1

DEAR MEMBER,

OCTOBER BRANCH MEETING

A good attendance for an interesting talk by

David Morton on ’Cars with a Difference.’

Also news that at the Association AGM, our

Branch Vice President Peter Lawrence, has

been appointed National Association Vice

Chairman. Our congratulations Peter.

And generous Branch members raised a best

ever £69 at the Branch raffle - how about

that! That’s nice. That’s Norfolk!

REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY PARADE

Again, huge support from the people and

youth organisations of Wymondham, with 17

Standards on parade, including ours carried

proudly by Tony Leonard, with Peter

Lawrence laying the wreath. We may be

getting older but us ‘Rock Apes’ can still

march. (With a few creaks, well a lot

actually but it’s good for the arthritis),

Wymondham Abbey was packed out for the

Service with a meaningful Sermon by The

Reverend Canon Mike Porter on War, Peace

and Remembrance. A day to remember.

NOVEMBER BRANCH MEETING

There was a Full House and a great atmos-

phere for the talk by Richard Mann on ‘Edith

Cavell - A British Heroine.’ He really is an

excellent speaker. Our members again

excelled themselves with another branch

raffle record of £74. Wonderful.

We also welcomed a guest, Colin Lake from

Wisbech. Colin served with Lionel Middleton

on 75 Squadron at Gilenkirchen, Germany, in

the 1950’s and they met up earlier this year

for the first time since 1958.

MY APLOLOGIES

The October Newsletter had the very last

line missing on page 5. It should have read

‘gave him a handful of ’V’ cigarettes’. It was

on the page when I was checking the

Newsletter but somehow - jumped off. It

will not occur again. (I hope).

NATIONAL MEMORIAL ARBORETUM

This Autumn, the NMA created a new living

memorial in the form of a Carpet of

Crocuses.

Chosen because it is the first flower of

spring. The Crocus symbolizes renewal of

hope. The mixed crocus bulbs were planted

the length of Yeomanry Avenue, on which the

Fire & Rescue Services Memorial among

others is situated.

Planting took place on weekends 28/29

September and 2/3 November 2013.

Editor: Norfolk Branch have sent a £30 donation for the crocuses. We have had a thank you letter from the NMA. The RAF

Regiment Memorial and Garden, fronts onto Yeomanry Avenue. So if you visit the NMA in spring, you will see lovely crocuses in bloom. Over 5,000 of them.

THE ROYAL AIR FORCE REGIMENT ASSOCIATION

NORFOLK BRANCH

NEWSLETTER NO.205 December 2013

President: Squadron Leader Paul Bruning (Rtd)

Vice President: Squadron Leader Peter Lawrence (Rtd)

Chairman: Mr. Paul Rainbird

Vice Chairman: Mr. Tony Leonard

Secretary: Mr. Colin Clarke

Treasurer: Mr. Graham Clarkson

The President, Vice President, Chairman and Committee wish all members and their families

a Very Happy Christmas, Peaceful and Healthy New year.

2

WE WILL NEED A TREASURER

A sincere ‘thank you’ to Graham our Branch

Treasurer, who will step down at the end of

December 2013, after three years of doing

an excellent job in keeping the books.

We now need a volunteer to take up this

honourable post. So just give me call on

(01502) 585079. Thank you

CHRISTMAS LUNCH

Just a reminder - Moment’s Restaurant, at

Scratby, Thursday, 12th December 2013, 12

Noon - 12.45pm. 34 members will be enjoying

lunch. We will of course be having our super

raffle.

NORFOLK BRANCH 20 YEARS IN 2014

We celebrate 20 years as Norfolk Branch

next March. It’s your Branch, so any ideas or

suggestions, as to how we might mark the

occasion will be most welcome. Thank you.

ARMED FORCES OPERATIONAL LIST

No.41

The following honours and awards to Corps

members were published in Armed Forces

Operational List No.41 dated 4 October

2013. All were awarded for exemplary

service on Operation Herrick.

Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service.

Sqn Ldr J R ROWE - 1 Sqn RAF Regt (now

HQ AIR Comd).

Cpl S SHARKEY - 51 Sqn RAF Regt.

Joint Commanders Commendation.

Flt Lt (now Sqn Ldr) K M O’BRIEN - RAF FP

Centre RAF Honington.

Cpl W L EVANS - RAF FP Centre RAF

Honington.

Cpl D A McINTOSH - FP Trg Flt. RAF

Honington.

CG Commendations 2013.

The following individuals have been awarded

the C G’s Personal Commendations for 2013.

Mr Sean ALLERTON - For Service related

fund raising for disabled servicemen.

Sgt Paul BARRETT - Serving Gnr, for his

selfless dedication and unswerving

commitment to his unit.

Sgt Angus J JEFFREY - Serving Gnr, for his

outstanding work at the Army’s Infantry

Trials and Development Unit.

Mr Eric PAPPS - Retired Gnr, for his

outstanding support to the RAF Regt

Assoc. and its Gloucester Branch.

Mrs Denise SPEIGHT - for her outstanding

support to the RAF Regt Assoc. and its N E

London Branch.

Mr Pat SWEENEY - Retired WO Gnr, for his

outstanding support to the RAF Regt Assoc.

and its Catterick Branch.

Mrs Ros SWEENEY - for her outstanding

support to the RAF Regt Assoc. its Catterick

Branch and the Regt Shop.

HOMECOMING PARADE OF 11 SQUAD-

RON RAF REGIMENT 11 JANUARY 2014

Following their return from the most recent

operational tour of duty on OPERATION

HERRICK, the Homecoming Parade of 11

Squadron RAF Regiment will take place in the

town of Bury St Edmunds on Saturday 11

January 2014. Further details will be issued

at a later date and available from me on

(01502) 585079.

BRANCH DONATION

Stu Kyffin is a former soldier and served 10

years with the SAS. On the 4th October

2013, he was seriously injured in a motorbike

accident in Thailand, He suffered severe

head and brain trauma and remains in a coma.

He will require 24 hour care for life.

The family are trying to raise funding to pay

for the specialist medical team that he needs

to accompany him on repatriation to the UK.

His condition is so critical that normal

medical travel and care is not an option.

Branch members have approved a donation

of £50 to the fund. We wish the family well

and success in bringing their loved one home.

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REUNITED

Branch member Gordon Todd served in the

RAF Regiment 1946 to 1948 on No’s 1 and 2

Armoured Car Squadrons in Palestine and

Amman, Transjordan. One of his colleagues

and good friend was Ted Morgan. In 1948,

the Squadron moved to Amman, from where

they both returned to England for demob.

In 1950, Ted with his fiancé Pam visited

Gordon at his home in Norwich. Ted married

and moved to Islington, London, and he and

Gordon lost touch with each other.

In 2012, Gordon’s son Gary, was perusing the

internet when by chance he came across a

message from Ted ‘Does anyone know of

Gordon Todd ex RAF Regiment’.

Gordon contacted Ted by ‘phone and then a

few weeks ago with his wife Joyce, Gordon

travelled to Fritton, Bedfordshire, to the

home of Ted and his wife Pam. They stayed

for a lovely weekend and as you can imagine

there was much to talk about since 1948.

Both now 85 years and still very much young

at heart. And as Gordon said: ’It was

wonderful to meet up again and the years

just rolled away.’ They now regularly keep in

touch.

Editor: All those years apart but the bond of Regiment friendship stays strong.

LOOKING BACK-BRANCH STANDARD.

(Sadly, some of the members mentioned in

this article are no longer with us)

In 1995, the branch was one year old and

members thoughts turned to a Branch

Standard. When I say members, it was Owen

and Betty Thompson who suggested this.

Enquiries were made and costs would be in

the region of £750. Then we would have a

Dedication Service at Wymondham Abbey.

So we needed to save our pennies and do

some fund raising. Fortunately, we had a

good start, thanks to our raffles and gener-

ous members. By July 1995, there was £300

in the kitty. To raise more monies we

required a stall for a tombola and items of

memorabilia. Then we needed venues?

Branch Member Derek Kirk lives in Cromer,

famous for its Carnival with the Red Arrows

and thousands attending. Next thing we

know Derek has organised a pitch for us on

the main green.

So on 16th August 1995, Louise and I arrived

with gazebo, prizes for the tombola and

Regiment memorabilia, including a full size

dummy in RAF Regiment uniform, a copy of

the Air Ministry Order setting up the RAF

Regiment in 1942, gas masks, bofor shells,

literature, photographs and badges, plus

thanks to our generous members over 100

prizes. With a giant pander for first prize.

All ticketed and arranged attractively by our

ladies. Yes, we couldn’t do it without you.

Jim Stevenson brought along several model

WW11 aircraft he had made. Henry Linford

came with generator, TV, video of QCS and

even an electric fan. Norman Hunt and

Shirley brought their caravan for rest and

refreshments, tea, coffee and biscuits. It

was all systems go!

4

There was a huge attendance, weather was

fine, a great rapport with the public and our

members raised £139. Everyone enjoyed the

day. A great start to our fund raising.

Twelve days later on the 28th August, we

were on parade at Oulton Broad Gala Day,

just 10 yards from the Broads, with wind that

made it a great day for yachting but not for

gazebo’s. Ours nearly went into orbit -

Regiment measures were needed. Henry

Linford and Alec James, our consultant

engineers, came to the rescue. With wooden

stakes, tow ropes and cable they secured the

gazebo to Henry’s car and a nearby tree.

The wind eased, our display was up and run-

ning. No more problems then. Well not until

Henry received a message that his wife

Nancy, who was driving from Norwich to join

us had broken down. Henry couldn’t assist, his

car was keeping the gazebo in place.

Just like to say here that the public did

comment on how smartly dressed we were in

our blazers, with badges and tie. We raised a

£108 and after expenses at both events we

had a profit of £183 towards the Standard.

We had done well but gazebos are subject to

the weather, so for 1996, we decided to

purchase a market stall and cover. Henry

Linford and Cliff Cane made some extra table

extensions and wooden tops for the tables.

Now we were really ready to go. Over the

next 17 years as well as Cromer and Oulton

Broad we took our display to Flixton, Watton,

Wymondham and Worstead, Alec James

would bring his trailer loaded with the stall

and equipment. Louise and I the memorabilia,

prizes and tickets.

Our loyal members and their ladies all helped

with the display and giving out prizes and of

course the bucket men - selling the tickets 5

for a £1. We never increased our prices and

always gave good value. Thanks to all our

members and their ladies who helped raise

the money in those early days and ever since.

By 1998, we had enough money to buy the

Standard and organise a Service of

Dedication at Wymondham Abbey.

The day was arranged for Sunday, 27th

September 1998 3pm at Wymondham Abbey.

It was a joint Parade and Service with the

RAFA to Commemorate the Battle of Britain.

In those days we had the RAF Regiment

Association and Comrades Association, so I

wrote in all to 34 branches inviting them to

attend the Parade, Service and afterwards

the Ex-Service men’s Club for refreshment.

Louise prepared the Order of Service.

The real organisation was by Owen and Betty

Thompson, they liaised with the Council,

Police, Church, Vicar, Organist and arranged

the Order of Service plus RAF Honington

Band. Then for AVM John Howe (Ret) to take

the Salute, accompanied by the Commandant

General of the RAF Regiment Air Commodore

McNeil and several local dignitaries.

I was to be Standard Bearer and was soon to

find out why my nomination had ben carried

out with such speed. My two escorts were

John Mott and Peter Moore and the Branch

were indebted for the help and advice from

Sergeant Sandle, RAF Honington (Ex QCS),

who first travelled to Oulton Broad to put us

through our paces as Standard Bearer and

Escort and then as Parade Marshal on the

day. They don’t come any better.

The day arrived and early heavy rain had by

10am given way to sunshine. By 2.15pm over

200 men paraded at the Market Place,

Wymondham. There were three Flights of

RAF Regiment men from all over the country.

What support we had. We were ready to

march, led by the Band from RAF Honington.

5

It was a wonderful Parade and Dedication

Service, the Abbey was packed with over 300

present. The ‘March Past’, with great pride

was first class, especially when the Salute was

taken by AVM John Howe.

Then to the Ex-Servicemen’s Club for

refreshment, there was a great atmosphere

and comradeship. Must mention the raffle

organised by Mark Racher and Jan - raised

£233. Wonderful day enjoyed by all.

There were many letters of thanks and ‘phone

calls received. I conclude with this one from

Tom Renshaw - then Chairman of the

Comrades Association.

1st October 1998.

Dear Colin,

May I on behalf of all Comrades and myself

thank you for a wonderful day on Sunday. The

fact that we were invited was a great idea and

look forward to many more joint ventures.

Everyone I spoke to on the day (and none of

them said whether they were Association or

Comrades), remarked on what a day it was.

I have received ’phone calls’ since Sunday

from people who were there, all of them say-

ing how they enjoyed it.

Please pass on my congratulations for the

organisation of the day from the ‘fall in ‘ to

refreshments. I am fully aware that these

functions don’t just happen and that a lot of

time and energy is put in for no reward except

the success of the occasion.

One again thank you all and look forward to

seeing some of your members on parade at

The Cenotaph in November.

Best Wishes,

Tom Renshaw.

REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY

As we have just remembered those who have

paid the supreme sacrifice, my thoughts

turned to the following.

THE STORY OF THE UNKNOWN WARRIOR

The Reverend David Railton, a Chaplain at the

Front is believed to have had the idea of

honouring the unidentified of the Great War.

In 1916 he noticed a grave in a garden in

Armentieres which had a rough cross bearing

the words: ‘An unknown British Soldier’. After

the War he suggested that Britain honour its

unknown war dead officially.

Between four and six bodies were exhumed

from four battle areas, the Aisne, the

Somme, Arras and Ypres. The remains were

covered with Union Jack Flags and brought to

the chapel at St. Pol. Brigadier General L. J.

Wyatt, who was the commander of British

troops in France and Flanders then selected

one. The officers placed the body in a plain

coffin and sealed it. The other bodies were

then taken away for reburial. Placed in a

coffin made of oak from Hampton Court, the

body was transported to Dover on the

destroyer HMS Verdun.

On the morning of November 11th 1920, the

second anniversary of Armistice Day, the Un-

known Warrior was drawn through crowd-line

streets on a gun carriage where King George V

placed a wreath on the coffin. At 11.00am the

nation observed ‘The Two Minutes Silence’ and

then the body was taken to Westminster

Abbey and buried at he west end of the naïve.

The grave contains soil from France and is

covered by a slab of black Belgian marble.

Inscribed upon the marble are these words

from the Bible:

’They buried him among the Kings because he

had done good towards God and towards his

house.’

Within the first week an estimated 1,250,000

people filed past the Unknown Warrior to pay

their respects to all the unidentified war

dead. It is now one of the most visited war

graves in the world and is the only part of the

Abbey floor that is never walked on.

6

GARDEN OF REMEMBRANCE

Photograph of the RAF Regiment Garden of

Remembrance in London, by Branch Member

Lionel Middleton when he attended the Re-

membrance Service at The Cenotaph 2013.

RAF REGIMENT SECRETARY

DATES FOR DIARY 2014

11 Jan - Homecoming Parade for 11 Squadron RAF

Regiment.

30/31 Jan - Corps Operation Review - RAF

Honington.

31 Jan - Corps Formation Review - RAF Honington.

1 Feb - 72nd Anniversary of the Formation of the

RAF Regiment.

3/4 May - Ex ALTCAR CHALLENGE

International Reserve Forces Military Skills

Competition.

10 May - Disbandment Parade of 6 RAF FP Wing

and 58 Squadron RAF Regiment - RAF Leuchars.

17 May - Annual RAF Regiment Commemoration -

St Annes Church, Catterick.

6 June - RAF Regiment Officers Annual Reception

(Celebrating D-Day) House of Lords.

6 June - D-Day 70th Anniversary Nationwide.

24/27- Oct RAF Regiment Association AGM and

Annual Reunion (Provisional).

31 Oct - RAF Regiment Officers Dinner Club,

Annual Dinner, RAF Club, London.

IN MEMORIUM

Founder Member- Former RAF Regiment

Flight Sergeant John (known as Singapore

Sam) Haddon born 9th September 1921, died

on 20th October 2013 aged 92. He enlisted

on his 18th birthday 9th September 1939, as

a Ground Gunner and was assimilated into the

RAF Regiment on its formation in 1942.

He enjoyed active wartime service, serving on

781(D) and 232 Squadrons, 293, 190 and

1324 Wings in Karachi, Jessore and

Secunderland.

In the post war years he served on 19 and 31

(LAA) Squadrons, 7 Wing, 63(F) and 16(F)

Squadrons RAF Regiment, in Sennelar,

Laarbruch, Wunstorf, Malta, Felixstowe,

Khormalksar and Nicosia. He was awarded a

Mention in Despatches while on 63(F)

Squadron RAF Regiment in Cyprus in 1959.

He was discharged on 26th March 1964 and

in later years a member of Suffolk Branch

RAF Regiment Association.

The funeral was held on 5th November 2013,

at Felixstowe. He is survived by his step-son

John Haddon-Silver, 17 The Croft, Bandwell,

Bury St Edmunds 1P31 1AW, to whom the

Corps extends its sincere condolences.

Editor: Sam Haddon was one of the ’Characters’ in the RAF Regiment. He commanded respect from both officers and men. I had the pleasure of knowing him in the 1950’s when he was Acting SWO 31 LAA Squadron at RAF Wunstorf.

He was a broad, thick set man with a square jaw - like Winston Churchill and he had a powerful voice.

He got the name ’Singapore Sam’ when he was in Singapore on a Guard of Honour. He dropped his rifle and the Officer i/c said ’Pick up thy rifle Sam’. The name stuck and that is how he was always known.

7

NO BALLS

What would we do without a ball?

No Golf, no Tennis, not much at all.

Football and Cricket would have to go,

Snooker and Billiards, oh what a blow.

Rugby just would be allowed,

The only game to draw a crowd.

No Football stars on Saturday night,

No one around to pick a fight.

And on the other side of town,

No ‘Rupert Bears’ to wear a frown,

No talk of par of hit how far,

No handicap or 19th jar.

The cricket match would have to change,

No fielders there to re-arrange.

No ball to hit, oh what a shame,

They’ll have to find another game.

And what a ’Racquet’ there would be,

On Court no ’Love’ of ’Fault’ to see.

What would two people do all day,

If bat and ball they could not play.

Such a world would be a fright,

With sportsmen wandering day and night,

To find a game that they could play,

They’d get in everybody’s way.

Eric Robinson.

WHAT AM I BID FOR MY MISSUS?

‘A Navvy, living at Tunstead Mill,

Stacksteads, determined to get rid of the

‘partner’ of his joys and sorrows’ by offering

her for sale by auction, the highest bidder

to ‘take the lot.’

‘On Tuesday last the sale took place at the

husband’s house, but, despite Solomon’s

testimony as to a woman being more precious

than rubies, and not withstanding that the

spectators were numerous, the highest offer

was only 4d, at which low figure the wife was

eventually ‘knocked down’ to another navvy,

who, by-the-by, lived next door. ’The seller

wanted to ‘throw in’ three children, but the

buyer objected, the bairns were left on hand

’The wife, however, went joyfully to the

home of her new owner, and seemed to be

quite as glad to get away from her late liege

lord as he was to part with her.

’The occurrence has caused quite a stir in

the locality.’

Sheffield and Rotherham Independent,

July 29 1879.

YES, MEN ARE GOOD FOR NOTHING

Brace yourselves, chaps. You may have long

suspected that your better half had a some-

what jaundiced view of your general useful-

ness but now the truth is here. It’s worse.

From buying clothes, to remembering birth-

days and dancing, women reckon men aren’t

good for much at all. Indeed there are few

area’s of modern life where men do excel,

and they’re hardly that surprising, let alone

sought after skills.

According to a survey of 1,000 adults, 60%

of women said men were good at getting rid

of spiders, 56% rated men’s barbecue skills,

73% said men can change a tyre. Just over

half rated men’s ability to drink alcohol.

Only 10% of women thought men could iron a

shirt, 4% that they could dance. Men are

also pretty useless at buying gifts, choosing

home fixtures and furnishings and cooking

anything complicated. However, they can

still do DIY, although 46% of men admit

they have hurt themselves while doing so.

Men can also be relied upon to buy the wrong

sized clothes for their partner and to get

drunk at family functions, the survey found.

The list of ten things men do poorly was:

Buying clothes for women, remembering anni-

versaries/birthdays, dancing, ironing, cook-

ing, domestic chores, buying gifts, multi

tasking, keeping up with fashions and picking

furniture. Editor: Guilty as charged.

8

PARISH NOTICE No.215 22.11.2013

Laying up of the 3rd Queen’s Colour and

Squadron Standards and HAC Succession

Parade.

The 3rd Queen’s Colour for the RAF

Regiment, together with the retired

Squadron Standards of 1, 16, 27, 37 and 48

Squadrons RAF Regiment, was laid up in a

bespoke Military Ceremony in St

Edmundsbury Cathedral, Bury St Edmunds,

Suffolk, on Thursday 21st November 2013.

Readings were given by Air Commodore M. S.

Witherow RAF Regiment (Retd) and Air

Chief Marshal Sir Richard Johns. The Colour

Standards were received into the care of

the church by The Very Reverend Dr.

Frances Ward, Dean of Edmundsbury.

Following on from the Cathedral Service a

ceremonial Succession Parade was held at

RAF Honington, at which Air Chief Marshal

Sir Richard Johns handed over to the

appointment as Honorary Air Commodore

RAF Regiment, formally to Air Chief Marshal

Sir Stephen Dalton.

QCS. (63 Squadron RAF Regiment) provided

the Half Guard and the Band of the RAF

Regiment provided the music.

Editor: Branch members attended and enjoyed the day. A memorable Service at the Cathedral and then to RAF Honington where they received a really warm welcome from serving members of the squadrons.

QUOTES:

Do not spoil what you have by desiring what

you have not; remember that what you now

have was once among the things you only

hoped for.

Children may close their eyes to advice, but

they keep their eyes open to example.

‘Doctor, I think I’m a bottle of gin. Don’t

worry, you just need a little tonic.’

No one will ever win the battle of the sexes.

There’s just too much fraternising with the

enemy.

A woman’s mind is cleaner than a man’s, she

changes it more often.

If you’ve got half a mind to go into politics,

that’s all you need.

There’s nothing wrong with the younger gen-

eration that becoming taxpayers won’t cure.

JUST A REMINDER

There is no December Branch Meeting.

WHAT IS CHRISTMAS?

It is tenderness for the past, courage for

the future. It is a fervent wish that every

cup may overflow with blessings rich and

eternal, and that every path may lead to

peace. (Agnes Pharo)

AND FINALLY

Our thoughts and prayers are with all those

who are separated from their families and

loved ones, especially those serving in H. M.

Forces in Afghanistan and other trouble

spots in the world. That they may return

home safely and 2014 will see an end to

hostilities and that peace my prevail.

That’s all for now folks! Louise and I wish

you and your families a Happy Christmas and

Healthy and Peaceful 2014.

We look forward to the pleasure of your

company at the Branch Lunch, Thursday 12th

December 2013, at Moments Restaurant, and

Branch Meeting on Tuesday, 21st January

2014 - 12.45pm Feathers Inn, Wymondham,

when it’s Henry’s Quiz, always good fun.

Best wishes,

Colin Clarke.

Branch Secretary.

(01502) 585079.