RAF News Edition 1594, October 18, 2024

● See page 22

NATO targets missile threat

● See page 25

UK SURVEILLANCE specialists have taken part in Nato’s first anti-ballistic missile drill. Intelligence experts on board a 51 Sqn Rivet Joint joined more than 130 Allied aircraft in a major US-led Nato exercise from Greece, codenamed Exercise Ramstein Flag. The training offers Allied crews an opportunity to practise integrated air and missile defence tactics, techniques and procedures to protect populations, territories, and forces against threats, Defence chiefs said.

● Continued on page 3

“It is amazing to be represented as a Media Reservist

Photog

Sgt Cathy Sharples features on stained glass window at RAF Club

See p7

“Sort your babysitter and sink some prosecco, I’ll do the rest… apart from hold your hair back” “I feel the team needs more of an identity”

Comedian Sophie McCartney invites harassed mid-lifers to her new show, One Foot in the Rave

See R’n’R p3

Drone rangers step up

Staff Reporter

DEFENCE CHIEFS are stepping up training to counter enemy drone threats and integrate the latest uncrewed aerial systems into British battlefield kit.

The Experimentation and Trials Group staged a live fire drill on Salisbury Plain this month focusing on drone warfare tactics currently used in conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, as part of the MoD’s Next Generation Combat Team programme.

A spokesman said: “Training focuses on the integration of uncrewed aerial systems and drones at the battlegroup, company and platoon levels.

“Interconnectivity is vital to success, to enable much quicker dynamic decision-making; as well as a requirement for a significant increase in company and platoon level kit and equipment to include UAS and counter-UAS equipment including combat shotguns, DroneShields and more.”

HERCULES TRANSPORTERS begin Operation Bushell, delivering more than 30,000 tons of supplies for the starving in Ethiopia during 2,152 sorties in two months.

Drill’s a Joint effort

● Continued from front page Officer Commanding 51 Sqn, Wg Cdr Keith Bisset, added: “The Rivet Joint is an exceptional capability which delivers insight to commanders at all levels.

Exercise Ramstein Flag provides an excellent opportunity to practise Nato processing, exploitation and dissemination techniques across the Alliance.”

Combining live and synthetic training, the exercise in Nato’s 75th year saw the Waddington-based aircraft demonstrate its responsive and persistent capability.

The exercise will strengthen cooperation and demonstrate Nato’s ability to deter potential enemies and defend the Alliance through multi-domain operations.

Air Officer Commanding 11 Group, AVM Thomas Burke, said: “Exercise Ramstein Flag is a great example of how the RAF works with its allies to enhance our collective defence.

“Our people and capabilities are delivering at the highest level, supporting this first of its kind exercise.

“Working together like this shows our warfighting capability,

helping us meet the evolving security challenges that we face today.”

UK Space Command and RAF cyber teams supported the

exercise by ensuring the use of satellite communications and missile warning systems.

A member of UK Space Command said: “The exercise

has enabled UK personnel to benefit from the breadth of experience and knowledge that exists within Nato, particularly regarding the Space domain.”

Italian job’s done

A VETERAN who played a key role in the RAF’s first circumnavigation of the world is to be welcomed back to the airbase he took off from.

Former Lancaster fuel technician centenarian Frank Dutton is to visit Shawbury later this month to mark the 80th anniversary of the Aries Flights.

He will be joined by Judith Aldridge, the daughter of former pilot Sqn Ldr John Aldridge, whose log books and photographs were recently donated to the Shropshire station.

The top secret sortie that was to make history took off on October 21, 1944 after the Central Navigation School had relocated to RAF Shawbury to improve bombing accuracy and longdistance navigation techniques to remote parts of the world.

When Lancaster PD 328 took off under the command of Wg Cdr David McKinley DFC AFC with a crew of nine, it had the name Aries painted on its nose, after the first sign of the zodiac.

The mission was to be the first round-the-world flight by a British military aircraft.

The route took the aircraft via Prestwick, Reykjavik, Dorval, Washington, San Francisco, Honolulu and Samoa, before arriving in Auckland on November 1.

The crew then visited 24 bases in New Zealand, Australia, and New Guinea before returning via Ceylon, Egypt and Malta, reaching Shawbury on December 14 after a weather diversion to RAF Lyneham.

Over two months the crew covered more than 36,000 nautical miles and flew a total of 202 hours.

Aries continues to be celebrated at RAF Shawbury through current aircraft carrying the name, an annual awards dinner, the Junior Ranks club, and the title of the station magazine.

ONE OF the RAF’s longest-serving logistics experts drew a crowd of international military personnel as he bade farewell to Forces life.

WO Russell Flint bowed out at Nato’s Joint Force Command in Naples from an Air Force career spanning 41 years after donning the traditional bowler hat and heading for Civvie Street.

He arrived at RAF Swinderby in

November 1983, a week after his 17th birthday, and has served on 16 bases in the UK and Europe as well as completing tours in Afghanistan and the Falkland Islands.

pictured

Married to Lindsay (pictured right) since 1994, they have three children. During his Service career he represented the RAF in hockey and football and received

three commendations, two at Northolt and one at MOD Boscombe Down.

Presented with the famous Escaping Airman statue, he said: “I have had a wonderful career, and I cannot think of a better place to end it than at JFC Naples.”

IN A story on the Healing Military Minds charity (p14-15, RAF News 1593, Oct 4) we stated that Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson performed in the back of a Hercules. We would like to clarify that he performed in the back of the stationary aircraft during the Hercules fleet retirement ceremony at Brize Norton.

ARIES FLIGHT: Wg Cdr McKinley, DFC

RIVET JOINT: Potent intelligence gathering asset

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(1081009) and Scotland (SC038109).

Rank outsiders eye Air Force top jobs

Simon Mander

OTHER RANKS could find themselves in the top jobs following the introduction of the RAF’s new Lead scheme.

And presenting certificates to more than 70 graduates of the programme at High Wycombe, Chief of the Air Staff, Sir Rich Knighton, said he hoped one day someone enlisted would hold his post.

Until now there has not been a talent route for those who join up and the RAF says it is the first to create one.

Programme manager Warrant Officer Matt Williams said: “This is the first time in all three services anything like this has been attempted.

“It’s a 12-month programme. Candidates are selected through their annual appraisal and given a leadership talent marker.”

RAF Lead sees 200 personnel at a time chosen by their chain of command. Once selected, they are given a mentor, receive specialist coaching and the chance to pitch an idea to shadow any part of the RAF.

Graduate Defence Medical Services Sergeant Jo Livingstone said: “It’s been good to identify areas of my leadership that perhaps needed some work.

“I’ve been able to identify my strengths, been offered some great opportunities like one-to-one

Top Dog

BOMBER BOY Geoffrey Payne is hoping for a mail shot to mark his 100th birthday next month.

The survivor of 30 missions from the age of joining up at 18 as a Lancaster rear gunner, he reaches the milestone next month.

Alongside those odds, 6’2” tall Geoffrey faced an additional challenge – his parachute would not fit in the gunning pod and was stored instead in the fuselage.

On one of his earliest missions, Geoffrey’s Lancaster was hit by a Messerschmitt Bf110 fighter.

coaching, which has been excellent, and had opportunities to understand leadership on a

wider scale in the Service.”

RAF Lead is to receive funding for the next 10 years.

CAS ACM Sir Rich Knighton is the first non-pilot to hold the role and comes from an engineering background.

Air-drop duo go Dutch

Simon Mander

AIR DESPATCHERS whose predecessors were killed trying to resupply troops during the ill-fated Operation Market Garden returned to Arnhem 80 years after the battle.

Brize Norton-based 47AD

Sqn members still wear the Golden Dakota on their uniform in memory of their 79 colleagues who died alongside RAF crews who came under fire from German ground defences.

Personnel saw where 89 aircraft were shot down and visited Kate Ter Horst house, whose owner was nicknamed ‘the Angel of Arnhem’ for her efforts to save the wounded.

Private Jones, 47AD, said: “To see the bridge and the history that came with it was amazing and the bravery of these men was unbelievable.

“I think it made us realise how

much they had to sacrifice and the true realities of war.

“The standout part for me was the respect that the Dutch people have towards the Allied troops that gave everything and the sight of young children paying their respects by placing flowers on the graves.”

An RAF Atlas A400M despatching UK paratroopers took part in a commemorative jump and members of 47AD attended a parade in Oosterbeek to pay their respects.

Despite bullets tearing through the aircraft, jamming his guns, disabling his intercom and freezing his oxygen mask, the bomber managed to limp back to base, losing one crew member, where a German bullet was found still burning amid their ammunition magazine.

After the war ended in 1945, Geoffrey was posted to Germany during the reparations process.

He moved to Scotland in the 1960s to help set up the Carron steel plant in Falkirk and now lives in Cumbernauld, close to his family.

Cards should be marked ‘100,’ and sent to Linda Payne, 70 Shore Road, Innellan, Scotland, PA23 7TR.

BIRTHDAY BONANZA: Veteran Geoffrey Paine celebrates his 100th birthday next month

TALENT ON PARADE: Chief of the Air Staff, ACM Sir Richard Knighton (pictured below), says NCOs will be able to rise through the ranks under new Lead programme

CONINGSBY-BASED MILITARY

hound Ivan has been named the Services’ Top Dog after a canine showdown at Honington.

His handler Cpl Cornell was presented with the Working Dogs Trial Trophy by Provost Marshal Gp Capt Samantha Bunn.

In Brief

Into Africa

MILITARY INSTRUCTORS

have returned from Africa where they delivered the first information operations course to the Nigerian Air Force.

Valley’s Wg Cdr Steve Riley and the RAF Regiment’s Sqn Ldr Stuart Cotton shared lessons from campaigns in Afghanistan, Iraq and Eastern Europe as part of a challenging two-week course.

The duo taught concepts from strategic communications, planning and tactical information operations to 20 students at the Nigerian Air Warfare Centre in Abuja.

The group of ll Nigerian students all passed the final confirmation exercise.

Secrets & spies

THE RAF Museum is recruiting junior super sleuths this halfterm with its Cold War Spies week of fun-packed adventures.

Visitors to the Cosford venue will be transported into the covert world of international espionage by boarding a spy plane and building their own spy vehicle before helping solve a Cold War murder mystery and exploring the museum’s Cold War exhibition.

● Go to rafmuseum.org.uk/ midlands for more details.

A SPITFIRE joined the Red Arrows in the skies above Duxford as the RAF aerobatic aces performed the final display of their landmark 60th season.

The privately owned WWII fighter has a special connection with the Arrows.

It was owned and previously flown by the late Ray Hanna –one of the founding members of the Reds who led the team for a record four seasons in its earliest days. Spitfire MH434 also featured in the epic Battle of Britain film in 1968.

Reservist Cathy’s a real glass act

RAuxAF 100th tribute unveiled at RAF Club

Simon Mander

PHOTOGRAPHER SGT Cathy Sharples has been immortalised in stained glass as part of this year’s centenary of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force.

The image, which shows her with her camera on operational duty, is in the 601 Sqn room at the RAF Club and is the result of a competition launched at the beginning of the year inviting ideas to celebrate 100 years of Reserve Service.

She said: “It is amazing to be represented as a Media Reservist in the window, I feel tremendously honoured. The window is beautiful and I am sure it will be much admired by visitors for years to come.”

Cartographer and spare-timestained glass window maker AS1 Chad Kenny’s winning design was chosen ‘blind’, by the contest judges.

He said: “I was thrilled that my design was chosen. It shows the development of the RAF Reserve over the last century with activities undertaken in 1924 at the top of the window and a comparative selection of the roles

played today at the bottom.

“I was very keen to show the breadth of trades the RAuxAF undertakes today and decided to include the Media Reserves in the picture.”

The window was unveiled by RAuxAF Air Cdre in Chief HRH

The Duke of Gloucester following a service of commemoration at St Clement Danes.

COMBAT LESSONS: RAF Regiment trainers with Nigerian students at Abuja

WINDOW DRESSING: Sgt Sharples views her image in the stained-glass window at the RAF Club following the official unveiling. Left, glass artist at work on the winning design

Spitfire ‘flies’ in

Malcolm Triggs

A REPLICA Spitfire ‘flew in’ to the Battle of Britain Memorial at Capel-le-Ferne this month, helped by a giant crane supplied by a local business boss.

Painted in the colours of the fighter flown by Fg Off Jeffrey Quill during his short operational attachment to 65 Sqn during the Battle of Britain, the replica was commissioned by the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust to replace the 20 year-old original, which was badly damaged when storms hit the coast earlier this year.

Memorial fan Jay Lawrence, of

Gravesend-based J&M Crane & Transport Ltd, offered to help move the new replica, built by Norfolkbased GB Replicas, from the car park of the popular clifftop memorial to its permanent home alongside a replica Hurricane.

The team used a 150-tonne crane to swing the replica over the Beaverbrook Wall, past the Biggin Hill yardarm and down onto its base.

“It was a generous gesture by Jay and his team and saved us a considerable sum of money,” said Trust chairman Richard Hunting.

“As a charity with no central or local government funding, such support is always very welcome.”

Simon Mander

THE FAMILY of a Nuclear Test veteran who died six years ago have received his medal at a surprise ceremony organised by the RAF.

Former SAC George Young was one of the veterans deemed due a retrospective award for his part in the 1950s programme by the UK’s Honours Committee in November 2022.

He died in 2018, but that did not stop his wife Margaret getting the recognition he deserved in front of family members at HMS

Calliope, their local Reserve training unit in Gateshead.

Daughter Diane Smith said: “Mam was under the impression she was going to see a new military exhibition and as I walked her to the front of the room for the presentation she said, ‘That’s my husband, what’s he doing here?’

“She thought the photos were going to be part of the exhibition and was a little confused at first.

It took a while for her to realise what was happening.

“We would like to ask you if you could pass on our thanks to

Open house Medal honour for nuke vet

WITTERING THREW open the gates to the local community for the

annual formal reception. The event gave personnel a chance to showcase Air Force capability and thank the local community for supporting the Cambridgeshire base.

Wg Cdr Nikki Duncan said: “It is always a great honour to meet and thank so many members of the local community, civic and charitable organisations that support us in the work that we do.”

your Gp Capt Gareth Taylor for being there to give Mam the medal, and to all the rest of your team who were there too.

were

“It was the perfect ending to that part of our family history and Mam is still over the moon today about it.”

Margaret, who goes by the name June, received the award in front of daughters Helen Guy and Diane Smith, son-in-law Robert Smith, granddaughter Chloe Smith, grandson Declan Smith and

great grandson Oscar Smith.

Gp Capt Taylor said: “It is sad that I am not able to award the Nuclear Test Veteran Medal to George, but it is an absolute honour to be able to award it to his wife.

“As I know personally, military medals recognise the important work our Armed Forces personnel undertake, but they also recognise the incredible support Service people receive from their families.”

Atta scholar nets licence

HIGH-FLYING CADET Amelia Richardson is on her way to fulfilling her RAF dream after gaining her private pilot’s licence.

The 17-year-old student (above) netted the £15,000 Molly Rose scholarship set up in honour of the WWII Atta Girls and completed 35 hours of pilot training, including 10 hours of solo flying.

COLD WAR WARRIOR: SAC Young’s widow Margaret is presented with the Nuclear Test Medal by Gp Capt Taylor at a surprise ceremony onboard HMS Calliope. Left, husband George

WARM RECEPTION: Personnel at Wittering welcome local community leaders at annual station open day

station’s

Radar breaks cover

Simon Mander

A NEW radar which will allow Typhoon pilots to locate, identify and suppress enemy air defences has taken to the skies for the first time.

The latest European Common Radar System prototype has flown on a test and evaluation aircraft at BAE Systems in Lancashire.

The flight is the latest milestone in the ongoing development programme for the UK Typhoon and will strengthen the aircraft’s ability to control airspace and fight electronically, making it a potent part of Nato’s frontline fleet.

Head of Capability Delivery

Combat Air and Typhoon, Air Cdre Nick Lowe, said: “Evolution of Typhoon’s air combat capability is paramount to ensure Typhoon continues to deter potential aggressors, defend our nation and defeat our adversaries wherever we need to fly and fight.

“This first flight of this ECRS Mk2 prototype new radar in the test aircraft is a positive step towards ensuring this.”

The sortie follows integration and ground-based testing by the RAF, MoD Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S), BAE Systems and Leonardo.

DE&S Typhoon Capability

Acquisition Deputy Head Nick Moore said: “This is another landmark moment which will provide the RAF with battlewinning technology that gives them the edge.

“The ECRS Mk2 radar will further transform Typhoon’s control of the air and provide exceptional capability our adversaries will struggle to match.”

BATTLE WINNING EDGE: Air chiefs claim new radar kit will ensure Typhoon’s combat superioity

UPGRADE: Prototype ECRS Mk2 is undergoing test flights

Falklands

nets £20m runway lift

Staff Reporter

Falkland Islands

A £20 million programme to replace Mount Pleasant’s Foxtrot taxiway has been given the green light by MoD chiefs.

More than 8,000 tonnes of material is already being shipped to the Falklands and work resurfacing and repairing the surfaces is scheduled to begin ahead of the South Atlantic winter.

The Defence Infrastructure Organisation has signed a deal with construction firm Mitie to carry out the work.

DIO project manager Maj Brad Southall said: “Working on the other side of the world requires even closer collaboration than normal. We are working closely with UK Strategic Command, British Forces South Atlantic Islands, Mitie and Dyer and Butler to ensure the success of the project.”

The latest runway upgrade follows the resurfacing of the Mount Pleasant site’s Alpha loop taxiway earlier this year and is expected to be completed by March 2025.

Dam glad to see you

First Navy F-35 crews join 617 Sqn onboard carrier

Simon Mander

DAMBUSTERS JETS have joined HMS Prince of Wales for a month of training before an eight-month global mission next year.

The RAF unit will support F-35B Lightning stealth fighters from 809 Naval Air Sqn as they prepare to take off from the flight deck of an aircraft carrier for the first time in nearly 15 years.

The aircraft left their base at Marham for the ship, where personnel will learn to operate at sea.

809 NAS F-35Bs, supported by 200 engineers, technicians, armourers, logistics and security experts, chefs and meteorologists joined the 65,000-tonne warship. 809 is the second of two UK front-line squadrons, alongside 617 Sqn.

CO Cdr Nick Smith said: “This is a big moment for 809 NAS, a vital building block

to working up with the carrier strike group in preparation for the deployment next year. Joining a carrier for the first time is truly a milestone.”

Both Sqns draw personnel roughly evenly from the RAF and Fleet Air Arm.

Sgt ‘Thorpy’ Thorpe has never been to sea before and is part of a team of six NCOs responsible for Lightning maintenance. He is looking forward to next year’s maiden operational deployment.

“Eight months is a long time away, but the potential stops involved are places the Air Force wouldn’t normally visit,” he said.

“I’ve worked alongside the Navy for four years and while there are slightly different skills and trades, we’re all working to the same standard.

“There’s some good banter.

Malcolm Triggs

THE RANKS of Churchill’s ‘Few’, who saved the nation from a Nazi invasion in 1940, have increased following the decision to add a new name to the roll of honour.

Eighty-four years after the epic battle for Britain’s skies Ronald Thomson, a sergeant pilot with 616 Sqn, has been named as one of that number.

His name will be added to the Christopher Foxley-Norris Memorial Wall at the Battle of Britain Memorial at Capel-le-Ferne near Folkestone in Kent, where

the names of those known to have qualified for the Battle of Britain Clasp are carved in black granite.

Just under 3,000 men are named on the wall, with the true number unlikely ever to be known, given the difficulties of keeping accurate squadron records while tackling the superior numbers of the Luftwaffe.

Sergeant – later Flight Lieutenant – Thomson’s eligibility for the clasp came to light after author Mark Hillier obtained his logbook and discovered that he had taken part in searching for an unidentified enemy aircraft known as an ‘X’ Raid, between

July and October. The evidence was put forward to the RAF’s Air Historical Branch, the only body with the authority to add new names to the ranks of ‘the Few’, and has been accepted.

We go out of our way to call the carrier a ‘boat’ and ask where it’s ‘parked’ to wind up sailors – who always like to remind us that they are the ‘senior service’.”

F-35 pilot Lt Cdr Armstrong and his colleagues trained extensively on simulators before touching down for real on HMS Prince of Wales’s 920ft-long flight deck.

“It’s a common misconception that everything on an F-35 is automated,” he explained. “The aircraft will relieve you of a great deal of the workload. Landing is easier, but not easy. Imagine approaching, in the dark, 105ft above the ship, then moving across to set down on the deck.”

After initial training HMS Prince of Wales is joined by escorts and support ships to form a carrier strike group for the fortnight-long North Sea exercise, Strike Warrior.

Forgotten Battle of Britain hero joins The Few

This rare addition to the list of Clasp holders will be marked in due course at the Battle of Britain Memorial, which is home to the National Memorial to the Few and to a modern visitor centre, The Wing.

HONOUR: The Memorial Wall lists those who qualified for the Battle of Britain clasp

SAS siege-busters

IT’S A true story – and the stuff of legend, and it marked a fundamental turning point in global history. On Bank Holiday Monday, April 30, 1980, along with 14 million other television viewers, 17-year-old Ben Macintyre was watching the final of the Embassy World Snooker Championships between Alex ‘Hurricane’ Higgins and Cliff Thorburn when the broadcast was suddenly interrupted.

With snooker commentator Ted Lowe’s line ‘And now…from one Embassy to another’ the BBC halted the match coverage to go live to young reporter Kate Adie at the scene of the Iranian Embassy siege.

Bestselling historian and Times writer Macintyre’s latest book, The Siege, The Remarkable Story of the Greatest SAS Hostage Drama (penguin.co.uk), is the unputdownable, definitive account of that dramatic six-day event that gripped the nation, and, as with his previous titles (including Colditz, Operation Mincemeat, and The Spy and The Traitor) reads like a fast-paced thriller.

He said: “Like most legends, the episode was presented afterwards as a straightforward morality tale of military daring, civilian bravery, patient police work and wicked foreign terrorists bent on mayhem. But the siege was more complicated than that, and much more extraordinary.”

Author of SAS Rogue Heroes, Macintyre was given unprecedented MOD authorisation to speak to the Regiment men who took part in the siege for his new book.

He said: “Up until 1980 the Regiment was almost completely unknown. The SAS was catapulted overnight from obscurity to worldwide fame. The hostages had no idea, until it was all over, who had rescued them.

“Never again would the SAS be able to operate in the shadows. The Regiment has struggled to balance secrecy with celebrity ever since.”

On that fateful last day of April, six heavilyarmed young Middle Eastern gunmen burst into the Iranian Embassy building at 16 Princes Gate, overlooking Hyde Park. As the author says: “The embassy symbolized the Shah’s wealth and power: a huge Victorian town house built in 1849, with 56 rooms, five storeys and a basement.”

Top author Macintyre’s analysis of the most famous live TV footage of the 1980s

Calling themselves ‘The Group of the Martyr’ the gunmen overpowered Diplomatic Protection Officer PC Trevor Lock of the Metropolitan Police who was guarding the building.

Arab speakers, they wanted greater autonomy for their little-known province, which they called Arabistan, that bordered Iraq. The province’s people had been victims of brutal oppression by the new regime of Ayatollah Khomeini, Macintyre explains, and was renamed Khuzestan, an Iranian name.

The Group, led by Towfiq al-Rashidi, otherwise known as ‘Salim’, took 26 hostages captive at the Embassy, including four Britons.

Salim and his cohorts, Macintyre reveals, had been manipulated by Iraqi intelligence who organised the attack to destabilise Iran. Described by many afterwards as ‘amateurish’ and ‘naive’, they had been trained, badly, by ‘terrorist for hire’ Abu Nidal. They were told the siege would last no more than two days.

Macintyre explained: “They were prepared to but, from the outset, they didn’t intend to kill. And they certainly did not intend to die.”

But they murdered two of the hostages –Embassy deputy press attaché and revolutionary guard Seyyed Abbas Lavasani and Embassy press assistant Ali Akbar Samadzadeh.

After a tense six days, in which police negotiators

and psychiatrists had tried to seek a bloodless end to the standoff, the SAS stormed in, putting Operation Nimrod into action. It was one of the most audacious Special Forces operations of the modern age. It lasted 17 minutes and only 32 people were involved in the assault.

Five of the six gunmen were killed and the remaining hostages brought to safety. The event marked the longest newsflash in television history, brought the SAS into public prominence and heralded a major triumph for Margaret Thatcher’s government.

Macintyre said: “One of the ironies of this story is that the siege made absolutely no difference to the cause the gunmen were fighting for. ‘Arabistan’ is as obscure and its Arab minority is as oppressed as it ever was.

“In a way it highlights the utter pointlessness of ‘terrorism’, if you want to call it that. The gunmen were a strange combination of sophisticated, rather worldly in some ways and completely manipulated. I don’t think they ever quite realised how much they were used by Saddam and his intelligence services, who, in a way, were to me the real villains in this story – they are the people who sent out these young men, not giving a

FEARLESS: Staff Sergeant Tom Morrell descends towards the inferno © Private

TERRORIST: ‘Salim’ with young women on a night out

SIEGE HEROES: There were Queen’s Gallantry Medals for SAS members (l-r) Tommy Palmer, Mel Parry, Tom Morrell, Tom MacDonald and Michael Rose

HOSTAGE: PC Trevor Lock shouts down from window during siege

By Tracey Allen

siege-busters dared & won

damn whether they survived or not, just purely for geopolitical gain.”

He added: “But I don’t want to defend the gunmen – they were men of violence, they took hostages, ultimately they were prepared to kill.

“I feel I have to be rather careful about the use of the word ‘terrorist’ because it’s such a loaded word. They did not intend to spread terror – these were not suicide bombers threatening a civilian population indiscriminately. I’m not saying this makes them better but it does make them different from the IRA planting a bomb in a pub in Birmingham.”

Of the SAS men who took part in the siege, 20 are still alive – and Macintyre interviewed almost all of them.

Win The Siege

WE HAVE copies of The Siege to win. For your chance to own one, tell us:

What was the address of the Iranian Embassy in London?

impossible situations. The Siege is a story about ordinary folk who suddenly find themselves caught up in this appalling situation over which they have no control at all.”

confused with the US Embassy hostage situation in Tehran that was taking place at the same time.

Email your answer, marked The Siege book competition, to: tracey.allen@ rafnews.co.uk or post it to: RAF News, Room 68, Lancaster Building, HQ Air Command, High Wycombe, HP14 4UE, to arrive by November 1.

He said: “Most of them didn’t want to be identified by name in the book. I have given most pseudonyms by their own request.”

The Siege is now being adapted for the screen by Will Smith, showrunner of the hit Apple+ TV spy drama Slow Horses, with producer Patrick Spence (Mr Bates vs The Post Office) on board.

Macintyre, a big Slow Horses fan, said: “It’s a pretty golden team and I couldn’t really ask for more. Slow Horses isn’t a million miles away from The Siege What Slow Horses does quite brilliantly is take ordinary, flawed individuals and throw them into

Among them, of course, was PC Lock, a seemingly unlikely hero, who, described in the book as ‘portly, patient and placid’, displayed enormous resolve and bravery throughout the ordeal, managing to conceal his gun under his coat for the duration, until he used it to overpower Salim, much to the gunman’s incredulous reaction that ‘Mr Trevor’ as he had come to be known, was prepared to shoot him.

Macintyre said: “The Siege was a huge historical event. With a lot of people, rightly, it is sometimes elided with and

“I make an argument in the book that the Iranian revolution in 1979 is the single most significant episode of the latter half of the twentieth century. It changes everything – the first battle of the IranIraq war followed [the Battle of Khorramshahr in September, 1980], the war runs straight into the first Gulf War, then the second Gulf War, then 9/11, Afghanistan and then Gaza.

“One doesn’t want to overdraw that comparison but the truth is that the Iranian revolution lies at the heart of what is happening currently in the Middle East.”

Private Collection SPOT OF BOTHER: Other troopers join Morrell, who is stuck mid-air with his trousers on fire

ICONIC IMAGE: Mel Parry and John McAleese take up position on the embassy balcony

THE SAVIOURS

It’s 75 years since the Berlin Blockade heralded the start of the Cold War.

Here Air Cdre Graham Pitchfork explains how the RAF helped the besieged city decide its own destiny

FOLLOWING THE end of the Second World War Berlin fell into the Russian zone of occupation, but administration of the city was by a joint four-power Commission and the city divided into Russian, American, British and French zones.

The agreement allowed free access by road, rail and three air corridors, some 20 miles wide, from the Allied zones in West Germany.

An uneasy peace existed until early 1948 until Stalin increased the pressure on western Allies and ordered his tanks to impede road and rail access.

On June 24 a surface blockade was completed. The only option open to the Allies was to resupply the city by air.

Dakotas

Flying in supplies for more than two million German civilians and 40,000 military personnel with barely three weeks of food, petrol and solid fuel left was a daunting prospect.

The daily requirement for food alone was 900 tons of potatoes, 640 tons of flour, 106 tons of meat and 100 tons of cereal, totalling almost 2,000 tons of food every day. A fully laden Dakota carried 2.5 tons.

On June 25, the first RAF Dakotas left their base at Waterbeach near Cambridge for Wunstorf and, that same evening, three took off for Gatow airfield in West Berlin. The main airlift commenced the following day when 32 USAF transports flew from Wiesbaden into Tempelhof airport.

Days later the airlift was put into full operation and in the first 24 hours 13 Dakotas airlifted 44 tons of food to Berlin.

A joint organisation and a combined control structure was soon in place with an American

commander and a British second-in-command.

The shortest air corridor into Berlin was from the British-controlled airfields also used by larger US aircraft, capable of carrying greater loads, operating 24 hours a day with one take-off every three minutes. In bad weather, this was extended to five minutes. Inbound flights to Berlin used the

northern and southern corridors with return flights using the shorter centre corridor.

Initially, there were just two airfields in West Berlin, but a third was rapidly constructed in the French sector (Tegel).

Avro Yorks, with their greater load-carrying capacity, began operating in early July and, a few days later, two squadrons of Sunderland flying boats began operating from the River Elbe, landing on Havel Lake in Berlin.

SUPPORT TEAM: Transport Command Major Servicing Unit based at Honington, Suffolk, in January 1949, with the station helping the RAF during the Berlin airlift

TRAILBLAZERS: The crew of the first RAF aircraft to land at Gatow, Germany, at the very start of Operation Plainfare pose with their Dakota transport

24-HOUR OPERATION: Avro Yorks at RAF Gatow in September 1948 flew around the clock

ALL HANDS ON DECK: Short Havel Lake in September 1948,

OF BERLIN

By the end of July, additional RAF and USAF squadrons had joined the airlift, which saw 339 flights deliver just over 2,000 tons in a single day.

conducting air defence exercises in the area.

By the end of October, the RAF were operating 42 Dakotas and 40 York aircraft in addition to the Sunderland squadrons.

the new year with the 250,000th ton of coal delivered and more British civil aircraft tankers beginning operations to maintain the daily requirement of 245 tons of liquid fuel every day.

On the 300th day of the blockade, 927 transport aircraft airlifted 6,393 tons.

The blockade was finally lifted on May 12 but supplies continued to flood in to the war-ravaged city.

More than 250,000 tons were airlifted during the month and a British civil Lancastrian flew in the 100,000th ton of fuel. By the beginning of July, the RAF had flown its highest daily total of 2,260 tons as the withdrawal of British civil assets began.

The RAF rundown commenced at the beginning of August and British civil operations ceased. However, the Allied airlift continued, both to ensure that the city was well provisioned should the blockade be reintroduced and to demonstrate to the Russians that the Allies remained determined to allow the Berliners to choose their way forward.

The last flight into Berlin was made on September 30 by a USAF C-54 Skymaster.

British civil airlift operating converted bombers and flying boats began augmenting the RAF squadrons. Over the coming months they were to make a very valuable contribution.

The British Government wanted a greater effort and by November the first Hastings squadron joined the airlift with their new aircraft each capable of carrying greater loads than the Dakota and the York. They deployed to the airfield at Schleswigland, still under reconstruction, and soon began carrying coal.

It was clear the western Allies were not going to abandon the beleaguered city, despite being regularly buzzed by Soviet aircraft

By the end of the year Allied airlift had completed 100,000 flights since the beginning of the operation. The statistics continued to hit record heights in

By early March, the RAF had flown its 50,000th German civilian out of Berlin. Bad weather during the winter influenced air movements but the air traffic system was so well organised that records continued to tumble.

On one day in April, USAF GCA radar crews handled 102 aircraft at a rate of one every four minutes at Tempelhof to set up a new high in sustained operations.

A week later, 3,946 take-off and landings were made in a 24-hour period, plus 39,640 radio contacts – one every four seconds.

The RAF and British civil aircraft carried 542,236 tons of supplies, which included almost half the food and most of the liquid fuel (92,000 tons), flying 175,000 sorties to and from Berlin. They spent over 210,000 hours in the air.

Killed

Flying round the clock in all weathers with the aircraft and equipment available at the time was an arduous, dangerous and demanding task. It came with a cost and 18 RAF airmen and 21 civilian airmen were killed in accidents.

Their sacrifice, the courage of all airmen and the fortitude of the Berliners ensured that the Russian attempts to take over the city were defeated.

FUELLING THE EFFORT: German workers load coal from a 10-ton Hammermag truck on to a waiting Handley Page Hastings at Schleswigland in November 1948. Once the process is finished a member of the ground loading party checks it has been correctly loaded before entering the weight of the cargo on to the aircraft manifest ALL PHOTOS: AIR HISTORICAL BRANCH (RAF)

MAMMOTH OPERATION: A view of some of the stores being held in a hangar (possibly at Wunstorf), September 1948

Short Sunderland V, VB389/NS-D, of 201 Squadron after landing at 1948, with its contents being loaded onto barges

CIVILIAN HELP: An Avro Tudor II (G-AGRY) of Airflight Ltd – a company started by former head of the Pathfinder bomber force in World War II, AVM Don Bennett

FLEEING BERLIN: On the return trip from Gatow the Dakotas sometimes brought in German civilians. They were charged 16 DM for the 140-mile flight from Gatow to Fassberg. Here Flt Lt James Kenefick and AC2 Jack Bohanna help the German passengers from the Dakota

Bomber leader flew on after horror crash

Wg Cdr who was awarded the DFC & Bar dies aged 102

WING COMMANDER

Percy Reynolds, who has died aged 102, had a distinguished career as a bombing leader after recovering from severe burns and injuries because of an earlier aircraft crash.

He joined the RAF in June 1940, trained as a pilot and was commissioned in July 1941. After training to fly bombers, he joined 101 Squadron on July 15, 1941 and two weeks later was the second pilot of a Wellington. On the return from attacking Hamburg, the aircraft crash landed in a field near Ashford in Kent. The crew escaped with minor injuries.

Three weeks later, he was less fortunate when his Wellington again crashed. On August 29 Reynolds and his crew took off from Oakington, near Cambridge, in their Wellington bomber to attack Hamburg. It was Reynold’s first operation as captain. As the aircraft became airborne, the port engine failed and caught fire. Reynolds attempted to keep the bomber flying but it crashed seven miles from the airfield and a fierce fire broke out. One crew member was killed – a second died from his injuries – and Reynolds was trapped in the cockpit.

Salvation Army

A member of the Salvation Army witnessed the crash, rushed towards the burning aircraft, smashed the canopy and managed to drag Reynolds clear. Immediately following the crash, he was taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge for initial resuscitation and, when stabilised, was transferred to RAF Ely Hospital, one of the four new satellite burns units which Archibald McIndoe, the pioneering plastic surgeon, had set up at well-established RAF hospitals.

Reynold’s injuries and burns to his face and hands were extensive and required numerous skin grafts. He was treated by a junior surgeon, a Mr Bentley, who grafted skin to give Reynolds a new nose, always known thereafter as ‘Bentley’s Patch’. After a year in various hospitals, he returned to flying duties as an instructor at a bomber training unit.

In early October 1944 he returned to operational flying when he joined the newlyformed 186 Squadron to fly Lancasters. He was appointed the senior flight commander.

Reynolds flew his first operation on October 18, when the target was Bonn. His was the first of the 12 bombers to take off before they formed up and headed for the target. The following night he attacked Stuttgart, dropping his bombs from 17,000 feet.

Over the next few weeks, Reynolds attacked targets in the Ruhr. He was beginning to establish himself as a forceful leader and the squadron diarist recorded: “On what was becoming the norm, the first away was the irrepressible Squadron Leader Reynolds at the controls of his regular Lancaster.”

On October 31, the target was the synthetic oil plant at Bottrop. Such facilities had become a prime target for Bomber Command and Reynolds would attack several similar plants

in the following weeks. Other primary targets were road and rail communications, in particular marshalling yards. During the German attacks through the Ardennes, Reynolds bombed troop positions at St Vith.

During the latter part of 1944, the squadron’s Lancasters began being fitted with the G-H blindbombing device, enabling them to bomb accurately when cloud covered the target. Marshalling yards and oil facilities remained the primary targets in early 1945.

G-H leader

On February 1, Reynolds flew his first operation as G-H leader. Other bombers flew in formation on his aircraft and released their bombs as Reynolds dropped his load. The rail yards at Mönchengladbach were the target, which was covered completely by cloud, but the G-H marking was accurate.

Reynolds was on leave at the time of the attack on Dresden but returned to lead the squadron to Chemnitz on February 14. Two

days later, it was announced that he had been awarded the DFC.

On March 1, the target was the synthetic oil plant at Kamen.

151 Lancasters were tasked, and Reynolds was appointed to lead them – the first time the responsibility had been given to 186 Squadron. Poor weather over the target hampered the attack but the plant was damaged.

Whilst attacking Dessau on March 7, a German Me 410 nightfighter almost collided with his Lancaster, which had its radio aerial torn away. After two more sorties as G-H leader, Reynolds flew his final sortie on March 18, when he led the squadron to attack the blast furnace and steel works at Hattingen. His aircraft was damaged by flak, but he returned safely. Later in the year he was awarded a Bar to his DFC. The citation commented on his “leadership and outstanding qualities of determination and courage proving invaluable in maintaining the highest standard of efficiency in his squadron.”

Reynolds remained in the RAF

and continued to serve on heavy bombers, including converting to the US-built B-29 Washington. After attending the RAF Staff College, he served on the RAF administration staff in Hong Kong. In 1958 he returned to flying duties and converted to the twinengine Canberra jet bomber. In March 1959 he assumed command of 12 Squadron based in Lincolnshire. The squadron was developing a new bombing technique by approaching the target from low level before pulling up into a looping manoeuvre to ‘toss’ the bomb forward, allowing the bomber to avoid flying over the target before escaping at low level.

Lightning

After a NATO appointment in Germany, Reynolds commanded the administration wing at Coltishall, a fighter base with the supersonic Lightning and the home of the RAF’s Historic Flight, which included a Lancaster, and later became the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. He retired in October 1968.

LEADING FROM THE FRONT: Reynolds (centre) with his Lancaster crew at RAF Stradishall, Suffolk

500e’s a mini marvel

Fiat’s electric, retro icon the perfect car for city motoring

THE FIAT 500 has been an Italian icon since the 1950s and pre-dates even the Mini by a couple of years. Designed to be nimble and affordable, the 500 was instantly suited to the bustle of Naples and the ancient streets of Tuscany. It was THE Italian small car of the 20th Century.

Powered by a rearmounted, 479 cc, twocylinder, air-cooled engine, that drove the rear wheels, it produced an unmistakable lawnmower-style thrum. It was a sound that you either loved or hated.

As you can imagine, the 500 has seen many changes over the 60 years since the original, but the latest model sees the biggest change of all. Yes, it’s gone electric. And if ever there was a car perfectly suited to being an EV, it’s the 500. If it had been rear-wheel-drive, like the original, it would have been practically perfect… but you can’t have it all.

Exterior

It looks like a 500, with all the usual design cues, but this version is bigger, based on a new chassis. It’s 61mm longer, 56mm wider and 29mm taller, but the redesigned body conceals the growth well. You wouldn’t notice at a glance.

It’s new, and yet familiar. The charge port sits on the right-rear wing, exactly where you’d expect to put petrol in and, if you opt for the convertible, you’ll find that the canvas roof remains stretched between metal side rails that preserve chassis rigidity. It’s a real fashion statement.

The body detailing is brilliant in places and it’s available in a range of dazzling colours, so, if you have a 17year-old daughter, you’ll hate it… Because she’ll want one and it’s going to cost you a lot of money!

Interior

There’s a nod to the classic in here, for sure, and the dashboard is a simple affair. The seats are especially nice, incorporating organic shapes and tactile textures. It’s all comfortingly familiar. Look closely and you’ll find lots of carefully crafted 500 detailing dotted around the cabin. Fiat has clearly gone all-out to make this car feel special. The ergonomics are good, and everything feels solidly screwed together. The retro feel is balanced with modern tech that looks smart and works well. You get a 10.25in screen as standard, and connecting your phone is easy thanks to Apple and Android apps. Apart from one or two small icons on the main homepage, the inbuilt infotainment system is easy to use and the screen responds quickly when you poke at it. The screen has nice definition too.

You sit fairly high up in a 500 and that gives you a good view of the road ahead. Side visibility is pretty good too. Visibility for reversing isn’t the greatest, but all trims have rear parking sensors as standard to ease the pain. The driver’s seat provides enough support for longer runs and your front seat passenger will be comfy too. Rear seat passengers? Well… moving swiftly on.

Other drawbacks include a lack of space to rest your left foot and steering wheel adjustment that’s a bit limited. The range-topping ‘La Prima’ trim brings seat-height adjustment, a central armrest and an ‘Eye Park Pack’, with more parking sensors/LED headlights for better visibility at night.

On The Road

The 500e feels immensely well suited to electric propulsion. Off the mark, it

feels lively but tempered. The electric motor has been calibrated to behave much like its petrol predecessor. It feels the same through the bends too, so there are no surprises. It’s a solid, refined little car.

The ride is reasonably comfortable and suits city driving well. It feels stable and at home on a dual carriageway at 70, although there’s a good amount of wind noise from those front pillars.

Out on the open road, through undulating bends, there’s a good amount of traction and it controls its understeer well. Our test car was the ‘La Prima’ model, with the 118hp motor and the 42kW, 195.8mile battery. 0-62 mph in 9 seconds (tempered, so as not to steal the Abarth’s thunder, I’d wager) and a top end of 93mph. Sticking it into ‘Sherpa’ mode

Pros

● Bags of character

● Fun to drive around town

● Economical to run and insure

Cons

● Could do with more range

● Noisy on the motorway

● Cost can stack up with options

Verdict

It’s not a cheap car to buy, when you add all the toys

dials back the top speed to 50mph and cuts down the aircon/heater output, to squeeze a few more miles out of the battery, but it doesn’t have the greatest range of a car in

– our top-spec model weighed in at £31,645. Rear seat/boot space is pretty limited and it’s not really a longdistance beasty. What it is, however, is an ideal companion for bimbling around town. It’s also a proper little fashion statement.

this class. You’ll therefore need to plan longer journeys with recharge stops in mind, which won’t be for everyone, but the 500e is a great city car, there’s no doubt.

Fiat 500e

Daniel Abrahams

IT’S THE time of year all eyes look towards Halton House as the RAF Sports Directorate announces its nominations for next months awards ceremony.

Director RAF Sport Rich Fogden said: “Across all our many sports we have seen another year of great team and individual performances, all facilitated by our brilliant coaches, officials and administrators.

“This year, again, there will be an award for our civilians involved in RAF Sport, and the RAF Central Fund Station Award, which we introduced two years ago.

“Be it archery, with a women’s UK top 10 individual in their ranks, through to the huge ultrarunning effort of the Britannia Run from Land’s End to John O’Groats, or the bottle-test of the men’s downhill ski team, or hard-won success of RAF Pumas ice hockey team, it promises to be an awards showing there really is something for everyone in RAF Sport.”

The day will feature six main categories:

In the Sportsman of the Year award Chf Tech Peter Ellis (triathlon), who can boast a top-10 European Middle-Distance duathlon championship finish, a first in the Powerman World Series in Gothenburg and Michigan, will be up against Olympic weightlifting star Cpl Michael Cutler and tennis stalwart FS Martyn Ledbury.

Cutler won both British Masters champion titles this year, leading to his selection as the first Aviator to represent GB in weightlifting, collecting a silver at the European Masters Weightlifting Championships in September.  Ledbury, who has worked tirelessly in his sport since

2005, played in both singles and doubles, resulting in the men’s team successfully winning this year’s Inter-Services at Wimbledon for the first time in 13 years.

RAF sports stars to be honoured at Halton House

In the Sportswoman of the Year category martial arts star Fg Off Natalie Marsh took not only her Service champion and IS title but won UKAF selection and became British GI champion. Her rise in her sport of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has been stellar this year, winning the IBJJF London International at Crystal Palace. She will be up against table tennis star AS1 Darcie Muggeson Proud and Flt Lt Olivia Henderson of the Waterskiing & Wakeboarding association.

Proud, a well-known player on the English table tennis circuit, ranking inside the Top 50 and Top 30 in England for senior & U21 females respectively, remained unbeaten this year claiming the ladies singles, ladies doubles and mixed doubles titles.Flt Lt Henderson has dominated the sport since arriving on the scene three years ago, winning the IS titles every year since, and taking the ladies team captaincy to boot.

In the Team of the Year category coarse angling team Drennan RAF made it three in a row of IS wins, despite the small size of the team it shines on the regional and national league circuit every year.

Drennan are up against RAF Motorsports Road Racing Team and RAF Esports Rocket League Team (Stormshadows) from the Video Gaming and Esports Association

The motorsports team have won the GB Racing Inter-Service (IS) Championship every year since 2020 and are on track to retain an unparalleled

fifth IS title in 2025.

Stormshadows shone early in the year, as six members of the team participated in Insomnia72 at the Birmingham NEC, placing fourth in a highly-competitive competition that included several professional National-level teams. In June, they came second at the Allied Forces Esports Invitational in Ramstein, against

teams from the US Air Force, US Coast Guard, French Air Force and British Army.

The day will also feature Coach and Official of the Year, Administrator, Civilian Volunteer and Lifetime Achievement awards.

The event will be screened live on BFBS Forces News on YouTube [details to be confirmed].

ROARING SUCCESS: Tennis stalwart FS Martyn Ledbury contributed to IS triumph

CAPTAIN MARVEL: Flt Lt Olivia Henderson

MASTER OF HIS ART: Cpl Mike Cutler

Daniel Abrahams

A BATTLING second place to the US Army was the reward for the Service’s esports team in the Code Bowl 2024 event in Washington.

RAF esports chair Flt Lt Stephen Rennie said: “Taking part in this event is a fantastic opportunity for the team; getting to foster new relationships with our allies and compete against the best in their field. I’m incredibly proud of the team’s performance and am looking forward to the next event.”

A field of top military teams and their influencers from around the globe did battle for the gaming trophy, which is seen as the apex event of the military esports calendar.

All three UK Services were involved in Code Bowl – the international Call of Duty showdown at the National Building Museum in Washington DC.

The hosts provided a stunning stage for the online virtual event featuring hundreds of computer screens and stations with the latest in gaming technology.

RAF team captain AS1 Jamie Griffith said: “It’s massive throughout the military with it being a worldwide event. It’s huge, both to represent the military and have them on that world stage, but also for us within the RAF.

ORIENTEERING

“It’s good to be role models or someone to look up to for those guys who are maybe just playing in their bedroom and they’ve never really thought about being competitive before, it’s good to

showcase that. The organisers are hoping the spotlight on this year’s tournament will encourage more military personnel and civilians to take up esports and go for glory in future years.”

TV’s SAS Who Dares Wins host Jason Fox was at the event

A NARROW margin saw the Service’s first urban orienteer team succumb to the Army in the IS championship urban edition at the Salford City Race.

Just 92 seconds was the difference between the Aviators and Army in the men’s team competition, with the RAF coming home in a total time of 3 hours 40 minutes 19 seconds over the 11km course.

The women’s event, which the RAF did not compete in due to operational commitments and injury, was won by the Army.

The race staged at the Salford City Race, a major fixture on the international City Race Euro Tour with more than 400 athletes competing, spanned three maps with the course taking in a mix of parkland and housing

developments before finishing at Media City on Salford Quays.

Men’s Individual Champion

Sqn Ldr Philip Johnston-Davis reflected: “There was less than 0.1 per cent difference between winning and runners-up time in

the men’s individual race today.

“Either of us could have hesitated, chosen a route that was slightly longer, run that tiny bit faster on a straight leg and that’s the fun – and pain – of the urban discipline.”

supporting the UK teams. He said: “It’s always good to have some form of virtual battlefield scenario training, because you’re making sure that the people who are involved in those virtual training sessions are aware of what they need to do when they actually get out on the ground. It can only be a brilliant thing.”

A FOGGY, wet and windy Yorkshire Dales could not dampen the ardour of RAF orienteer championship winners Sqn Ldr Philip Johnston-Davis and Flt Lt Charlie Elliss.

The duo won their titles on the technical Malham Moor course, which provided not only challenging conditions but a difficult moorland terrain.

RAF Orienteering captain

Sqn Ldr Rich Crabb said: “While it was difficult orienteering due to the weather and terrain, the challenge made it an enjoyable event.

“The training will help us put up a good fight against the other two services at the InterService Championships in December.”

The men’s event was raced across 9.4km with 360m of climb and the Ladies’ across

● Follow RAF Esports on twitch. tv/RAFEsports, on FaceBook @ RoyalAirForceEsports, Twitter @RAF_Esports and Instagram @esportsRAF.

A super Bowl second City slickers

5.9km and 180m of climb.

In a tight men’s competition Johnston-Davis finished in 92 minutes, while Elliss took the ladies’ crown in 97mins 18secs.

The pair gained automatic selection for the winter’s InterServices event.

URBAN WARRIORS: RAF teamed was pipped to the post by the Army

RIGHT TRACK: Elliss and Johnston-Davis

Aviators land IS Champs

RAF retain carp angling title

Daniel Abrahams TACTICAL CATCHING

secured the Inter-Service carp angling championships for the Service for a second year running at Brasenose 2 Linear Complex, Oxford.

After two days of tight competition the Aviators finished on seven points with the Army and Royal Navy on 11, but the silverware did not stop there, as the RAF took the best pair crown through FS Jim Thomas and FS

Ian Coleman, who hooked a total of 30 fish with a combined weight of 601lb 14oz.

With the lake divided into four sections, and a pair of anglers from each Service in each, points were awarded to each team dependent on how they fared: with first place equalling one point, second two and third three, while no fish caught equalled five points. The lowest total score wins.

The start to the two days of

action may have seemed ominous as the RAF were the last out of the draw for fishing swims.

Undaunted, they countered an early Army score of a 16lb mirror carp through Thomas landing a 24lb mirror and Coleman another mirror of 14lb. Almost instantly after, a 17lb mirror for Coleman gave the pair 55lb of fish in a 10-minute spell.

Highlight

The Royal Navy then produced a 71lb haul in section D with an immediate reply from Thomas and Coleman, which saw them post 12 fish on the scoreboard, one, a 31lb 4oz mirror, being a highlight for Thomas.

The second day’s action began with Sgts Martin Emery and Matt Whittaker landing two fish for 31lb 11oz in section B, the only pair to do so by then.

FS Matt Hunt and Sgt Tony Jones moved to second in section D with a very welcome 25lb 2oz mirror.

A brief spell of sunshine was capitalised on by Thomas and Coleman, with the dynamic duo producing scores as the night fell with an impressive 24 fish for 495lb. While in section A, WOs Reg Verney and Richard Cooke netted a lovely 31lb 7oz mirror, meaning the Service had scored in all four areas of the lake.

A slow night followed but as the morning began the Aviators led the team competition on seven points to the other two Services’ 11.

A huge RN haul caused panic in the final two hours of competition, it was not enough to alter the final score board and the RAF were home and hosed.

Golfers fail in their bid to win Inters once more

GOLF

THERE WAS a battling defeat for the Service’s men’s and women’s teams at the Inter-Service Championships at Formby Golf Club.

The men’s team, led by Flt Lt Tom Howells for the final time, were defending the IS title and, despite torrential rain, they

started well with a 10-5 defeat of the Royal Navy in the opening day’s action, before slipping to a 9.5-5.5 loss at the hands of the Army on the third day, following their defeat of the RN.

Flt Lt Howells said: “In what can only be described as biblical weather, the morning foursomes resulted in a tie (2.5-2.5), which

meant it was all to play for in the afternoon singles.

“The team demonstrated sheer grit and determination, winning 7.5 of the 10 available points from the singles session. Notable performances from the day were from Flt Lt Stu Hardy, Sgt Aaron Ashberry, Cpl Conner Campbell and AS1 Sam Whitaker, all winning two from two points.

“However, we only managed to win two of the five available points from the morning foursomes against the Army.

“This meant we went into the afternoon singles session requiring six points from the 10 available. Despite the team’s best efforts, the Army reigned supreme winning the afternoon session convincingly at 6.5-3.5.

“It’s been a privilege to captain

this team and I have no doubt they will be ready to regain the title next year at Saunton GC under new RAF captain Wg Cdr Jamie Nickless.”

The women’s team suffered back-to-back 8-4 defeats to the eventual winning Navy team and the runner-up Army side.

in

some

conditions.

was

and hopefully we’ll get to return one day. Congratulations to the Navy women for their strong performance and welldeserved win.”

Women’s captain Sgt Samantha Mudd said: “It was a great week with

incredible golf played

tough

Formby

excellent

THIRD: Women

MEN'S TEAM: Runners-up

TOP PAIRING: FS Ian Coleman and FS Jim Thomas in action at Linear Fisheries in Witney and, inset, with a catch

WONDER WOs: Richard Cooke and Reg Verney made big contribution

IN FOR A LONG NIGHT: WO Cooke

Who are ya?

‘We need to find our identity,’ says new rugby chief

RUGBY UNION

Daniel Abrahams

SERVICE RUGBY Union is on a search for its identity as new head coach FS Tom Gardner looks to cancel the boom and bust of previous IS seasons.

Gardner (below), who has been involved at all levels of the Service side, spoke to RAF News Sport about his plans for the coming season and beyond, as he looks to build the senior men’s team from the ground up.

He said: “I feel we need an identity – the Navy play a nice brand of rugby; they have players and coaches representing at all levels. The Army has talented players at all levels, and they know how to play in the moments that count.

“What is our

identity? Well, I want to create one. I want to go back to basics and set the building blocks.”

The Weapons and Survival Equipment Training Flight supervisor and former Henley Hawks coach played in the Inter-Service championshipwinning team of 2015, and coached defence and attack in the 2018 winning side.

He said: “As a Service, we do not carry on with our success.

We have won the Inters three

times in the last 30 years, there is a fundamental issue there then isn’t there? To never build on that – boom to bust.”

Gardner has a deep love of Service sport and its value as a retention and recruitment tool.

He said: “I know the true value of Service sport. I also think we must invest in our youth.

“This impacts when we win things, as players retire straight afterwards. I want to have winning players who are mid20s, it means we can continue as winners the following seasons.”

He added: “I need to review the current squad to make sure they are right for our new identity.

“I have not had a chance to meet the players yet. We have chatted on social media but at our first camp together and game at Rams RFC in October I will spell out my plans face to face.

“Winning starts with how the coaching team conduct themselves, how the players conduct themselves.

“We will live by the standards we set, and we will honour those

standards. We are a military rugby team after all.”

● Follow RAF Rugby Union on Instagram @RAFRugbyUnion

● RAFRU v USAF, Nov 12, 2024 Aldershot Military Stadium, KO:7pm.

● RAFRU v Leicester Lions RAFC Nov 27, Weistleigh Park, KO:7pm.

Leeming & Brize Norton triumph at Festival of Football FOOTBALL

Daniel Abrahams

THE SERVICE’S Festival of Football saw Leeming and Brize Norton winning the men’s and women’s five-a-side cup titles respectively.

Hosted at Star City Birmingham and played over 10 rooftop pitches, the annual event is the first of the big grassroots events held throughout the year.

The festival saw 23 teams from across the Service, consisting of more than 150 personnel, battle it out for bragging rights, starting with the group stages in the morning and knockout stages in the afternoon.

Event spokesman Sqn Ldr Mark Smales said: “It was a fantastic day in Birmingham, full of the fun, competitiveness and team spirit that we have come to expect and admire from RAF Football.”

The afternoon knockout matches were hotly contested. In the men’s plate, Cosford triumphed over Wittering.

In the men’s cup, Leeming were victorious over Marham, while in the women’s cup Marham lost to a strong team from RAF Brize Norton.

AS1 Kian Mainka (Leeming) and AS1 Meg Herbert (Brize Norton), won male and female player of the tournament.

Afterwards, the draws for the first rounds of the 11-a-side RAF Cup were held, with stations finding out who they would face in their initial matches to reach next May’s RAF Finals, the next big grassroots event on the Service footballing calendar.

MORE OF THIS: Fresh Inter-Services glory is needed, like when Gardner (5th from left) helped lift the trophy in 2015 FIXTURES

● RAFRU v Ram RFC, Oct 23, 2024, Old Bath Road, Reading, KO:7pm.

WINNERS: Maggie Appleton of the RAF Museum presents cup to Leeming men and, left, plate winners Cosford

In a league of their own

IS glory for first time in 8 years

RUGBY LEAGUE

Daniel Abrahams

FOUR UNANSWERED firsthalf tries set the stall for the RAF men’s rugby league team’s first Inter-Service Championship in eight years, beating the Army 24-12.

Having defeated the Royal Navy in the opening the game of the series, Sgt James Hutchinson’s charges opened the final match of the 2024 event in style in Wakefield, with Cpl Will Lamont opening the scoring before

put in a lot of hard work and commitment this year.

captain Sgt Liam Bradley ran in the second try.

Lamont completed his brace before AS1 Kieran Prescott touched down to make it 20-0 at the break.

Hutchinson said: “I was absolutely made up with the result, we’ve been really close for a few years but just come up short, so we’re thrilled to get the job done this time. The lads have

“They’ve really bought into what we’re trying to achieve and they thoroughly deserve to finish as Inter-Service champions.

“In the game the Army did exactly what we thought they would, they bounced back from their defeat to the Navy and came out and gave us a tough match. It was a game of two halves, we were on top and feeling comfortable at half time with a nice lead, then the Army really came after us in the second half. But we showed

the same determination and attitude towards our defence that we did against the Navy, and that’s what pulled us through in the end.”

A battling second half saw the Army post two excellent tries to begin a fightback, but Prescott produced a jinking run to score the fifth and final try for the Aviators and wrestle the title back to light blue hands for the first time since 2016.

Captain Bradley said: “It’s unbelievable. It has been a long time waiting and it is now an

amazing feeling to finally get this under our belts.

“The first 40 minutes it seemed like we couldn’t do anything wrong, but then we knew they would come back, and they did. We dug deep to get the win.”

Having won their opening clash over the Navy, the RAF women’s side could not make it an IS winning one two at Wakefield. Facing an Army team who were looking to make it 15 Championship titles in a row, the RAF lost 32-0.

Ross ends his Service days on the crest of a wave

WATERSPORTS

Daniel Abrahams

A DOMINANT RAF stormed to Inter-Services team glory after winning all three days of heated wakeboard and waterski competition at Box End Aqua Park in Bedford. In what was Air Force wakeboard legend Sgt Ross Phillips’ last outing in RAF colours, the Aviators had to be on their collective game to hold off ever improving Army and Royal Navy teams and defend the title for a fourth year.

Ross, who was competing on his last day of RAF service.

“He has been a stalwart who is a massively wellrespected member of the RAF wakeboard community. He will be missed by his colleagues.”

Dominant from the off, the men’s team took all five top spots; Gp Capt Andy Fell scooping the men’s title and joined on the podium by Sgt Gav Harrison and Sgt Pete Glassman.

Flt Lt Francesca KennardKettle said: “The team win was especially sweet for us and for

In the women’s event Fg Off Lucy Carter was the RAF’s outstanding rider of the day, taking the women’s title with runs that would have won either event by some margin.

Day two saw the boat

competition and in a close-fought women’s event, Sqn Ldr Emma Phillips (Ross’s wife) took silver

of the six top spots.

Sgt Rich Phillips, Ross’s brother, took the title with Flt Lt Aran McGuckin getting silver and Ross bronze.

Buoyed by their successes over the previous two days, the men’s team continued their domination on the final day in the cable event, with all five riders placing in the top seven slots.

McGuckin stepped up from silver behind the boat to take the men’s title, followed by Ross Phillips and Flt Lt Alex Braybrook, taking silver and bronze medals respectively.

In the women’s event, KennardKettle took her second bronze of the championships.

The men’s title was a landslide, while the women finished second to the Army, meaning the combined points tally saw the Aviators retain the overall team title and championship.

LEADING BY EXAMPLE: Captain Sgt Liam Bradley, above, scored the second try. Left, the RAF Rugby League team celebrate winning the Inter-Services PHOTOS: SBS

with Kennard-Kettle bronze. In the men’s the RAF again took five

SGT ROSS PHILLIPS

AIRBORNE: Flt Lt Lewis Jobbling performs a jump

LTH V S HEAL H.

WHEN: WHERE: CONTACT:

Film Review

Cyborg: A Documentary (12A) In cinemas now

Neil adds some colour to his life

CYBORG: A Docu-mentary follows visual artist Neil Harbisson, the world’s first officially recognised cyborg. Born without the ability to perceive colour, Neil decided to have a sensor installed directly into his skull which would allow him to hear colour as a sound frequency. This procedure, carried out unofficially after being rejected by the bio-ethical comity in his native Catalonia, has resulted in a permanent antenna that extends from the top of his head like an anglerfish’s lure, which he can direct to particular areas or coil up under a hat if he wishes to be incognito.

Through a series of interviews and talks, we learn how it works and why he chose this extreme

Comedy Ben Elton UK tour

LOOKING AHEAD:

Comedy king will be eligible for his state pension next year, but aims to keep working

modification, while delving into the greater implications of his unique sensory experience. Celebrated by some and ridiculed by others, Neil’s transformation sparks debate on what it means for the future of humanity, with reactions ranging from admiration to death threats.

Initially, Neil’s goal was to expand his perception yet his transformation has led to a life of both celebrity and ‘transspecies’ advocacy. His appearance inevitably attracts attention – warning that he has to stay clear of drunk strangers who try to tug on it.

Setting up the Cyborg Foundation with his close friend and fellow activist Moon Ribas, together they promote the use of cybernetics, merging technology

No plans to pension Ben Elton off just yet

COMEDIAN BEN ELTON has extended his sold-out Authentic Stupidity tour into 2025 due to huge demand for tickets. The 34 new dates now take the tour to 82 shows across the UK and Ireland until February 27, 2025, including a West End run at the Duke of York’s Theatre from January 13-18.

Elton said: “Next year is shaping up to be huge for me. Not only is my tour being extended, but I also become eligible for my state pension. Now that’s proper rock'n'roll.”

His multi-award-winning career spans over four decades and includes seminal and groundbreaking television shows (The

Young Ones, Blackadder, Upstart Crow), West End plays (Popcorn, Upstart Crow), West End musicals (We Will Rock You, The Beautiful Game, Close Up: The Twiggy Musical), bestselling novels (Stark, Dead Famous, Two Brothers) and feature films (Maybe Baby, Three Summers, All is True).

In October last year, Elton returned to Channel 4 for a one-off revival of Friday Night Live to rave reviews. The reincarnation of the original smash-hit Saturday Night Live was critically acclaimed and he won the BAFTA for Comedy Entertainment Programme 2023. ● Go to: benelton. live for all tour dates and booking details.

with the human body to enhance perception and evolve the species – whether through a chip that vibrates when you face north or a Solar Crown that heats up points around your head to tell the time. According to Neil, these innovations represent an expansion of human senses,

pushing the boundaries of human experience. His sincerity is underscored by his friendship with Ribas, who shares both his independent spirit and an eccentric bowl-cut hairstyle. This peculiar fashion choice subtly suggests cyborgism is, in part, a cultural statement.

Comedy Sophie McCartney UK tour

Sophie's ready to rave... or for comfy slippers

AWARD-WINNING

comedian, podcaster and bestselling author Sophie McCartney has announced her biggest tour to date with new show One Foot In The Rave

After a record-breaking debut international tour last year, Sophie is preparing to head out across the UK in 2025 with comfy slippers and a glitterball in hand.

Audiences may be familiar with Sophie after she successfully built up a loyal fan base online with her Tired and Tested sketches. One Foot In The Rave tackles the next stage in her life and begins to ask the all-important questions as she enters a new era. What does life look like when you’re too old to be young, but too young to be old? Is it bad if you’re secretly thrilled when a friend cancels plans? Is growing old gracefully really better than a little synthetic help?

The mum-of-three said: “I’m so excited to be heading out on

tour again, if nothing else so I get four nights a week in a hotel room on my own. This show is really close to my heart, and whether you’re at the same stage of life as me, a little further on, or worried about getting anywhere near middle age – I want you to leave thinking ‘Wow, it’s really not that bad… and also, salmon sperm under the eyes… who knew?!’"

She added: “The energy of the last show was incredible, and this time I’m going one slippered step further. I like to think of myself as the ultimate instigator of the mum’s night out. So, sort your babysitter, sink some prosecco, and I’ll do the rest… apart from hold your hair back.”

The tour starts on February 26 and runs until October 10 with a break over the summer.

● Go to: sophiemccartney.com for further details.

While Cyborg’s drawn-out interview style feels stretched and repetitive, it touches on some interesting ideas that are worth thinking about if this is the shape of our future.

Review by Sam Cooney

Two roundels out of five

SENSOR: Antenna makes Neil stand out from the crowd, but means he must avoid drunks

Exhibitions

Vanessa Bell: A World of Form and Colour MK Gallery, Milton Keynes, October 19 to February 23, 2025

THE MOST comprehensive survey ever of the work of artist Vanessa Bell, a central figure of the famous Bloomsbury Group, opens at MK Gallery, Milton Keynes on October 19, running until February 23, 2025.

Through her pioneering work at the forefront of British abstraction, Vanessa Bell: A World of Form and Colour presents a picture of the entire range of her practice through more than 120 works, covering paintings, drawings, furniture, ceramics, designs for murals, advertising and book covers.

Born in London in 1879, Bell died in Sussex in 1961. Along with her sister, the writer Virginia Woolf, and fellow painter Duncan Grant, she played a major role in the Bloomsbury Group – artists, writers and intellectuals who lived and worked in the Bloomsbury district of central London.

Theatre Here You Come Again UK tour

Spotlight falls on Bloomsbury Grp's Bell Good golly,

A spokesperson for MK Gallery said: “Bell’s role in creating the conditions in which artistic practice could flourish, from the Friday Club to Omega

Workshop, has left an indelible mark on the history of British art.

“The exhibition includes major loans from public and private collections including

The Courtauld in London, which is currently showing a focused display of her works from their collection.”

● Go to: mkgallery.org for more details.

BEFORE IT hits the West End the musical Here You Come Again, featuring country music superstar Dolly Parton’s biggest hits, is on its first nationwide tour.

The show, which had several successful runs across the United States, was originally written by multi-Emmy award-winning comedy and songwriter Bruce Vilance with Gabriel Barre (also the director) and writer and actor Tricia Paoluccio (who cowrites and stars as Dolly).

Top British TV and theatre writer Jonathan Harvey (Gimme, Gimme, Gimme and Coronation Street), has provided additional material for the production’s UK run.

Alongside Tricia, West End star Steven Webb (Oliver! Book of Mormon) plays Kevin, a 40-year-old ‘has-beenwho-never-was’ comedian in the new musical.

through trying times. He has just separated from his long-time boyfriend, Jeremy, an investment banker, and is in quarantine in the attic bedroom of his childhood home in Yorkshire. Surrounded by precious belongings from his youth, he is reunited with a much-loved old record player and his cherished Dolly albums.

Kevin (left) remembers the hard times those songs helped him through in the past and counts on them to help him again. With her wit, humour and charm, Dolly teaches him a whole lot about life, love and how to pull yourself up by your bootstraps… even if your bootstraps don’t have rhinestones. Steven explained:

Fully authorised by Dolly herself, it’s packed with her favourite songs including Jolene, 9 to 5, Islands in the Stream, I Will Always Love You and, of course, Here You Come Again

Set during the Covid 2020 lockdown, it tells the story of diehard fan Kevin whose imagined version of Dolly Parton gets him

“Kevin is an aspiring comedian and he works at a comedy club in London, but he’s one of those people who are naturally hilarious when he’s not trying to be. Then when he tries to make you laugh it’s met with silence, and I think that there’s something so endearing about people like that. He wants to be funny but when he tries, he’s not funny at all.

“His narcissistic boyfriend has just broken up with him. They were isolating together and now he has to be sequestered to his parents’ attic back in Halifax, where he has all

Vanessa Bell, Self-Portrait, c. 1958, Charleston Trust. © Estate of Vanessa Bell. All rights reserved

Vanessa Bell, The Pond at Charleston, c . 1916, Charleston Trust. © Estate of Vanessa Bell. All rights reserved

golly, it's Dolly

Apparition of blonde country singer helps down-on-his-luck Kev through dark Covid days

of his old childhood memorabilia. It used to be his den and it’s especially full of his old Dolly Parton memorabilia, being that he’s a superfan.”

He added: “Kevin starts to selfmedicate and he’s having a bit of a rough time. He loses his job, he’s lost his relationship, and he’s surrounded by all these childish things. He’s a bit down and out and feels like he has nothing. Then he puts on Dolly’s Here You Come Again album.

“She materialises and almost stages an intervention to help him through this time using tough love. She doesn’t solve anything for him, she just gives him pointers. There’s a line in one of her songs, Better Get To Living, which is about how all healing has to start with you. The show is about that journey of self-recovery and self-discovery and listening to that inner positive voice.”

Steven, who was in The Book of Mormon for almost seven years, revealed that he is a huge Dolly Parton fan.

He said: “She’s always refused

to be confined to the parameters presented to her. Even some of her earlier songs, like Dumb Blonde and Just Because I’m A Woman, are about taking a swipe at the gender divide and the inequalities of the world. She has this unflinching non-conformist attitude and she’s managed to maintain that message.

“For the queer community we see someone who demands respect, ignores gender expectations and promotes love and tolerance whilst remaining true to and promoting her faith. She’s proof that kindness is key. She’s such a role model in that way.

“Dolly is just this almost perfect human being and she’s an inspiration in the way she carries herself and how she lives her life.”

The tour runs until February 22, 2025 and dates include The Lowry, Salford (October 29-November 2), Milton Keynes Theatre (Nov 1923), Liverpool Empire (December 3-7) and London’s Riverside Studios (Dec 10-January 18, 2025).

● Go to: hereyoucomeagain.co.uk for ticket details.

Arnhem: Black Tuesday/The Cauldron/The Last Para penguin.co.uk

Op Market Garden: a fresh perspective

LAST MONTH saw the 80th anniversary of Operation Market Garden, the wartime Allied invasion of the Netherlands.

The brutal nine-day battle for Arnhem in September 1944 – immortalised in the film A Bridge Too Far – was part of an ill-fated plan to force a route into Germany.

The RAF played a critical role in the Operation providing air transport and towing gliders carrying troops, equipment and supplies. They conducted sorties to drop airborne forces behind enemy lines and supplied reinforcements.

By the end of the week, Arnhem remained in Nazi hands and nearly 2,000 Commonwealth and Allied soldiers had been killed.

In his new book Al Murray, best known as a comedian for his character The Pub Landlord and co-host, with fellow bestselling military author James Holland of the World War II history podcast We Have Ways of Making You Talk, takes a close look at one day during the Battle of Arnhem – September 19, 1944, known as Black Tuesday.

One of the best-known stories in British military history, the Battle of Arnhem was a daring but doomed attempt to secure a vital bridgehead across the Rhine in order to end the war before Christmas 1944.

By focusing on the events of one day as they happened through the eyes of the participants and without bringing any knowledge of what would happen tomorrow to bear, in Arnhem: Black Tuesday (penguin.co.uk), Murray offers a very different perspective on a familiar narrative.

For your chance to win a copy of this gripping Sunday Times bestseller, answer this question correctly:

What is the name of the podcast Al Murray co-hosts?

Email your answer, marked Al Murray book competition, to: tracey.allen@rafnews.co.uk or post it to: RAF News, Room 68, Lancaster Building, HQ Air Command, High Wycombe HP14 4UE, to arrive by November 1.

REPUBLISHED FOR the first time in 40 years, The Cauldron by Zeno (penguin.co.uk), with an introduction by comedian and military historian Al Murray, has been called the most realistic and compelling novel of WWII.

It’s the story of a platoon of British paratroopers dropped 60 miles behind German lines into the bloody maelstrom that Arnhem became in September 1944.

With the end of the war in sight, the Allies make one bold bet to end it before Christmas. But it is a bet doomed to failure… Zeno is the pseudonym of soldier and novelist Gerald Lamarque, who fought at Arnhem.

To be in with a chance of winning a copy of this impressive novel, tell us: What was Zeno’s real name?

Email your answer, marked The Cauldron competition, to Tracey Allen at the email address on page 2 or post it to our usual address (see page 2) to arrive by November 1.

WE ALSO have copies of The Last Para by John Humphreys with Stuart Tootal (penguin.co.uk) up for grabs.

It’s the final first-hand account of the Battle of Arnhem Bridge by former paratrooper Humphries, who, aged 101, began to write his extraordinary story with the help of bestselling author and former paratrooper Tootal.

By the war’s end Humphreys had jumped into Arnhem with the Parachute Regiment to spearhead the attack on the bridge. For days he and the rest of his squad held on, outnumbered and outgunned by the German army fighting to the last bullet and refusing to surrender.

Twice captured as a prisoner of war, he twice escaped from the enemy to make his way back to Allied lines in order to rejoin the fight. To win a copy of this powerful story, tell us:

How old was John Humphreys when he began writing the book?

Email your answer, marked The Last Para, to the email address above or post it to our usual address (see above) to arrive by November 1.

GUARDIAN ANGEL: Dolly (Tricia Paoluccio) appears to watch over Kevin (Steven Webb)

Your Announcements

You can email photos for announcements on this page to: tracey.allen@rafnews.co.uk

Seeking

I am searching for Ivan Spring, a South African Airman who was based at RAF Marham in the 1950s for my mum, maiden name Susan Clarke (now Susan Bennett) who has dementia. She recalls Ivan fondly and has photos of when she went to visit his family in South Africa but doesn't appear to have any photos of him. She lived in Cambridge when she knew Ivan and her mother worked as a housemistress at Queens’ College. It would be lovely to find out what happened to him and complete the story. If anyone can help, please email: beckygoff542@gmail.com or telephone: 07985 424308.

Memorial service

MEMORIAL Service for Sqn Ldr PA Goodwin, RAF, Wednesday, November 27 at 1100, The RAF Church, St Clement Danes, The Strand, London, WC2. All colleagues/former colleagues welcome. Dress code: civilian attire, smart casual.

Reunions

28TH entry RAF Cosford, June 1956 to November 1957. Trade Group 19. How many of us left? Contact: David Slough. d.slough@outlook.com

CALLING all former TG11 T/phonist, TPOs, Tels, Wop Spec, TCO, TCC, TRC, all are welcome to attend the TG11 Association reunion to be held Friday, March 21 to Sunday March 23, 2025, at the Marriott Delta Hotels Nottingham Belfry, Mellors Way, off Woodhouse Way, Nottingham NG8 6PY. See website: tg11association.com.

Associations

WHAT do you know about the

How to use our service

2 Halifax RAF Sqns 346 and 347 which flew from RAF Elvington near York in World War II? Why not join the Sud-Ouest France Branch of RAFA to find out more? You will be welcomed with open arms or un Accueil Chaleureux! For further details contact Terry Dennett at Admin@Rafsudouest. fr or call: 0033546953889

RAF Armourers past and present: RAF Association’s Armourers Branch aims to provide welfare support and comradeship for all who have served or currently serve as an RAF Armourer. See: rafaarmourers.co.uk or contact the committee via email: plumbersrest@outlook.com.

30 Sqn RAF Association. Reunion and Dinner April 2526, 2025. Contact Tony Main at: 30sqnassnchair@gmail.com. All previous Sqn members welcome.

THE Association of RAF Women Officers (ARAFWO) is a lively, friendly, world-wide networking group. Visit our website: arafwo. co.uk and discover the benefits of membership, plus see what activities and events we offer all over the world.

SUAS – have you been a member of Southampton University Air Squadron as a student or staff member? If so, please join our Facebook page, ‘Southampton UAS Association’ or email: 6FTSSUASAdmin@mod.gov.uk to join our association community so that we can welcome you back.

IF you trained as an RAF Administrative Apprentice (or are related to one) we would be delighted to welcome you to the RAFAA Association. Please see: rafadappassn.org; or contact the Membership Secretary on: 07866 085834 or the Chairman on: 01933 443673.

RAF Catering Warrant Officers’ and Seniors’ Association: 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 with a vibrant gathering of retired and serving members. So why not come along and join us? For more information send an email to: janedjones6@ btinternet.com. The first year of membership is free.

RAF Physical Training Instructors Association holds an Annual Dinner and AGM over a weekend plus locally organised events. Please contact RAFPTIA Honorary Secretary Denise Street-Brown on: ptisec@ outlook.com for membership enquiries. To become a member of the Association you will have had to have successfully passed the RAF Physical Training Instructors Basic Training Course. The Association was formed in 1996 to bring together serving and retired PTIs.

RAF Music Services live

THE public has the chance to see RAF musicians perform live this autumn with various dates around the country. They include RAF Swing Wing at the Terry O’Toole Theatre, Lincoln on October 25, the Band of the RAF Regiment at the Performing Arts Centre, Huntingdon on October 26 and the Central Band of the RAF at the Winston Churchill Hall Theatre, Ruislip on November 15. The Band of the RAF College are at Newark Palace Theatre on November 21 and the Band of the RAF Regiment at the Winston Churchill Hall Theatre, Ruislip on December 6. Go to: raf.mod. uk/display-teams-raf-musicservices/live-dates/ for ticket details.

RAF Wainfleet

LOOKING for photos/ memorabilia/stories from RAF Wainfleet. The current owner of the tower would love you to get in touch. Please contact: willroughton@hotmail.com.

There is no charge for conventionally-worded birth, engagement, marriage, anniversary, death,in memoriamseeking 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 or by post to: Announcements, RAF News, Room 68, HQ Air Command, High Wycombe, HP14 4UE.

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.

Fund launches new welfare hub

THE RAF Benevolent Fund has launched its fourth RAF Veterans' Welfare Hub in collaboration with Montrose Air Station Heritage Museum, the oldest operational airfield in Britain.

The new Hub, located in the museum’s library, provides information on the Fund’s welfare support services available to members of the RAF family, including veterans and their families.

Gavin Davey, pictured above, right, the RAFBF’s Director for Scotland, Northern Ireland and

North East England, said: “We are delighted to have opened our fourth Veterans' Welfare Hub in Scotland.

“Our Hubs exist to inform museum visitors about the help available to RAF veterans and their families, enabling them, whether a veteran or not, to spread the word about the Fund to their families and local community, with hopes to reach more RAF veterans in need across Scotland.”

● Go to: rafbf.org for more information.

CELEBRATION: Birthday girl Freda at Halton; inset, during her RAF Service

A RARE gathering of RAF and RAF-trained dental hygienists and dental technicians met at the Royal Air Forces Association Club, RAF Halton, last month to celebrate the 90th birthday of a stalwart of dentistry in the Service.

Sqn Ldr (Ret’d) Freda

Rimini led the RAF training of dental hygienists at the Buckinghamshire station for 24 years. She spent some of her 35-year career training Navy candidates while on detachment to the Royal Navy. The special birthday party helped to raise £400 for RAFA.

Your Announcements

You can email photos for announcements on this page to: tracey.allen@rafnews.co.uk

Fun event for Service kids

FORTY MILITARY children from Oxfordshire schools came together in Carterton, near RAF Brize Norton, recently for a special charity workshop.

Organised by Oxfordshire County Council, in collaboration with Tri-Service children’s charity Little Troopers, pupils from St Kenelm’s CE Primary School near Witney and St Peter’s CE Primary School, Alvescot, whose parents are in the UK Armed Forces, took part in the interactive event at the Millennium Amenities Centre.

Presented online by TV broadcasters Katie Thistleton and Frankie Vu, the day included games, drawings, movement, mindfulness and other fun activities, which encouraged the children to explore the challenges they sometimes face, such as being separated from a parent due to an overseas deployment or military exercise, as well as frequently moving home and school.

Louise Fetigan, founder of Little Troopers, said: “Our aim as a charity is to ensure that all schools – no matter how many

SUPPORTING MILITARY CHILDREN: Youngsters at the Little Troopers workshop

Service children they have on roll – recognise the challenges military children face and are well-equipped to provide tailored support to these children whenever they might need it.”

The workshop was funded by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust as part of Oxfordshire County Council’s long-term commitment to supporting

Service children across the county.

The charity has a dedicated Little Trooper at School programme, created to give all schools easily accessible resources to support military children in the classroom.

Go to: littletroopers.net for more information.

THE CENTRAL Church of the RAF, St Clement Danes in The Strand, London, is holding its annual Friends Concert on November 28, starting at 7pm.

Tickets for the concert are free (a donation to the Friends is suggested) and can be booked in advance by emailing Simon Denny: dennysj12@gmail.com or will be available on the door.

Prof Denny said: “The Friends Concert is renowned for the outstandingly high quality of its music, and this year promises to

be no exception.

“The Central Band of the RAF and the choir of St Clement Danes (made up of opera singers) will be performing some seasonal musical favourites, as well as exciting new works. After the concert, refreshments will be provided.

“We hope to welcome fellow RAF News readers to the concert and share with them what has rightly been described by one critic as ‘the musical highlight of the year’.”

Friends Concert at RAF Church

PHOTO: KATIE AMANDA

HIGH QUALITY: RAF musicians will perform at St Clement Danes next month

Prize Crossword No.

371

Solve the crossword, then rearrange the 9 letters in yellow squares to find an RAF aircraft Across

1. Photo of crossbar (1-3)

8. Agreeable instruments? (10)

9. And 12 Across. RAF plane slouched, honked discordantly (8,6)

10. Sounds like a fruity couple (4)

12.See 9 Across

14.And 17 Across. Recent RAF exercise featuring Highland boar? (6,6)

15. Wood for 1000 found in Roman river (6)

17.See 14 Across

18. Fly in the evening naturally (4)

19. Fungi she chopped according to Chinese art (4,4)

21. Laser weapon used in ‘Game of Thrones’? (10)

22. At first, Descartes examined ethical philosophy from top to bottom (4)

2. Agitate our violent uprising (10)

3. Jerk from New York? (4)

4. Loose stones offer northern protection (6)

5. Probably, direct approval (6)

6. High-fliers aim for these tunes about wine (8)

7. Russia, lacking Artificial Intelligence, forms red federation (4)

11. Equine data proves ineffective (10)

13. South African program on period of vandalism (8)

16. Touch up Whistler in original exhibition (6)

17. Courtly sport (6)

18. Idols travel outside Des Moines (4) 20. Get rid of outhouse (4)

The winners of our Prize Crossword and Prize Su Doku puzzles will receive a recent top military title – please send your entries to the address printed in the adjacent Su Doku panel, to arrive by November 1, 2024.Prize Crossword No. 370 winner is: Elaine Harris, Cheltenham.

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.

Solutions should be sent in a sealed envelope marked 'Su Doku' with the number in the top left-hand corner to: RAF News, Room 68, Lancaster Building, HQ Air Command, High Wycombe, Bucks, HP14 4UE, to arrive by November 1, 2024. The winner of Su Doku No: 379 is: A Coxon, Surrey.

Prize Su Doku

No. 381

Music

Sports Team New album and tour

MERCURY PRIZE-

nominated six-piece Sports Team (above) have announced that their hotly anticipated new album, Boys These Days, is set for release on February 28, 2025.

The news comes alongside details of the band’s 10-date UK tour kicking off in Manchester on November 14 and culminating in a show at London’s O2 Forum on November 24. Their single I’m In Love (Subaru), released in the summer, revealed a dramatic shift of gear in Sports Team’s songwriting on Boys These Days, their third album.

“The song captures that tension between those glossy inanimate objects you can project any desire onto versus all the stuff that creeps in behind it,” said vocalist Alex Rice. “It should be a very uncomplicated love song, talking about cars and how people perceive their relationships, but with humanity, nothing is ever that simple.”

Boys These Days is available to pre-order on CD, vinyl and cassette as well as a number of exclusive limited edition formats.

● Go to: sportsteamband for full tour information.

IKiss Me Kate From November 17

F YOU missed the chance to see Line of Duty star Adrian Dunbar on stage in the musical Kiss Me Kate this summer, don’t worry – the hit production has been filmed for the big screen and will be released in cinemas from November 17.

Dunbar made his musical theatre debut in the role of Fred Graham/Petruchio, heading the cast with Broadway musical superstar and Tony Award winner Stephanie J Block making her West End debut as Lilli Vanessi/ Katharine.

Dunbar said: “I’m delighted that Kiss Me Kate will continue its journey onto the big screen this November. We had a great three months at the Barbican and I thoroughly enjoyed treading the musical theatre boards for the first time. It’s exciting news that even more people will have the opportunity to see the show in cinemas across the UK, Ireland and beyond.”

Block added: “I had such a wonderful time performing at the Barbican this summer, so I’m delighted that the production was recorded for cinema release and will now be enjoyed by an

even wider audience, including cinema goers in the USA.”

The cast also features Peter Davison (Dr Who/All Creatures Great and Small) as the General, Charlie Stemp (Crazy For You, Mary Poppins) as Bill Calhoun and rising star Georgina Onuorah (The Wizard of Oz/Oklahoma!) as Lois Lane/Bianca.

Kiss Me Kate has been described as a show within a

show, whisking the audience into a world of backstage chaos and romantic entanglements as a theatre company attempt to put on a production of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. The battle of the sexes takes centre stage as former spouses feud, only to find the off-stage antics rival the on-stage drama.

● Go to: KissMeKateCinema. com for ticket and venue details.

COMPLICATED RELATIONSHIP: Katherine (Block) and Petruchio (Dunbar)