SERVICEMAN 5012619. Halpin, Barry Thomas. A man with many titles; leading aircraftman, nursing assistant, mountain rescue team member; musician, racontuer and general scallywag. But not Lord Lucan.

A new book claims that the earl who disappeared in 1974 shortly after the murder of his children's nanny later became a hippy living in India under the name Barry Halpin, aka Jungly Barry or Mountain Barry.

According to Duncan MacLaughlin, a former Scotland Yard officer, Lucan ended up in Goa where he died seven years ago having assumed the new name and was known as a well-spoken gambler who played the penny whistle.

The claims have already been dismissed by Lady Lucan who said pictures of the "hippy" looking Halpin convinced her that her husband's character could not have changed so much.

This week Stephen Nixon, a consultant surgeon at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, who grew up with Barry Halpin in St Helens, Lancashire, also said the claim that he and Lucan were one and the same person were "nonsense".

Now another friend has disputed the claim.

Halpin was a RAF medic and member of a mountain rescue team in the late 1950s and early 60s, serving at Kinloss and Ballykelly in Northern Ireland.

He was called up for national service on 14 August, 1956 and enlisted with the RAF on 17 September the same year. In line with RAF tradition he was given a nickname to suit a characteristic or particular skill. In Halpin's case his prowess as a folk singer and guitarist earned him the title Lonnie, after Lonnie Donegan, although his Lancashire background meant his repertoire contained more George Formby songs.

The description fits with Mr Nixon's pen picture of his friend who was a gifted musician who could play all night in a pub for free drink; who could play the banjo, ukelele, guitar and penny whistle and culd have become a Billy Connolly-type celebrity; who was highly educated but never settled in one place; and who was to spend his latter years bumming around in Goa where he died in 1996.

Yesterday a former colleague on the Kinloss mountain rescue team, Ray "Sunshine" Sefton, who stays in Aviemore, said he has seen the recent media coverage of the Lord Lucan book with great amusement, including a picture of Halpin which is said to be Lucan in his final years

"When I saw the picture in the newspapers I turned to my wife and said 'That's Lonnie.'

Mr Sefton, a former warrant officer who served 39 years with the rescue team, including many years as leader, said: "I have not seen him for 40 years but heard that he had died as a hippy in India in the mid 1990s. It all fits into the picture of what I would imagine him to be like.

"He was a national serviceman in the team when I was just a lad of about 17 or 18 and we were colleagues together. He was a good guy, but a bit of a scallywag. When we used to go out on exercises he took the banjo or guitar and was always good for a party.

"I can't remember any particular rescue we were on together, but I do remember the many sing-songs we had and some mischief he got up to at times.

"The fact he is now being compared to Lord Lucan is a good laugh."

He said 'Lonnie' was christened as Lonnie Donegan,who launched the skifle movement, was the best known guitarist around at the time: "Donegan was the big star at the time, but what I remember about our Lonnie was that a lot of his songs, because he came from St Helens, were covers of George Formby - When I'm Cleaning Windows, I'm Leaning on a Lampost and Chinese Washday Blues, that sort of thing.
"Of course when we were in the pub singing at night and the tourists were in, he didn't have to buy a drink. He used to live on free booze."

After leaving the RAF, Halpin gave his former colleagues a taste of what was to become hsi itinerant lifestyle. According to one former serviceman, who did not want to be named, Halpin used to continue to use the RAF facilities even after even after he left the service.
"He had left the force, but he used to come back to the base and doss in the barracks. It wouldn't be allowed to happed nowadays, but then things were a little different."

According to Michael Mulford, the RAF's media officer, the evidence leaning towards the man in Goa being Barry Halpin, former musician and mountain rescuer and not Lord Lucan is compelling.

"When you take what Mr Nixon has said and add it to the information about Halpin, a reasonable interpretation of the facts would point inexorably towards that conclusion."

I remember one thing that made him stand out: We were issued with thick woollen socks and when a hole came out in the heel, we had to darn it -- not Barry, he would turn the sock 180 degrees so the hole was on the top and when a new hole appeared the sock would be turned another 90 degrees, so now there are holes at each side of the ankle. The same procedure when this part of the sock wore away and finally, one more turn of 180 degrees and the sock would separate, top from bottom. Then he would put on a new pair. He never did this with his mountain socks as he said that you must look after your feet (HA. HA).

He also got some form of award from the camp for being on duty for 72 hours without a break. It was during the Flu epidemic of 57/58, when the whole station was laid low with everyone confined to their beds, including the MO. Barry cycled round the station dishing out pills to everyone including the Station Commander. This Flu never affected Barry.

His other claim to fame was his banjo and penny-whistle playing. The team would go down to a pub as is their usual habit, and Barry would start to play and sing. Within minutes the pub would be full, with beer flowing freely for all concerned. Many a good night was had by all who met him.

So when that picture in the paper suggested it was Lord Lucan, I burst out laughing and said to my wife, “That’s Lonny from Kinloss!”

I'm sure more of you will remember him with a lot of affection as a troop who earned your respect, both on and off the hill.

Len (Rab) McNab