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RAF Regiment Books ROYAL AIR FORCE REGIMENT ASSOCIATION www.rafregt.org.uk BIRMINGHAM BRANCH Another Honour for Birmingham Branch Page 2 ’ Commandant General s Team Commendation Page 2 – From The Branch Chairman A Letter Page 2 Latest Afghanistan Casualties Page 2 ANOTHE R HONOUR FOR – Branch Appeal Goodies for Our Injured Boys Page 3 BIRMING HAM BRANCH From Colin Clarke, Norfolk Branch Secretary Page 3 Page 2 Acting Cpl Marcin Wojtak KIA Afghanistan RIP Page 3 The Repatriation Page 4 GOODIES FOR OUR The Military Funeral Page 4 Death Notices Page 5 INJURED BOYS Page 3 Funeral of John Docker Page 5 Branch Birthdays Page 5 SAC MARCIN WOJTAK Election of Frank Zavier the New Association Secretary Page 6 Ex-SAC Frank Xavier Page 6 KILLED IN ACTION RIP Wing Co Frank Xavier MBA MCMI RAFVR (T) Page 6 – Page 3 Wing Commander Xavier a Picture Page 6 Brian Thornally of Loughborough Leicestershire Page 7 – Waziristan Where is it? Page 7 NATIONAL MEMORIAL ’ “ ” Editor s Note: The Man Who Would be King Page 7 ARBORETUM UPDATE About Waziristan with a Map Page 9 Page11 Ray Denham of Dorking Surrey Page 11 National Memorial Arboretum Update Page 11 NEWS OF THE RAF Bluebells for Remembrance Page 11 Future Events at the NMA Page 11 REGIMENT Page 13 High Sheriff Skydives in Aid of NMA Page 11 RAF Regiment Books Page 12 Books about the RAF Regiment Page 12 Books Containing References to RAF Regiment Page 12 News of the RAF Regiment Page 13 Death Notices Page 13 Marcin Wojtak KIA Page 13 John Docker Page 13 Vic Morte Page 13 Norman Burgess Page 13 Dennis Freeman Page 14 Frank Morley Page 14 Paul Parsons Page 14 The Best Fighters in the RAF David Griffiths Page 14 Operate on the Ground General Notices Page 14 Corps Diary Dates Page 15 The Royal Air Force Regiment. Dates for Your Diary Page 16 Birmingham Branch Committee Page 16 Ground-based specialists, NEWSLETTER NO: 245 protecting RAF assets from enemy attack. NOVEMBER 2009 2 THE BIRMINGHAM BRANCH NEWSLETTER NUMBER 245 NOVEMBER 2009 Dear Readers. who have donated to our Military Ward Appeal ’s newsletter, the first article In last month Fund. “Honours for Birmingham Branch” was headed These Awards have been set up as a need and was about two awards. Our Branch Chairman ’s award of the Commandant General’s was identified for the Commandant General to be Ron Sharp able to recognize the efforts of teams or Commendation for his work in the RAF Regiment individuals within the wider RAF Regiment Memorial Garden and our Branch Vice-Chairman “family”, that is serving and ex ’s nomination as Birmingham -service, who Dave Gooding would otherwise fall outside the conventional ’s Commendations associated County Chairman, to be elected to that position at Service Commander ’s Honours and the Queen’s the end of this year. with the New Year Well. I am delighted to tell you that at last ’s AGM meeting at the Reunion, the Birthday Honours awards. As a result, the month Commandant General will consider awards of his Branch Chairman Ron Sharp, was called up to the personal commendation to suitable Regiment “family” nominees on an annual basis. front again to be given a second award, this time to the Birmingham Branch for our services to our So you can see that these Awards are an injured boys and girls at Selly Oak Hospital. The indication of the considerable appreciation of the ’s citation that is printed in full colour, is headed by Commandant General of the successful nominee “family”. the badge of the RAF Regiment and has the efforts on behalf of the RAF Regiment Crossed Rifles at the foot of the document, reads The following letter is from the Branch Chairman as follows. who also wishes to show his appreciation to all of The Commandant General’s you who have contributed. From Ron Sharp Team Commendation Dear members and friends of the Birmingham Branch. At the Reunion Gala is awarded to Dinner, as your Branch Chairman I had the honour and privilege of receiving on behalf of the The Birmingham Branch Birmingham Branch and friends, the Of the Royal Air Force Regiment ’s Team Commendation, Association Commandant General awarded to the Birmingham Branch of the Royal for its outstanding support to the Royal Air Force Regiment Association, for its ’s facility at Selly Centre of Defence Medicine outstanding support of the Royal Centre of ’s facility at Selly Oak Hospital, Oak Hospital, Birmingham, and for the Defence Medicine ’s injured Servicemen of the United Kingdom Birmingham, and for the injured servicemen of ’s Armed Forces undergoing Armed Forces undergoing critical treatment the United Kingdom and rehabilitation there. critical treatment and rehabilitation there. This really is a team award to all that Steve Abbott (signed) contributed in financial or other ways and I and S Abbott the other Branch Officers would like to thank you Air Commodore – all for your efforts. A very big well done to all of Commandant General Royal Air Force you. Regiment Ron Sharp, Branch Chairman October 2009 Latest Afghanistan Casualties But as you will see from the following As the above heading says, it is a Team articles, we need still more of your money for the Award and it is for all those members and friends increasing number of casualties being treated at Selly Oak and other hospitals. UK military 3 “come up casualties in 2007 were 1,442 - UK military should I say one of its members has, ” as the following letter shows. If only all casualties in 2008 were 1,857 and so far this trumps year there have been 1,751 military casualties. our branches could do as well as the Norfolk The war has lasted for 8 years and to date, Branch and its members have done and are doing according to MoD figures, we have 8,300 troops for our Appeal. in theatre and there have been 229 UK military From Colin Clarke, Norfolk Branch Secretary fatalities. And it must be remembered that for Dear Malcolm. Please find enclosed a £30.00. This is a donation to the every fatality, there are four or five seriously cheque for injured too. As total UK casualties are not Birmingham Branch - Military Aid Appeal from released by the MoD there are limitations in the Norfolk Branch Member Mr. Alf Newton of information provided but as you can see, casualty Cromer, Norfolk. Alf has just been awarded the numbers are rising so we need more and more of Commandant General's Commendation for his your donations. After four years of fighting in Welfare Services and the Certificate was Helmand province the number of injured during presented to him by our President combat is 940, in addition to the 229 killed. The Squadron Leader Paul Bruning (Retd.) at our latest figures for the first two weeks of October October Branch Meeting. After the meeting, Alf show that seven soldiers were very seriously quietly handed me the money and asked for it to injured which usually suggests loss of a limb or be forwarded to you. That's him all over - always eye. The number of wounded for 2009 has almost thinking of others. We are so fortunate to have exceeded the casualties of the previous two years such a person in Norfolk Branch. Kindest put together. The statistics show that there have regards, Colin Clarke, Branch Secretary. been 136 very seriously injured troops and 154 ******************** seriously injured since 2001. Sadly, we have lost another fine young The number of field hospital admissions member of the RAF Regiment as you will see for combat and also non-battle injuries, such as from the following article, so it is most important heat exhaustion or infected insect bites, has now that we remember the dangers that our young men topped 3,000 of whom 2,700 have been evacuated and women serving on operations are all facing, back to Britain. While the MoD has said its so please remember the Appeal Fund your Branch facility at the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine Committee have set up. at Selly Oak, Birmingham, and the rehabilitation Acting Corporal Marcin Wojtak Killed in centre at Headley Court, Surrey are coping with Afghanistan the influx; contingency plans are in place if they It is with deep regret that the Ministry of are overwhelmed by wounded. Defence must confirm the death of Senior Goodies for Our Injured Boys Aircraftman Marcin Wojtak of the Royal Air Force Regiment who was killed in Afghanistan on It is most important that we remember the st dangers that our young men and women serving Thursday 1 October 2009. Acting Corporal on operations are all facing, so please remember Wojtak was killed as a result of an explosion the appeal your Branch Committee have set up. whilst commanding his vehicle in the desert to the south of Bastion Joint Operating Base. With your help, we can continue to provide these th small comforts and any other items that members Marcin Wojtak was born on 13 of the military staff ask us for. We can never get December 1984 in Leicester. He joined the Royal enough goodies for the lads, so in the mean time, Air Force in 2005 as a Gunner in the Royal Air your continued support is appreciated for we need Force Regiment. On completion of his Basic £18.40 remaining. more money as we only have Training at Royal Air Force Honington, he was If any of you would like to contribute posted to 26 Squadron Royal Air Force Regiment, items or cash directly for this appeal, you must where he served as a Rapier operator.
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