans back yard Bussilton Western Australia. In attendance L to R Derek de Kock, Paul Hogan, Mike Duffy, Ian Douglas, Tony Hughes. What a party!!! Thanks Paul.

Mike Duffy showing the flag at the 2008 RhAF  PJI reunion in Bussilton Western Australia 

The Bussilton PJI reunion. The years just flew by at this wonderful reunion and it was especially good when Dick Gledhill arrived from Townsville Nth Queensland. LtoR  Mike Duffy from South Africa, Derek de Kock from Melbourne Victoria, Tricky Dick Gledhill from Townsville Nth Queensland, Ian Douglas from South Africa, Paul Hogan the host from Bussilton Western Australia. Paul had the biggest stack of crates of Margret River wine I have ever seen in a private collection. We sampled many of these bottles and told a lot of stories which became more and more unbelievable as more and more wine was consumed