The Forcesit' e favourer pap
Competition
Competition
Drama on B-17 Flying Fortress W
Father Win ! Brown Series 9
in!
l See R'n'R p3
l See R'n'R p3
Friday February 11 2022 No. 1529 70p
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Atlas A400M ramps it up
l See p16-17
Football
Close call
Defence chiefs' China warning
l See page 27
Athletics
Lone star
l See page 29
SPACE RACE: CAS, ACM Sir Mike Wigston
Olympics
RAF hopes RAF AND England Rugby ace Fg Off Amy Cokayne gave the Duchess of Cambridge a few tips during a training session as the Royal took up the role as Patron of the Rugby Football Union at Twickenham.
l See pages 30-31
PHOTO: ALAMY
CHINESE AMBITIONS to dominate space and suspicious activity by Russian satellites threaten other nations, says Britain’s air chief. The stark warning came at the launch of the UK’s first Defence Space Strategy, backed by a £1.4 billion investment programme. Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston, said: “China seeks to become the world’s pre-eminent space power by 2045, an aspiration that potentially could threaten other users in space.” l See Page 5
Royal Air Force News Friday, February 11, 2022 P2
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I got lost in something, as many addicts do”
Our Service is the backbone for this Team GB and that makes me very proud”
Being able to display Typhoon in the UK and overseas will be a memory that will stay with me forever”
Comedian and writer Marcus Brigstocke on his alcoholism and his show The Red See R’n’R 4-5
Team GB Luge coach Sqn Ldr Gav Arnold See p30-31
Typhoon display ace Flt Lt Adam O’Hare See p15
Forces Covid fight goes on as NHS staff shortage bites Staff Reporter
RAF News Room 68 Lancaster Building HQ Air Command High Wycombe Buckinghamshire HP14 4UE Editor: Simon Williams Email: editor@rafnews.co.uk Features Editor: Tracey Allen Email: tracey.allen@rafnews.co.uk News Editor: Simon Mander
THOUSANDS OF military personnel are continuing to battle coronavirus in all four nations of the UK. More than 1,500 Servicemen and women are currently conducting 23 tasks under Operation Rescript. Following the latest deployment of 60 medics to hospitals in Northern Ireland for around four weeks to relieve under-pressure intensive care units, emergency departments and respiratory wards, the Forces are now supporting all four home nations as staff shortages caused by the virus continue. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: “Our Armed Forces are supporting all four corners of the UK as we work to overcome this pandemic and ensure communities and the NHS are able to rebuild.” A total of 1,985 personnel are assigned to provide support and
ON CALL:: RAF volunteers train with NHS ambulance teams as health service struggles with staffing levels
This Week In History
Sports Editor: Daniel Abrahams Email: sports@rafnews.co.uk Tel: 07966 429755
1956
Javelin arrives
THE JAVELIN delta-wing night fighter enters service with 46 Sqn at RAF Odiham.
All advertising: Edwin Rodrigues Tel: 07482 571535 Email: edwin.rodrigues@ rafnews.co.uk Subscriptions and distribution: RAF News Subscriptions c/o Intermedia, Unit 6 The Enterprise Centre, Kelvin Lane, Crawley RH10 9PE Tel: 01293 312191 Email: rafnewssubs@ subscriptionhelpline.co.uk
Defence has responded to more than 440 requests for help since March 2020. Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: “Armed Forces members are being deployed in a range of roles across the UK – from ambulance drivers and frontline support in hospitals, to assisting the vaccine rollout.” In England, 285 are supporting the vaccine rollout and ambulance services in the North West, Yorkshire and East Midlands have 351 military helping them. In Wales, 313 Armed Forces members are backing up the Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust with 66 administering jabs until midFebruary. In Scotland, 96 personnel are assisting the Scottish Ambulance Service until the end of March with another 100 in hospitals and vaccine clinics. Both tasks will draw down during February.
1945
Mosquito raid
1991
MOSQUITOES WITH the Light Night Striking Force launch the first of 36 consecutive raids on Berlin.
COALITION AIR forces carry out intensive bombing missions in advance of the ground offensive to liberate Kuwait.
Kuwait liberation begins
Extracts from The Royal Air Force Day By Day by Air Cdre Graham Pitchfork (The History Press)
Royal Air Force News Friday, February 11, 2022 P3
News
Red Flag’s got teeth Huge show of strength from Allies
ALLIED AIR POWER: USAF A-10 Warthog and RAF Typhoon take part in Exercise Red Flag supported by Voyager, below
Simon Mander TYPHOON CREWS on Exercise Red Flag are demonstrating Britain’s ability to work with the US and allies to deter and respond to threats. And RAF crews at Nellis Air Force Base are showing how they could be a key part of any future Allied Coalition. Red Flag Detachment Commander Group Captain Rob
Barrett said: “The United States Department of Defense describes Ex Red Flag as being focused on China as the number one pacing challenge. It helps their war fighters to bolster deterrence and maintain their competitive advantage. “It also provides training to respond to and effectively deter threats from Russia, Iran and North Korea, and from violent extremist organisations operating in the
Middle East, Africa, and South and Central Asia.” He said crews practised sorties on simulators in Britain before arriving at the Nevada Test and Training Range that covers more than 4,500 square miles. But the experiences Typhoons from Lossiemouth’s Number 1 (Fighter) Squadron and Coningsby’s 41 (Test and Evaluation Squadron) are now getting were the most
realistic short of actual combat. “The evidence so far in this “Red Flag provides the finest exercise is that the RAF continues to available simulation of the be a force to be reckoned with and environment that an adversary that should give us huge confidence could threaten us with. The in our breadth of capability against exercise is the best opportunity a peer adversary.” there is for the RAF’s frontline to And while deploying jets pit its people, aircraft, equipment worldwide is routine for the Air and tactics against these dangerous Force, for Brize Norton’s 10 and threats,” said Gp Capt Barrett. 101 Squadron Voyager tankers “Live missions allow crews and operating in desert conditions support personnel to integrate fully across an area half the size of Wales into complex planning cycles and poses its own challenges. execute demanding mission profiles. “The high terrain around Nellis “It’s where all the components Air Force Base and in the Ranges, of an air force come together, from which can rise sharply to 10,000 logistics and engineering to real- feet or more, presents unfamiliar life support as well as the flying challenges to our aircrew,” said Gp operations.” Capt Barrett. During the exercise RAF, “It’s an important consideration USAF and Royal Australian for Voyager in particular, and the Air Force jets face attacks crews must plan each mission from simulated groundwith great care to ensure that based air defence systems, their 200-ton aircraft can safely aggressor aircraft, cyber and depart and recover to Nellis. space-based threats. “Red Flag is giving the RAF “The RAF team a perfect opportunity to has thrown itself show our allies what into the exercise, we could bring to any highlighting just future conflict and how quickly and how the Service effectively our would integrate all people can step into a our capabilities into coalition effort,”added a coalition for the ET T Gp Capt Barrett. greatest benefit.” GP CAPT BARR
Royal Air Force News Friday, February 11, 2022 P5
News
China bidding to win military space race, Defence chiefs warn Simon Mander CHINESE AMBITIONS to become the most powerful nation in space by the middle of the century and anti-satellite arms tests already carried out by Beijing and Moscow threaten other nations, says the RAF’s most senior officer. Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston issued the warning at the launch of Britain’s first Defence Space Strategy and a £1.4 billion programme to protect UK interests in space. “China seeks to become the world’s pre-eminent space power by 2045, an aspiration supported by its developments in cyber, electromagnetic and kinetic systems that potentially could threaten other users in space,” said ACM Wigston. “Today, space is a far from benign environment, with almost daily cyber-attacks and dubious sub-threshold activity. In recent years, Russia and China have tested anti-satellite weapons creating debris fields that will linger for decades, posing threats to the satellites and the space systems on
WARNING: Defence Secretary Ben Wallace (left) during talks with Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg PHOTO: DAVE JENKINS
which the world depends. Russian satellites continually make close approaches to other satellites, what we call rendezvous and proximity operations, possibly an indication of espionage activity, or possibly rehearsing something much more sinister.” Over the next 10 years Britain will spend £968 million on a multi-satellite system known as
ISTARI to support surveillance and intelligence for military operations and a further £61 million on cutting-edge laser communications technology to speed up the delivery of data from space to Earth to superfast broadband standards. It comes on top of £5 billion already earmarked for the Skynet satellite system to provide strategic communications to the UK Armed
Forces and allies. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, who held talks this month with Nato allies, added: “It’s crucial we continue to push the frontiers of our Defence space ambitions, enhancing our military resilience and strengthening our nation’s security. “This significant investment will help to ensure the UK remains at the forefront of space innovation and one step ahead of our competitors.” The strategy includes other programmes to protect space interests and prevent conflicts including Minerva – a £127 million, four-year project to integrate satellites with land, air, sea and cyber to support frontline military decision-making by Britain, the US and Nato allies. Also under development is Prometheus II – two tiny satellites the size of a shoebox which can be used for monitoring through GPS, radio signals and sophisticated imaging. ACM Sir Mike Wigston said: “With this strategy, the MOD will protect and promote the UK’s interests in space, and take a leading role in the coalition of like-minded nations and organisations who have come together to ensure space is
CHINA THREAT: Chief of the Air Staff, ACM Sir Mike Wigston
there for the benefit of all.” In a separate development, Oxford Space Systems announced a £4 million investment in a Wrapped Rib Antenna to enable high-resolution imaging from small satellites irrespective of weather conditions or daylight.
Point Of Order
Atlantic Flyers
IN OUR report on the Atlantic Flyers team of RAF pilots (RAF News edition 1528, Jan 28) we wrongly stated that crew member Flt Lt Simon Berry suffered an injury and was unable to complete the race. It was another competitor from a different team who suffered the injury. We are happy to correct this mistake and congratulate Flt Lt Berry and the team on their huge achievement. l www.atlanticflyers2021.com
Simon Mander A BRITISH Lightning jet joined an American strategic bomber and two F-15 Eagle fighters for a series of flypasts over the UK to mark the ‘Mighty Eighth,’ Air Force’s 80th birthday. The Marham-based F-35B teamed up with a USAF B-1B Lancer flown directly from the States for flypasts of Lakenheath and Duxford.
By 1944, the 8th Air Force had more than 200,000 members and could launch more than 1,000 four-engine bombers and fighters on missions over Nazi Occupied Europe. Joint-Global Strike Operations Centre Commander Maj Gen Andrew Gebara said: “The Eighth Air Force has a long, rich history that dates back to WWII and had a close relationship with the RAF since its beginning.”
Royal Air Force News Friday, February 11, 2022 P7
News
Church chiefs shake up £2m steeple appeal Tracey Allen ST CLEMENT Danes Church has created its own cocktail to get drinkers to raise a glass and help fund a £2 million steeple restoration The St Clement Old Fashioned (pictured) is among a host of cheeky RAF-themed tipples to feature in a new book of cocktail recipes to net funds for the historic building project in central London. It includes Black Buck Gin Martini, named after the Falklands War raid, and the Champagne Claudia, named after the French resistance fighter Claudia Bertain who helped Flt Sgt Frank Stormont evade the enemy when his stricken 192 Sqn Halifax went down in 1944. The Cocktail Collection was put together by RAF Honorary Gp Capt Paul Beaver and all proceeds
from the £15 publication will go to the first phase of the church’s ‘1941 Appeal’ to restore its steeple, badly damaged in the Blitz. The work is part of a wider £10 million programme to open the full length of the crypt to provide a ‘wellbeing’ hub, for vulnerable RAF personnel and a community cafe, exhibition space and music practice rooms. A spokesman said: “The three-phased appeal will address urgently required structural work to the steeple, originally damaged over 80 years ago in the devastating inferno.” The cocktail book has been endorsed by Chief of the Air Staff, ACM Sir Mike Wigston, who said: “I hope you will raise your glass in honour of those who gave their all for our freedom, and are forever remembered in our church.” He added: “The 1941 Appeal aims to raise £10m which will
INFERNO : St Clement Danes’ steeple was gutted during the London blitz in WWII
secure our central church of the Royal Air Force as a place of remembrance and reflection for future generations.” It is St Clement Danes’ most ambitious fundraising venture since a worldwide appeal in the 1950s to raise £125,000 to rebuild the church after it was destroyed during the Blitz. l Go to: shop.stclementdanes.raf. org to order a copy of The Cocktail Collection.
Dambuster hero’s medals safe after museum steps in Tracey Allen THE MEDALS of Dambusters hero Sqn Ldr Lawrence ‘Benny’ Goodman have been bought by the RAF Museum for an undisclosed sum. The Lancaster pilot, who died in 2021 aged 100, was the last surviving pilot from 617 (Dambusters) Sqn to attack the German battleship Tirpitz. He went on to be one of the few pilots to drop the 22,000lb ‘Grand Slam’ bomb, the heaviest ever dropped by the RAF. He had completed 30 bombing operations by the end of the war. The medals and other items, including Benny’s flying jacket and log books, were sold by his son Robert through a private treaty sale, arranged by auctioneers Dix Noonan Webb. The money raised
will go to the 617 Sqn Association. Mr Goodman said: “I’m sure my father would have been thrilled that his legacy will be kept alive for the nation and shared with the world at the RAF Museum while giving back to 617 Sqn, with which he fought so valiantly during the Second World War.” Dr Peter Johnston, the museum’s head of collections and research, said: “The museum is delighted to have acquired this wonderful piece of history which enables us to tell a unique part of the RAF story. Benny had a fantastic relationship with the museum and was featured in the Jewish ‘Hidden Heroes’ project launched in 2018. We are planning that his medals and log book will go on display in the Bomber Command Hall as part of its redevelopment in 2023.” Medal mania, see page 21.
In Brief
APPOINTMENT: RAFBF Controller Chris Elliot (left) welcomes Richard Daniels
RAFBF role for Raytheon CEO
LEGEND: Dambuster Lancaster pilot Lawrence ‘Benny’ Goodman during WWII and, inset left, during a visit to the RAF Museum
THE FORMER head of defence giant Raytheon UK, Richard Daniels, has been appointed the new chairman of the trustees at the RAF Benevolent Fund. Speaking after his appointment, Mr Daniels said: “I have had the privilege to work alongside the RAF for many years and have seen first-hand the skill, dedication and sacrifice from all who have served.” RAFBF Controller AVM Chris Elliot added: “We are delighted that Richard will be joining our Board of Trustees. “He brings with him a wealth of experience and a passion to support members of the RAF Family in need.”
Royal Air Force News Friday, February 11, 2022 P9
News
Welfare chiefs target Forces gambling addiction Simon Mander
AIR FORCE personnel are more likely to experience gambling problems than ordinary citizens according to a new report. Most at risk are male RAF NCOs aged between 18 and 24, according to research by Swansea University. A survey of more than 2,000 serving members of the RAF reveals that two per cent are affected by problem gambling – four times higher than the general population – while 13.7 per cent admitted they were at some risk of addiction. Professor of Psychology and Behaviour Analysis Simon Dymond said: “This internationally significant, large-scale study shows, for the first time, that serving members of the
HIGH STAKES: Young men in the RAF are more likely to suffer gambling problems, report says
Royal Air Force are vulnerable to gambling-related harm. “It is important that we follow up this finding with targeted help and support.”
One respondent said: “Gambling was a release from the stress of work and normal life. I gained promotion at a young age
– younger than most others in my trade – and this meant I put a lot of self-induced stress and pressure on myself. “I hid my gambling issue from my colleagues and chain of command because I was ashamed and embarrassed – I didn’t want to admit what I was going through.” The study shows a link between risk-taking and alcohol misuse and mental health issues; with drinkers twice as likely, and those with depression five times more likely, to report gambling problems. The RAF
e lo f e h t h it w s e o g c r e H on Antarctic mission
Benevolent Fund is calling for: increased awareness among serving personnel, screening for those with risk factors, training for health professionals and line managers, and the provision of education. Fund Controller Air ViceMarshal Chris Elliot (pictured left) said: “We are committed to providing the serving RAF community with appropriate support. “This research will help inform our emotional wellbeing services moving forwards.” The charity provides a listening and counselling service, free Headspace memberships and gambling support through a partnership with GamCare. l For more details visit: rafbf.org
In Brief
SHOWTIME: Flying instructor Flt Lt Gibbs will be showcasing the Grob 115E Tutor
SAR star Gibbs grabs Grob job Staff Reporter Simon Mander POLAR SCIENTISTS have praised Brize Norton-based aircrew for delivering vital supplies to a remote Antarctic research station. A 47 Sqn C-130 Hercules has carried out a series of airdrop sorties to sustain remote survey depots backed up by air-to-air refuelling from a Voyager tanker. Head of the British Antarctic Survey Polar Operations Dave Wattam said: “The MOD has delivered a package of support without which we would not have been able to achieve British Antarctic Survey’s mission. “From aircraft and ship operations to passenger and cargo movements, all these elements have come together thanks to the hard work and flexibility of our UK Defence colleagues in the Falklands.” Throughout January, the RAF has supported the Survey’s scientific research programmes on the continent over a distance of 2,900 nautical miles. RAF crews launched the mission as the Royal Research Ship Sir David Attenborough docked in Mare Harbour on East Falkland – the islands’ main deep-water port used by Royal Navy patrol vessels – before
SPECIAL DELIVERY: Loadmaster prepares to release supplies from the back of C-130
commencing its research work in the region. Commander of British Forces on the Islands, Cdre Jonathan Lett, said: “British Forces South Atlantic Islands is delighted to be able to support the
British Antarctic Survey from Mount Pleasant Complex. “We recognise the global importance of British Antarctic Survey’s work in polar science and operations, helping society adapt to a changing world.”
FORMER SEARCH and Rescue pilot David-John Gibbs is set to take to the skies this summer to display the RAF’s Grob trainer After a Navy career flying the Sea King helicopter, the SAR star signed up with 115 Sqn as an instructor teaching students with the University Air Squadrons to fly in the basic trainer. Flt Lt Gibbs became an examiner at the Central Flying School in 2019 and will be performing at airshows across the UK this year. He said: “It’s an enormous honour to be chosen for this role. We want to attract the brightest and best undergraduates to the UASs, and then hopefully a career in the RAF. “For many of them, s: their first SAR MAN: Flt Lt Gibb experience of a UAS or the RAF will be when they see the Grob Tutor in a flying display.”
Royal Air Force News Friday, February 11, 2022 P13
News
Up against the ropes
RETIREMENT: BAe 146 takes a bow after more than 40 years service
146 to join Dux jet set proudly over many decades during numerous operations including A PAIR of RAF transport aircraft Iraq and Afghanistan. used to carry VIPs are to be “After four decades of service, preserved at museums following the aircraft have now reached the type’s retirement, next month. the end of their Service lives and The BAe 146 Mk2s operated by I am delighted that the 146s are 32 (The Royal) Sqn at Northolt have going to good homes and joining hosted Royals, government the collections of two fantastic ministers and military top aviation museums.” brass as passengers. The other two aircraft, The British Airliner which feature a retro-fitted Collection at Duxford is to freight door, are being bought receive one jet while the by a civilian operator from South Wales Aviation Defence Equipment Museum at St Athan and Support. will get the other. All the RAF’s BAe AOC No 2 Group, 146 aircraft feature Air Vice-Marshal an extensive Suraya Marshall defensive suite. said: “The BAe The MOD has 146 aircraft have yet to confirm a served the UK replacement. AVM MARSHALL
Simon Mander
FRONTLINE DUTY: 146 was deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan
A Brize Norton-based Voyager A330 equipped with business class style seating and facilities is currently being used to fly highlevel ministers and Royals on official international duties.
Shack’s back where it belongs
HERITAGE AIRCRAFT specialists are working to dismantle and move the RAF Museum’s Avro Shackleton from the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester. The reconnaissance aircraft will travel to its ‘spiritual home’ at the Avro Heritage Museum in Woodford, Stockport, after the lease on its former location – the Air and Space Hall – was vacated. Its new berth is the site of A.V. Roe & Co. Ltd, where it was originally built in 1954 by Manchester-born inventor Alliot Verdon Roe, a leader in British aircraft design.
HOME RUN: Heritage team dismantle aircraft ahead of move to Stockport
Science and Industry Museum director Sally MacDonald said: “The decision to vacate our lease has not been easy but it’s the right
thing to do for our visitors, the building and the city. “As a charity we have invested significant resources to maintain and repair the Air and Space Hall since we have taken on its stewardship; however, historic buildings do have a complexity of issues that date back many decades. “The repair and investment work required to bring this beautiful building back to life is substantial, the space presents real challenges in the sustainable display of historic objects and, ultimately, it is the responsible thing to now pass the building back to Manchester City Council.”
GUNNERS DIDN’T hang about when getting to grips with fast roping techniques. Marham-based 15 Squadron RAF Regiment personnel proved they had a head for heights when practising Troop Insertion and Extraction System (TIES) techniques. The training, which includes rappelling and rope ladders, is used to extract aircrew or isolated personnel from a location where a conventional landing is not an option. 15 Sqn Commanding Officer, Sqn Ldr James Woodcock said: “The capability is about getting troops into hard-to-reach areas such as rooftops and forests.” Rappelling – descending using a rope coiled around the body – allows troops to carry heavier equipment.
LAC Raith Steer said: “It’s physically demanding and great fun. Before you know it, you are standing on a 30ft platform, looking down through a hole that simulates the floor of a Chinook and your muscle memory takes over. “Once we’ve demonstrated control and the ability to stop halfway down, we add kit and do it at night. That tests everyone’s confidence and ability to control their fear.” SAC Geekai-Gold Arren Kelly said: “The training has helped me to conquer fear when operating at uncomfortable heights and has equipped me with a valuable skill I can apply to my role when opportunity presents itself.” PHOTOS: CPL AMY LUPTON
ADVERTORIAL
IT EC 2
26-28 April 2022 ExCeL, London
Advancing training through technology What you need to know Set to reunite the simulation and training community under one roof and super-charge its members, the International Training Technology Exhibition & Conference (IT2EC) returns this year. Analysing emerging trends, this conference is the key forum where stakeholders from military, government, industry and academia come together to share knowledge and insights about training, simulation and education. The three-day exhibition will take place at ExCeL, London in 26-28 April 2022, and promises to be the meeting point of the brightest minds of the European training and simulation world. Providing the ideal networking platform, show organisers expect to welcome more than 75 exhibitors and 2,000 attendees representing over 45 nations. Exploring evolving technologies The event will be led by an overarching theme which will focus on evolving technologies for training and education data and explores modelling and algorithms. Under this theme, the show’s conference will investigate the notion of Digital Twins, the risks of AI and the applications of Machine Learning for training. This will include topics such as “Train, Reflect, Learn and Train Again” and the Reality-Simulation-Reality cycle which have become fundamental enablers for robust training systems. This year’s exciting agenda includes discussions about augmented reality prototypes, simulator-based military training and education, the role of commercial gaming in training multidomain leaders, data visualisation, and
digital twins. The show will welcome UK and international panellists from organisations such as the US Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division, Finnish Defence Forces and the Joint Warfare Centre of Qatar. NATO will also have a strong presence at the show, as the organisation aims to explore new avenues in military training. A key discussion includes a panel on Wednesday 27th April featuring Lars Jansson, Project Engineer, FMV; and Captain Peter Lindskog, Developer of Simulation Systems for Military Training, Swedish Armed Forces, who will discuss Exercise VIKING 22: Leveraging MSaaS Technology and Process. RAF Wing Commander, Ruari Henderson-Begg, and Dr Robert Siegfried, Chair of the NATO Modelling and Simulation Group, will also join forces on Thursday 28th April to discuss Distributed Synthetic Training: Roadmap towards a Future NATO Capability. What can visitors expect to see on site? IT2EC 2022 visitors will find exciting features on site which aim to explore ambitious new solutions that could reshape the future of training and military and civil domains. These include, a new Technology Lounge and the return of the Disruptive Technology Theatre (DisTec), where exhibitors will host live demos of wearable tech, AI/Machine Learning, Robotics and 5G networking. The lounge is entirely free-of-charge and will give visitors a hands-on experience of real-life applications, such as arson investigation, firefighter training and armed police response.
To get an exclusive 10% discount on conference tickets, use code MOD10 when you register for IT2EC 2022
IT2EC’s bustling show floor will host leading training and simulation organisations of all sizes. The long list of exhibitors includes; Lockheed Martin who unveiled a new training simulator in November 2021 for the F-35 joint strike fighter, as well as SAAB who is set to deliver a number of live tactical engagement simulation training systems to multiple international partners, such as Poland and the Netherlands. Reflection on the immense value that SMEs bring to the industry, IT2EC will also welcome a range of small and medium innovative companies and offer a dedicated platform for them to showcase their advances in simulation technology. Examples include professional-grade VR/XR hardware and software specialist, Varjo, who recently introduced a new Aero Headset to the market, and SimCentric who has expanded the capabilities of its SAF-FORESIGHT live range planning system with additional risk assessment, analysis and safety intervention tools to support live-fire collective training. Visitors will also have the opportunity to meet MAK Technologies, the Winner of the 2021 DisTec Challenge, a competition which invited progressive organisations to showcase solutions that can disrupt training, education and simulation as we know it. Legion, the Grand Final winning entry by MAK Technologies, is a next-gen scalability and comms framework which enables distributed simulation exercises to scale into millions of entities. In response to COVID-19, IT2EC 2022 will follow government health and safety guidelines to ensure that social distancing and hygiene measures are in place to protect attendees.
www.itec.co.uk/mod-2022-registration
Royal Air Force News Friday, February 11, 2022 P15
News
Anarchy in the UK
Vote for your Forces hero
Staff Reporter
TYPHOON DISPLAY ace Flt Lt Adam O’Hare is set to wow millions of aviation fans as he takes to the skies in the UK and Europe with his showstopping routine this summer. The RAF Coningsby-based combat pilot, who uses the call sign Anarchy1, said: “It’s an absolute dream come true to be
Defence News
given this opportunity. I cannot wait for the year that lies ahead. “Being able to display the incredible Eurofighter Typhoon all over the United Kingdom and overseas whilst hopefully inspiring the future generations of the Royal Air Force will be a memory that stays with me forever.
Stars back Forces charity bonanza Staff Reporter
UPGRADE: New Apache AH-64E undergoing trials at Wattisham
Apache arrival MORE THAN a dozen new AH-64E Apache attack helicopters are undergoing test flights as part of a $2.3 billion deal with Boeing. Wattisham Flying Station has had delivery of 14 of the new aircraft in recent months, with 36 more due to arrive by summer 2024. Test flights by the British Army are underway and the helicopters are expected to reach operational capability next year. The advanced Apaches have improved sensors, upgraded weapons systems and communications and boast a top speed of 300kmh.
UNSUNG HEROES who do extraordinary things to support the Armed Forces are to be recognised by a new award scheme. The search is on for inspirational people who perform simple acts of kindness or have overcome adversity to be recognised in the first-ever Celebrating Forces Families Awards. Winners will be announced at a black-tie event at the Victory Services Club in London on April 29, hosted by magician and Britain’s Got Talent star Richard Jones and BFBS broadcaster and RAF Reservist Amy Casey. Among the awards being contested are: inspirational military family member of the year, family volunteer of the year, overcoming adversity and the Forces-friendly employer of the year. l Go to the Celebrating Forces Families website to nominate someone you know for an award. Nominations close on March 4.
OSCAR WINNER Olivia Colman and Star Trek actor Simon Pegg are helping Forces charity chiefs land a share of a £3.6 million windfall. A host of celebrity fundraisers in the US and the UK hit the phones to boost the annual fundraising drive by financial data giant ICAP. Every year the firm donates the revenue from a day’s trading to good causes and this year military welfare group SSAFA, which supports veterans and serving Forces personnel and their families, is set to benefit. It will share in the multi-million wonderful work they pound jackpot for do helping our Armed the first time since Forces community. the fundraiser was “The money raised launched in 1993. TV presenter and will make a significant former newsreader Angela SUPPORT: Southgate difference to those in need. I want to thank our Rippon, comedian Keith Lemon and England manager brokers, clients, charity partners Gareth Southgate manned the and their ambassadors for making phones at the firm’s London office. it such a special day.” SSAFA fundraising chief Emma ICAP’s Veterans Network chairman said: “We are delighted to Taylor added: “This was a fantastic first be able to support SSAFA and the year for SSAFA as a beneficiary.
ON CALL: Oscar-winner Olivia Colman was among a host of film and TV stars manning the phones during the annual fundraiser
“The need for practical, emotional, and financial support for our Armed Forces community has rarely been greater. “In peacetime or conflict, and lately during a pandemic and lockdowns, SSAFA has been here helping our Forces. “Last year we received more than 79,000 requests for help.”
: Simon Pegg STAR TURN
Royal Air Force News Friday, February 11, 2022 P16
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HEAVY LIFTER: (Clockwise) A400M is loaded up before take-off and then its cargo is dropped on parachutes
Royal Air Force News Friday, February 11, 2022 P17
By Simon Mander e
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Atlas drops in
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HE RAF’s ability to conduct humanitarian air missions worldwide and sustain combat troops on the battlefield has been boosted by the A400M’s new air drop capability. And freshly-qualified instructors who recently completed an internal course to get to grips with the system are set to pass on their know-how to all four Atlas frontline squadrons. Officer Commanding XXIV Squadron Wg Cdr Andy McIntyre said: “Over the past 20 years we have done far more humanitarian and disaster relief operations than any others in terms of crisis response and so this is a bit of a game changer in terms of the support we can offer. “Now that the A400 has an air drop capability delivered to the frontline we can sustain troops with rations, equipment, ammunition and can also respond to catastrophe or crisis situations with humanitarian aid: shelter kits, fresh water, first aid kits, food and medical supplies.” A former 99 Sqn C-17 co-pilot, Wg Cdr McIntyre took part in a UK mission to the Kamchatka Peninsula in 2005 to help rescue a stricken Russian submarine. He also took part in Op Ruman, the UK’s five-week disaster relief effort in the aftermath of Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017. “In the Caribbean we were flying air-land missions, always landing to offload supplies. Airdrop is a brand new capability to A400M and adds another dimension because we don’t have to land, which saves us having to offload at an airport and then move supplies by helicopter or smaller aircraft to more remote locations,” said Wg Cdr McIntyre. He said graduates of the first Basic Airdrop Course, dubbed ‘course zero’, held in December would now train aircrew currently being put through their paces on simulators.
A400M Fact File
Whole new world for A400M as it gains frontline capability “Course one commenced two weeks ago and is still in its synthetic training phase but next week our first frontline students will conduct their first sorties,” he added. The training complements a natural surface operations course that teaches A400M pilots and Air Loadmasters to operate on austere short, unprepared or makeshift landing surfaces. The A400M entered RAF service in 2014 to complement the strategic and tactical airlift capabilities of the Brize Norton-based C-17 and Hercules fleets and has been boosted by the addition of an air-toair refuelling system. The RAF has 20 Atlas aircraft divided among four squadrons, with two more awaiting delivery. It is currently practising airdrops over Salisbury Plain using a Container Delivery System (CDS) that can only be used safely in good visibility up to a maximum height of 1,000 feet. “The CDS is a variety of crates that when released fall off the back of the aircraft activating parachutes as they go and drift down on the Drop Zone,” said Wg Cdr McIntyre.
One man who is an expert in real-life combat airdrops, in both Iraq and Afghanistan, is veteran Loadmaster, Master Aircrew Chris Wood. After 32 years in the RAF flying on both the Hercules C-130 K and J variants with 30 Sqn, 47 Sqn, and LXX Sqn, he is now on the A400 with XXIV Sqn. “The Container Delivery System has been on the Hercules C-130 for many years now and was used on both Op Telic and on Op Herrick and we’re now taking that capability on to the A400,” he said. In 2014, RAF Hercules transporters hit the headlines by dropping humanitarian aid to Yazidi refugees trapped on a mountainside in Iraq after fleeing Islamic State militants. MACr Wood said: “The main difference between the two aircraft types is that releasing the cargo restraints is done manually on the A400 whereas on the C-130 it is done automatically, so the pilot presses a green light which activates a winch that then removes the restraints and the load rolls off the back of the aircraft. “Hopefully by the end of this year
we’ll have the capability to release loads electronically on the A400 too.” Both aircraft can deliver loads by parachute from the aircraft’s rear ramp influenced by the weight of the cargo or by landing. But the Atlas can carry a 37-tonne payload over 2,000nm to established and remote airfields and short airstrips and can operate up to 40,000 feet and at low levels. “The A400 can carry lots of freight and people at the same time whereas a C-130 with the CDS would only be able to carry freight and a few personnel. The Atlas can drop anything from vehicles, boats and paratroopers to CDS containers,” said MACr Wood. The transporter can carry up to 116 fully-armed troops, vehicles, helicopters – including the Chinook, mixed loads including nine aircraft pallets and 54 passengers, or combinations of both. Paratroopers can be dropped from the rear ramp or through dedicated doors on the aircraft. Most recently A400 crews flew 31 operational sorties on Op Pitting missions to rescue people from Kabul airport as the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan. The fleet flew for a total of 225 hours to airlift 3,538 evacuees, 428 British military personnel and 113 tonnes of freight following the withdrawal of Coalition forces from the country.
l Powerplant: four 11,000shp EuroProp International TP400 turboprops l Length: 147ft 11in l Height: 48ft 2 in l Wingspan: 139ft l Max speed: 400kt l Max range: 4,100nm l Max altitude: 40,000ft l Max payload: 81,600lb l Crew: two pilots and a Weapons Systems Operator
Royal Air Force News Friday, February 11, 2022 P18
News
Changing of the (mud)Guard
GUNNERS celebrated a landmark birthday with The Queen’s Colour Squadron proudly displaying their ‘mudguard’ shoulder flashes at Buckingham Palace. And the Guinness World Record-holding drillmasters gave an eight-person demonstration of parade ground precision to commemorate the Corps’ 80th anniversary. The RAF annually conduct ceremonial duties at London Palaces, but this year provided both the dismounting and mounting guards, allowing an Air Force-only Changing of the Guard. Looking on were Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston and senior serving RAF Regiment Officer, Air Vice-Marshal Mick Smeath – currently based in the US as Head of the British Defence Staff. He said: “It was both an honour and a privilege to be present on the forecourt of Buckingham Palace to witness the Changing of the Guard on the 80th anniversary of the RAF Regiment; a duty that the Corps has undertaken since its formation in 1942.”
80TH HONOUR: Gunners perform Changing of the Guard and saluting CAS, HRH Prince Edward The Duke of Kent and AVM Mike Smeath (top, left to right)
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Boris Defence bonanza fuels UK space race MAY THE FORCES BE WITH YOU: Boris Johnson has pledged extra funding for military space defence technology
£16.5bn to combat Russia & China 'Star Wars' threat Simon Mander DEFENCE IS set for the biggest funding lift since the end of the Cold War government budget boost of £16.5 with a to transform the Armed Forces. billion PM Boris Johnson announced the spending spree to counter the growing threat Russia and China in space and the cyber from realm. Among the projects to receive extra funding are a national Cyber Force and RAF Space Command, to safeguard military and commercial satellites from attack by adversaries. Senior Air chiefs this week warned the next major conflict could be won or lost in space and that a move away from traditional military war fighting is vital to protect the UK and its allies.
Mr Johnson said: “I have taken this decision in the teeth of the pandemic because the defence of the realm must come first. “The international situation is more perilous and intensely competitive than at any time since the Cold War and Britain must be true to our history and stand alongside our allies. To achieve this, we need to upgrade our capabilities across the board. “This is our chance to end the era of retreat, transform our Armed Forces, bolster our global influence, unite and level up our country, pioneer new technology and defend our people and way of life.” l Continued p3
lRAF Space Aces p16/17
Royal Air Force News Friday, February 11, 2022 P21
Feature
By Tracey Allen
‘Owning these awards is like having a piece of history in your hands’
Royal Air Force News Friday, December 3, 2021 P15
News
Medals boom as collectors bid for a piece of military history
M
EDAL COLLECTORS will tell you it’s not simply owning the objects themselves that appeals, it’s finding out the story of the man – or woman – behind them. And with many RAF Service medals those are tales of incredible gallantry and heroism. Recent auction sales of gallantry awards presented to distinguished World War II pilots have smashed expectations. Last month a collection, including a DFC and bar and an AFC, won by Battle of Britain hero Wg Cdr Peter Parrott, who became a recruitment poster boy for the RAF, fetched £200,000 – almost double the estimate. The medals of legendary Battle of Britain fighter ace Sqn Ldr Anthony ‘Bolshie’ Bartley, a Hollywood producer and husband of the film star Deborah Kerr, were sold at auction for £220,000 – £80,000 above the £140,000 estimate.
“
People have huge respect for those who put their lives on the line for their country
”
And those of his good friend, Spitfire ace Sqn Ldr Trevor ‘Wimpy’ Wade, fetched £80,000 – they were expected to make up to £70,000. Last summer medals awarded to RAF ace Gp Capt Peter Townsend, known for his romance with Princess Margaret, sold for their top estimated price – £260,000. Mark Quayle (pictured below), medal specialist and associate director at Mayfair auction house Dix Noonan Webb said: “The market for flying material over the last 10 years has been steady, and the occasional bargain has been there to be had. However, exceptional material always sells well no matter when it is offered for sale.” He added: “We always try to reassure the family that the medals are only the physical embodiment of the award. “The honour of the award can never be taken away from the recipient or
the family. If the medals are bought by collectors, then they are in most cases going to a good home. The vast majority of collectors merely see themselves as custodians of the medals, and often the recipient and their deeds live on through discussion and display with other collectors. “The medals themselves provide a tangible piece of history. Holding them in your hand, and knowing that the recipient was ‘there’ at a specific moment in history is the closest that you as a collector are going to get to being ‘there’ yourself. “The great thing about medal collecting is that there is no stereotypical profile for a collector. I have dealt with schoolboys spending their pocket money, as well as members of royalty.” His colleague Christopher Mellor-Hill, associate director and DNW’s head of client liaison, added: “Medals can sell from £50 up to £100,000 and more.” He explained that the ease of being able to use the internet to carry out research into the history of medals has attracted a lot more collectors to the hobby. He said: “There is a new generation of collectors, not so numismatic, who want to find out what the medals they own represent in terms of military, or civilian history.”
D
NW recently negotiated the private treaty sale of the medals of Sqn Ldr Lawrence ‘Benny’ Goodman, the last surviving RAF pilot of 617 (Dambusters) Sqn to attack the German battleship Tirpitz. He died last year aged 100. The RAF Museum declined to say how much it paid for the campaign group of six medals and other items including Benny’s flying jacket and log books but it’s obvious that in terms of continuing to keep the stories of such heroes alive they’re priceless. Dr Peter Johnston, head of collections and research at the museum, said: “We had a wonderful relationship with Benny. We are delighted to have his medals and the other items to go alongside the stories he told us in later life about his wartime service. You can listen
GOODMAN: Bomber hero (also inset left) whose medals (above) have been bought by the RAF Museum
ROUND TRIP: Carl (right) hands back his ID card at Hull careers office where his RAF journey started
Carl goes from Hull and back after 36 years Simon Mander
From sky-high WWII heroics to Hollywood high society Medals won by Spitfire ace who married a movie star and socialised with screen greats go under hammer
VETERAN ENGINEER Carl Proctor literally took a trip down memory lane on his last day in the RAF after 36-years-service. The Coningsby-based NCO first posed for a photograph next to the station’s 41 Sqn Phantom in which he had a back-seat trip in Cyprus in 1989. But the memories didn’t stop there for Carl who joined as an engine mechanic on 17 September Force News Friday, 1985 Royal with Airtwo O-Levels in December 17, 2021 P10 metalwork and Physics and left as an Incorporated Engineer with the Institute of Mechanical Engineers. “On my last day I did a reverse of joining the RAF,” he said. “In 1985 I reported to Hull Careers Office for Attestation in the early hours. I was given a rail warrant and I left Paragon Station for Newark Northgate. “Here all the new recruits met a Sergeant who ushered us all into a green bus for six weeks basic Simon Mander training at RAF Swinderby. “Fumes started to fill my cockpit, “On my last working day, I said MEDALS AWARDED to the and I knew that I had had it. As I goodbye to the Station Warrant legendary Battle of Britain fighter ace braced myself to bale out, I saw my Officer, was driven to Newark Sqd Ldr Anthony ‘Bolshie’ Bartley enemy preparing for another attack, Northgate Station, boarded a train are expected to fetch up to and knew it meant suicide to to Hull and went to the Armed £140,000 when they come jump with him around. Forces Careers Office where I up for auction. “Escaping airmen handed my ID card over.” over their own The seven awards During his career Carl has served were presented to the territory were fair in 21 different countries, working daring 92 Sqn airman game and a friend on Phantoms before transferring who socialised with the had been shot down to the Typhoon Force and rising giants of Hollywood’s in his parachute. MASKED GUNNERSI through the ranks to engineering Golden Age and later decideddealing to bluff it practised Warrant Officer. out, climbed backwith into married Scottish-born a suspected nerve agent Among the highlights was screen siren Deborah my aircraft, and turned near an A400M at deploying to Madrid in 2016 on an Kerr. on my attacker. Clark GableAkrotiri. exchange with Airbus to work with worked; Bartley is credited MOVIE LEGEND: The“My ruseCounter Spanish Air Force Typhoons. he Chemical, didn’t know how hard with at least 12 victories Biological, Although retired, it’s not the last during a career that began when he’d hit me, but he did know Radiological and the RAF has seen of Carl, who now he shoot down two enemy aircraft that a Spitfire could turn inside Nuclear specialists takes up the post of Coningsby’s over the beaches of Dunkirk in his a Messerschmitt, I fired a are theand front-line civilian Station FOD Prevention first dogfight on 23 May 1940. random burst remind him, defencetoagainst similar Officer. His Spitfire was so badly shot up whereupon he fled for home. By weapons used by the that another pilot, Bob Tuck, flew this time, Assad I was too low to jump, so regime in Syria. alongside and chortled into the I headed for a field and prayed. intercom :‘You look like a sieve, chum.’ “I hit the ground, was catapulted But it was after dispatching a out, and landed in a haystack, Do 17, in September 1940, that he unharmed.’ had his most remarkable escape. Bartley was born in Dacca, He later recalled: ‘I heard a Bengal, India in March 1919 the cannon shell explode behind my son of a Calcutta High Court judge. armour-plated seat back, a bullet A strong athlete, he played for whizzed through my helmet, Blackheath Rugby Football Club grazing the top of my head and where his skipper encouraged shattering my gun sight, while him to learn to fly at West Malling others punctured my oil and glycol Flying Club, Kent in 1938. FAREWELL: Carl signs off at Coningsby after 36 years with the RAF tanks. A 109 flashed by. With war looming Bartley
News
Royal Air Force News Friday, July 30, 2021 P8
News
STAR QUALITY:Sqn Ldr Bartley ties the knot with film star Deborah Kerr. Below the BoB Ace’s medal haul which comes up for auction this month
Pick up a Penguin
RAF MUSEUM chiefs was shot down over Berlin. are putting A WWII The airman bomber crewman’s his mascot whenwas reunited with lucky penguin mascot the end of the he was released at war. and historic fabric Playing Cards with Hidden figure of pioneering Maps like those aviator Amy Johnson smuggle maps used by RAF POWs up for adpotion this with the Amy are available along Johnson Fabric Doll Christmas. honouring the first female The historic items are pilot to fly solo from part of a collection England to Australia which also includes in 1930. a Supermarine Mk The Spitfire Mk Vb Vb fighter being was operated by offered to raise 140 WWII fundsfor to help commission and I alongside Yul applied an RAF Brynner. squadrons preserve thewasvenue’s Back in London, DavidonNiven in May 1939 and posted as an all battlefronts collection. helped him write his telegram of Acting Pilot Officer. and is one married of Aviation The couple were During his timefans as a test he proposal. canpilot adopt a the RAF Museum’s most selection of exhibits struck up a friendship withon Laurence in 1947. display for prized exhibits and is also 12 months Heon offer. moved to Hollywood Olivier, then serving withand theorganisers Fleet for £25 hoping where he studied film production Air are Arm, Ralph the Richardson offer will be and a festive More modern hitLivesey, with those MGM, formed EuropeanRoger providing anfor entre to withartefacts looking a unique include American Productions, and wrote the Christmas film industry. gift for a loved one. flashing producedred TV noses moviesfirst for MCA He Percy also met Howard theLeslie Penguin was and tuckedand sent to Fairbanks RAF personnel into Douglas Presents. went on the to perform aerobatics jacket of Halifax for bomband serving in Iraq in are 2004. medals, which being sold his aimer film ‘The of The Few,’ (1942) Flt First Lt Stan Chapman and was The l Go thefamily rafmuseum.or g are confiscated next month about Spitfire designer, J Mitchell. by theRNazis when heby Bartley’s for details. by a gold wristwatch, While stationed in America, accompanied Bartley spent time in Beverly engraved ‘Tony From Deborah 11Hills socialising with Clark Gable, 28-53’, a No. 1 Sqn Leader’s Service Toni Lanier, Betty Hutton, Kay Dress, logbooks and photographs. Mark Quayle, of auctioneers Dix Williams, Elizabeth Taylor and Noonan Webb said: “Bartley’s was Mickey Rooney. He met actress Deborah Kerr in a life of extraordinary adventure, Brussels in March 1945 before she reflected in his logbooks and went on to star in the noir Oscar autobiography - a veritable who’s winner Black Narcissus and the who of stars of the stage, screen and timeless musical classic The King sky.”Star quality: .
RAF NEWS: Report on Sqn Ldr Bartley’s medals
In Brief
Ace’s medal haul under the hammer
Simon Mander
CHEERS: Dartmouth Gin chief Lance Whitehead is backing RAF charities
Who dares gins
Staff Reporter
RAF GUNNERS dug deep in sweltering heat in Romania to overhaul Nato rivals in the battle for the coveted ‘Golden Jerry Can of Pain’ trophy. The Force Protection specialists supporting 121 EAW at the Mihail
VETERAN GUNNER Lance Whitehead is toasting Forces charities and donating some of the profits from the sales of his RAF themed ‘Finest Hour’ Gin to good causes. The former Regt man is part or a RAF dynasty stretching back to WWII, and has pledged to doate £5 to the RAF Association and the RAF Benevolent Fund for every bottle sold. His father flew Wellingtons and Lancster bombers while his mother served with WRAF in Egypt and Palestine. His brother, Sqn Ldr Martin Whitehead, was a fast jet instructor at Chivenor and Valley while son Flt Lt Miles served with 1 Sqn RAF Regt before taking up a post in the Foreign Office. Lance, who runs the Dartmouth English Gin company said: “The RAF is in my DNA. While serving I always supported the Air Force charities and I always wanted to do something after I left the Service.”
Kogălniceanu Air Base took it to the wire in a gruelling fitness showdown with the US Army, Romanian Air Force and a combined Nato team. After a mini-marathon carrying a 70kg stretcher, tyre-flip, speed march and 24 tonne truck pull the Gunners narrowly lost out to the might of Nato.
Royal favourite Townsend’s medal haul sells for £260k Tracey Allen
Capt Townsend FIGHTER ACE: Gp
MEDALS AWARDED to RAF ace Gp Capt Peter Townsend, known for his romance with Princess Margaret, have sold for £260,000, their top estimated price, at auction in London. The 11 medals, including a CVO, DSO, DFC and Second Award Bar were sold to a private collector with Townsend’s original flying log books covering his whole operational career. Mark Quayle, medal specialist from auctioneers Dix Noonan Webb, said: “We had hoped this iconic group of medals was going to achieve this spectacular result, if only as a reflection of Gp Capt Townsend’s glittering service career as a Battle of Britain fighter ace -–‘One of the Few’, and his story combined with a tale of royal love and heartbreak provided the ultimate human interest story that appeals to all collectors.” In February 1940, Townsend became the first pilot to bring
BoB Spit hero ‘Wimpy’ cheated death 5 times
A COLLECTION of seven medals awarded to a Battle of Britain Spitfire Ace are expected to fetch up to £70,000 when they go under the hammer. Decorations won by Sqn Ldr Trevor Sydney ‘Wimpy’ Wade DFC, AFC of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve are being sold by a collector. Wade, who was shot down five times in dogfights, was killed on a test flight shortly after admitting to losing his nerve. Auctioneer Dix Noonan Webb Associate Director Mark Quayle said: “Wade was a pilot’s pilot, and a member of one of the elite squadrons of the Battle of Britain. “A Spitfire Ace who survived multiple dices with death during Royal Air Force News Friday, January 28, 2022 P15 the war, he tragically succumbed to a peace time test flight.” Wade joined the RAFVR in 1938 and was posted to 92 Sqn flying Spitfires and covered the evacuation from Dunkirk.KENYA: RAF team delivers shirts to pupils at Lizpal Mr Quayle said: School in Nairobi (left) and TEST PILOT: Sqn Ldr Wade “Wade’s to raise funds with a ability in the air was hopes reflected on Everest this March by the number of his trek victories, damaged, shared or otherwise, but when waiting upside down in a He was killed while testing I told him to, for God sakes, quit his aggression and willingness to Spitfire which he expected to catch a P1081 in April 1951 and his while he was ahead. get close in and take risks was also fire, on Lewes Racecourse, having funeral took place the Gurkha Trust. “CouldSTRATEGIC at St.Welfare John’s Staff Reporter Kilda in happen OUTPOST: to any from Crematorium, Woking. ofStsite us, reflected by the number of times been shot down by cross-fire but Later in the year, the team Hebrides is a World Heritage obviously disregarded my advice A ”FOOTBALL-BASED charityunpublished is planning a smaller he visit to he had to make a forced-landing or a formation of Dornier 17s. In an letter,at a and After the war Wade warning. He was one of the most group atwas RAF included Shawbury has a Zimbabwe to look possible was shot down during a dogfight in the lot, Tony Bartley employed as Chief Testmountain as it plans partner school and a fullskillful deliverypilots I knew and flew Pilot toto climb with. In total - on five separate revealed: “Just before humanitarian missions around trip to Wimpy Kenya in late early DEFENCE FACILITIES on the was2022 orMaybe it was his natural conceit occasions, three of which occurred Hawker Aircraft and travelled the world. to killed he came out 2023.to Hollywood forbade remote island of St Kilda in the the USA on an exchange him to doarethis, scheme but during the Battle.” in The Aid Through Football In 2019, the appeal distributed Hebrides to get a £40 million any where he stayed in my home, and more meeting an old squadron event, was a very nice fellow I groupfriend hopes toone visit Nepal in 27,400 items including thanhe makeover. “His narrowest escape came Tony evening, confessed to meshirts thatto children was very Bartley whilst out there. March to complete the gruelling 6,700 football in fond The overhaul of, and a verybysadcontractor and he had his nerve Everest base Camp Treklost whilst Belarus test affected by the Chernobyl QinetiQ include upgrades flying. unnecessary loss inwillradar book. ’ telemetry delivering kit donated by clubs disaster and to refugee camps on to trackingmy and
News
Charity team eyes Everest with global sports aid bid
Kilda upgrade
RAF NEWS: Sale of Sqn Ldr Trevor Wade’s awards and people in the UK to welfare homes and schools operated by
down an enemy aircraft on English soil. He later commanded 85 Squadron from May 1940 until June 1941, when he completed
over 300 operational sorties, and destroyed at least 11 enemy aircraft. He was appointed Equerry to George VI in 1944, and Comptroller to the Queen Mother’s Household
in 1953. Townsend sold his medals at auction in 1988 and donated the proceeds to a charitable fund set up to help children.
RAF NEWS: Dix Noonan Webb sold medals of Gp Capt Peter Townsend
to Benny describe his experiences with Bomber Command and be taken back there, to some of the most important historical events this country has ever had.” He added: “There is global interest in the RAF, particularly in some of the lots DNW has sold recently. People are interested in the history of the RAF, they are passionate and they feel emotionally connected to it. “These are our stories, the events that shaped our country and continue to shape it. “WWII is only a few generations away, the repercussions of it are still being felt, the events continue to define us and they are absolutely central to our understanding of ourselves and
MEDALS WON by a Battle of Britain hero who became a recruitment poster boy for the RAF are expected to fetch up to £120,000 when sold this month. The collection includes a DFC and bar and an AFC awarded to Hurricane and Spitfire pilot Wg Cdr Peter Lawrence Parrott, who nearly achieved ace-in-a-day status during his first aerial combats in May 1940. Aged just 19, he went on to fly with 607 (County of Durham) Sqn during the Battle of France, and with 145 Squadron over the beaches of Dunkirk. He was shot up in combat with a Heinkel III over Dunkirk, managing to limp home across the Channel and crash land in a field on the south coast. Parrott (right) went on to distinguish himself during the Battle of Britain, shooting down two enemy aircraft in August. He recounted: “Our first view of the convoy near St Catherine’s Point was of Ju 87s in their bombing dives. “Above the Ju 87s were the escorting Bf 109s and to the south east were two more large formations of enemy aircraft approaching the convoy. It was a formidable sight. “I had already taken part in the battle for France, and patrolled over Dunkirk during the evacuation, but I had never before seen so many aircraft in the sky at once.” Parrott’s photograph, taken during the Battle of France, was used on a recruiting poster – providing one of the iconic RAF images of WWII (opposite). He was shot down serving with 605 (County of Warwick) Squadron in December 1940. He said: “Looking down, the ground seemed to be coming up remarkably quickly.
“I was swinging from side to side but had no time to try pulling the shrouds to stop the swing before I slammed into the ground, on about the third downward swing, falling on my right leg and shoulder. “I felt half stunned. I opened my eyes and found I was lying on the grass. I was at this time not sure whether I was still in this world or had already passed on to the next. I did not really care much either way.” Parrott flew Spitfires over Sicily and Italy and commanded 43 and 72 (Basutoland) Squadrons. After the war he was a test pilot and flew early Vampire and Meteor jets. He completed his RAF service in 1965 and worked for Court Line, flying members of the Libyan royal family and government on tours of the Middle East. During the 1972 ArabIsraeli war, Parrott flew, at Colonel Gaddafi’s behest, to Uganda to collect Idi Amin, whom he was to take to Khartoum to act as the mediator in the conflict. On landing the Learjet at Entebbe, Parrott and his co-pilot were arrested and interrogated as suspected mercenaries, before Amin realised who they were. In 1973, Parrott returned to Britain to work as a training adviser until his retirement in 1983. His eight medals are to be sold at auction by Dix Noonan Webb.
RAF NEWS: Sale of Wg Cdr Peter Parrott’s gongs
our own national identity.”
A
equipment used by the UK and its international partners.
Poster boy’s medals set to net £120,000 Simon Mander
ROMANCE: Princess Margaret arrives at Fighter Command at Stanmore to celebratate the RAF’s 40th anniversary.
the Syria border with Turkey and Kenya.
retired senior officer who has been collecting RAF medals for many years agreed that what really matters most about owning these objects is the story of the person who was awarded them. He explained: “You buy the medal, then you start the research and that takes you into all kinds of avenues, you try to build up their Service record, work out the units they were in, where they went, what they actually did to deserve the medal. “The research is the really interesting and exciting part. Once you’ve acquired the medals you never know what you’re going to discover when, often, all you have
to start with is a name, not even a photograph of the recipient. It’s also a fantastic way of learning history.” He said: “People have huge respect and admiration for those who have put their lives on the line for their country, shown fortitude, gallantry and devotion and been recognised by the state with some form of award. “Medals are so important to today’s military personnel because they recognise service and courage. When you see people wearing their medals it’s an impressive sight.” He added: “My favourite medal is the last one I bought because you start with a blank sheet of paper and then build up your research portfolio. It’s exciting.”
Royal Air Force News Friday, February 11, 2022 P23 Please note letters must be a MAXIMUM of 300 words and any accompanying pictures sent as attached, hi-res JPEG files
Star letter
VULCAN: Popular exhibit at RAF Museum, Cosford
Post: RAF News, Room 68, Lancaster Building, HQ Air Command, High Wycombe, Bucks, HP14 4UE Email: editor@rafnews.co.uk
Battle of Britain hero Holmes didn’t claim he rammed a Dornier Do 17 Royal Air Force News Friday,
IT WOULD be interesting News Tribute to BoB hero to know what evidence SAC Andy Blezard has unearthed that who saved Royals justifies the wording on the plaque Campaign to honour WWII unveiled recently in honour of Sgt Drone busters pilot who rammed Nazi crew targeting Buckingham Palace Ray Holmes, as reported in RAF News No: 1527, dated January 14. While undoubtedly a brave and talented airman, Holmes’ own report of the encounter with the Dornier Do 17, and the squadron’s on guard records, do not substantiate Jim the idea that he deliberately rammed it – and there is no evidence that it was targeting Buckingham Palace. UK pledge for 20,000 Afghans who fled Kabul It is true that on September 15 – now commemorated as Battle of Britain Day – he was one of the FLASHBACK: Our story about plaque pilots involved in shooting down the German bomber, probably the work on the subject, explains: “As best-known German casualty of Holmes sought to administer the the Battle – but that’s where the coup de grâce to the already badly facts begin to change as the story is damaged aircraft, it broke up, a retold. large section of wreckage falling on Kenneth G Wynn’s Men of the the forecourt of Victoria Station.” Battle of Britain, published by the In his combat report, Holmes Battle of Britain Memorial Trust in himself wrote: “On my fourth attack association with Frontline Books from the port beam a jar shook my and accepted as the authoritative starboard wing as I passed over January 14, 2022 P7
News Bulletin
SECURITY: UK-developed technology tested by NATO defence chiefs
NATO IS trialling new Britishbuilt technology to combat the threat posed to military operations by the misuse of drones. The Alliance is testing Sapient software, developed by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, that helps disrupt flights by rogue unmanned air systems. Recent tests have led many suppliers to adopt the system, which is already the MoD standard for counter-UAS technology.
Vulcan’s dual role IN RAF News No: 1528, January 28, you state in the article ‘Virtual Challenge supports Vulcan’ that in 1970 the aircraft reverted to a conventional role within Nato. This is not the case; although the QRA role was handed to the Navy submarines, the Vulcan continued as a nuclear strike aircraft assigned to both SACEUR and national interests, armed with the WE177B lay down weapon, until withdrawn from service in 1982.
Win Finest Hour Gin
A secondary conventional role did exist in support of SEATO in the Far East and deployments to Singapore and Australia were commonplace until the government withdrew from East of Suez in 1975 when the role was withdrawn. Hence the mad scramble to rearm the Vulcan with a conventional bombing capability during the Falklands War as most of the equipment had been disposed of some seven years previously. A Marson, Sqn Ldr (Ret’d)
Letters
VETERAN SQN LDR James Cowan (above) has been appointed a ceremonial bodyguard to the Mayor of Durham. The retired airman, who served for more than 41 years, will join the ceremonial team which dates back to 1602 and carries Swiss-designe d ceremonial knives, like the Vatican’s Swiss Guard.
Simon Mander
AFGHANS RESCUED by the RAF in the biggest emergency evacuation in recent history are to get help from a resettlement scheme. More than 15,000 people were plucked to safety by Brize Nortonbased transport aircraft as part of Operation Pitting – the biggest airlift since the Berlin blockade in 1948. Some of them, including women’s rights activists, journalists, prosecutors, will be the first and to be resettled under the Afghan citizens resettlement scheme and granted indefinite leave to remain in the with rights to work and study. UK, Up to 20,000 people are expected
DARING: Artist’s impression of Sgt Holmes’ attack
Simon Mander
A MEMORIAL to a Battle of Britain pilot famous for Buckingham Palace from saving being bombed by ramming a German aircraft with his Hurricane has been unveiled. Sgt Ray Holmes was hailed national hero after his encountera with a Dornier Do 17 over central London on September 15, 1940 after he had used up all his ammunition attacking two other enemy aircraft. Now SAC Andy Blezard, member of the same unit – 504 a now based at Wittering – has Sqn raised £6,000 for a plaque to mark exploit 70 years ago which he the to erect on Buckingham hopes Palace Road close to where Holmes crashed.
The RAF chef, who served 22 years as a regular, said: “I joined the squadron four years ago and was NATIONAL HERO: The plaque dedicated immediately taken with to Sgt Ray Holmes the fantastic story of Sgt campaigners hope will Holmes. mark the crash site; “Two years ago I set myself above, organisers SAC Blezard and Sgt Holmes’ a project to commemorate this daughter Jill Bone iconic historical event by raising PILOT: Sgt Holmes money for a plaque to be mounted function at the Cambridgeshi above the crash site.” re mounted on the wall His campaign was boosted base in front of her son David and at the pedestrian of the building reconnaissance pilot. his son Charlie, representing crossing when Holmes’ daughter Jill In that role he took many three Ray’s aircraft is still interred. where ” contacted him offering to help.Bone generations of the Holmes family. Sgt Holmes was commissioned famous pictures of targets attacked SAC Blezard said: “The evening The Bern cast plaque shortly after his exploit and became by Bomber Command including was Jill unveiled the plaque photographs unveiled by her at a recent squadron was a emotional event. The plaque truly the King’s Messenger until he was of 617 Sqn used to brief the crews will be posted to Benson as before the Dambusters a high-altitude raid.
to benefit from the programme that and stood up for builds on the relocation of British women’s rights, freedomdemocracy, nationals and those who supported of speech and the rule of law, the UK’s Armed Forces through the vulnerable women and extremely Afghan Relocation and Assistance girls and minority groups. Policy. All settlers will be Afghan Resettlement subjected Minister to strict Victoria security checks. Atkins said: “The Local authorities scheme provides a safe have been given and legal way for the £20,520 per person most vulnerable and over three years to at risk people from support refugees and Afghanistan to come will get additional to the UK and rebuild funding for children their lives, as part of the New Plan for Immigration.” SAFE: Brize Norton entering education and healthcare. It will prioritise those who have So far, more than 300 councils assisted UK efforts in Afghanistan have pledged support.
KABUL CHAOS: Families fleeing Taliban reprisals at Karzai airport
the E/A [enemy aircraft] and I went into an uncontrollable spin. I think the E/A must have exploded beneath me.” The public needed heroes during the war and Holmes helped satisfy that need as the Battle of Britain was drawing to a close and the Blitz was taking its toll on morale, but his own words tell the true story as he saw it at the time. As an aside, it is a shame that the plaque erected in his memory has abbreviated Churchill’s most famous quotation, removing the wartime Prime Minister’s reference to ‘in the field of human conflict’. The Battle of Britain Memorial Trust is a charity that works to commemorate the bravery and sacrifice of the aircrew who took part in the Battle and maintains the National Memorial to the Few at Capel-le-Ferne in Kent (battleofbritainmemorial. org). Gp Capt Patrick Tootal OBE DL. Hon Sec, Battle of Britain Memorial Trust
THE WRITER of our star letter wins a bottle of award-winning Finest Hour Gin from the Dartmouth Distillery. Made using the finest botanicals from around the world and locally sourced herbs, flowers and fruit from the Calancombe Estate in Devon, Finest Hour was launched as a tribute to the heroes of the Battle of Britain. Winners must be aged 18 or over. Go to dartmouth-gin.com
Museum Model Mania
FUN FOR KIDS: Seeing models like the ones here, including the large Vulcan (above), and the chance to make their own
AIRFIX ADDICTS can pick up top tips at Cosford Museum’s Model Mania event. Hangars will be filled with completed kits nestled among real aircraft courtesy of the Large Model Association, with some displays having a 20ft wingspan. Other exhibits include largescale models of Spitfires, a Wellington, a Lancaster, Vulcan and World War I bi planes. Kids aged eight or over can build and paint their own kits with helpers at hand, while little ones can assemble and decorate a personalised glider. And avid modellers can take their skills to the next level at a workshop teaching weathering techniques. Traders will be selling kits, paints and magazines, with a 20 per cent discount on all Airfix models bought on the day from the RAF Museum shop. Elsewhere, Cosford will be opening its Hunter cockpit and giving visitors the opportunity to sit in the pilot seat of a Phantom. Some visitors can fly with the Red Arrows from their seat in a 4D Theatre in the new Flight Zone, while
others experience a six-minute Spitfire flight in the Virtual Reality area. Entry to the museum and the large model aircraft display
is free but charges apply for some activities. For further information on Model Mania on February 27 visit: rafmuseum.org
Royal Air Force News Friday, February 11, 2022 P25
Honda Jazz Crosstar
y l e v o l g y l It’s simp TIM MORRIS Motoring Correspondent IN DAYS gone-by petrolheads would laugh and jeer at ecofocused buyers. The thought of being more interested in fuel economy and hugging trees than competing to see who could reach 60mph fastest was alien. In its early days the Honda Jazz was a car that many people within a certain age group looked down on. And by that I mean the under50s. It was a car that was pure genius in many ways and yet never really gained the universal appeal it deserved. Those days have however gone because the world has changed. So too have the rules. Insanely, hybrid lovers are the new petrolheads, because very soon UK buyers will have very little choice. It has been decreed that new petrol and diesel cars shall be sacrificed on the altar of green motoring and in this new automotive dystopia the Jazz is practically a gas-guzzler.
It’s always stood out for its enviable reliability but now, in its fourth-generation, the Honda Jazz has a few new tricks up its sleeve. In fact, it juggles between petrol and electric power so well that it almost out ‘Priuses’ the Toyota Prius. It’s powered by a petrol-electric hybrid system that uses two electric motors and a 1.5-litre petrol engine to deliver a 0-62 time of 9.6 seconds whilst retaining its eco crown. The most adventurous version of the car is the Jazz Crosstar. In pseudoSUV style, it comes with black plastic wheel arches, bolt-on roof rails, two-tone paint, a unique front grille design, water repellent seat fabric and jacked-up suspension. If you love adventure sports, the Crosstar is the Jazz for you. Inside The new Jazz is as practical as its ancestors but far more appealing. The dash looks clean and uncluttered with a stylish cloth finish. It’s surprisingly spacious for a small car and has more legroom in the rear than ever thanks to a reshaped fuel tank that no longer eats into foot space. It also has a
Why have one place to store your manuals, when you can have two? wealth of storage, including a locker beneath the rear seats and, get this, two gloveboxes. The driver’s instrument cluster is more of a paradox however. It displays every bit of information that you could possibly need but the order of information is so unclear that you really struggle to find it. Fortunately the central screen is much better, with phone mirroring and well-designed apps. Our test car had the Garmin-derived satnav too, which was slick to operate. There’s plenty of glass so the cabin feels light and airy. The only downside to the massive sloping windscreen is that in sunny weather the huge flat dash surface badly glares back at you. On The Road You know that feeling, when you’re looking for a new car and you can’t quite decide which engine size you need? Well you don’t need to worry about that with the Jazz
because there’s only one, a 1.5-litre petrol-electric hybrid. It’s a regular hybrid too so there’s no need to plug it in, it will charge straight from the petrol engine when needed. This makes it stupendously frugal but of course it won’t cover any significant distances on electric power alone. By default it runs in Hybrid mode and it does a good job of working out when it needs to deploy the electric motor or the petrol engine. Around town it bimbles along happily on pure Pros l Reliable l Spacious interior l Clever storage spaces l Lots of standard equipment l Slow depreciation Cons l Not particularly fun to drive l Pricey by small car standards l Not as quiet as some rivals
Motoring
BOXING CLEVER: Double storage
electric, switching seamlessly to a combination of both power sources on faster roads. It cruises smoothly on the motorway and is the ideal companion in the city so it’s one of the more comfortable cars in the small car category. It’s not perfect of course. The suspension doesn’t soak up potholes quite as well as some rivals and there’s a fair bit of side-to-side sway on faster roads due to the Crosstar’s taller stance – not so great if your rear seat passengers get car sick. The 4x4 look comes with an extra 30mm of ground clearance over the standard Jazz however, which may come in handy for some.
Honda Jazz Verdict If you need to make the hop to green motoring but aren’t quite sold on pure electric yet, then this is a safe move. Hybrid power makes it cheap to fuel and slow depreciation helps make up for high prices.
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Sport
5 pages of RAF Sport start here l RAF helps quest for medals in Beijing: p30-31
FOOTBALL RAF Ladies Wolves Ladies
0 1
LRT COACH Chf Tech Jim Bryden saw his team’s 1-0 loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers Ladies as a valuable lesson as they close in on next month’s InterServices. RAF Cosford hosted the match, which saw controversy by way of a disallowed goal for the Service side following a blunder by the Wolves keeper and an abandonment after 80 minutes because of a suspected spinal injury to a Wolves player, with the score at 1-0. Having been stretchered off and taken to hospital, the player was discharged later the next day. Bryden said: “It was good in a way for us to come up against this sort of result having recorded three wins and a draw. This game proved we still have plenty to look at and work on. “Overall, they had the better of the chances I felt, but their goal was from a counter-attack, which saw us switch off following a corner at the other end. “I definitely felt our goal should have stood, but the lines lady could not see because of the number of bodies and that’s understandable. At this level there is no technology to look at for anything like that, so we took it on the chin and moved on.” Having beaten Wolves when the sides last met two years ago, the repeat was not on the cards after the LRT succumbed to Chantelle Teare’s finish from close range, despite appeals for offside. Then just past the half-hour Cpl Molly Lambert saw what appeared a clear-cut goal disallowed, despite raucous appeals that the ball had crossed the line. Lambert had sent a speculative dead-ball into the Wolves penalty area, and the visitors’ keeper rose unchallenged, before spilling the ball in the 12-yard box. It then seemed to cross the line by some
CLOSE CONTEST: RAF on the attack with SAC Megan Herbert and, inset, dejected Cpl Pip Wilson, Fg Off Jeorgia Carr & Herbert after Wolves score
Match abandoned, goal disallowed but lessons are learned as Wolves sneak it distance, before visiting defender Hannah Sparks cleared. At the break, Bryden made a tactical change to stop Wolves dominating the middle of the park, but once things got back underway that move simply saw the teams cancel each other out. The RAF manager shuffled his pack late on, with the introduction of SAC Kerry Heyward, but she had no time to make any impact. Bryden said: “It was a really good, challenging game, Wolves brought a good team with them, and played in a 3-5-2 formation
similar to their senior set-up, which is what I wanted us to face. “We are delighted the injured Wolves player is all right.” The RAF ladies now prepare for the joint training camp with the SRT at The Nest, Norwich where they will play further Tier 4 opposition in the shape of Norwich City Ladies. They will then host their opening Inter-Service match against the Royal Navy at St George’s Park on March 17, with their second match away to the Army at Aldershot on March 24.
VICTORY IN SIGHT: Wolves player closes in on the RAF goal chased by Cpl Harriet Wellings PHOTOS: SAC SAM DALE
Royal Air Force News Friday, February 11, 2022 P28
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GOLF
SHAPE of things to come Sarge is first woman to hold top golf post
IN THE SWING OF THINGS: New SHAPE golf captain Sgt Beth Shippin
Daniel Abrahams WITHIN WEEKS of handing over the reins of the RAF women’s golf captaincy, Sgt Beth Shippin has ascended the sport’s Service ranks to lead the association for SHAPE. The election of Shippin to the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe post is the first time a female has held the position. The announcement came following her final act for her beloved Service team, which saw them narrowly
defeated in the IS tournament at Saunton, Devon last December – with the Army victorious. The appointment, which is the highest accolade for Shippin, who held the RAF captaincy for five years from 2016 to 2021, shows the standing in which RAF golf is held. She said: “I am proud to be the first female Captain of SHAPE Golf Association and honoured that, in my role as SGA Captain, I can represent the RAF in such a highprofile role within the Nato golf spotlight.”
Shippin replaces Flt Lt Kieran Nevin, who held the post for three years. She added: “I look forward to continuing the brilliant work the previous captain, and committee, have started and I am particularly excited to work with people from all Nato nations, fostering our relationship through golf and meeting a wealth of people who I will call friends for life.” A formidable competitor, Shippin has been a winner of both RAF Stroke play and Matchplay
championships on multiple occasions and remains unbeaten in Inter-Service single Matchplay. She is also the reigning UKAF champion, having been selected as part of the team for the past six years. Shippin, who is looking forward to the busy schedule of her new role, said: “SHAPE Golf Association has a healthy fixture list every year and this year is no different. “It starts in March with the St Patrick’s Day scramble and builds
from there, including our annual fundraiser for the On Course Foundation, to the SGA Masters and the SGA Inter-Services. “In total we have nine major competitions throughout the year, which are always hotly contested, with further, more social, weekly scrambles and our two annual fixtures against the Royal Golf Club Hainaut members.” For more information on the SHAPE association visit: spagolf2015@gmail.com.
GLIDING
Chance for Junior Ranks to get airborne and Go Solo
TRAINING: Cpl Michael Harrison with instructor Alan Swan. Right, Michael goes solo
JUNIOR RANKS are set to hit new heights after the RAF’s Gliding and Soaring Association launched its Go Solo scheme. The initiative, which will run as a scholarship throughout 2022, aims to make the ‘thrill of flight’ available to personnel from all backgrounds. Open to all junior ranks, Go Solo is, according to scheme organiser Flt Lt Luke Dale, designed to kickstart the gliding careers and promote airmindedness for personnel who don’t fly in their primary role. He added: “We are really excited to be promoting the Go Solo scholarships for this year. Scholarships are valid for 12 months and benefit from £700 of charitable money, primarily from the Malcolm Club Fund, designed to cover all costs of achieving solo flight. “The scholarships can be completed at any one of the seven RAFGSA clubs we have located across
stations in the UK. Gliding is one of the purest forms of flight and it offers a fantastic opportunity for anyone wanting to fly with minimal expense.” Scholarship applications are available at: rafgsa. org/solo.
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Sport
Out on her own
CROSS COUNTRY
Richardson leads start to finish and gets England call FOLLOWING A two-year gap, hosting the Sir Sefton Brancker cross country race proved a mixed bag for the RAF. Halton was the venue for the 91st running of the championship, which saw a field of more than 130 runners from the Service, Police and Civil Service take part. The lack of wind on the day led to a fast course, created by Cpl Carl Tucker, which would see the men run 3.5 laps totalling 10km, while the women’s race was held over 2.5 laps (7km). Storming to glory SAC Chloe Richardson (Brize Norton) took the women’s race title, having led from the start line to the finish. Richardson, who continually widened the gap between her and second place runner Amy Beck (Civil Service), now heads into the international arena for England. She was superbly supported by Cpl Helena Schofield (Waddington) coming in third alongside the other team members – U23 LAC Lucy Rycroft (MOD Abbeywood) and Cpl Catherine Cory (RAF Coningsby) – who both produced top 10 finishes. Sqn Ldr Jo Johnson (Odiham)
was the highest-placed female RAF veteran runner. Missing several of its top guns the RAF men’s race saw Flt Lt Mike Kallenberg (RAF Brize Norton) and Tom Adams (Civil Service) take an early lead. Adams saved his best until the final stretch of the course, leaving Kallenberg behind to take top spot by three seconds. Speaking afterwards Kellenberg said: “My preparation for the RAF championships is going well. My progress from my recent injury is ongoing, but today was another good test of that.” Talented junior runner SAC Tom Thayre (Brize Norton) finished a credible fourth with SAC Simon Birch (Brize) seventh. The bulk of the remaining six RAF runners came between 11th and 16th place, led by WO Paul Vernon (MOD London) who took first RAF Veteran spot. He was followed by Fg Off Alex Gibb (Brize), Cpl Kieran White (Vet) (Halton), Flt Lt Dan O’Boyle (Honington), Sqn Ldr Tom Bailey (Veteran) and Cpl Iain Bailey (Coningsby). PHOTOS: LUKA WAYCOTT
THIRD: Cpl Helen
a Schofield
Royal Air Force News Friday, February 11, 2022 P30
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It’s Game on for WINTER OLYMPICS
Shan’s a driving force for Jamaica bobsleigh Daniel Abrahams SPEAKING MINUTES after hearing the news of his Team Jamaica selection for the Beijing Winter Olympics, L/Cpl Shanwayne Stephens told RAF News: “It is such an awesome feeling to see all your hard work pay off.” RAF Regiment Gunner Stephens (right), who is the driver for the team, became the first Jamaican bobsledder to qualify for an Olympic Games in both two and four-man bob since 1998. He tasted IS glory for his Service in 2019. Stephens’ journey started as a novice sledder for the RAF, before joining Team Jamaica in 2018. Since then he has become a YouTube sensation (Team Bob Shan), pushed Mini cars as part of his team training, challenged the GB bobsleigh team to a push race and even had a Zoom conversation
with Her Majesty The Queen. All of it is done with a massive smile on his face. He said: “If you weren’t smiling you would go crazy to be honest. I never thought it would be as chaotic and demanding as it has been. It was never going to be easy getting to an Olympics, but I didn’t dream it would be this much hard work either.” He added: “My mum [Adele] says I am a little bit too brave for her liking.” The ability to adapt has always been one of Shan’s strengths and this was sorely tested when he met his current crew last September. He said: “Time was at a premium, so we sat down and said this is the situation we are in, we
cannot afford for it to break down, we need to make the most of this – and we have.” This built an absolute and unshakable trust in each other, said the RAF athlete. “We are going off pure willpower and drive to succeed and nothing is ever going to come in the way of that. “At the start line in Beijing I know my crew are going to roast it off the hill, that makes me so confident. “This Games has been my dream since joining RAF bobsleigh, we missed out by one spot on PyeongChang [South Korea] in 2018, so this is all the sweeter now.” The two-man bobsleigh heats begin on February 14, 8.05pm GMT, with the first heat of the fourman event starting at 9.30am GMT on February 19. l You can follow Shan’s journey on Instagram @jambobshan @teamssjb and Twitter @ jambobshan.
Silva is coach who once dropped L/Cpl Stephens from RAF set-up HAVING DROPPED his 2022 Winter Olympic star from the RAF team in 2014, Chf Tech Mark Silva will now see L/Cpl Shanwayne Stephens compete in China. The former RAF bobsleigh team coach is one of three RAF personnel making up the backroom staff for Team GB in ice sports. He will also be heading up Team Jamaica in Beijing. Silva said: “I taught Shanwayne to drive eight years ago, and I actually had to drop him from the Air Force team because he wasn’t good enough. “He had enough about him though for me to say ‘I’ll give you another chance if you keep working hard and improving’. “He did just that. I continued to coach him and hey, this is where he has ended up, in Beijing. “When Jamaica made the Games before, they had a ‘Continental’ place, and needed to average 62.5 points per race, finishing 12th or better to qualify, Shan has an average of 85.7 points, which is sixth in every race against much better competition.” Silva started in RAF luge in 2006, before trying out skeleton and then bobsleigh. He became the team manager in 2012. He has overseen the Jamaican set-up in his spare time for the last two years. Currently working as part of the RAF’s elite athlete scheme, the Chief Tech added: “I know I could have done no more to get Shan there, so it’s fantastic that it all paid off. It’s been very tough, we’ve had situations, with no car, no trailer. I made phone calls across the world to call in favours. I was repairing the sled in Whistler at 4am one morning as the bottom of it had fallen out and Shan’s bum was on the floor. “So, I am extremely proud of him, I am extremely proud that he has got to the Games, I am also extremely proud of the RAF involvement throughout.”
SILVA LINING: But Chf Tech, left, gave Shan boot from RAF team
In the last year Silva has overseen the infrastructure of Team GB, along with Sqn Ldr Heather RatnageBlack, Chf Tech Stu Benson and Bruce Tasker, former Sochi teammate of Benson’s. He added: “The Olympics is the end game for me as far as Jamaica and Shan are concerned, as I have achieved the aim of helping him get there. “This is the first time I will have been to a Games in an official, or two official, capacities, and although there will be plenty of hard work, it will be a bit of a bonus for me to finally get to a Games and know both set-ups have got there on merit, which is fabulous.”
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RAF ice warriors Sochi sled star who hopes to guide Team GB to glory Daniel Abrahams SPEAKING ON his way to Munich for Team GB’s bobsleigh camp, Olympic bronze medallist Chf Tech Stu Benson was confident about the chances of his charges in China. Benson is coaching the team of Brad Hall (driver), Taylor Lay (Royal Marines) and Nick Gleeson (Army). He said: “They have Olympic experience; Brad won silver at the test event in Beijing in October 2021, he has only been beaten by the best sled in the world, so he can go there and do well. “It’s there for the taking, but what I can bring is advice and PHOTOS: experience on what it takes to STEVE handle theLYMPANY performance mindset. “In Sochi we moved from 15th to third, so I can help with any advice the team need with that type of pressure and requirements. “There is also a difference in ICE MAN: Clockwise, L/Cpl Stephens negotiates a bend; trains with Jamaica; pushes off at the 2020 Inter-Services and with teammate (right)
BENSON: Bronze at Sochi Olympics
four runs at an Olympics over two days and not two, which Brad is used to on World Cup events. So, if I can give just one piece of support then I will feel my job has been done.” The biggest hurdle Benson sees for his charges is that of Covid-19, saying: “The training camp is in Munich because it is out of the way, we are flying in from there, so to avoid people really and any chance of contracting Covid. Here
it’s train, eat sleep, then rigorous testing protocol, as Covid looms large.” Moving from athletics (sprinting) to bobsleigh in 2011, Benson went on to win Bronze at the Sochi Games with Team GB and he, along with teammate from that Games Bruce Tasker, have added an element of Olympic heritage to the current Team GB set-up. “It will be strange to get there and not have the buzz of big live crowds, although we will be doing the homage to the rings, and the team are really up for that,” he said. “At every Winter Games there is a large ice sculpture of the Olympic rings in the village and when I was in Sochi that was the moment, seeing those, that made me realise I was at the Games and had actually made it. So, we will be repeating that with the team in Beijing.”
Voyager of discovery for luge supremo Gav SQN LDR GAV ARNOLD believes the Beijing Winter Olympics will be the perfect chance for him to show his true worth to Team GB Luge. “I definitely feel my powers lie in this role now in the support set-up for Team GB and the RAF,” the Voyager captain told RAF News. And of his time in China, he added: “I am in Beijing to support Rupert (Staudinger) as our lead athlete, I am making it so he can just concentrate on sliding. It’s a huge honour to be able to go and do that. “We tend to work Olympic cycle to Olympic cycle and it is the first time in 30 years that we have secured public funding for the sport. We are very hopeful that we are in the funding round for the next Games. “I was involved in 2018 from the UK, but this will be the first time for me that I have actually travelled to the Games themselves – and what a Games to be involved in, with all of the Covid problems.” Arnold who entered his first RAF novice luge camp in 2011, went on to compete for the Service from 2012 to 2019, taking the role as team manager in the latter stages of his career. During that time he was involved in three Inter-Service wins for the RAF and he won the 2014 individual title. He was picked up by GB in 2013 and formed part of the GB World Cup team for that year. He said: “It got to the point where I had to choose between
the sport or my flying career, so I chose the Service and now I am back at the pinnacle of the sport again with GB, heavily supported by the RAF. “This whole effort is not about me, it’s about Rupert, but my Service is the backbone for this Team GB, that is a real personal sense of pride for me – it is a huge privilege and lifelong ambition for me to be involved and it will be something special to see Rupert sliding on the ice in Beijing and then on to the future, which is fully in focus.” LUGE PEDIGREE: Voyager Captain Arnold is part of Team GB. Above, Gav on the track
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Film
Shadow in the Cloud (15)
What's in the case on Flying Fortress?
PILOT OFFICER GARRETT: Mystery crew member has top secret cargo with her
On digital platforms and DVD now (Signature Entertainment)
D
ESPITE THE public service announcement at the start of the film insisting that ‘gremlins’ are just an excuse made for a pilot’s own human error, Pilot Officer Maude Garrett (Chloë Grace Moretz, Kick-Ass) has herself a window seat on a B-17 bomber where something doesn’t seem right. She jumps aboard the Flying Fortress, named The Fool’s Errand, on the runway, insisting to the incredulous crew that she is not only a member of the RAF but intended for this aircraft with shoebox-sized cargo that is fragile and completely confidential. With many clearly not having seen a ‘dame’ in some time, she is mocked, harassed and given the only available seat in the form of a turret below deck. We spend the first half of the film, set in 1943, crammed into this tight space with Maude listening to the rowdy lads above through the comms. By honing the focus on Maude and what she sees from this vantage point, the film makes a decision that is creatively minimal. The idea of ‘something on the wing of the plane’ has been seen before in The Twilight Zone, but here it is placed in the context of a small paranoid unit, willing to write off the warning of gremlins as female hysteria. And yet, much like The Twilight Zone, Shadow in the Cloud manages to pack in a load of twists and turns along the way as Maude’s secrets begin to come out. Once the movie reaches the midpoint, what seemed like a budgetary decision in the beginning is revealed as an artistic choice as impressive effects come into play. It may lose its horror film tension, but it is happy to change shape and shift genre, becoming more of a mindless monster movie with a feminist streak. Embracing its silliness, the fun is hard to deny as things go full tilt and the laws of physics go out of the window. 4 out of 5 roundels Review by Sam Cooney
Win!
WE HAVE copies of Shadow in the Cloud on DVD up for grabs. For your chance to own one, simply send us the correct answer to the following question: What is the name of the B-17 Bomber in the film? Email your answer, marked, SiC DVD competition, to: competitions@rafnews.co.uk or post it to: RAF News, Room 68, Lancaster Building, HQ Air Command, High Wycombe, HP14 4UE, to arrive by February 25. Please include your full postal address with your entry.
Anita hosts Millionaire spin-off Fastest Finger
Father Brown Series 9 (12)
Win!
On DVD, Blu-ray and download now (Dazzler Media)
Someone's out to get Father Brown
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NITA RANI has been announced as the presenter of the Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? spin-off Fastest Finger First. The new TV show, which will lead straight into the latest series of Millionaire will offer contestants a guaranteed place on the hit quiz show presented by Jeremy Clarkson. Rani, from BBC One’s Countryfile and host of BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, said: “I’ve always loved Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? and was thrilled to be invited to host this spin-off. I’m a huge fan of quiz shows, and there is no doubt that Jeremy is a formidable host. I’m just relieved in Fastest Finger First there isn’t a round for contestants to ask for my answers to the questions.” Fastest Finger First will expand on the first round of Millionaire, where contestants have to put their answers to a multiple-choice question in a specific order. Five contestants play against each other to take it in turn to work their way up the question ladder. The two players with the biggest score at the end of the round go head-to-head in a Fastest Finger First dual. At the end of each episode
DVD
I
RANI: Hosts new prime time quiz show
whoever is in the seat when the klaxon sounds has won a place to be fast-tracked to sit in the Millionaire hotseat in front of Clarkson, bypassing the usual Fastest Fingers First round that opens the show.
T’S 1953 and the charismatic Father Brown (Mark Williams, The Fast Show, the Harry Potter films) returns to solve more mysteries in the sleepy Cotswold village of Kembleford. Based on the famous character created by G.K. Chesterton, the crime-solving cleric is joined again by parish secretary Mrs McCarthy (Sorcha Cusack), Inspector Mallory (Jack Deam), Sergeant Goodfellow (John Burton), ‘artful dodger’ Sid Carter (Alex Price), the glamorous Lady Felicia (Nancy Carroll) and her stylish niece Bunty Windermere (Emer Kenny). In the ninth series, the sleuthing priest finds himself in a race against time to unmask a mystery attacker before pernicious newcomer Lord Hawthorne (Matthew Marsh) has him hounded out of the parish for good. Elsewhere, Sgt Goodfellow needs Father Brown’s ingenuity to solve a fiendish kidnapping. And in the thrilling 100th episode, Lady Felicia’s illustrious New Year Masked Ball is marred by a killer in its midst. Could this be the last waltz for Father Brown?
CASES TO SOLVE: Father Brown, Mrs McCarthy and Sid Carter with Ruby Nellins
If you want to be in with a chance of winning a copy of Father Brown Series 9 on DVD, tell us: What is the name of the fictional village where Father Brown is set? Email your answer, marked
Father Brown DVD competition, to: competitions@rafnews.co.uk or post it to: RAF News, Room 68, Lancaster Building, HQ Air Command, High Wycombe, HP14 4UE, to arrive by February 25. Please make sure your entry includes your full postal address.
Royal Air Force News Friday, February 11, 2022 R'n'R 4
R'n'R Playlist Top 10
BUSHCRAFT AND survival expert Ray Mears starts his 40date nationwide We Are Nature theatre tour on February 22. Go to: raymears.com for tour details. Here’s Ray’s Top Ten tunes: Beatles 1 The I Should Have Known Better ft David Bowie 2 Queen Under Pressure 3 Blondie Maria Johnny Cash and 4 June Carter Cash Jackson May 5 Imelda Johnny Gotta Boom Boom KT Tunstall 6 Black Horse and the Cherry Tree Jam 7 The English Rose 8 Melanie Ruby Tuesday and Cher 9 Sonny I Got You Babe John 10 Elton Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters
MEARS: Force of nature
A nice bottle of red, just the thing for a recovered ALCOHOLIC
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HE RED, comedian Marcus Brigstocke’s bittersweet drama of family and addiction, is based on his own experience as a young alcoholic. Centring on a recovered alcoholic who inherits a fine bottle of red from his wine-loving father, Brigstocke said: “I was inspired by my own relationship with my Dad. He’s a great enthusiast for wine, a great collector of it and a great consumer of it.” It premiered on Radio 4 in 2018, starring Rufus Jones and David Calder, and went on to win the BBC Audio Drama Award for Best Single Drama. Brigstocke then adapted it for the stage, and it received similar
Brigstocke hit based on comedian's own life goes online to find new audience acclaim at the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe. Now it’s available online between February 24 and May 24, presented by the Original Theatre Company. Real-life father and son Bruce
AA MEETINGS: Brigstocke gave up drinking m than 30 years ago but still needs occasional supp
Alexander (A Touch of Frost) and Sam Alexander (Royal Shakespeare Company) star as the father character [who isn’t named] and his son, Benedict, respectively.
Like Benedict, Brigstocke himself was a teenage alcoholic, and as a result gave up drinking before he was even legally entitled to do it. Best known for his stand-up
Frankie Valli fans can't get enough of
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HE STAGE sensation Jersey Boys is working its way around the UK on a national tour. The hit musical goes behind the sounds and inside the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, from the streets of New Jersey to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The show is at Milton Keynes Theatre from February 23 – March 5 and goes to venues including Sunderland, Glasgow, Woking, Manchester and Swansea. It stars Michael Pickering as Frankie Valli, who shot to fame in 1962 as lead singer of The Four Seasons – played by Lewis Griffiths (Nick Massi), Blair Gibson (Bob Gaudio) and Dalton Wood (Tommy DeVito). What can audiences expect when they come to see the show? Dalton said: “They’re in for a fun-filled night with amazing
JERSEY BOYS: (l-r) Gibson, Wood, Pickering and Griffiths
music, on top of which, there’s a true and gritty story. It’s all-round entertainment." Michael agreed that the show is just what audiences are craving right now, after all the lockdowns and restrictions imposed due to
the pandemic. He said: “It’s got such a great story, everyone loves the music, and it kind of relates to the world we’re living in at the moment because the Four Seasons went through such hard times yet they kept going. It’s an
inspiring story and we all need that at the moment.” Lewis added: “With the greatest respect to Jersey Boys I think faithful theatre audiences are craving anything they can get their hands on. But Jersey Boys just happens to be one of those shows that puts life into perspective and makes you smile at the same time.” Why do the stars of Jersey Boys think there’s still such nostalgia for Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons’ music? “No-one has come close to touching it since,” explained Michael. “They had the four-part harmonies and Frankie’s unique falsetto, and they were a group – they were a team and a family, not some manufactured band. They loved what they did and they worked hard to get to the top. Frankie Valli has the biggest heart and a wonderful talent.” Lewis described his character Nick Massi, the band’s bassist and arranger, as ‘a musical genius and the strong, silent type.’ Blair, who plays Bob Gaudio, said:
Royal Air Force News Friday, February 11, 2022 R'n'R 5
STARS: Real-life father and son Bruce and Sam Alexander
more port
comedy and as a regular performer and writer on Radio 4 including The Now Show, I’ve Never Seen Star Wars, The Brig Report and Giles Wemmbley-Hogg Goes Off, Brigstocke also directed the play.
f hit show
“Bob is the composer who wrote all the songs for the Four Seasons as well as for other artists. He also had a role in the production side of things, especially later on in their careers. He’s very pragmatic and very logic-driven, which is what the group needed at the time, and it’s part of the reason they’re still big and still successful today.” The show features a host of great songs including the ‘big three’ – Sherry, Big Girls Don’t Cry and Walk Like a Man, the group’s first huge hits. Lewis said: “I also love Stay because it comes after a really intense, explosive scene and it shows them lacing up their shoes, straightening their ties and stepping out in front of a crowd. It’s like ‘We’re still here, we’re thriving, and we love what we do’ and that’s kind of a metaphor for myself and people who are striving to work in the theatre industry at the moment.” n Go to: atgtickets.com for ticket information and tour details.
He said: “I’ve recognised that I need to stay sober. But as I’ve got older and much closer to my Dad, I see wine as a great means of communication. I was curious about exploring that, and I just wanted to find out if I was capable of writing a straight play.” He described the process of bringing it from stage to screen as an example of how live productions have been given a new life during the pandemic. He explained: “One of the real silver linings of the last couple of years is the way that streaming has become so commonplace, and made people realise you can still experience a great play or a comedy night in your own home. I think it’s actually a new art form, which is so exciting.”
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s a stand up with no shortage of acting credits, including leading roles in the musicals Spamalot and Barnum, was he tempted to star in The Red himself? “I was very tempted, partly because I’d never written anything for someone else before,” he admitted. But Bruce and Sam, he said, are “just phenomenal; when they said yes it was an absolute dream come true.” During rehearsals he took Sam to some of his AA meetings, to get
a sense of the alcoholic recovery process. Brigstocke said: “He was really blown away by what he saw. People in recovery from addiction are many different things, but they are all courageous. You have to be, because it’s a hard thing to do.” He knows this all too well from personal experience; his youthful addictions also included food and drugs. “I got lost in something, as many addicts do. I found a way of comforting a brain that was experiencing a lot of pain – which is a perfectly sensible thing to try to do. The only thing addicts get wrong is they fail to recognise there needs to come an end to that, and you need to move back into pain in order to grow from it and move forward.”
And being so busy is how I will remember the pandemic; fortunately I won’t remember it as a titanic struggle with my addiction,” he said. As a parent now himself – he has two teenage children from his previous marriage and a newborn with Parris – he said he feels empathy for what his own parents must have gone through when he was young. “My parents were both working, and had three kids, and I think it was extremely difficult for them. But they always made sure I understood the door was open, and would never close behind
me whatever happened. They are amazingly patient, loving and generous people.” Brigstocke admitted he was “very worried” about how they would react to seeing The Red, but fortunately his anxiety was misplaced. He said: “They absolutely loved it. It seemed to make a lot of sense to my family, because when we meet there is always an elephant in the room, and it’s generally very delicious and red-coloured.” n Go to: originaltheatreonline. com for more information and tickets.
H
e has now been sober for over 30 years, but says it’s important to remain vigilant. The lockdowns presented a particular challenge, but he said he was fortunate that he and his wife, comedian Rachel Parris, could collaborate on work, including their virtual Tuesday Night Clubs and viral hit #LockdownLipsync videos. “We lost 90 per cent of our income overnight, so we started hustling, and ended up recording loads of online shows together.
REHEARSALS: The Alexanders star in Marcus Brigstocke's The Red, online Feb 24 - May 24
Royal Air Force News Friday, February 11, 2022 R'n'R 6
R'n'R Your Announcements
You can email photos for announcements on this page to: tracey.allen@rafnews.co.uk
Death LAMB Charles Andrew Flt Lt CEng MIERE RAF (Ret’d) Service No 586117. Joined the RAF in 1950 as an Apprentice. He served at RAF Cranwell and RAF Locking Radio School. He spent a significant amount of time at the Radar Station RAF Clee Hill, where he met his late wife 66 years ago to the date of his funeral service. His funeral was held on February 11 at Oaks Crematorium in Havant. He also served at RAF Hemswell, RAF StaxtonWold, RAF Coningsby, RAF Driffield, RAF West Drayton and was seconded to the Royal Malaysian Airforce.
and civilian personnel who served at RAF Changi (inc. HQFEAF ) during 1946-72. For more information please contact our Membership Secretary: Malcolm Flack on: 01494 728562 or email: MemSecChangi@outlook. com or visit: www.rafchangi. com for more details. RAF Bawdsey Reunion Association. Having cancelled our 2020 reunion, we have provisionally planned the next reunion for Saturday, May 21 before The Queen’s Jubilee celebrations and the extended public holidays in early June, and we look forward to seeing our friends again then. Any queries please email: doreen. bawdseyreunion@btinternet. com or call: 07513 301723.
Seeking LOOKING for anyone stationed at RAF Safi, in Malta, and RAF Idris, in Libya, between June 1963 and December 1965. Also, anyone on the RAF flight on Floriana parade ground for Independence Day in September 1964, in Malta. Please contact Geoff Stevens, on: moomin33@hotmail. co.uk or (01795) 479803.
Reunions RAF Admin Apprentice Association Annual General Meeting and Reunion June 17-19, Northampton Marriott Hotel. For full details and options please contact the association’s social secretary on: 01403 581324 or email: socialsecretary@ rafadappassn.org. This will be our first reunion since lockdown and will be a great chance to catch up with old friends and indeed make new ones. THE RAF Changi Association (inc. HQFEAF) founded May 1996 welcomes new members from all ranks, ex RAF/WRAF/WAAF
RAFAA Association IF you trained as an RAF Administrative Apprentice (or are related to one) we would be delighted to welcome you to the RAFAAA. Our aim is to promote friendship and general wellbeing among our veterans, via social gatherings and assorted activities, as devised by an elected committee, and a regular newsletter. See :rafadappassn.org or contact the Membership Secretary on: 07866 085834 or Chairman on: 01933 443673. We we want to hear from you.
SSAFA challenge SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, is inviting the public to take part in its Gildea 137km Birthday Challenge to celebrate 137 years of the charity and help to support members of the Armed Forces community. The challenge is encouraging participants to run, walk, cycle, swim or roll 137km to celebrate the 137th anniversary of SSAFA being founded by Major James Gildea. Participants are being asked to finish the event by the end of February – SSAFA’s birthday month – so there’s time to sign up and get involved. Those wishing to take part can sign up via the dedicated Facebook page and will be sent a SSAFA branded T-shirt once the £50 fundraising target has been met. The charity has been providing practical, emotional and financial support to UK Forces and their families since 1885. Last year its teams of volunteers and employees helped more than 79,000 people in need, from World War II veterans to those who have served in more recent conflicts or are still currently serving, and their families. To register for the Gildea 137km Birthday Challenge go to: www.ssafa.org.uk/ Birthday
Catering Association
Thanksgiving service
RAF Catering Warrant Officers’ and Seniors’ Association (RAF CWO&SA): All serving or retired TG19 WO or FS and all former Catering Branch Officers are invited to join the RAF CWO&SA. We meet twice yearly. For more information or a membership application form, please send an email to davescott10@ hotmail.co.uk
A thanksgiving service will be held for Sir Michael Oswald GCVO on Friday, March 25 at 11am at St Clement Danes, London WC2R 1DH. There will be an opportunity to meet up afterwards, for which an admission card will be required. Please email: michaeloswald1934@gmail. com or contact a member of the family for an admission card and further details.
How to use our service There is no charge for conventionally-worded birth, engagement, marriage, anniversary, death, in memoriam seeking and reunion notices. For commercial small ads contact Edwin Rodrigues on: 07482 571535. We cannot, under any circumstances, take announcements over the telephone. They can be sent by email to: tracey.allen@rafnews.co.uk. Please note that due to the coronavirus pandemic we are currently unable to accept notices submitted by post.
Important Notice The publishers of RAF News cannot accept responsibility for the quality, safe delivery or operation of any products advertised or mentioned in this publication. Reasonable precautions are taken before advertisements are accepted but such acceptance does not imply any form of approval or recommendation. Advertisements (or other inserted material) are accepted subject to the approval of the publishers and their current terms and conditions. The publishers will accept an advertisement or other inserted material only on the condition that the advertiser warrants that such advertisement does not in any way contravene the provisions of the Trade Descriptions Act. All copy is subject to the approval of the publishers, who reserve the right to refuse, amend, withdraw or otherwise deal with advertisements submitted to them at their absolute discretion and without explanation. All advertisements must comply with the British Code of Advertising Practice. Mail order advertisers are required to state in advertisements their true surname or full company name, together with an address from which the business is managed.
Tribute to AFC winner THE RAF Association has paid tribute to former Blenheim and Mosquito pilot Wg Cdr Ronald Everson, OBE, AFC, who died recently aged 101. His funeral was held at St Peter’s Church, Spexhall, Suffolk, last month. Brian Vousden, President of Beccles and Southwold RAFA, writes: “Ron was born on February, 16, 1920 at Woodbridge, Suffolk. “He joined the RAF in January, 1936 as an aircraft apprentice at No.1 School of Technical Training, RAF Halton. In 1938, he was posted to 148 Sqn at RAF Stradishall as Aircraftsman First Class, then in 1939 to India and 60 Sqn at RAF Ambala, volunteering for pilot training. “He moved with the Sqn to Burma via Lahore then to Malaya and Singapore in 1941. “Following the retreat from Burma to India, 60 Sqn was again stationed at Lahore and equipped with the Blenheim Mk4. “The next move was to Asansol in 1942 and operations over Burma. Ron was then posted to Southern Rhodesia for pilot training and, on completion, was selected for a flying instructors course. “He was commissioned as a Pilot Officer and in 1944 returned to the UK and was posted to No.21 (P) AFU at RAF Wheaton Aston then to No.16 OTU at RAF Upper Heyford and Barford St John, converting to the bomber version of the Mosquito. “He was then posted to 142 Sqn at Gransden Lodge, Cambridge where the squadron carried out low-level flights over Germany in 1944.
“In 1946, Ron was awarded a seven-year extended Service commission and employed on a series of flying duties including flying instructor at the Central Flying School, Little Rissington. Promoted to Flt Lt in 1950 he became Flight Commander of the Blind Landing Experimental Unit at RAF Martlesham Heath. In 1951, he received a King’s Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air. “After promotion to Sqn Ldr and being awarded the AFC in 1953, he was a student at RAF Staff College Andover. In 1954 he joined the Far East Air Force at RAF Changi, Singapore. “Returning to the UK in 1957, Ron again entered Flying Training Command as a Squadron Commander at No.3 and 6 FTS, first at RAF Feltwell then at RAF Tern Hill. “In 1958, he was promoted to Wg Cdr and became OC Administration Wing at the station’s HQ. “The following year he was seconded to the Ghana Air Force to command their Air Force Station at Takoradi. “The RAF had been selected to train both aircrew and ground crew for the new Ghanaian Air Force. “Awarded an OBE in 1960, Ron assumed Command of RAF Biggin Hill. He completed a tour on Staff Duties at Fighter Command before retiring in 1967, after a 31-year career. “He is survived by his loving wife Betty, three children, seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.” DISTINGUISHED SERVICE: Above, Wg Cdr Ronald Everson
Obituary
Pilot served in India and Burma
THUNDERBOLT PILOT and former No 4 Basic Flying Training School student David ‘Bing’ Crosby, has died aged 99, a few weeks short of his 100th birthday. Born in the UK, David joined the RAF Volunteer Reserve in 1941 and after initial training at EFTS Fairoaks, on Tiger Moths, was posted to No 4 BFTS at Mesa, Arizona. As America
had not entered the war then the cover was that David and his course mates had been sent to Canada for training with the Empire Air Training Scheme. They trained on Stearman PT 17As, followed by the Vultee BT 13A, then on the North American Harvard. Returning to the UK, he went through a conversion course on the Miles Master. FLYER: David in the cockpit of a P-47 Thunderbolt
He was then posted to Imphal in Burma for conversion to Hurricanes Mk1 and Mk11 and operations in Assam. Later in the war he converted to Republic Thunderbolts at Bangalore, India. He spent the rest of World War II as a Squadron Pilot on 146 Sqn until VJ Day. His final flight was as leader of 146 Sqn, when they flew the aircraft back to Kanchrapara, India. In 2000 David and his friend Tony Weber, a Pathfinder and Peenemunde veteran, together with their wives, visited Europe and the UK where they met up with Lancaster and Lincoln pilot John Chatterton DFC, enjoying a reunion after 58 years. John had been a fellow student on 4 BFTS with David in 1942. See: americanairmuseum. com for more information.
Royal Air Force News Friday, February 11, 2022 R'n'R 8
R'n'R Crossword
Prize Su Doku
No. 309
No. 319
Solve the crossword, then rearrange the 9 letters in yellow squares to find an RAF aircraft
Across 1. Fraud in Scotland this morning (4) 8. Grey larvae produces premature death (5,5) 9. Poulenc moved east in pursuit of luxury (8) 10. Spicy South African lieutenant? (4) 12. Python’s travelling show of choice (6) 14. Some fish rim, pursuing marine delicacy (6) 15. In French piece of cloth, eastern incense discovered (6) 17. Smell a German gives first plane-maker (6) 18. RAF personnel squawked (4) 19. Before Greater Manchester market town, Irish playwright visits station (8) 21. Duke’s favourite flying-machine? (10) 22. Race old Penny to tree (4) Down 2. Carnage imp causes Greta Thunberg (10) 3. Dinner made early and late, originally (4) 4. Doctor your threats to flight (6) 5. At end of assembly, Church of England initially established state schools (6) 6. Keep jam (8) 7. Money required at start of 100 years (4) 11. German loss produces Thai ingredient (10) 13. 100 made excellent dash to station (8) 16. Almost stopping but certainly getting less painful (6) 17. First battalion endures shock waves (6) 18. It is part of a habit left after milk-producer (4) 20. James’s solemn agreement (4)
Jazzie glad to B back
SOUL II SOUL have announced rescheduled dates for their forthcoming Club Classics tour. They will complete a 15date UK tour in 2022, which started in Cardiff last month, and finishes with a show at London’s Royal Albert Hall on April 18. Jazzie B, Soul II Soul’s founder, said: “Who would have thought that after 30-odd years we’d still be on the road with this thing? It’s been a helluva journey – literally – and I feel truly blessed.” The double Grammy Award-winning and five-time Brit Award nominated British band tour the UK as they pay tribute to their celebrated debut album Club Classics Vol. One. It follows the huge success of their tour of the album in 2018 with sold out shows across the country. Go to: soul2soul.co.uk. for more information.
Fill in all the squares in the grid so that each row, each column and each 3x3 square contains all the digits from 1 to 9.
Solution to Su Doku No: 318
Solution to Crossword No 308: Across – 1. Rage 8. Truculence 9. St Mawgan 10. Cads 12. Sortie 14. Reaper 15. Retina 17. Reside 18. Crow 19. Scampton 21. Mainstream 22. Apse Down – 2. Auctioneer 3. Etna 4. Burgle 5. Gunner 6. Leuchars 7. Jets 11. Dreadlocks 13. Tailwind 16. Assets 17. Reader 18. Coma 20. Puma RAF station – Northolt
Music
Keith Richards Main Offender
Keef's the Main man
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OLLING STONES legend Keith Richards releases a limited edition super-deluxe boxset of his acclaimed second solo album, Main Offender, on March 18 featuring a host of previously unreleased gems from the Winos Live In London '92 show at the Town & Country Club, Kentish Town. The collection, via BMG, also includes an 88-page book with never-before-seen photos, reproductions of handwritten lyrics, reprinted essays from the album’s release and more; plus an archival envelope containing exact replicas of promotional and tour materials from Keith’s archive. The release of Main Offender follows last year’s Live At The Hollywood Palladium and the 2019 unveiling of his first solo album Talk is Cheap. The album was originally released in October 1992, four years after Talk is Cheap, and features the X-Pensive Winos: drummer and
Stones fans will lap up limited edition boxset
long-time collaborator Steve Jordan (who recently drummed with the Rolling Stones on their 2021 No Filter Tour of the US), guitarist Waddy Wachtel, bassist Charley Drayton, keyboard player Ivan Neville, singer Sarah Dash and backing vocalists Bernard Fowler and Babi Floyd. Main Offender's 10 tracks include the singles Wicked as it Seems, Eileen and Hate it When You Leave. The album was produced by Richards, Wachtel and Jordan. The bonus live album was mixed and produced by Jordan. Richards said: “This is the
KEEF: Rock legend
second time around and the Winos are kind of developing – and if I can keep those guys together for as long as I can, it’s one of the best bands in the world. It’s a very intriguing band and the potential is only just starting to show itself. “If I hadn’t taken the Winos on the road, this record would probably have been totally different than it is. “I tried to avoid making too much sense on this record because to me that ambiguity and mystery, and a little provocation to make
you think, is something far more powerful and more important than just wagging your finger and saying, ‘I know what he’s saying don’t do this, do that.’ If you’re a musician, silence is your canvas and you never want to fill in the whole thing because then you’ve just covered it all… “One of the most interesting parts about music is where you don’t play.” Go to: keithrichards.com for more details.