RAF News Edition 1557, 7th April 2023

The Forces' favourite paper

l See R'n'R page 3

Giant of comedy classics

Win! Win!

l See R'n'R page 8

Friday, 7 April, 2023 No. 1557 £1.20

From crippling the WWII Nazi war machine to fighting Daesh in Iraq

Cokaynes

a top team

Dambusters 80th Nordic alliance

Gridiron

Forces first

Rugby Boxing

l See page 29

Lyall makes RAF history

l See page 27 l

AIR FORCE Typhoons have been flying alongside jets from Nato’s latest member country in Estonia.

British and German Eurofighters on an integrated detachment at Amari Air Base flew training sorties alongside four Finnish Air Force F/A-18C Hornets.

The exercise came just days before Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg confirmed all 30 Allies had ratified the accession protocol allowing

Helsinki to formally join the pact.

The training also involved four Dutch F-35As, two Polish F-16s, two French Rafales and two US F-15 Strike Eagles, alongside a German A400M tanker.

Detachment Commander Wg Cdr Scott Maccoll (right) said: “This sevennation event demonstrates the RAF’s flexibility to concurrently deliver the Air Policing Mission, whilst training with Allies.”

The exercise was the first time

Confirming Finland’s accession, Mr Stoltenberg said the country had highly capable forces, advanced capabilities and strong democratic institutions.

“All Allies made a historic decision last year to invite Finland and Sweden to join our Alliance.

“Since then, we have seen the fastest ratification process in Nato’s

CAS Designate Air Marshal Sir Richard Knighton

modern history,” he said.

“I look forward to also welcoming Sweden as a full member of the Nato family as soon as possible.”

Earlier, Air Force commanders from Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark signed a letter of intent to create a unified Nordic air defence to counter the rising threat from Russia. The move makes available a combined fleet of more than 300 jets for operations, comparable to the Air Force of a large European country. See p2

" I am enormously proud to lead our people and will work tirelessly to support them... "

Simon Mander

Finnish F/A-18s have flown from Amari Air Base since the Covid pandemic.

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New CAS makes history

Simon Mander

THE ROYAL Air Force is to be led by a non-pilot for the first time in its history.

Engineer Air Marshal Sir Richard Knighton is to succeed Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston in the summer – breaking the tradition of aircrew only in the top job.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: “I am delighted to congratulate AM Sir Richard Knighton on his promotion and appointment in June as CAS.

“As the first ground branch officer to command his Service, his appointment marks a new milestone for the RAF.

“Under Sir Richard’s leadership, the RAF will be in excellent hands. He takes up his appointment at a crucial moment as it evolves to meet future threats while continuing to conduct operations to protect our security and support our allies and partners.”

Brought up in Derbyshire and educated at the local secondary school, AM Knighton joined the RAF in 1988 as a university cadet and studied engineering at

Clare College Cambridge. He has worked on Nimrod, Tornado and Harrier and is a former Station Commander at Wittering.

As Deputy Commander Capability and People, he is responsible for ensuring the Service delivers air and space power and influence around the world.

Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin said: “The first engineer to lead his Service, he is just the person to seize the extraordinary technological opportunities that await the RAF, to become even more lethal and agile, and to reach even further into cyber and space.”

AM Sir Richard said he was deeply honoured to get the top job when the RAF was operating the most advanced capability in its history. He said: “The Prime Minister was clear in the Integrated Review Refresh that the world is now more volatile and contested. Air and Space power are critical to defending the UK, its interests and our allies.

“I am delighted to be given the opportunity to build on the modernisation and phenomenal operational success led by my predecessor.”

Frank Whittle ground tests his first gas-turbine engine with a single stage centrifugal compressor coupled to a single stage turbine.

“

To be continuing this legacy in the RAF makes me very proud”

“I’ve studiously tried not to label it as standup comedy

“I hope to inspire the next generation of female rugby players

TOP JOB: AM Sir Richard Knighton will take up the post of Chief of the Air Staff in June this year, replacing outgoing chief Sir Mike Wigston

THE VICTOR enters service with 10 Sqn at Cottesmore, completing the trio of UK V-Force bombers.

Brunei Blackhawk handover

Simon Mander

A RAF helicopter instructor has handed over the hot seat after four years training Blackhawk crews to conduct search and rescue operations in the tropical rainforests of southeast Asia.

Flt Lt Gareth Cone has been teaching on 11 Sqn as a member of the Royal Brunei Air Force on a unique posting since 2019.

But now he is handing over the call sign ‘Cobra 10’ to his successor Merlin and Chinook veteran Flt Lt Paul Medford.

Flt Lt Cone said: “It has been a real honour to be welcomed into the Royal Brunei Air Force, to wear their uniform and fly with them.

“Highlights include being part of the flypast to celebrate 60 years of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces, flying the Blackhawk and operating

Convoy for Charlie

AIR FORCE aid workers are preparing to make their largest delivery ever to Africa in the memory of a teenager killed in a car crash.

This month charity founder Wg Cdr Neil Hope will set off to help destitute Kenyan street kids in the massive slum where his 19-yearold daughter hoped to teach.

He said: “Last year was tragic for my family when Charlotte was killed in a car crash in which her mother Helen was seriously injured.

“This time we will deliver kit and present trophies at a tournament in memory of Charlotte and visit the Restart Centre in Gilgil she volunteered at.

“Some of her friends from Shawbury and university are joining us to see the places she loved.

“Helen and I continue to raise funds for the Restart Centre as a legacy to our beloved daughter.”

The Shawbury-based Taking Football to Africa and Beyond Appeal collects donated items of kit and redistributes them to children and adults across the world.

Set up in 2006, it has so far delivered more than 347,500 items, including 98,500 football shirts, to 61 countries.

The 16-strong military and civilian team led by Wg Cdr Hope, who is RAF Shawbury’s Danger Area Airspace Manager, and Boulmer-based 19 Sqn A Flight OC Sqn Ldr Mark Smales, head to Africa on April 10 to complete 34 deliveries in and around Nairobi and Gilgil.

They will visit schools, orphanages and football teams in Kibera, Africa’s largest slum – where more than one million people live

in three square kilometres with no permanent running water, electricity, or sewage system.

“It is pleasing that we are about to embark on another ‘in person’ delivery visit and we are very excited about renewing our friendships across Kenya,” said Wg Cdr Hope.

“This will be my 17th Kenya delivery trip with more than 100 people taking part over the years and I look forward to introducing

this year’s team to an amazing part of the world.”

Last year saw the charity’s busiest year yet with 26 deliveries to 12 countries totalling 37,010 items including Nepal, where the team completed the Everest Base Camp Trek.

Deliveries have also been made through the National Police Aid Convoys and Wrexham-based Teams4U.

MISSION: Wg Cdr Hope

League clubs including Leicester City, Brighton and Hove Albion, Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers, Shrewsbury Town FC and grassroots teams from Sheffield, Hampshire, Essex, Worcestershire and Wallsend.

“I would like to thank all the people, clubs and schools that donated items and especially the Shawbury Supply Receipt and Despatch team and RAF Brize Norton,” said Wg Cdr Hope.

over pristine rainforest every day, with amazing people.”

The post is part of a loan service between the two air forces that has supported the integration of RAF Pumas into Brunei.

The scheme has expanded to include a new post for an on-loan rear crew instructor, a crew member exchange with 84 Sqn in Akrotiri, and a future exchange programme that will see a Bruneian pilot fly an RAF Puma soon.

Space ace honoured

DEFENCE ENGINEER Bob Clarkson was presented with the MBE in recognition of his 40-year career at RAF Fylingdales. He arrived at the North Yorkshire station in 1982 at the height of the Cold War and over the years was involved in the transition from the iconic golf-ball radar facility to today’s towering wide array pyramid radar system. He was presented with the award by HRH Princess Anne at Buckingham Palace. He said: “To receive the award in person from the Princess Royal in the splendour of Buckingham Palace was simply awesome.”

Mike’s MOD alert

RUGBY LEGEND Mike Tindall joined UK Forces on Salisbury Plain to highlight potential dangers facing the public visiting open Defence training areas over the Easter holiday.

Kits have been donated by the FA, Premier

“We look forward to another exciting year.”

The MOD warning was issued to raise awareness about possible ordnance risks to the public visiting sites at Donna Nook, Lulworth, Holbeach and Salisbury Plain.

RECOGNITION: Fylingdales chief systems engineer Bob Clarkson with his MBE

Simon Mander

founder

CAMPAIGN: Mike Tindall joins armoured patrols at Defence sites to highlight risks

TRIBUTE: Charlotte Hope at the Gilgil Restart Centre in Kenya during one of her frequent visits to the country supporting the Taking Football to Africa and Beyond charity

JUNGLE TRAINING: Flt Lt Cone, (second left) with Brunei Air Force students training on the Blackhawk helicopter

GUNNERS: Keeping watch over an A400M

BOULMER RADAR

TYPHOON: Saudi Air Force pilot at Coningsby

FINNISH F-18: Nordic ally takes part in Cobra Warrior for first time

REFUEL: Choppers top up

Sqn, Odiham

COBRA’S JETS GO TO ‘WAR’

Indian, Finnish and Saudi crews join UK air exercise for first time

FIGHTERS FROM five nations joined RAF Top Guns for Britain’s biggest air exercise.

Codenamed Cobra Warrior, the training saw 70 aircraft simulating high-intensity, large-force, complex warfighting operations for three weeks, run from Waddington’s Air and Space Warfare Centre.

Most Air Force operating bases in the UK took part, with jets also flying out of Coningsby, Leeming and Lossiemouth.

Armed Forces Minister James Heappey said: “Cobra Warrior is a fantastic opportunity for British pilots to exercise with international partners, learning from each other and rehearsing operating together.”

Finnish, Indian and Saudi combat crews took part for the first time alongside Belgian and USAF personnel.

The Indian Air Force deployed five Mirage 2000s to Waddington, alongside six Belgian Air Force F-16s and six Finnish Air Force F-18s, while the Royal Saudi Air Force operated six Typhoons from Coningsby.

92 Sqn OC, Sqn Ldr John Mcfadden, said: “It has been a pleasure to host pilots from so many different nations to fly alongside UK pilots and train together.”

Space

The exercise simulates a complex operational environment, where airspace is contested by a peer adversary and incorporates space threats and ground support missions involving 16 Air Assault Brigade.

The air space covered the North of England and Scotland and over the North Sea, with fuel provided by Voyager air-to-air tankers from RAF Brize Norton.

Coningsby frontline units XI (Fighter) and 3 (Fighter) Sqns hosted and flew sorties with the Saudi

detachment and joined jets from all the other nations in ‘air fighting’ scenarios.

Cobra Warrior provided a unique opportunity to exercise four-ship fighting formations within a larger force, enabling pilots to develop high-end war-fighting skills.

A 3(F) Sqn pilot said: “It’s extremely exciting to be involved. It is an invaluable opportunity to collaborate with foreign partners and develop as multi-role fighter pilots.”

Typhoon

Coningsby Station Commander Gp Capt Billy Cooper said: “Each Air Force operates in a slightly unusual way; even though we and the Saudis fly the Typhoon, there are still nuances in the way we conduct our business.

“This exercise has given us the opportunity to explore those

variations, to practise our skills and to exchange best practice.”

Meanwhile personnel at Boulmer and its Northumberland outstations played a key role during the latest twice-yearly training.

Battle Space managers at its Command and Control Centre generated a radar picture of the whole exercise area and vectored jets to their missions.

The station also hosted a combined German Air Force and USAF air defence training detachment.

CRC 19 Sqn controllers and 20 Sqn surveillance teams worked in a high tempo, multi-national environment with personnel from other exercising nations embedded with them.

And having aircraft from so many different nations proved ideal for practising coalition operations, with large numbers of aircraft

executing complex and demanding missions.

CRC planner Sqn Ldr Nick Winder said: “We were able to conduct activity we’ve not seen in a long time, allowing us to hone our skill-sets to meet any future threats.”

Meanwhile, a specialist Spadeadam unit simulated threats from enemy ground-based, surfaceto-air missiles the RAF and Allies would face on operations.

This was enhanced by the combined German and US Polygone detachment, who positioned specialised equipment from across Europe at key locations to provide a challenging

and contested air environment that tested pilots seeking to gain dominance of the skies.

WO Brian Innes said: “The Germans and the Americans are very professional and a great bunch to work with.

“Nothing was too much trouble, and they enjoyed the serenity and beauty of the Northumberland countryside so much that I don’t think they wanted to leave!

“We look forward to seeing them again, later in the year.”

COMMAND CENTRE: Boulmer Space managers hard at work vectoring jets to missions

Museum cleans up

Simon Mander

DUSTBUSTERS WITH a head for heights swung into action to spruce up the RAF Museum’s Vulcan, Canberra, Meteor, Sabre, Hunter, Lightning, Dakota and Javelin in an annual clean and inspection.

Strapped into harnesses, the climbing cleaners scaled the rafters of the building and abseiled down to mop the aircraft and inspect suspension cables keeping them in their flying display positions.

D-Day hero hits 100

grandchildren and five greatgrandchildren.

FORMER LANCASTER bomb

aimer Wg Cdr John Bell has celebrated his 100th birthday.

The last surviving British wartime aircrew member of the legendary 617 Sqn, he marked his landmark day with a party with family and friends near his home in West Sussex.

He joined the RAF in 1940, serving in all Bomber Command’s operations and took part in the D-Day landings. In July 1943 as part of Operation Crossbow, his Tallboy bomb put the Wizernes V2 dome ‘La Coupole’ out of action.

The DFC winner was presented with a special birthday cake from the RAF Benevolent Fund at the party, where guests included his daughter Susie and her husband, four

Susie said: “He’s amazing, he insisted on standing up to give a speech – he absolutely loved it.”

Bomber Command veteran and former Halifax and Mosquito pilot George Dunn, DFC, who turned 100 last September, also attended the celebration, as well as OC Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Sqn Ldr Mark Sugden and the BBMF’s former OC Sqn Ldr Dunc

Wg Cdr Bell said: “I don’t have a particular secret to a long life. I’m very fortunate as I don’t really have aches

He was awarded the DFC in October 1944, having completed a total of 50 operations. When WWII ended he stayed in the RAF, serving for 33 years. After the

Vets winning jobs fight

RAF Museum Midlands curator Tom Hopkins said: “All the aircraft and vehicles undergo a regular inspection, however those suspended from the ceiling of our National Cold War Exhibition require a specialist team to work at dizzying heights.”

Cosford is the only place in the world where people can see all three British V-Bombers –the Vulcan, Victor and Valiant –together under one roof.

The Museum remains open to visitors from 10am and admission is free.

Staff Reporter

THE NUMBER of Service leavers netting jobs in Civvie Street has jumped by more than 12 per cent, with nearly nine out of 10 securing employment in the last year – say researchers.

According to the survey by tax specialists RIFT, those leaving the Royal Navy top the list in skilled trade occupations while the RAF leads the way in professions and technical roles.

The latest figures reveal that just 272 of the 8,378 Armed Forces personnel to have left the Forces in

the last year found themselves in unemployment – a drop of 30 per cent on the previous year.

Female ex-Service personnel were more likely to find themselves unemployed, accounting for 4.2 per cent of the total figure versus 3.6 per cent of men.

However, the statistics fail to account for those who find themselves on the streets and without a home.

Forces charity the Royal British Legion estimates that exServicemen and women account for between three to six per cent of all homeless people in Britain.

war he transferred to Photographic Interpretation, working in Washington and on attachment with the USAF in Korea.

He was awarded the MBE for his intelligence work.

Promoted to Wg Cdr in 1972, he retired from the Air Force in 1977. He was awarded the Légion d’honneur by the French Consul in 2016.

Dr Rob Owen, 617 Sqn’s official historian, said: “In retirement John has worked hard for charity, being a stalwart campaigner for the RAFBF.

“As President of the 617 Sqn Association committee he has played a significant role in championing the commemoration of wartime Bomber Command, raising funds for the Bomber Command Memorial in Green Park and working to ensure that the story of Bomber Command is passed on to future generations.” l See p21 for full story on Wg Cdr Bell’s RAF service.

Correction

IN RAF News 1556 (March 24) we incorrectly stated that Donald Finlay commanded 608 Sqn in the Middle East. We also incorrectly stated that he scored a victory in September, 1940. He commanded 909 Wing in Burma, not 906 Wing as the feature states.

Tracey Allen

lSee p24

LIMO DRIVER: Sgt Matt Blunden sets the pace at the Limassol marathon. Below, RAF man takes the tape ahead of a top-class field of competitors

PHOTOS: SGT PAUL OLDFIELD

’Sol man Marathon star Matt aces Cyprus showdown

AIR FORCE track star Sgt Matthew Blunden stormed to victory in the Limassol marathon ahead of an international field.

The 43-year-old Typhoon engineer crossed the line in 2 hrs 31 mins to take the title in the biggest event in the Cyprus sports calender.

Sgt Blunden is currently deployed with 903 Expeditionary Air Wing as an avionics technician at RAF Akrotiri and has been clocking up 100 miles a week between shifts on the RAF’s Typhoon detachment during training.

The Team GB endurance ace said: “The weather was good with temperatures rising to around 17 degrees. The wind was the only real factor as the course is exposed along the seafront.

“My role on the Typhoon Detachment has allowed me to remain on permanent day

shifts and given me the consistent sleep, work, train, eat routine required to perform on the day. During the peak weeks I was able to average over 110 miles a week.

“It felt great to break the tape first and put the icing

Crufts debutante Aspen takes trophy

Tracey Allen

TOP RAF dog Aspen and her owner, Flt Lt Claire Crichton, have scored a major victory at their first appearance at famous dog show Crufts.

works at the DMRC as a registered Pets as Therapy dog.

Proud Claire said: “‘I couldn’t be happier with Aspen and how she stole the show at Crufts. She literally did everything I asked of her and then some.

HEADLINERS: Typhoon and iconic Spitfire will be topping the bill at this year’s event

Bourne again

THE RAF Typhoon will join the Red Arrows and BBMF’s vintage Spitfire, Lancaster and Hurricane at this year’s Bournemouth Air Show.

Billed as the UK’s biggest free festival, the four-day event kicks off on August 1.

Red Arrow’s Team Leader and Red 1 Tom Bould said: “We’re thrilled, as a team, to be returning to Bournemouth for all four days of the air festival.”

Claire, an RAF physiotherapist and her eight-year-old hound beat eight other finalists to win the Anything But Collies (ABC)

Novice Agility Class at the show, achieving a winning time of 36.9 seconds.

The pair then appeared on their local TV station’s news programme

BBC East Midlands Today

Flt Lt Crichton is currently stationed at the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre in Loughborough and Aspen, whose father was a springer/cocker spaniel cross and her mother a Labrador,

“Not all dogs cope with the big crowds and she took it all in her stride. It’s taken a lot of training and travelling the country to get to this stage and I was delighted to get through to the finals but to actually win the whole thing is just amazing. It really is what dreams are made of.”

Aspen started agility training aged two and the pair train once or twice a week and compete at weekends.

Claire added: “Aspen regularly completes therapy sessions with patients to aid them in their rehab journey.”

Chris Warr Akrotiri

TOP DOG: Aspen and her owner Flt Lt Crichton took top honours in the Novice agility class at Crufts

Akrotiri SAR star

Simon Mander

ander imon M S

A PUMA helicopter practises winching a simulated casualty over the cliffs at Akrotiri as 33 Sqn prepare to take over search and rescue duties in Cyprus.

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Three Benson-based HC Mk 2 medium support aircraft operating under Joint Helicopter Command control recently flew 3,500km from Oxfordshire to assume the role from 84 Sqn’s venerable Griffins. Bigger, faster and newer, the Puma is used in combat roles, moving troops, weapons, ammunition and stores on the battlefield, as well as extracting casualties and responding to frontline medical emergencies. It has also deployed on humanitarian and disaster relief operations, including hurricane and earthquake aid efforts.

Defence chiefs’ Telic tribute

fenDefence tribu Te

POLITICIANS PAID tribute to the 179 military personnel killed in the Gulf War on the 20th anniversary of the start of conflict.

Veterans Minister Dr Andrew Murrison, who served on Operation TELIC, and Defence Minister Alex Chalk both laid wreaths at the Basra Memorial Wall at the National Memorial Arboretum, Staffordshire and the Iraq and Afghanistan

Memorial in Central London.

At the request of the Iraqi government, British forces still maintain a presence in the country as part of Operation Shader.

RAF aircraft fly regular surveillance and reconnaissance missions and conduct strikes against Daesh positions. On the ground, British soldiers work with coalition partners in training, mentoring and force protection roles.

Pounds for hounds

family and gave me a quality of life,” he said.

Quids pro Quo

FORMER STATUS Quo drummer John Coghlan helped net more than £4,000 for Forces charity Help for Heroes.

John, who played with the iconic Brit rockers on 16 albums, hit the stage at the fundraiser organised by Brize Norton-based Sqn Ldr Jackie MillardSmith.

John said: “Myself and the band had a ball.”

A GULF WAR veteran whose dog won the animal VC for saving his life was presented with £5,000 raised at RAF High Wycombe for the charity he set up.

Hounds for Heroes founder and vice-chairman Allen Parton’s first dog Endal won the Dickin Medal for rescuing him after a hitand-run accident.

But it was the companionship he received from his fourlegged friend after five years at Headley Court Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre recovering from life-changing injuries that was most precious.

“Endal brought me back to my

“Dogs can take away a lot of the pain and anger that an injured person may feel. It is about ability, not disability, solutions not problems.”

Hounds for Heroes offer assistance dogs, which can take two years to train, to disabled military and emergency services personnel.

Volunteers at High Wycombe’s Thrift Shop raised £5,000 for the charity and now get to name the next puppy it trains.

Mr Parton, who started the charity 12 years ago, visited the fundraisers with his current Labrador – ET.

l Go to: houndsforheroes.com

Poseidon’s Baltic beat

A POSEIDON sub-hunter has been on patrol with a Royal Navy Offshore Patrol Vessel in the Baltic Sea.

The Lossiemouth-based CXX Sqn maritime reconnaissance aircraft teamed up with HMS Mersey off the Estonian coast, where she is operating alongside ships from Joint Expeditionary Force nations and Nato Allies.

Wg Cdr Ben Livesey, the Officer Commanding CXX Sqn who flew on the sortie, said the P8A helped compile a complete picture of maritime activity in the region.

He said: “This was an excellent example of what the Poseidon can do – reassuring our Allies and cooperating closely with our Royal

Navy colleagues at range.

“Our Maritime Patrol capability allows us to better understand the battlespace, both above and below the waves, as it builds towards full operational capability.

“Despite poor weather, we were able to achieve our mission while conducting valuable training for future challenges, whatever those may be.”

HMS Mersey Captain, Lt Cdr James ‘Mitch’ Mitchell, said: “Poseidon is impressive, especially on a foggy day when we struggle to identify shipping contacts.”

Royal Air Force and RN activities in the Baltic Sea are part of the UK’s contribution to Nato reassurance measures in the region.

ROCK SOLID: Ex- Status Quo man John

Laurence Parker

Simon Mander

MARITIME PATROLS: Lossiemouth-based P-8 Poseidon monitors activity off Estonia’s Baltic coast, supporting RN patrol vessel HMS Mersey

THRIFT GIFT: Allen and ET with Wg Cdr Sharon Stowers, left and Sqn Ldr Claire Mepham-Stone from RAF High Wycombe.

Rats race

Laura McGarvey

CATERING ACES at Mount Pleasant in the Falklands hit the road for the annual Port Stanley Marathon to raise funds to help fight prostate cancer.

A pair of four-strong teams from the Catering and Rations Flight, known as Cats and Rats at the base, completed the gruelling 26-mile course in under four hours.

The Air Force athletes netted more than £600 for Prostate Cancer UK after runner Cpl Burrell’s uncle was diagnosed with the disease.

He said: “After signing up to the race I was told about my uncle’s prostate cancer diagnosis, so we decided Prostate Cancer UK was a charity we had to support.”

Kids’ Easter scramble

Families can test their teamwork skills by taking part in old-fashioned wartime drills and missions with a wartime re-enactors group.

Easter Pilot Training sessions take place until April 16. Entry to the museum is free.

Family at war

Judith Cross Cranwell

HIGH-FLYING PILOT Officer

Natalie Insall’s graduation from Cranwell marks 108 years of military history for her family.

It was during Officer Training that the 22-year-old discovered one of her ancestors won both the VC and MC in the Royal Flying Corps during World War I.

Gilbert Stuart Martin Insall (21), was commissioned into the RFC on March 14, 1915.

He won the VC after seven months serving with 11 Sqn but could not personally receive the medal as both he and his gunner had been captured.

But after two unsuccessful attempts he escaped and was eventually decorated by George V on September 27, 1917.

After the war, Insall remained in service, receiving a permanent commission as a Captain in the newly-formed Royal Air Force on August 1, 1919 and was regraded to Flt Lt on the same day.

Just three months later he was

awarded the Military Cross for his gallantry in escaping.

He attended the fourth Flying Instructors Course between March and June 1921 at the Central Flying School, acknowledged as being one of the oldest in the world and formed at RAF Upavon in 1912.

Plt Off Insall, who is training to be a Logistics Officer, said: “To be continuing my family’s legacy in the RAF makes me proud and I’m looking forward to my future career.”

Commandant CFS Gp Capt Mike Jordan, said: “It was a genuine delight meeting with Plt Off Insall to discuss her great-great-uncle’s illustrious military career.

“His exploits, which led to the award of both VC and MC, reminded me of the innovative spirit that the founding fathers of our Service and the CFS exemplified.

“While the technology that we operate might have changed since 1915, the ethos remains, and we should be extremely proud of our heritage and legacy.”

RAF DYNASTY: Plt Off Natalie Insall graduates at Cranwell. Inset left, great-greatuncle Gilbert Insall commissions into the Royal Flying Corps in 1915. Below, trawling through the history books at the Cranwell archive

THERE’S A scramble for Easter fun at the RAF Museum Midlands as organisers put on some fun-packed WWII style pilot training for youngsters during the school holiday.

From busting dams

ON MARCH 23, 1943, 617 Sqn was formed at Scampton under the command of Wg Cdr Guy Gibson, specifically to breach the Ruhr Dams using Barnes Wallis’ Upkeep weapon – the bouncing bomb.

After intensive training, the Möhne and Eder were hit on the night of May 16-17 in a spectacular low-level operation resulting in the loss of eight of the 19 participating aircraft and 53 aircrew. A total of 34 awards were made, including the VC for Gibson.

Following this success, the Sqn was retained as a specialist bombing unit. After a costly lowlevel attack on the Dortmund Ems Canal in September 1943, from which five out of eight aircraft and their experienced crews were lost, command passed to Wg Cdr Leonard Cheshire.

Under his leadership, it mounted highly destructive precision raids on targets in Occupied territory, dropping 12,000lb blast bombs. Using Mosquito aircraft to mark, new and even more accurate bombing techniques were pioneered against increasingly heavily defended targets.

On D-Day, 617 Sqn helped deceive German forces as to the true destination of the invasion fleet and launched precision attacks with Barnes Wallis’ 12,000lb

Tallboy deep penetration bomb, targeting a railway tunnel, U-boat pens and large V-weapon sites.

After completing his 100th operation, Wg Cdr Cheshire relinquished his command to Wg Cdr ‘Willie’ Tait.

Tirpitz

The autumn of 1944 saw the attack on the German battleship Tirpitz, finally sunk in northern Norway after three operations, one mounted from Russia. Dams again featured on the target list, and in October the Kembs Barrage was breached by Tallboys dropped from low level.

In the spring the squadron was equipped with the 22,000lb Grand Slam bomb and, under the command of Gp Cpt John Fauquier of the RCAF, its specialist skills and weapons were exploited against railway viaducts and naval targets, culminating in a final operation against Hitler’s Berchtesgaden retreat on April 25, 1945.

Japan’s surrender precluded the squadron’s participation in Tiger Force, Bomber Command’s Far East arm, and in January 1946 it was despatched to India, returning after four months to re-equip with Avro Lincolns at Binbrook. The following year saw a goodwill tour of the United States, involving the first direct crossing of the Atlantic by an RAF squadron.

against Communist Terrorists in Malaya.

The squadron disbanded at the end of 1955 and reformed on May 1, 1958, again at Scampton, equipped with the Avro Vulcan.

As part of V-Force in 1963 it became the first to become operational with the Blue Steel air launched rocketpropelled nuclear missile.

Reverting to a low-level conventional role during the 1970s, the Vulcans continued to be a familiar sight in the Lincolnshire skies until 617 disbanded in December 1981.

Reformed as a Tornado unit at Marham in January 1983 the squadron soon reconfirmed its precision bombing capabilities and in 1984 became the first non-American unit to win not only the Le May but also the Meyer trophies in competition against its US and Australian counterparts.

Op Granby

it pioneered the introduction of the TIALD – thermal imaging airborne laser designator – targeting pod. After the ceasefire, its crews continued to patrol the southern no-fly zone.

On return to the UK, the squadron transferred to Lossiemouth in 1994, re-equipped with Tornado GR1B and the Sea Eagle anti-ship missile operating alongside 12 Sqn in support of SACLANT – the Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic.

Operation TELIC against Iraq in March 2003 saw the squadron enter battle again, under the command of Wg Cdr David Robertson.

On March 21, almost exactly 60 years after its formation, the unit introduced the Storm Shadow air launched cruise missile into operational use.

Op Herrick

The squadron continued in theatre until 2009, when regular rotations to Afghanistan, under Operation Herrick, began.

Malaya

January 1952 saw the squadron fly Canberras and after 10 years of peace it again saw action in 1955 participating in Operation Firedog,

In 1990, the squadron sent detachments to the Middle East for Operation Granby, the RAF’s contribution to the Gulf War to free Kuwait from the Iraqi invasion, where

In 2011, 617 crews flew Storm Shadow attacks during Operation Ellamy over Libya, while continuing their Afghanistan deployment. With the withdrawal of Tornado from service the squadron disbanded on February 28, 2014, on return from a final Herrick deployment.

In 2016, RAF and Royal Navy personnel began work up in the USA

617 Sqn will be forever remembered for Lancasters and the bouncing bomb. But the legendary unit, formed 80 years ago, also distinguished itself flying Vulcans, Tornados and, now, F-35 Lightnings

SUNK: German battleship Tirpitz

OP TELIC: 617 Sqn Tornado GR4, May 2006

Dr Robert Owen Official historian 617 Sqn Association

dams to Daesh

with the Lockheed Martin F-35B and reformed as the UK’s first joint service frontline Lightning unit on May 18, 2018. By the end of the year, it had declared initial operating capability for land-based operations and began carrier trials aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth.

Op

Shader

Exercise Lightning Dawn saw the squadron deploy to Akrotiri in May 2019 to test their F-35 capabilities on an overseas tour. From there they flew their first operational missions – a total of 14 armed reconnaissance overflights of Syria and Iraq, as part of Operation Shader – and trained alongside Israeli and Italian F-35s.

In June 2020, the squadron embarked operational Lightnings aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth for the first time. Returning to the ship

in September, they were joined by visiting US Marine Corps F-35Bs.

In May 2021, the Queen Elizabeth sailed on her first operational deployment, Operation Fortis‚ as part of Carrier Strike Group 21.

During the 49,000nm voyage, lasting until December, the squadron completed more than 1,278 sorties, flew more than 2,200 hours, made over 3,000 deck landings, and conducted 44 combat missions in support of the counter-ISIS mission Operation Inherent Resolve.

Op Achillean

Last year saw deployments to Estonia, Finland, participation in Exercise Ocean Hit in the Bay of Biscay and Operation Achillean, that effectively demonstrated 617’s operational capability from both ship and shore.

BREACHED: Dam with German air balloons

FAMOUS CO: Guy Gibson boards ED932

CURRENT CO:

Wg Cdr Stew Campbell

SCRAMBLE: 617 Vulcans, possibly at Scampton

PHOTOS: 617 Sqn Assoc. and Air Historical Branch (RAF)

Marshalling the troops

AIR VICE-MARSHAL Suraya Marshall, AOC 2 Gp, was the Reviewing Officer at the graduation of The King’s Squadron, consisting of 32 Officers of Modular Initial Officer Training Course No 18 and Commissioned Warrant Officer Course No 26 from RAFC Cranwell.

The Officer Cadets marched onto the parade square watched by their family and friends and were treated to a Typhoon flypast by 12 Squadron, RAF Coningsby.

GRADUATING OFFICERS OF MODULAR IOT COURSE NO 18

AIR OPERATIONS (CONTROL)

l Plt Off T E Cambidge

ENGINEER (AEROSYSTEMS)

l Fg Off S E J Corston-Garner

l Fg Off K L Glassford

l Fg Off R A Gornall l Fg Off C D McCulloch l Fg Off K Roebuck

AVM makes sure grads pass muster at Cranwell

ENGINEER (COMMUNICATIONS –ELECTRONICS)

l Fg Off S Campbell

l Fg Off H W Williamson

l Fg Off L E Yates

INTELLIGENCE

l Plt Off L Boyce LOGISTICS

l Fg Off S F Bromley

l Fg Off A D K Smith l Plt Off N Insall PERSONAL TRAINING l Plt Off D A Douglas

l Fg Off B E Jones

l Fg Off J

Cranwell

REGIMENT

l Plt Off H J Beech

l Plt Off S R Patchett

WEAPONS SYSTEM OFFICER

l Fg Off S R Greaves

l Fg Off O J W Tidswell

GRADUATING OFFICERS OF COMMISSIONED WARRANT

OFFICERS COURSE NO 26

AIR OPERATIONS (CONTROL)

l Flt Lt P N Blake

ENGINEER (AEROSYSTEMS)

l Flt Lt M R Wilkinson

INTELLIGENCE

l Flt Lt S B Dobson

WEAPONS SYSTEM OFFICER

l Flt Lt C H Peacock

PRIZEWINNERS OF MODULAR IOT COURSE NO 18

The Hennessy Trophy and Philip Sassoon Memorial Prize

– awarded to the best all-round

cadet, other than the Sword of Honour winner:

l Off Cdt S R Greaves

The MacRobert Prize – awarded to the cadets’ choice:

l Off Cdt S F Bromley

The BAE Systems Trophy – for the highest marks for professional studies:

l Off Cdt S E J Corston-Garner

The Gp Capt Williams Memorial Trophy – for greatest improvement:

l Off Cdt J W Wilson

The Sarah Moland Memorial Prize – for demonstrating courage and fortitude:

l Off Cdt S F Bromley

The WO Bill Torrance Trophy –for Physical Education:

l Off Cdt K Roebuck

The RAF Club Prize – for grit and perseverance:

l Off Cdt T E Cambidge

RED LETTER DAY: Officer Cadets march onto the parade ground at RAFC Cranwell, where they are reviewed by AVM Suraya Marshall (top right) and treated to a Typhoon flypast by 12 Sqn, RAF Coningsby (top left) PHOTOS: ANDREW WHEELER

By Tracey Allen

WG CDR John Bell has had a remarkable RAF career. Not only did he serve as a bomb aimer with 617 Sqn, he later worked with the US Air Force in Korea in photographic interpretation, receiving an MBE for his intelligence work.

Now 100, he joined the Service as a teenager, having been a member of his local Home Guard platoon in Surrey while working for a chartered accountants firm.

Dr Rob Owen, official historian for 617 Sqn, said: “Seeing the Battle of Britain being fought overhead during work visits to Kent, he determined to join the RAF as soon as he was able.”

He added: “At 6ft 4in, he was too tall to be a pilot. He was offered an alternative of being trained as an observer and air gunner. Accepting this, he was called up in September 1941.”

After several months in Torquay with No. 13 Initial Training Wing, John was sent to Eastbourne to learn the basics of navigation.

In May 1942 he went by troopship to South Africa, to continue navigation and bomb aiming training as an observer at No 45 Air School, Oudstshoorn. A gunnery course in Airspeed Oxfords followed and he returned to the UK in early 1943.

Dr Owen explained: “Destined for Bomber Command, his next stage was with No. 14 Operational Training Unit (OTU) at Cottesmore. Crewing up was a seemingly haphazard affair, sufficient trainee aircrew of the relevant trades were assembled in a hangar and told to sort themselves into crews.”

John recalled: “I remember standing there with a Canadian navigator, probably looking a bit lost, both of us thinking, ‘How do we find a good pilot?’ Then a rear gunner came up and said ‘I’ve got a pilot, come with me.’”

Lancaster

As his bomb aiming was better than his navigation, John moved to No. 1660 Conversion Unit at Swinderby, in June 1943, converting to the Avro Manchester, before transferring to the Lancaster.

On June 30 his crew were posted to the recently formed 619 Squadron at Woodhall Spa. On July 24 they attacked Hamburg, the next night Essen, then three days later Hamburg again continuing Bomber Command’s major onslaught against the port. Two nights later they were back over the city. Between August 1943 and January 1944, the crew flew to Hamburg eight times.

On October 20, during a trip to Leipzig, their two inboard engines cut due to icing. John remembered: “We were plunging down towards the earth with a full bomb load. We had to release the bombs to release the weight on the aircraft and the flight engineer managed to get the

6ft 4in, 617 Sqn bomb aimer John was one of first to drop the Tallboy

KOREA: John also worked with the USAF in Seoul

to start precision attacks against factory targets in occupied France and Belgium.

“617 were equipped with the Stabilised Automatic Bomb Sight (SABS) and Cheshire and Mick Martin would pioneer a low-level marking technique to provide bomb aimers like John with a small and precise aiming point,” explained Dr Owen. “The SABS could produce remarkable results, but it required very precise flying and close-knit teamwork amongst the crew.”

At the beginning of May 1944, the squadron was stood down for a month to practise for a special operation to be conducted on the eve of D-Day. Operation Taxable involved precise flying and navigation on carefully calculated tracks over the Channel between Newhaven and Cap d’Antifer, while other crew members, including John, despatched bundles of ‘window’ (strips of aluminium foil) at exactly timed intervals, said Dr Owen.

Normandy

“The operation’s purpose was to create the impression on German coast-watching radar of an invasion force of ships approaching the coast, while the real invasion force, employing counter-measures to mask its presence, approached the landing beaches of Normandy.”

He added: “It was a success, but within two nights, the squadron was called on to make a precision attack against a railway tunnel at Saumur. The operation would also be the baptism of fire for the squadron’s latest weapon, Barnes Wallis’s 12,000lb ‘Tallboy’ deep penetration bomb.

“Given that the squadron had done no bombing practice for over a month the results John and his colleagues achieved were remarkable. One Tallboy was a direct hit on the hillside right above the entrance, others severed the rails tracks and blocked the cutting leading to the entrance. By doing so, they severely restricted the movement of reinforcements to the Normandy battlefront.”

By August 1944 John had completed 50 operations. Knights wanted to continue, but John was engaged to be married and felt it was time to go. He was sent to Catterick for redeployment, then on an Accounting Officers course.

engines working at 10,000ft, so we were down pretty low.”

With no bomb load and the rear turret unserviceable, they had to turn for home.

Other targets during this time included Munich, Kassel, Hanover and Frankfurt.

By January 1944, their pilot Bob Knights had completed his tour. Rather than fly with a different captain on 619 Sqn the

crew decided to stay together, and volunteered for 617 Sqn.

Dr Owen said: “It meant going straight into a second tour of 20 operations without the usual respite of a period instructing at an OTU, but seemed the best thing to do.

“After an interview with Leonard Cheshire, the crew were accepted and arrived at Coningsby on January 29, 1944. Within two weeks they were back at Woodhall Spa, as

617 and 619 swapped airfields to give 617 more security and more dispersals.”

John said: “My crew and I begged Wg Cdr Cheshire to join his squadron. He was a very compassionate man, didn’t stand on ceremony and didn’t order you to do things, he just asked you to follow him, he was an exceptional man.”

The squadron were using the 12,000lb HC blast bomb and about

In 1947, granted a short service commission, he transferred to the Secretarial Branch. Posted to Fighter Command at Tangmere, he was sent to Gatow, Berlin, to assist with the airlift. Returning to Britain in 1951 he went to Shepherd’s Grove, Suffolk to reactivate a former airfield for the USAF. While there he learned of the chance to train as a photographic interpreter and, after a PI course, entered the intelligence world. For the next 25 years he served at Nuneham Park, Oxfordshire, in Singapore and Washington, and with the USAF at Kimpo Air Base, Seoul during the Korean War, when the Americans were short of specialist personnel. l See story on p7

LANC MAN: John Bell, 2nd right, with crew of JB131, Dec 1943, and, left, in BBMF’s City of Lincoln Lancaster

VARIED

POIGNANT MOMENT: John honours fallen comrades at Bomber Command Memorial ceremony last November

By Tracey Allen

Vet’s mission to honour WWII Typhoon heroes

£5.5m needed to get RB396 airworthy

IT WAS researching his late grandfather’s wartime service as a pilot that inspired Sam WorthingtonLees to start a fundraising project to restore a Typhoon aircraft to airworthiness.

Sam, who was also an RAF pilot and now flies commercial airliners, is the co-founder of the ambitious Hawker Typhoon restoration project that is aiming to raise between £5.5 and £6.5 million so that RB396 can once more take to the skies.

Around £1 million has been raised for the project so far and Sam, its director, hopes to be able to fly the restored aircraft himself in about seven years’ time.

He said: “There are only a handful of the Typhoon’s Napier Sabre engines left in the world and we have one of the best examples.

“My grandfather, Plt Off Roy Worthington’s final flight in a Typhoon was from RAF Westhampnett (now Goodwood) on May 21, 1944 when he was shot down, becoming a prisoner of war in Stalag Luft III.

“I have parts of the aircraft he was flying that day, which are going to be incorporated into the rebuild of another Typhoon, RB396, and it was my research into him, and finding these parts, which ultimately started this project.

“It’s hoped that one day we can undertake a flight from Goodwood on the anniversary of my grandfather’s final flight, potentially with me at the controls.”

He added: “There is no single national memorial to these brave warriors [Hawker Typhoon pilots],

and that is something we aim to put right by raising the funds to rebuild RB396.

“Rommel cited the air cover provided by the Typhoons as the reason the Allies won the battle of Normandy. But this came at a cost, 666 Typhoon pilots were killed, mostly by flak encountered during their low-level attacks.”

Last summer Sam took on a 100-day running challenge raising more than £10,000 for the project.

The RAF Museum in London has an intact Typhoon on display but it is not airworthy.

Sam said: “We know RB396 flew at least 36 combat missions

with 174 Sqn from January to April 1945. It got hit 18 times by flak, on 18 separate occasions.

“Canadian Frank Johnson was RB396’s main pilot; he flew more than 30 missions in the aircraft. He flew it on the morning of March 28, 1945. In the afternoon, a new man on the squadron, Sidney RussellSmith – nicknamed ‘Junior’ because of his boyish appearance – was the pilot and it got hit by flak, needing repairs on its return home.”

Sidney died in 2022, aged 97. Frank was shot down in a different aircraft and Sidney was posted so RB396 made its last flight on April 1, 1945, flown by Chris House, when it force landed near Denekamp in the Netherlands. He evaded capture and managed to return to his squadron four days later after being sheltered by a

farmer and making the journey on a bicycle the farmer gave him.

Sam explained: “The rear fuselage of RB396 was recovered from the battlefield at the end of the war, and this section was sold for scrap to a chemical plant. It was never used by them and passed through various hands before ending up in a museum in Holland, from where it was purchased by one of the founding members of the project. It became the foundation, and identity, of this rebuild.”

The restoration project is being supported by veteran Bernard Gardiner, now 100, who flew the Hurricane and the Hawker Typhoon in World War II.

He said: “After the Hurricane it was quite easy to fly. I’m absolutely delighted [about the project] I can’t wait to see it fly and I hope they

succeed, although I don’t think my eyesight would permit me to fly it now.

“The Typhoon disappeared into obscurity and was forgotten about, which is a great shame. It was very sad and a great pity to see the aircraft scrapped.”

Bernard made 71 combat operations on the Typhoon and flew through fierce flak on almost all of them.

Sam left the RAF in 2012 and in his spare time flies the Spitfire with the Aircraft Restoration Company, Duxford, is part of the Lancaster taxi pilot team with Just Jane at East Kirkby and an instructor with a Goodwood-based flight experience and training company. l Go to: hawkertyphoon.com for more information and to support the restoration project.

TYPHOON PILOT: Roy Worthington, circled in group shot and inset above, with 184 Sqn Typhoon and crew, Eastchurch, 1944 RAF VETERAN: Grandson Sam Worthington-Lees

RB396 IN FLIGHT:

Painting by Robert Tomlin, 2020

CRASH SITE: RB396 force landed in Netherlands, April 1, 1945

FUSELAGE: Discovered in Dutch museum

RARE: Napier Sabre engine

Kiwi pilot helped sink pride of Nazi fleet, the Tirpitz

NEW ZEALANDER

Flying Officer Arthur Joplin, who has died aged 99, was the pilot of a Lancaster on the raid that finally sank the German battleship the Tirpitz.

Born in Auckland, he completed his training as a pilot in New Zealand before sailing for England where he joined Bomber Command. After training to fly bombers, he and his crew joined the famous 617 ‘Dambuster’ Squadron, one of the very first crews to join directly from training.

He was chastened by, “all the medal ribbons, high rankers and famous names” but the ground crew made him a mock DFC, saying, “everyone else has a gong, and you now have one too.”

His first operation with his crew was to attack the U-boat pens at Brest. They next attacked the Kembs Barrage on the River Rhine near the Swiss border, a daring raid led by the squadron commander Wg Cdr ‘Willie’ Tait. This was the first occasion the Joplin crew had to release a Tallboy bomb. The attack was made in two parts – an initial high-level force to cause confusion and distract the defences, followed by six aircraft coming in along the river at 600 feet. Bombing from 7,500ft in the first wave, Joplin’s crew reported a very near miss.

By November 1944, there had been numerous attempts by the Royal Navy and by RAF bombers to sink the battleship, dubbed by Prime Minister Winston Churchill as The Beast.

On October 28, 1944, Lancasters of Nos 9 and 617 Squadrons were positioned at airfields on the Moray Firth. The following morning 39 aircraft, armed with the 12,000lb Tallboy bomb, headed for northern Norway where the battleship was moored near Tromso. Cloud obscured the target but most of the crews released their bombs.

On November 11, the Lancasters again flew north to their advance bases in Scotland before heading for Norway the following morning. This time, the weather was clear and

the anticipated interception by German fighters based in the north of Norway did not materialise. As the force approached Tirpitz they met a barrage of anti-aircraft fire but the clear conditions allowed all the bombs to be dropped. Joplin’s bomb was a near miss between the shore and the battleship –sometimes more effective than a direct hit due to the shock wave created by the huge explosion. His navigator reported: “Our bomb fell in the smoke which covered the ship. One direct hit and two near misses were seen.” Shortly after, Tirpitz capsized with heavy loss of life.

After the attacks on the Tirpitz, Joplin dropped Tallboys on the Urft Dam and E-boat pens at Ijmuiden. On the night of December 21 they took off to bomb the oil refineries at Politz, near Stettin in Poland. Remarkably, this was the first night raid by the Joplin crew.

At the briefing they were warned that the weather on return was expected to be poor. They attacked the target successfully but on the way back they were warned that Lincolnshire airfields were covered by fog. A further message instructed aircraft to land at the first available airfield. It seemed that the crew were in luck, for very

soon they saw a glow through the murk which was identified as the airfield at Ludford Magna. That this was visible was solely due to it being one of the few equipped with FIDO – using burning petrol to disperse fog on the runway approach enabling aircraft to land in poor visibility.

Joplin homed on the glow but received no reply to his radio call. Desperately short of fuel, he approached to land but a wingtip hit the ground just short of the runway. Two of his crew were killed and others seriously injured, including Joplin who broke both hlegs and was trapped. His

navigator, Basil Fish, managed to extricate the injured before going for help.

After a long period in hospital, Joplin returned to New Zealand and was demobilised in February 1946. The loss of his comrades affected him deeply and, thinking he was to blame, he suffered considerable anguish but was reassured in later life when his former squadron colleagues told him that the crash was not his fault.

In 1993 he returned to England for a 617 Sqn reunion at its former base, Woodhall Spa. He was awarded the Legion of Honour by the French government for his wartime service.

TAMING THE BEAST: Photograph shows raid on Tirpitz by Joplin (below) and other bomb crews of 617 Sqn

Grille-r thriller

THERE WAS a time when Japanese cars were regarded as being cheap bits of kit, simple reliability that would just keep going until there was nothing left to weld together.

Metal panels were thin and dashboards and interiors sported acres of cheap plastic – all very ‘bargain basement’. But, even back then, Lexus was the outlier. It was the Bentley of Japan, incorporating luxury and gadgets that even German car giants envied.

Step forward to 2023 and Lexus still defends that luxury reputation fiercely, so when the second generation of its biggest selling model in Europe, the NX, launched, Lexus was determined to get it right.

Our test car was the NX 350h All Wheel Drive (AWD) Takumi Grade and there’s a lot to talk about.

Exterior

The NX looks good, with instantly recognisable design cues. The side profile is sleek and sporty, for an SUV, while the front end appears imposing as it fills the rear view mirror of the car in front.

It looks particularly smart in Sonic Titanium (silver, in old

NX looks mean in rear view mirror

money), with its 20-inch alloys and adaptive, 4-eye LED headlamps. The heated door mirrors are particularly clever, with an autodimming function and integrated indicators. At the rear, there are new signature lights, with a lightbar that runs the full width of the car. Illuminated door handles and a panoramic glass roof complete the look.

Interior The NX’s interior is luxurious and stylish, bordering on outrageous. Vivid red leather was once the preserve of overt supercars, but the NX wears it well. It won’t be for everyone but I loved it for its sheer audacity. They’re properly comfortable too, some of the best seats you’ll find in any SUV, in my book. They

hold you in place with beautifully crafted bolstering and feature a wide range of electric adjustment. Electric movement is standard on the 350h, from Premium Plus Pack upwards, while all 450h models get it as standard.

The driving position is excellent, with a dashboard that wraps neatly around you. Everything is easily to hand and the giant touchscreen makes things easy to spot at a glance. I love the fact that Lexus has decided to reinstate some good oldfashioned temperature control dials too.

That’s not to say that the NX doesn’t feature some world leading tech elsewhere. Its electronic safety system is the stuff of science fiction, incorporating a new electronic door opening

system that springs the door open when you squeeze in the right place. This is wired into the car’s blindspot warning system to ensure that it can’t take out a passing cyclist or see your door carried away on the front end of the number 299 to Cockfosters.

On The Road

I had high expectations of the NX and it didn’t disappoint. Road manners and cornering abilities were exactly where I expected them to be for a medium-sized luxury SUV. It’s never going to be fast and fun but there’s plenty of grip and body lean is well controlled, with precise steering.

Point and go, it’s happy enough on winding roads. Sporting luxury, not performance focused.

A quick look at the specs: 0-62 in 7.7, with a top end of 124mph. Combined power output from the non-turbo 2.5 litre petrol engine, supplemented by a twin-motor, epicyclic power-split system (the electric motors) produces 241 bhp and a combined fuel economy figure of over 44.1mpg.

The system has been refined by Toyota/Lexus but still suffers from the same horrible trait as every

Lexus NX

Pros

l Fully kitted with cutting-edge tech

l Impressive performance

l Substantial electric range

l Epic reliability

Cons

l Gruff engine under load

l Pricey

Verdict

The latest NX is a stylish SUV that ticks all the right boxes. Its plush interior and refinement levels make it feel like a luxury product that Lexus can be proud of. The engine sounds a bit raw when you prod it hard but the hybrid drive system operates well and provides noticeable savings, with substantial pureelectric range.

other CVT gearbox on the market, in that it sounds like a badly slipping clutch when you try to put the power down in a hurry. The engine could be smoother but, at low revs or around town, running on electric, it’s practically silent.

RAF father and daughter team taking English rugby by storm

Daniel Abrahams

IT’S A rugby union story started in the heartlands of New Zealand and now firmly held in the beating heart of the Service and English women’s game.

Sqn Ldr Ian Cokayne, current RAF women’s team forwards coach, and daughter Fg Off Amy Cokayne, hooker for the RAF and England, will once again be front and centre as the Service looks to claim back the IS title, won as underdogs in 2019, and triumph in the Six Nations for the fifth year in a row.

The duo found time to speak with RAF News about their journey to glory, which started in 2005 when the family emigrated to New Zealand.

Ian said: “I joined as JEngO and then SEngO on 3 SQN RNZAF –helicopter Sqn – initially, before transitioning to NH90s and A109s, based in Ohakea in the Manawatu.

“I coached Amy at Provincial (Manawatu) age grade levels from 2006-12, before coaching her school team from 2011-13.”

On her time in NZ, Amy said: “The exposure to top level rugby from the age of 13 is unmatched here, it’s fair to say I wouldn’t be the same player I am without the NZ experience.”

With title wins under Ian’s belt, including the RNZAF men’s IS crown, and a Black Ferns trial for Amy on offer, the Cokayne family returned home in 2014.

Amy said: “Realistically I knew rugby was a passion, I knew I would need a career alongside it, and I always dreamed of a career in the RAF.”

Serendipity then played a part, as Ian filled a vacancy in the RAF women’s set-up.

He said: “When we arrived there had already been a lot of hard work done. The five-year plan to win the IS was in place. Having

achieved that early, the real impact we can have now is showing people the careers available in the RAF while balancing that with elite sport.

“It is really important to get more players into regular rugby for civilian teams, and my connection at Lichfield has helped.”

He added: “This is definitely an excellent time for women’s rugby in the RAF; but we hope this is just the start of the journey for women’s rugby and having exceptional athletes that are well supported will just

become the norm.”

On her hopes for the future Amy said: “The women’s game has come a long way and it’s amazing to have been a part of that journey.

“There have been many highs, winning the Prem 15s, Six Nations and making two World Cup finals, but there is something special about winning the Inter-Services – to do it together and win it after 26 years of Army dominance, as we did in 2019, was truly a day we will never forget.

“Moments like that, which I hope to repeat this year, and being able to inspire the next generation

of female rugby players, is what drives me.

“I want all clubs to have enough girls that they can form all-girl teams, so mixed rugby isn’t allowed anymore. They are the best parts for me.”

On that topic, Ian added: “For me it is always a very proud moment to watch Amy stand to attention for the National Anthem when playing, and of the future, I would like to see all RAF players involved at the highest level possible in the civilian game.

“This would further develop our skillset.”

FIT FOR SERVICE: The Cokaynes in the gym, and Amy playing for England, inset

Amy in action for the light blues against the Army in the Inter-Services, and in uniform with father Ian, inset below left

RUGBY UNION

FOLLOWING THEIR sensational 2022 season, the Service’s mountain bike fraternity is gearing up for another tilt at glory.

The association, which has just released its Gravity MTB InterStation Series schedule, will once again see itself represented on the Enduro World stage, and will be hoping for another great victory to equal that of Sgt Andy Lochhead’s Trophy of Nations GB win.

Association spokesman SAC Jack Welson said: “Last season saw the largest roster of riders on the RAF Gravity Enduro team since its inception.

“We had high, but humble expectations for Andy Lochhead in the Enduro World Series race but for him to go on and shatter expectations at Scotland EWS, which then saw

Gearing up for Gravity inter-stations challenge

him compete in a further three EWS rounds with consistent results, was incredible.

“His Trophy of Nations gold for Great Britain was a definite highlight for the team and RAF sport as a whole.”

Welson added: “Our roster has once again grown so we will carry on using momentum from last year and push for a greater presence at national level races across the UK.

“We will be hosting UK and overseas training camps to offer team riders a variety of new trails to test their limits and develop their skills.”

On the 2023 RAF Gravity MTB Inter-Station Series, Welson added: “It is set to be the largest of its kind so far. Four rounds spread between May and October that will test riders, offering completely different challenges on the way.

“Round one, on May 23-24, will

be held at Dirt Farm, Abergavenny in Wales and will be fast and flowy, where optional jumps will separate the field.

“Then between July 18-19, riders will visit Antur Stiniog, North Wales, which will be a technical round with steep, slate trails.

“Moray, Scotland will be the third stage in Dallas between September 12-14, which looks to have steep, root-filled tracks.

“The final round at Descend Bike Park, Bishop Auckland, between October 18-19, will combine the RAF Championships. It’s a combination of the previous three rounds, featuring jump sections, which dive straight into steep and technical sections.

“So, riders will have to contend with it all, making it an exciting end to the series.”

l Follow RAF MTB on Instagram @rafgravitymtb.

Winds of change seal it for Hawkes

Staff reporter

AS1 BEN Hawkes continued his winning streak in sailing taking the K1 Class Inland National Championships in Datchet to start his year in style. Hawkes, who won the RAF Championships with Cpl Jonny McVey late last year, triumphed after two days and six gruelling races. He said: “Sailing is not just a physical sport, it’s also very mentally exhausting. You have to deal with ever-changing conditions and be prepared for when the results don’t go your way or everything isn’t going smoothly.

"I love the challenge that is offered by the sport

so try to compete whenever I can. The K1 win was tough, but amazing.”

The RAF Marham-based ICT Technician led after the first day, having produced a second and two firstplaced finishes in light wind conditions.

The second day’s action started again with light winds, with Hawkes producing two second places in the opening two races, tying him in second place overall.

With everything coming down to the final race, the wind conditions changed. Hawkes took full advantage, holding second until his final approach to the finish line, where he stole top spot and the championship.

ALL FIRED UP: Sgt Andy Lochhead (top) is hoping for another stellar season, while other association members are busy sharpening up their bike skills, above

Daniel Abrahams

MOUNTAIN BIKING

Oxford Saints 13

RAF Mustangs 28

IT WAS history in the making as the first ever UK Armed Forces game ended with a 13-28 victory for the RAF Mustangs over Oxford Saints.

Tilsley Park, Abingdon, was the venue for the game which saw the Service side use 34 athletes.

The action was streamed live on the Sport Tank network, raising the growing profile of the RAF team further.

Mustangs head coach Sgt Paul Wakeford said: “We had a strong mix of all ranks and both experienced players and rookies for the game.

“With plenty of players on duties elsewhere, we know we can grow stronger and improve going forward.

“We chose our opponents

Crazy horses

Mustangs win first ever Armed Forces grid iron game – in kit borrowed from Wembley Stallions

because they are a solid BAFA (British American Football Association) Division One team, with a history of being competitive, physical and playing good football.

“We are grateful to them for hosting us and taking part in

Chelcey try hat-trick in strong Inters start

CPL CHELCEY Greasley was the hat-trick hero as the RAF Women got their rugby Inter-Services charge off to a flyer against the Navy.

The winger scored three tries at Brickfields, in Plymouth, to help seal a 1017 victory.

It was a win made even more special because the light blues did it without three of their biggest stars – Amy Cokayne, Sarah Bonar and Carys Williams-Morris –who are away on international duty in the Six Nations.

The game stretched to 88 minutes on a pitch that became a quagmire as the action unfolded.

Next up is the Army at Kingsholm, Gloucester, on Saturday, April 15.

The RAF men also ended up playing just shy of 90 minutes on the mud, but it finished all square for them against the Senior Service, 13-13.

They too travel to Gloucester to take on the Army in the afternoon, after the women’s 11am fixture.

this fixture and to the Wembley Stallions for loaning us their kit.

“We wanted the challenge to help highlight development needs, which it did.”

The Saints provided a solid defensive line throughout the

game, but their predominantly rookie offensive meant the Airmen could present them with a stern challenge.

The Mustangs’ defence was solid, allowing only three points of the 13 that were scored by Saints. Stand-out player for the Mustangs, Cpl Stuart Dunlop (wearing number 30) in his first ever game of American Football, made five interceptions, two leading to touchdowns.

Wakeford said: “With an upcoming camp in June and regional one-day camps each month, this game has given us plenty to work on going forward into the autumn Inter-Service games.

He added: “We are still looking for new players and coaches, so please get in touch via: RAFamericanfootball@gmail.com or through any of our social media pages.”

GRID IRON

HORSE POWER: Mustangs beat the Oxford Saints

PHOTOS: CPL LEE MATTHEWS

RUGBY UNION

PHOTO: NEIL KENNEDY

NETBALL

UKAF champ first for RAF fighter Frankie

Daniel Abrahams

RAF BOXING came agonisingly close to making a double impact at the recent UK Armed Forces Championships in Plymouth on a historic night for the Service.

With just two fighters on the IS card, it proved to be a night of tears and joy for the light blues. AS1 Frankie Lyall’s amazing win made her the first female RAF boxer to take a UKAF crown, while there was a narrow defeat for AS1 Taylor Andrew, at HMS Drake.

Reigning UKAFBA Champion and RAF vice-captain Cpl Brad Axe lost to Marine Grant Crooks in the semi-finals and AS1 Luke Selby-Grace was beaten by the vastly more experienced Royal Marine Joel Hassan at the same stage.

Lyall's bout against Army PTE Lily Devlin kicked off the second part of the IS evening and was a fight to the final bell, with both women giving their all.

Digby-based Lyall (pictured) used all her expertise and skill, landing scoring shots from the off, to take the title in a bout which saw both boxers fight to a standstill at the end.

The only RAF boxer to gain a bye into the finals was AS1 Taylor Andrews, the RAF Regiment’s leading welterweight.

Now Digby boxer will represent military in National competition

Up against arguably the Army’s best prospect for national glory, Jordan Shaw, the 34 Sqn Gunner was keen to avenge a previous defeat to the same opponent. But a slow start saw his tactics unravel as the slick boxing Shaw stole the limelight. Andrews took the battle to the Army boxer and contested the second and third rounds well, but lost on a split decision.

Andrews said: “I fought Jordan last year and this was a much better fight for me. It was a tough fight, but I was pleased with how I did.”

RAF boxing chairman Sqn Ldr Karl Whalley said: “Our Service continues to upset the odds with outstanding displays of skill and endeavour.

“The event saw AS1 Lyall outclass the best with technical ability and an ever-burning desire to gain the UKAFBA’s

coveted Champion’s Belt.

“She will now go forward to represent the UK Armed Forces at the National Championship at the pre quarter-final stage.”

l For more details, personnel are requested to speak to their PEd Flt, OIC Boxing, or the RAFBA’s Administrative Secretary, Sqn Ldr Dan McIllMurray – Daniel. McILLMURRAY363@mod.gov.uk

SERVICE NETBALL took the opportunity of the first live streamed IS championships to put on the perfect advert for the sport, coming runners-up to the Army.

Hosting the championships at RAF Cosford, the association kicked off the two-day event – broadcast on Forces TV – against the Royal Navy.

With the masters and development teams having recorded wins, the ladies’ team took to the court and burst into a 19-7 lead after the first quarter.

The Senior Service fought back, but the light blues maintained a solid 32-21 half-time lead. At 45-30 after the third quarter, the hosts appeared to get a fit of nerves as they closed in on victory, which they finally secured 54-45.

The win set up a final showdown for all three RAF teams against reigning champions the Army. The masters and development teams lost their clashes, while the ladies went down after a thrilling clash, which will bolster their hopes of glory next season.

A nail-biting first quarter went the way of the Army, by the narrowest of scores, 8-10. The light blues’ tails were up going into the second quarter, their tactics working well, hassling and harrying the Army and picking off points.

The sides went into the half-time break with the score 19-16 in the RAF’s favour. By the end of the third quarter it was all square, 30-30, to set up a grandstand finish.

Sadly for the RAF the experience of the Army told as they ran out 36-44 winners, but what a game and a signal of intent for next year that the RAF sent out. l Follow RAF Netball on Instagram @ rafnetball.

It's a three-for-all at Ramstein Air Base

THE SERVICE’S basketball stars shone brightly at the 2023 AIRCOM 3x3 tournament at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.

Both men’s and women’s teams produced scintillating displays which saw the ladies finish fourth out of six teams – the highest position since 2003 – and the men achieve second overall, after a nail-biting final against the hosts.

The new 3x3 format, played over a halfcourt, sees the first team to 21 points wins; if not reached, a 10-minute game with the highest scoring team wins.

The first AIRCOM competition since

2017 saw the women’s team face FIBA worldranked number two team and 2024 Olympic hopefuls the German Air Force.

Coach WO Sam Williams described the RAF Women’s performances against the Germans and US Air Force Europe as ‘some of the best 3x3 basketball I have seen’.

AS1 Rachel Cathro was an immediate stand-out, dropping shots from the threepoint line, creating opportunities throughout as the team lost 19-5 to the USAFE and 21-6 to the German Air Force.

The women went on to beat the Royal

Netherlands 15-11 and Poland 17-16, leaving them to face Belgium to battle it out for third and fourth – a game they lost 21-6.

RAF Women’s Captain Sgt Grace Turton said: “I am proud of the team and our overall performance. It’s safe to say that we have all caught the 3x3 bug, and I hope the game becomes more recognised within the Service.”

The men faced very experienced teams throughout, but, unfazed, they beat the US Air Force team on their homecourt 21-14, the biggest win over the USAFE in 40 years, before, for the second time in AIRCOM

history, facing Germany.

The match would decide who took first place, but the powerful German side had too much for the Brits, narrowly losing 11-18.

RAF men’s coach Flt Lt Craig Percival said: “We may have been a little too hyped for the game, but if we made our half shots we would have won. I hope the growing game of 3x3 basketball is something that will continue for years to come.”

l For more RAF Basketball news and information follow @RAFBasketball on Instagram and Twitter.

SHOOT TO THRILL: RAF v Army final action

WELTERWEIGHT: AS1 Taylor Andrews

Slope stars shine at IS

Daniel Abrahams

TWO NAILBITING runner-up spots for the ski fraternity and a brace of thirds in the snowboard was the reward for the RAF at the Alpine 2023 Inter-Services in Meribel.

The ski-team men were agonisingly close behind the Army for the second year in succession, while the injury-hit women’s team finished second best to the Royal Navy. The Telemarkers took first and second place in the women’s individual event.

Cpl Sam Brown narrowly missed out on bronze in the snowboard Parallel Slalom (PSL) with Sgt Martin Boon coming fifth, before silver in the Snowboard Cross (SBX) for Fg Off Chris Harrington. The ladies' team came third, with Cpl Jasmine Furber securing PSL and slopestyle silver. An injury to Sqn Ldr Vanessa Wilson ruled her out, and so any team glory.

In the men’s skiing, team captain Cpl Barney Rudge came second in the slalom, Flt Lt Ross Lucie-Smith came third in the downhill, while Fg Off Dan Barton was third in the Alpine Combined, with a win in the giant slalom.

Stand-in women’s captain Fg Off Kirsty Guest took all five events and was the best overall individual and top newcomer. Flt Lt Claire Nixon was impressive in the Giant Slalom, coming in fifth in a team fielding five IS debutants.

Cpl Rudge said: “This year has been fantastic from a team and individual point of view. It has been the closest and tightest competition between all three Services that I can remember for a while, which is great for the championships.”

Fg Off Guest said: “It was very much a developmental year for the team. Despite this, to finish second was a terrific result.”

Teamwork and consistent runs were the take home for the men’s

snowboarders, as Flt Lt Lee Clark, Fg Off Chris Harrington, Sgt Martin Boon, Cpl Sean Davy, Cpl Alec Sladen and Cpl Adam Woolley built for the future.

Men’s team captain Flt Lt Charlie Hutch said: “It’s been another tough Inters for RAF Snowboarding with the level of riding even higher across the other two Services. Yet it was a fantastic competition with some excellent individual RAF results. Jasmine Furber’s double medal was great, while newcomer to the team Fg Off Chris Harrington showed himself to be a potential future RAF No 1 rider.”

In his last year as Telemark team captain, Sqn Ldr Jono Young, who will be replaced by Cpl Steve Fryer for 2024, saw the first IS competition with female representation from all three Services.

The ladies’ overall competition was won by Sqn Ldr Clare Thomas with four wins from four, with Flt Lt Sarah Shave second.

ALPINE

SPRAY AS YOU GO: Flt Lt Victoria Boyle sends the ice up, main photo; RAF telemarker uses free heel to full effect, top left; and Fg Off Chris Harrington, top right

SILVER SERVER: RAF snowboarder Cpl Jasmine Furber grabbed two second places

Film

Vermeer: The Great Exhibition

UK cinemas, April 18

We're only here for the Vermeer

Big screen showings of the once-in-a-lifetime exhibition of Dutch Master's paintings

THE RIJKSMUSEUM in Amsterdam is currently staging the largest Vermeer exhibition in history – it will never be repeated. Tickets are now completely sold out for this once-in-a-lifetime show, but you can see it in UK cinemas on April 18.

Exhibition on Screen’s Vermeer: The Greatest Exhibition invites audiences to a private viewing of this spectacular show on the big screen, accompanied by the director of the Rijksmuseum and the exhibition’s curators.

This momentous retrospective is the largest ever devoted exclusively to the ‘master of light’, with 28 of his 35-known works from countries all over the world. So many Vermeer masterpieces have never been

brought together in one place. The documentary gives art lovers the chance to see Vermeer’s masterpieces including Girl with a Pearl Earring, The Geographer, The Milkmaid and the newly-restored Girl Reading a Letter at the Open Window

Directed by David Bickerstaff (Sunflowers), the film reveals insights from the team behind the exhibition, world-renowned curators and Vermeer experts, shedding new light on the mysterious life and masterful work of the great 17th century artist, his artistic choices and motivations for his compositions, as well as the creative process behind his paintings.

One of the great Dutch Masters, Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675)

Film Review

Little Eggs: An African Escape (U) In cinemas now (Dazzler Media)

lived and worked in Delft. His work is best known for his tranquil, introverted indoor scenes, his unprecedented use of bright,

colourful light and his convincing illusionism. l Go to: exhibitiononscreen. com/films for more details.

Easter fun

Eggcentric animation

LITTLE EGGS: An African Escape is a Mexican animation set on a farm crammed with talking animals, soon to have new additions in the form of two shiny, golden chicken eggs.

That is until they’re stolen by some devious Russian egg collectors, having gathered all sorts of rare eggs to auction off at a banquet in the Congo.

We follow a group of eggs and other animals led by rooster Toto (Bruno Bichir) as they go on a rescue mission.

Even though children’s animation has evolved conceptually to the point of us being willing to accept anthropomorphic toys, cars or even human emotions – something just doesn’t sit right about watching chickens talk with their eggs (and that’s not to mention the bizarre inclusion of a talking streak of bacon, named Francis of course).

The humour of the film comes in the form of slapstick and puns, with some strange and colourful characters in the exotic eggs being harboured by the steampunk Russians –a pompous eagle egg, a diva quail egg and a comically slow

turtle egg are just a few.

Little Eggs might be a confusing assault on the senses, but it has no shortage of action. Once our eggs are stolen away to Africa, they are involved in all sorts of capers –from a plane crash, river ride, to jailbreak and even a talent show in the jungle: Congo’s Got Talent.

While there are a bunch of references thrown in for the

parents, Little Eggs is certainly aimed at a young audience. Kids might not be able to make sense of the story as a whole, but then it would be a challenge for most. However, each of the scenes makes sense in isolation, and the pace never lets up.

3 out of 5 roundels

Review by Sam Cooney and Jackson Cooney (aged eight)

DVD

The Killer (15)

On digital now and out on DVD and Blu–ray from April 17 Trinity CineAsia

It's a surefire hit, man

LEGENDARY HITMAN Urigang, the eponymous star of slick South Korean action-thriller The Killer, has been hailed as Korean cinema’s John Wick.

From acclaimed director Choi Jae-hood (The Swordsman) and adapted from a popular novel, The Killer is a fast-paced thriller packed with action scenes.

Uri-gang (Jang Hyuk, The Swordsman) plays the hitman who has decided to retire from the business and pursue legitimate work.

When his wife takes a trip, she issues a request – for Uri-gang to look after her travel companion’s 17-yearold daughter Yoon-ji (K-pop star Lee Seyoung aka Anne from GWSN).

He reluctantly agrees, but when the girl with a wild streak falls foul of gangsters, Yoon-ji finds herself kidnapped and in a situation more dangerous than she ever imagined. However, while the girl is in over her head, her captors also find

themselves with more than they can handle when Urigang begins tearing the city apart to get her back.

We have copies of the film on DVD to add to your collection. For your chance to win one, simply answer this question correctly: Who directed The Killer?

Email your answer, marked The Killer DVD 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 April 21. Please include your postal address.

KIDNAPPED: Yoon-ji (pop star Lee Se-young)

CHICK IT OUT: The two golden eggs go on an African adventure

ABOVE: Vermeer's Diana and her Nymphs is filmed for the on-screen showing RIGHT: The Geographer perfectly illustrates the Dutch Master's use of light

Redmayne's the Jackal in Sky remake

EDDIE REDMAYNE (The Good Nurse, Trial of the Chicago Seven and The Theory of Everything) will star in Sky TV’s The Day of the Jackal

The series is based on the seminal thriller by former Vampire pilot Frederick Forsyth and the subsequent award-winning 1973 film adaptation of the same name, which starred Edward Fox.

Redmayne (pictured right) most recently received critical acclaim leading to BAFTA, SAG and Golden Globe nominations for his chilling performance in Netflix’s The Good Nurse, opposite Jessica Chastain.

Last year he led the hit West End revival of Cabaret alongside Jessie Buckley. He starred as The Emcee, for which he went on to win the Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical. The show won a record-breaking seven Oliviers.

A spokesperson for Sky said: “The Day of the Jackal is a bold, modern reimagining of the beloved and respected novel and film. While staying true to the DNA of the original story, this contemporary drama will delve deeper into the chameleon like ‘anti-hero’

The man would

at the heart of the story in a high octane, cinematic, globetrotting ‘cat and mouse’ thriller, set amidst the turbulent geo-political landscape of our time.”

The series’ writer and showrunner is Irish screenwriter and novelist Ronan Bennett, creator and writer of the critically acclaimed global hit Top Boy His writing credits also include the BBC One series Gunpowder and screenplays for films such as Face and Public Enemies starring Johnny Depp and Christian Bale.

The Day of the Jackal will be produced by Downton Abbey and The Last Kingdom producers Carnival Films. Production will start this year.

Silva looks to the skies

HIT BBC drama Vigil looks to the skies for its second series, with a new investigation that takes Amy Silva (Suranne Jones) and Kirsten Longacre (Rose Leslie) into the world of the British Air Force, the BBC has announced.

“Following multiple unexplained fatalities at a Scottish military facility, Silva and Longacre are tasked with uncovering the cause. The pair must face the deadly warfare

of tomorrow as they fight for their own future,” said a BBC spokesperson.

Joining the cast of series two are Romola Garai (Becoming Elizabeth, The Hour), Dougray Scott (Crime, Enigma), Amir ElMasry (SAS Rogue Heroes, Limbo), David Elliot (The Liberator, Bulletproof) and Chris Jenks (Sex Education, Karen Pirie).

The first series of Vigil was UK television’s most-watched new

drama launch since Bodyguard in 2018, attracting more than 13 million viewers.

Jones said: “I’m thrilled to be joining the Vigil team again and continuing our story. We have brilliant new scripts and some amazing additions to the cast. Buckle up. It’s quite a ride”

The six-part drama starts filming soon in Scotland. Series one is available to stream on BBCi Player.

THE LATEST stage adaptation of Jules Verne’s iconic story Around the World in 80 Days is currently touring the UK.

The show travels to Ipswich and Colchester this month, Aylesbury’s Waterside Theatre and Richmond Theatre in May, then the Lighthouse Poole and the New Theatre Cardiff in June.

A band of travelling circus performers embark on their most daring feat yet: to recreate the adventures of Phileas Fogg as he sets off on his race around the globe.

Fact meets fiction as we learn the incredible true story of American journalist Nellie Bly, who emulated Fogg in her record-breaking trip around the world.

The drama unfolds as skilled performers traverse every country, embrace each character and navigate every mode of transport, as two tales intertwine on a madcap journey

around the world. Alex Phelps stars as determined Ringmaster Phileas Fogg and actor and puppeteer Katriona Brown plays the Acrobat and Nellie Bly.

Juliet Forster, the show’s director, who adapted the classic tale for the stage production, said: “I was amazed that we generally know more about Jules Verne’s fictional characters than we do about the real woman, Nellie Bly, who set the record for circumnavigating the globe in 1889 (and did the journey in less time...) I knew I had to tell her story.

“I found that this approach allowed interesting themes to emerge around whose stories get told, whose stories dominate and who should stand aside to give space to the untold ones.”

Verne’s original characters are transformed in Forster’s adaptation, embracing different modes of transport as they journey across the globe. Audiences can join the

ALL AT SEA: Silva (Suranne Jones) aboard a submarine in first series of Vigil

man who would be King

Loquacious ex-barrister Clive Anderson is back working an audience in Me, Macbeth & I

CHAT SHOW, radio and TV host

Clive Anderson brings his first solo show Me, Macbeth & I back due to popular demand.

The 16-date tour kicks off in Southend on April 13 and visits venues across the country.

He said: “I enjoy seeing different places. You don’t get an in-depth knowledge, obviously, if you swan in and swan out, but I try to make the most of my time in towns and cities.

“Years ago, I used to be a barrister and you do a similar amount of travelling in that job – not the whole time but certainly in my early days I used to go around courts in London, Oxford, Chelmsford and where have you. It occurred to me soon after I stopped doing that and was doing more work in the media – in television

and radio – that your perspective actually gets narrower in a way.

“You think about barristers being out of touch but you’re much more in touch with things in that job because you travel around a lot. Now I’m doing the tour I at least see places. Sometimes you don’t stay very long but sometimes you have a few hours to kick around and I find it interesting to do some exploring.”

Clive fronted 10 series of Clive Anderson Talks Back on Channel 4 and four series of Clive Anderson All Talk on BBC One. As well as presenting several other TV and radio programmes, he has made many guest appearances on shows such as Have I Got News For You, QI, Mock the Week, Countdown and Fighting Talk. He currently presents Loose Ends and

Not on your Nellie

Unreliable Evidence (both on BBC Radio 4)

An award-winning broadcaster and comedy writer, his success with stand-up and scriptwriting started during his 15-year legal career, before he rose to fame as the host of Whose Line Is It Anyway? on radio and then television, winning the 1991 British Comedy Award.

No stranger to the stage, Clive has hosted innumerable live events and award ceremonies.

He also presents a podcast, My Seven Wonders, in which he interviews comedians, actors, writers and others about their choice of wonders.

He explained: “Although it’s called Me, Macbeth & I, the show is mostly about me. Macbeth is a useful framing device and reference point for me to go through bits and pieces of my life. Without giving too much away, I stoutly maintain that you could argue Macbeth is the best play ever written. But the show isn’t a literary exercise; it’s a oneman show with that theme added on along with anecdotes about my TV career and stuff like that.”

It’s his first-ever solo show – was that a daunting prospect?

“I find everything quite daunting,” he admitted. “Well, I find everything quite daunting and quite exciting. I first did it at the Edinburgh Festival in 2019 and was going to do a tour in 2020, which didn’t happen because of Covid. Then another year went by and I only got to tour with it last year, and I only had time for a few dates for the extended version.

“In Edinburgh you do hourlong shows because that’s the time slot that governs pretty much everything at the Festival.

“On a theatre tour they want it to be long enough to have an interval, which is great because I found it quite hard to keep it down to an hour. Once the shackles were off it immediately

went up to around two hours because I just can’t stop myself once I get going.”

He added: “People had often said over the years ‘Why don’t you do a standup comedy tour?’ but I didn’t think I was quite the right person to do that or had the right show in me.

“I’ve studiously tried not to label this show as stand-up comedy so as not to give too much expectation to the audience but that’s basically what it is. It’s a mixture of jokes, anecdotes and some bits of information about Macbeth.”

Clive recently turned 70, where does he get his stamina from?

He revealed: “I don’t do a huge amount of exercise but I do play football once a week. It’s indoors and usually seven or eight a side. The other players are younger than me – some a lot younger – I can’t match them for speed. So I tend to alternate between hanging around near the opposition goal or back in defence.

“In fact, I’m more like a traffic cone. In attack if the ball hits off me and goes into the goal I claim it as my own, or if it hits me and doesn’t go into the goal I claim it as masterful intervention in defence.” l Go to: socomedy.co.uk for full tour details.

FACT MEETS FICTION: Alex Phelps stars as The Ringmaster in Around the World in 80 Days

Ringmaster, the Acrobat, the Clown, the Trick Rider and the Knife Thrower on their frantic race around the world

in this madcap adventure. l Go to: atgtickets.com and ents24. com for booking details.

ANDERSON: The former lawyer is an accomplished writer and broadcaster

Your Announcements

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

Deaths

COLLINS, Michael (Mike)

Flt Lt Navigator. Joined the Royal Air Force aged 15 as an apprentice at Halton (69th entry – engines) before training as a navigator and being commissioned in 1961. He flew with 14 Sqn, 27 Sqn, 51 Sqn and 115 Sqn, clocking up almost 8,000 hours, before flying a desk at Strike Command, High Wycombe in the Displays Office. For many years he provided enthusiastic support to the country’s best loved airshows, with his personal highlights being the planning of the RAF 75th anniversary flypast in 1993, followed by the D-Day 50th anniversary flypast the following year. He retired to Oxfordshire in 1995 after almost half a century of service. He died on March 12.

Seeking

SEEKING Leonard Stockall who was an old schoolfriend of mine, joined the RAF in the 1960s and may have been a Warrant Officer at some time, possibly in Norfolk, though, like me, would have retired years ago. He would be in his late 70s by now. He came from Woolhope Road in Worcester, and had a sister called Marilyn. Please contact Keri Moreman via email: jokerclover4@gmail. com if you can help.

LOOKING for any members of the 47th entry TG19 Hereford 62-64. Any still about? Please contact Jim Cummins via email on: Carol_cummins@aol.com or call: 01302 532865, 07517 416702.

Reunions

reunion please contact Dave Beaumont on: 07538651712 or you can email: beaumont.d@sky.com or please contact Bob Cuss via email at: rbc324@john-lewis. com for more information.

RAF Bawdsey Reunion Association. Did you ever serve at RAF Bawdsey? If so, why not join us at our next annual reunion which will take place at Bawdsey Manor on June 3. For details please contact Doreen at: doreen. bawdseyreunion@btinternet. com or phone: 07513 301723.

223 Entry, 50 years since graduation reunion, to be held at Mount Pleasant Hotel, Great North Road, Doncaster, DN11 0HW June 15-17. All details on our website: 223halton.hosting. idnet.net/reunion_2023.htm.

For sale

HOWARD Linda. Loving wife of Warrant Officer (Ret’d) John Howard (Pers Admin). Lost her battle with cancer on January 28 with her family by her side. Will be sadly missed.

In Memoriam

DIXON John Birkett ex WO

Passed away April 13,2002.

Still loved

Still missed

Never forgotten

Devoted wife Margaret and all your loving family.

How to use our service

RAF CHANGI – did you serve there between 1946 -72? The RAF Changi Association (inc. HQFEAF) would like to hear from you and a warm welcome awaits you. Membership is open to all ranks, ex RAF/WRAF/ WAAF also including civilian personnel who served there. Why not join us for our 25th Annual Reunion and AGM which has been booked for the weekend of May 12-14 at the Delta by Marriott Hotel, Warwick, CV34 6RE? Please contact our Membership Secretary, Malcolm Flack, on: 01494 728562 or email: memsecchangi@outlook. com or please visit the website: www.rafchangi.com for more details.

THE 60th anniversary reunion of the 49th Entry 2 Sqn Clerks Boy Entrants at RAF Hereford is to be held from May 15-17 at Thoresby Hall, Ollerton, Nottinghamshire. If you are interested in attending the

MESS Kit with waistcoat and cummerbund, Wg Cdr pilot (£90); No1, Sqn Ldr pilot (£55), SD hat, size 7 (£20), 36” chest, 30” waist. All in immaculate condition, Derby. Call: 07794 731061.

Charity concert

THE RAFA Cranwell Branch Bomber County charity concert featuring the Miller Magic Big Band takes place at Sleaford Masonic Rooms on May 7 starting at 7pm. The concert has a 1940s-themed evening. The Miller Magic Big Band is a 17-piece swing orchestra formed in 2015 under the auspices of the Sleaford Concert Band. Rod Whiting, who hosts the Sunday morning breakfast show on national Boom Radio, will be Master of Ceremonies. Tickets, £10 each, are available from Hockmeyer Motors, Holdingham, Sleaford, Moore & Scrupps, Sleaford, and Sleaford Jewellers.

There is no charge for conventionally-worded birth, engagement, marriage, anniversary, death,in memoriam seeking and reunion notices. For commercial small ads contact Edwin Rodrigues on: 07482 571535. We cannot, under any circumstances, take announcements over the telephone. They can be sent by email to: tracey.allen@rafnews.co.uk. Please note that due to the coronavirus pandemic we are currently unable to accept notices submitted by post.

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Obituary

Fighter pilot turned passionate environmentalist and farmer

FORMER FIGHTER pilot

Dave Stanley, who went on to run a successful environment and sustainability consultancy, has died aged 76.

Dave’s first tour was in RAF Muharaq, Bahrain, flying the Hunter on 208 Squadron.

His next tour was flying the Canberra on 98 Sqn at RAF Cottesmore from 19711973. After that he was a BASO (Brigade Air Support Officer) from 1974-76, based at RAF Benson, where he was awarded his parachute wings.

Following that he served on the TWU (Tactical Weapons Unit) at RAF Brawdy flying the Hunter between 1977-79.

His subsequent flying tour was on the Harrier with No1 Sqn at RAF Wittering.

Following promotion to Sqn Ldr, he took up a ground posting lecturing at the Department of Air Warfare, Cranwell, serving there from 1982-1984. He retired from the RAF in April 1984.

Subsequently he took up a role with Anglia Water where he kindled his passion for the environment and sustainability.

He became regional manager for the National Rivers Authority and from 1992 until 1997 he was head of environmental management at the Environment Agency.

He was an enthusiastic

visiting lecturer on sustainable development and environmental management at the UK National School of Government/Civil Service College from 1998 to 2012.

Alongside his lecturing activities, he was a member of the Board of Directors and Fellow of the Institute of Environmental Assessment. He also created and directed his own environment and sustainability consultancy ‘e3’ from January 1998 until his death.

Dave’s friend and former RAF colleague Cyril Mannion said: “Dave’s company strapline was ‘Challenge the thinking’.

“He was not afraid to speak out and challenge the conventional thinking or a perceived correct course of action.

“Dave’s energy, friendship and enthusiasm will be missed by all who knew and worked alongside him.

“Moreover, his wise counsel will be sorely missed.”

Mr Mannion added:

“He won many awards as a breeder of organic grass-fed pedigree Lincolnshire Red cattle. He was renowned for the grassland management procedures he used.

“Dave was a devoted father and an excellent mentor. He will be sorely missed by Jane, his wife of 49 years, by his children Thomas and Alice, his six grandchildren and his wide circle of friends.”

His funeral will be held at St Bartholomew’s Church, Grimley, Worcester WR2 6LU on Friday, April 14 at 3pm.

230 Tiger Sqn Families Day

230 TIGER SQUADRON Association, August 30–31, Wallingford Hotel, RAF Benson Visit and Families Day.

230 Sqn is one of the longest-serving squadrons in the Royal Air Force, having been formed in 1918.

Contact Rod Goodier: 230assocreunionsec@ gmail.com; Facebook: 230 Squadron RAF Association.

Wednesday,

If you wish to attend the service please email Lisa Thomas: bryn.lisa@icloud.com who is managing the guest list.

Flt Lt Michael Collins

A THANKSGIVING Service to celebrate the life of Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Knight will be held at St Clement Danes Church, Strand, on

May 31 at 11am. Dress: Lounge suit or uniform, medals may be worn.

HIGH FLYER: Dave Stanley on his wedding day on December 1, 1973,and in later years on his farm, where he had a herd of pedigree Lincolnshire Red cattle

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Prize Crossword No. 336

Solve the crossword, then rearrange the nine letters in yellow squares to find an RAF term

7. Understand depth of water (6)

8. About to look at analysis (6)

10. Alien to learn about the everlasting (7)

11. Outside freelancer is less tied up (5)

12. Beaker holds first syrah during transition (4)

13. I start playing cards without fault (5)

17. 100 vocal about some scallop (5)

18. Chopper that’s ready to pounce? (4)

22.And 24 Across. Maybe screamed for Navy and RAF (5,6)

23. Duck races round beginner, they say (7)

24.See 22 Across

25.And 6 Down, 1 Down. A specified form worn by Brize Norton this year? (6,5,2,5)

Down

1.See 25 Across

2. Doubting Thomas at robbery (7)

3.See 5 Down

4. RAF exercise warning (3,4)

5.And 3 Down. It watches Joni assemble trivet (5,5)

6.See 25 Across

9. New Waddington fighter facility? (9)

14. Before the French keen on embraces (7)

15. Wonderful Nautilus torpedoed Emil (7)

16. Without answer to overtaking (7)

19. German agreement very loud for a Mediterranean city (5)

20. Trams make comeback – good thinking (5)

21. Endless praise transforms capital (5)

Name

Address............................................................................................................... RAF term:.......................................................................

Music

Norah Jones

UK tour

NORAH JONES returns to European concert stages this year for her first tour dates on the continent since 2018.

In addition to her already announced summer tour, which will bring the nine-time Grammywinner to France, Belgium, Italy, Croatia, Hungary, Austria, Spain, and Portugal in July, she has just announced a UK tour this November which includes performances in London, Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow, as well as Belfast and Dublin.

The American singersongwriter, daughter of the sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar, first emerged on the world stage with the February 2002 release of Come Away With Me, which grew into a global phenomenon, sweeping the 2003 Grammy awards. Since then, she has sold more than 50 million albums and her songs have been streamed six billion times worldwide.

She has released a series of critically acclaimed and commercially successful solo albums – Feels Like Home (2004), Not Too Late (2007), The Fall (2009), Little Broken Hearts (2012), Day Breaks (2016), Pick Me Up Off The Floor (2020), the live album 'Til We Meet Again (2021), and her holiday album I Dream Of Christmas (2021) – as well as albums with her collective bands The Little Willies, El Madmo, and Puss N Boots featuring Sasha Dobson and Catherine Popper.

The 2010 compilation

The winners of our Prize Crossword and Prize Su Doku puzzles will receive a recent top aviation title – please send your entries to the address printed in the adjacent Su Doku panel, to arrive by April 21.

Prize Crossword No. 334 winner is: Mike Nurse, High Wycombe

Prize Su Doku No. 346

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 April 21.

The winner of Su Doku No: 344 is: Lindsay Read, Dunstable, Beds.

Keep up with the Joneses

DVD

The Borrowers (U)

Fabulous Films/Fremantle Media Enterprises

Win!

Tiny parts for the big stars

AHOST of top stars head the cast of The Borrowers, the film adaptation of Mary Norton’s classic children’s novel.

Featuring Norah Jones showcased her versatility by collecting her collaborations with artists as diverse as Willie Nelson, Foo Fighters, Outkast, and Herbie Hancock.

In 2018, Jones began releasing a series of singles including collaborations with artists and friends such as Mavis Staples, Jeff Tweedy, Thomas Bartlett, Tarriona Tank Ball, Rodrigo Amarante,

and Brian Blade, some of which were compiled on the 2019 singles collection Begin Again Last year she launched her podcast Norah Jones is Playing Along, which features candid conversations and impromptu musical collaborations with some of her favourite musicians. l Go to: norahjones.com for more information.

They include Jim Broadbent (Iris, Moulin Rouge), John Goodman (The Big Lebowski, Roseanne, King Ralph), Bradley Pierce (Jumanji), Celia Imrie (Acorn Antiques), Mark Williams (101 Dalmatians), Hugh Laurie (House, A Bit of Fry and Laurie), Doon Mackichan (Smack The Pony, Alan Partridge) and Ruby Wax. The movie also marked the big screen debut of Tom Felton – Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter series.

Sadly Norton, who also wrote the books on which the 1971 Disney film Bedknobs and Broomsticks was based, never got to see the 1997 film of The Borrowers – she passed away in 1992 aged 88.

The Borrowers follows the adventures of the dauntless, tiny Clock family, parents Pod (Broadbent), Homily (Imrie) and their kids Peagreen and Arrietty – a family of tiny fourinch-tall people who live under the floorboards of a big house, surviving by ‘borrowing’ from the ‘Human Bean’ family upstairs. We have copies of the film on DVD to win. For your chance to own one, tell us: Who wrote the novel on which The Borrowers film is based?

Email your answer, marked Borrowers DVD 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 April 21. Please include your full postal address.

Across –

JONES: First burst onto the scene in 2002