Contents
Chairman’s Message 2
Association of RAF Women Officers 3
Association of RAF Women Officers Rules 4
Balance Sheet 7
Treasurers Report 8
Obituaries 9
100th Birthday Celebrations 13
AWRAFO New Members 2016 14
Reports on South-West Luncheon 15
Members’ Articles 18
Members’ News 26
Military Themed Book Reviews 42
Final Bits and Pieces 53
1 CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE
It is with great pleasure that I introduce the 2016 edition of the Association’s Gazette and hope that you enjoy reading it. My thanks, as always, go to those members who have contributed to this edition and the request for articles about “Looking back on my career what advice would you give to my younger self and why?” and “Books I have read with a military bias that I would recommend and why?”
As always, it was good to hear from many members and it will be interesting to read your advice to yourselves along with your recommendations regarding “military” books!
Although there is no reunion this year do come to the Morning Service at St Clement Danes to celebrate Women in the RAF is to be held on Sunday 9th October at 11am. There is no need to say you are attending just come and swell the numbers.
On a happy note, 2016 has seen the 100th birthday for two of our members Dame Felicity Hill and Wing Officer Diana Von Donop, (Mrs Diana Griffiths). A message of congratulations has been sent to both members.
A seemingly constant concern is the reduction of the membership, currently standing at 478 members. Numbers continue to fall either through lack of contact or sadly, through natural causes, 8 since our last gazette, and I ask that, as usual, we all try to recruit more members. Either ask prospective members to contact our Secretary, Daphne Short by email, [email protected] or by visiting our website: www.raf.mod.uk/community/support/association-of-raf-women- officers/.
I wish you all well.
Cynthia Fowler
2 ASSOCIATION OF RAF WOMEN OFFICERS
Life Patrons
Air Commodore Dame Felicity Hill DBE WRAF (Ret'd) Air Commodore R M B Montague BSc WRAF (Ret'd) Air Commodore C R Fowler RAF (Ret'd)
Chairman of the Executive Committee
Air Commodore C R Fowler RAF (Ret'd)
Members of the Executive Committee
Vice Chairman Group Captain H M Randall OBE RAF (Ret'd)
Senior Serving Representative Group Captain B Walcot RAF
Honorary Secretary Flight Lieutenant D M Short AIST RAF (Ret’d)
Honorary Treasurer Squadron Leader S V Pegg RAF (Ret’d)
Honorary Editor Flight Lieutenant R A Hall RAF (Ret’d)
Functions Member Flight Lieutenant C Bonner BA Cert Ed RAF (Ret’d)
Deputy Functions Member Mrs R M Patten
London Member Mrs M J Davies MA (Hons)
Committee Member Squadron Leader C J Browning BA RAF (Ret’d)
3 ASSOCIATION OF RAF WOMEN OFFICERS RULES
1. Name
The Association shall be called the Association of RAF Women Officers.
2. Object
(a) To preserve a spirit of good fellowship and camaraderie for both serving and retired officers.
(b) To provide for a biennial Reception for members.
(c) To provide a means whereby members can keep in touch with each other.
(d) To maintain the interest of serving and ex-Service women officers by the circulation of information of general interest regarding the activities of women in the RAF and members of the Association.
3. Membership
Membership of the Association shall be open to all serving women officers and ex-Service women officers of the RAF, RAuxAF, RAFVR (T), WRAF, WAAF, WRAuxAF and WRAFVR. Female Air Force Officers on exchange in the United Kingdom shall be offered honorary membership of the Association during their tour of duty in the United Kingdom.
4. Subscriptions
Subscriptions shall be as determined from time to time by the Committee. Officers joining the Association at or after the age of 60 shall pay a reduced subscription for life membership.
5. Management
4 The affairs of the Association shall be managed by a Committee of members consisting of a minimum of:
Chairman Vice Chairman Senior Serving Member Honorary Secretary Honorary Treasurer Honorary Editor Functions Member/Assistant Editor Deputy Functions Member General Committee Tasks
At least one post must be filled by serving or reservist officer.
6. Term of Office
Members of the Committee shall serve for a period of 3 years after which they may be re-elected. New members will be elected as required to replace retiring members.
7. Meetings
The Chairman may call a meeting of the Committee as is necessary for the proper transaction of the Association’s affairs in the best interest of the members. Five members, including the Chairman and/or Vice Chairman, shall form a quorum at meetings.
8. Receptions
A sum of money, to be fixed by the Committee, shall be paid by each member attending the Reception for the purpose of covering expenses incurred. These functions should be self-supporting. However, in the event of loss occurring, it shall be transferred to the Association’s General Income and Expenditure Account in the year in which it occurred. Any profit arising shall be retained in the Reception account and set against the cost of future Receptions.
9. The Annual Gazette
5 A charge will be made for the Annual Gazette to cover the cost of printing and postage etc. The Gazette should be self-supporting but, in the event of profit or loss occurring, such profit or loss shall be transferred to the Association’s General Income and Expenditure Account in the year in which it occurred.
10. Bankers and Auditors
The Bankers and Auditors shall be appointed by the Committee and thereafter changed if considered necessary at a meeting of the Committee.
11. Association Accounts
The Honorary Treasurer shall open a current account with the bank selected. The Honorary Treasurer shall refer the account books and such other documents that may be required for a proper audit of the Association’s accounts annually. A copy is to be made available for inspection by any member on application to the Honorary Treasurer.
12. Donations to Charity
The Committee is authorised to make donations to Royal Air Force Charities, subject to the proviso that no donation is to be made which would reduce the Association’s investment capital to less than £1,000 or to any sum in excess of that amount that the Committee, at any time, might consider necessary.
13. Disposal of Funds
In the event of it becoming impossible to fulfil the objects of the Association as set out in Rule 2, the Committee may, having obtained the assent of two- thirds of the membership, dissolve the Association giving notice to all members and giving those members who have joined within the last two years an opportunity to apply for a refund of their subscriptions. All assets of the Association remaining after the payment of debts and refunds are to be donated to an RAF charity.
6 ASSOCIATION OF RAF WOMEN OFFICERS BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2015
2014 2015 Assets
0.00 Float 0.00 13.77 In hand 26.55 3804.12 3790.35 At Bank (Nat West) 1343.35 1369.90
Investments
5079.12 Santander Business 5126.10 Reward
Sundry Debtors
46.98 46.98 Interest 30.75 30.75 8930.22 Total Assets 6526.75
Liabilities
2639.28 Charities 1363.30 0.48 Reception Account 0.00 2777.96 138.20 Visits Accounts 19.69 1382.99 6152.26 Net Assets 5143.76
Represented By
6391.49 General Fund 6152.26 239.23 Less excess expenditure 1008.50 over income 6152.26 General Fund as at 31 5143.76 December 2015 Signatures
7 Chairman Cynthia Fowler Treasurer Sue Pegg Air Cdr (Ret’d) C R Fowler Sqn Ldr (Ret’d) S V Pegg`
TREASURER’S REPORT
1. In presenting the Balance Sheet for the year ending 31 December 2015, the Honorary Treasurer reported that, whilst the balance was diminishing, the financial state of the Association continued to be good. There was a further fall in the interest rate on the Association’s investment but rates generally in the industry were poor.
2. The total assets showed a reduction of £1008.50. This was significantly higher than last year however there was a subsidy payment to the re-union to maintain the cost at an affordable level. A donation of £200 was also made following the sad death of Air Commodore Joy Tamblin. Overhead costs such as postage continue to rise but every effort would be made to minimise costs in 2016.
3. The charity donations in 2015 amounted to £1,363.30; a small increase on 2014 despite the current financial climate. The donations for 2013 and 2014 were distributed last year hence the apparent drop in that element of the account. The financial health of the Association continued to be monitored and the Association’s financial strategy remained sound.
Sue Pegg SUE PEGG Squadron Leader (Ret’d) Honorary Treasurer 8 Association of RAF Women Officers’
OBITUARIES
Miss Helen Renton CB MA Hon LLD Air Commodore 1954 – 1986 died 2nd June 2016
Helen Renton, who has died aged 85, was the first Scot to become director of the Women's Royal Air Force (WRAF), serving as what her staff called "Queen Bee" from 1980-86, including during the Falklands conflict which led to greater roles for Air Force women.
With the rise of women in formerly male-only jobs, including operational fighter pilots, the WRAF merged into the RAF in 1994. Helen Renton's tenure as director had very much nudged the RAF into accepting gender equality and she could be said to have led the transition from separate male and female Air Forces to the female-friendly RAF of today.
In addition to heading the WRAF, Miss Renton also served as honorary aide-de-camp (ADC) to the Queen during the eighties, a largely ceremonial role which allowed her to wear an aiguillette and the Queen's monogram on her WRAF uniform.
Helen Renton was born in Denny on March 13, 1931, the youngest of three daughters. She attended Stirling High School before graduating from the University of Glasgow with an MA. Being the "baby" of a sheltered family, she recalled, gave her the urge to seek wider horizons. After a postgraduate year of business studies at Glasgow, she made a life-changing decision in 1954. She took a day-trip to Edinburgh, a relatively big thing in those days, joined the Women's Royal Air Force and returned to give the news to her dad.
9 After two months' training as an officer cadet, she did a course in accounting and in 1956 was named junior accounts officer at RAF Spitalgate in Grantham, Lincolnshire, which had been a wartime base for our Polish allies. She became a Flight Commander in England, the Isle of Man, Cyprus (1960-62), Germany (1967-68).
After joining the directorate of the WRAF in London, she wangled a return to Cyprus with the rank of Wing Commander. The fact that she outranked many male RAF personnel made her the butt of chauvinistic "humour" but within days the males realised she also outranked most of them in experience, intelligence, determination and moral fortitude. She was the most senior female air force officer at the headquarters of Britain's Near East Air Force on Cyprus, based at RAF Nicosia and RAF Akrotiri. She then served in Training Command from 1973 – 76 and was promoted to Group Captain in 1977. In 1979 Helen became the first female officer to be awarded a defence scholarship taking it up at Selwyn College Cambridge and studied the role of women and the pressure that pushed them in to work.
Promoted to Air Commodore and appointed WRAF director in 1980, when she was 48, she returned to its headquarters in London. Her reputation had preceded her and the chauvinist jokes from male RAF personnel were highly subdued, even in their local pubs. Although she also had a chauffeur (a young female corporal), Miss Renton preferred to walk from her flat across Green Park and then take a bus.
She was in charge of the WRAF during the 1982 Falklands war and although her servicewomen were not directly involved in the conflict, she and they played a major role in supporting active RAF personnel and their families back home. After the British victory, she sent 20 of her female officers and servicewomen to the remote Ascension Island in the South Atlantic to help with air traffic control for RAF aircraft on the long flights between the UK and the Falklands.
10 In 1997, Air Commodore Renton co-wrote the book Service Women as a guide to young women interested in joining the services. In 1981, her old university, Glasgow, awarded her an honorary doctorate of law (LL.D) as part of tercentenary celebrations of Viscount Stair's Institutions of the Law of Scotland. The Queen made her a Companion of the Order of Bath (CB) in 1982
Mrs Jean Bailey (née Gladwin) Section Officer date of death unknown Association notified March 2016
Mrs Joan Cupples (née Andrews) Squadron Officer Died July 2015 aged 95
Lady Clare Hayward (née Wainwright) Squadron Officer date of death unknown Association notified March 2016
Mrs Pamela M James (née Keelan) Squadron Officer died 7th August 2015 aged 95
Mrs Peggy Paris (née Bonsor) Squadron Leader died 17th May 2016
Mrs Evelyn Stephens (née Spence) Flight Officer died 27th March 2016
11 Miss Diana Mary (Vikki) Pitcher Flying Officer 1961 – 1965 died 25th October 2015
(Obituary written by Mrs Pat Ridley (née Meekins) Flight Officer 1962 – 1968)
Vikki and I met in 1961, when we went to RAF Biggin Hill for our selection for Officer Training in the WRAF. To our surprise, we were both selected and met again at RAF Jurby in January 1962 and were the first female cadets to be integrated with the men. We went our separate ways when we passed out in July 1962 but kept in touch. Vikki married and had 2 children, who also developed her wanderlust.
Once her marriage broke down, she became a lone soul - spending time in a houseboat in Kashmir (some of you may have read the book 'On The Golden Flower' which she managed to get published.) She also bought a cave house in Spain but eventually decided to return to UK. Even when she did this she moved a few times.
I managed to persuade her to join us at the Reunion on the Isle of Man for our 50th anniversary in 2013. She also joined the ARAFWO and attended the Reunion in London in that year. Her will stated that she did not want a gathering when she died and her ashes were scattered by her immediate family at Portland Bill, where she had been at her happiest.
12 Members’ 100 th Birthdays
Dame Felicity Hill Air Commodore 1939 – 1969
On 12th December 2015 Dame Felicity Hill celebrated her 100th birthday. In recognition of Dame Felicity being the RAF's first female Air Commodore in 1966, Air Vice Marshal Sue Gray surprised Dame Felicity at her 100th birthday party and presented her with a bouquet of flowers. "I was delighted to be asked to attend Dame Felicity's 100th on behalf of the RAF" said AVM Gray. "Her achievement set a precedent that many women, like myself, have been able to follow. Women can reach the top in any trade with the RAF thanks to women like Dame Felicity"
Mrs Diana Griffiths MBE (née von Donop) Wing Officer 1939 – 1963
Diana celebrated her 100th birthday on 25th April this year at the Old Prebendal House retirement home in Shipton- Under-Wychwood in the Cotswolds.
The picture shows her with her birthday card received from the Queen.
13 2016 ARAFWO NEW MEMBERS
We welcome the following new members to the Association:-
Née Area in which Living
Lesley Cook Janes Malmesbury
Cath Gillespie Kelly High Wycombe
Alex Hannaford Price High Wycombe
Carol Jenkins Winks Bath
Ann Allen Irons Debenham
Nicola Hartley Foster Hannington
Laura Mulholland-Fenton Mulholland County Cork
Laura Baylis Bishop Old Windsor
14 Association of RAF Women Officers South West Regional Luncheon – Wednesday 13 th April 2016.
This year saw the largest number so far coming together for lunch at the White Hart Hotel Salisbury. Thirty six members including a sprinkling of husbands equally filled the four round tables laid for us in the St John Room. Despite the hotel also hosting a much larger event than ours we retained the excellent service and meal we have come to expect and enjoy.
Jenni & Martin Mayer were with us this year and this is their thought on the occasion:-
Such an enjoyable occasion. Met up with Lois Jones, with whom I survived Biggin Hill and Jurby; Jill Hitch, another PI at JARIC; Ann Narraway and Liz Kemp who enjoyed RAF Seletar with me and Chris Rosenthal who we knew at RAF Odiham and RAF Gutersloh - such a delight reminiscing. Well done Roma for arranging such a fun reunion.
Did you miss the lunch this year? Another is planned for the 27th April 2017. If you are not on my regular mailing list and would like to join us, please contact
Roma Patten [email protected] or 01395 224326 Or 3 Douglas Court, 30 Douglas Avenue, Exmouth, Devon EX8 2HJ for further details
15 PICTURES FROM THE SW LUNCH APRIL 2016
16 Together for the first time since our Passing Out Parade 18 th October 1962
At the Salisbury lunch this year were four members of No 6 JCC and 139 Red Squadron RAF Jurby. This was the first time we had all been together since our Passing Our Parade 18th October 1962. It goes without saying there was much chatter as we caught up on the gaps filled by the intervening 54 years.
Photo details – from left to right looking at the photograph
Liz Kemp (née Richards), Ann Narraway, Anne Allen (née Irons), Roma Patten (née Duff)
17 MEMBERS’ ARTICLES
THE TALE OF RAF JURBY’S GUARD ROOM
The story as told to Mrs Roma Patten (nee Duff) Flying Officer 1962 – 1968
From drawing number 3799/38 I am a Type A timber building constructed at RAF Jurby during 1938/9 with a projected life span of 15 years. What am I? Known to the WRAF Officer Cadets during the early 1960s as the Guard Room, I am still there but now in a very different guise. Here is my story.
RAF Jurby was always a training station with courses ranging from aircrew to officer cadet training. Being the Guard House and Fire Party House, as I was officially designated, I was party to the comings and goings of many over the years until the final closure of the Unit on the 30th April 1964. I was one of the first buildings to be constructed and as I was positioned immediately opposite the main gate I had a good view of the parade square, Officers Mess and accommodation blocks. I was always kept neat and tidy as befitted my role. However, after the closure I was left empty, unattended, and I became more and more lonely and forlorn. Gradually I deteriorated until......
18 Very close by a large and expensive car museum has been built. Locally the talk was of some £10million pounds being spent on its construction. An eclectic collection of vehicles and a sprinkling of motor bikes can be viewed in the most impressive surroundings. There is also a large workshop as progress continues on the latest acquisitions. There is no cafe/restaurant in the museum and that is where I found a new role.
The asbestos was removed, I was thoroughly cleaned inside and out and the interior redesigned. I had come to life once more as The Guard House cafe/restaurant. I now house a small display of RAF memorabilia, cafe, restaurant area and including, though well scrubbed and enclosed in Perspex, a toilet where the original pair of urinals can be seen. On my walls are pictures of RAF aircraft and a collection of photographs. Most of these are reprints from the ones sent to the Island for the 2013 WRAF OCTU reunion.
I quickly gained a reputation for good food and a venue worth a journey to visit. I now feel wanted and respected again and so for a
building now 78 years old that only had such a short life span, I feel I am now as good as new for many years to come.
19 LOOKING BACK ON MY CAREER AND WHAT ADVICE I WOULD GIVE TO MY YOUNGER SELF AND WHY
Mrs Yvonne Norval (née Neale) Flying Officer 1960 – 1964
Be proud of your achievement in becoming an officer in a service which will provide you with numerous opportunities and an exciting and rewarding career. “What you put in you will get back” and this will remain with you during your service career and afterwards.
“Listen and Learn”. Never hesitate to ask for advice. Your NCOs and Senior Officers have a wealth of experience and knowledge; that you as a newly commissioned officer cannot be expected to have in the short time you’ve been in the WRAF. They will be only too glad to help in any way.
Most importantly, enjoy your career and all it has to offer. You will never regret it.
WHAT THE ROYAL AIR FORCE DID FOR ME.
Mrs Susan Anderson (née Royle) Flight Lieutenant 1968 – 1979
Not long ago some good friends from my RAF days came to lunch and, as we often do, our quartet – a pilot, a navigator, an air traffic controller and an administrator reminisced about our shared past and where life’s taken us.
I began my RAF service in 1968 and served for eleven years in what was then the Admin Sec branch until, having married the pilot and started a baby I ‘retired’. Nine years, four babies and several postings later we came to live in Moray where I was determined to remain. We bought a house and settled our children into a tiny school. For my husband flying helicopters in the search and rescue role meant cycles of 24 hour shifts and rest days and two month detachments to the
20 Falklands and so I stayed at home to provide the stability I felt our children needed.
But I knew that I needed other meaningful things to do as well and in 1993 I found my way into Scotland’s unique system of welfare based justice for children – an inspirational approach that is built upon the presumption that a child in trouble, regardless of whether they have committed an offence or have been neglected or abused is in need of care, control, guidance or treatment and that the best people to decide what should happen are trained lay people from their own community. Each local authority in Scotland must have a panel of trained men and women who sit, in groups of three, on Hearings attended by the child, their parents, a social worker and any other professionals concerned with their family.
1993 turned out to be a year of even greater change when my husband decided to retire from flying and, to help in keeping us all afloat, I decided to look for work and became a home care supervisor for the Moray Council managing a team of home care workers providing support for mostly, but not exclusively, frail older people living at home. My ‘patch’ was the most rural part of Moray where needs were met by a workforce of around 50 women and one man. My duties included assessing individuals’ needs, allocating work, covering absences, organising meals on wheels and reviewing packages of care. Home carers were employed in their own community on an ‘as and when’ basis and many of them worked some hours every day of the week.
It seemed to me that things could be done differently and I started to think about how. Two things concerned me: home carers were expected to attend their most dependant service users four times a day, every day but when they were on holiday cover was often a patchwork of available people, some of whom might have little or no knowledge of the people whose needs they were trying to meet and there was no means for members of our workforce to get to know each other. My solution was to organise this band of folk into teams of four carers
21 who were the principle carer for a number of service users but who shared the evening and weekend work and to arrange regular team meetings. My mistake was to apply an RAF approach to its implementation!
In the ensuing uproar I got to know this workforce much better and, by adopting a much more conciliatory approach, persuaded them to try out what I was proposing and it worked!
Four years later, my “revolutionary” system for delivering seven day care now regarded as normal, I was appointed to a post managing home care services across Moray and began the process of extending the working patterns across the whole service. At that time there were around 330 people employed as home carers by the Moray Council and 12 supervisors in six geographically based teams. It was hard for supervisors to develop meaningful relationships with the people they managed and we began to recognise the need for team leaders who were carers but who also accepted additional responsibilities to support a team of about 10 to 12 people in their locality and organise team meetings. We looked at ways of enabling home carers to accompany a service user to hospital and thought about how to improve our response to hospital discharges; encouraged care staff to undertake national Vocational qualifications (NVQ) in care; provided uniforms and mobiles for lone workers.
And why am I telling you all this?
Working for a local authority in a social care setting is nothing like commissioned service in the Royal Air Force - except that it is. Command and management are similar functions and require similar skills. The need for self-discipline and respect for those you work with is universal. The structure of a children’s hearing is similar to how a charge is heard and both require an ability to make fair, sound judgements and give reasons for those decisions. Public service is vital to our country and our communities. The RAF identified and
22 developed skills in me for all these things and I feel very lucky to have been able to use them in useful fulfilling ways.
Oh, and one of the people who came to lunch was the esteemed editor of our gazette!
IN A NUTSHELL - WHO'D HAVE THOUGHT IT
Mrs Trishia Welsh (née Floyd) Squadron Leader 2002 - current
It's funny how an event in life sends you on quite an unexpected path. I remember in the early 1980s when I was working for the MOD in London in a building close to Covent Garden and I decided to go and see a fortune teller just across the road. She told me many things about the future including the fact that she kept clearly seeing a uniform, of course at the time I hadn't a clue what it meant. She was very definite about the uniform though.
Fast forward to 1999, a very mature mum (late starter!), with two sons, one 11 and one 13. The 13 year old came home from school one day just before the end of school year and said he was going with his friend to find out about being an air cadet. Talk about being knocked sideways. Now, if I had suggested to him that he might consider doing something like that it would have been met with stiff resistance. Coincidentally, at that time I was working for a Defence Company and one of the staff members used to don a No 1 uniform every now and then and disappear early from work, but I never clocked what he was or what he belonged too.
You've guessed, within three months I was down at my son's Squadron offering my assistance and became a Civilian Instructor and the Squadron Adjutant. It was a busy job which I thoroughly enjoyed and embraced. I introduced 'pay parade' type subs collections much to the amusement of others and was very involved in supporting the Squadron on activities.
23 For two years I resisted the calls of “you ought to go for a Commission” mainly because I was not sure it was the right thing to do. But, I went for my Commission interview after receiving the assurance that I was not too old at 53 to apply. At the end of my first interview I was told "we've just realised how old you are!" to which I replied, “But I am here because you said it was ok”. I got through my second interview and passed with the words of the Regional Commandant ringing in my ears, “I am only going to give you a 4 year commission”.
The drill section of my one week VRT IOT under instruction from a very formidable RAF Regiment Flight Sergeant transported me back to my initial training at RAF Spitalgate when I first joined the WRAF 'a long time ago'. I stood to attention for inspection and I was once again that 17½ year old. He realised too and we both saw the funny side of it, thank goodness!
I have now been a VRT Officer for just over 15 years, and during that time have run my own Squadron, with a host of memorable events to recall and been lucky enough to accompany cadets to Cyprus, Germany and Gibraltar. I have also had many responsibilities. Roles such as Deputy Personnel, Media Officer for an ATC Wing, Child Protection Adviser, Band Officer, Kit Plane Team Leader and on relinquishing a couple of those found myself as a Sector Officer responsible for six Squadrons. All of this allowed me to use my life's experiences in a positive way and progress through to the rank of Squadron Leader, as Media Officer for London & SE Region. With my camera and my notebook I record moments of pure joy as the cadets succeed in their endeavours and when they represent the Air Training Corps, in all weathers. I watch them mature and become amazing young adults over time and successfully publish their stories to a wide audience as well as pass on my skills. And, by the way, my
24 son is still involved with the air cadets, now as a uniformed adult volunteer.
I kept a diary when I was doing my basic training and found it very entertaining when I read through it. It seems I went swimming at Cranwell but you know, I cannot remember that!
I would never have thought that the young member of the WRAF, who was always being asked to assist and be involved in publicity for the RAF a good few years ago, would become Squadron Leader Patricia Welsh RAFVR(T), a Regional Media Officer and Ma'am!
25 MEMBERS NEWS
Dr Sue Arnold DSc Bsc(Hons) MChS (née Collings) Flight Lieutenant 1983 – 2002
I am now semi-retired and so bought a house in Orkney where I spend a good deal of my time. It is lovely to have the opportunity to see friends, walk, write, fish and bird watch to my heart’s content.
One piece of writing which may be of particular interest is “The Royal Air Force in Orkney”. Everyone is familiar with the association of the Royal Navy, so it is nice to keep up the light blue end.
Mrs Alison Ashall (née Roche) Flying Officer 1961 - 1965
With all the terrible news of the last year any news from deepest Cornwall must pale into insignificance but I am happy to report that, having had my cataracts dealt with by multi-focus implants, I no longer need glasses for driving or reading which is marvellous and a great saving of time spent looking for said objects!
My great friend and compatriot from OCTU days - No 58 Flight at Hawkinge – Heather Read (now Arthur) spent a few days here in the spring and the chatter never stopped!!
Mrs Lynn Barlow (née Morley) Flight Lieutenant
Still living in Surrey, Paul and I are both “active” retired and enjoying life.
Mrs Carolyn Browning (née Maude-Roxby) Squadron Leader 1970 – 1977 & 1980 – 2007
Life in Somerset continues to be busy and enjoyable interspersed with travelling to assorted far flung places. Ronnie Dunn and I had an adventurous holiday to Chile, Bolivia and Peru which was magical and
26 enthralling but get us on the subject of altitude sickness ….. I’ve also got lost in the souk in Marrakech, tried a cruise (good – and we are having another one soon), seen the wonderful old racing cars in the Le Mans Museum that look like cars rather than F1 rockets and am planning further trips whilst the old body holds out.
Mrs Penny Burtwell (née Bowen-Davies) Squadron Leader 1972 – 1988
I am enjoying retirement and the holidays that are now possible. It is good to be able to give more time to the house and garden, and I look forward to being able to fill hours productively in the years to come.
Mrs Lesley Cook BA LGSM FESB (née Janes) Flight Lieutenant 1966 -
Retired as Chief Executive of the English Speaking Board in 2013. Now enjoying plenty of time in the French Alps as well as Wiltshire, and being a hands-on grandmother. I am a school governor just to keep a handle on education, and judge/adjudicate communication skills – first learnt in the RAF of course.
Mrs Trish Colebrook (née Hughes) Flying Officer 1963 – 1969
Unfortunately my husband Roger was diagnosed with a brain tumour in May 2014. It was operated on but returned in December so he had a further operation. It is actually advanced and incurable skin cancer from many years flying to hot countries. The tumour returned again in February but he has now been given a brand new chemotherapy drug taken orally, which is working on the tumour. He can speak and write normally now, and is amazingly fit considering all the treatment. A difficult effect is not being able to drive so I am the Chauffeur!
We feel very lucky as the doctor said the drug doesn’t always work as well as it has, and we hope for this to continue for some time.
27 Mrs Sue Gee (née Speake) Flying Officer 1966 – 1970
October 2016 is the 50th Anniversary of 197 Black Squadron arriving at OCTU RAF Henlow. Any news of Jenny Lodge, Irene Bollard, Penny Taylor, Lesley Janes (now Cook), Diana Vollman, Gill Owen and Helen Stirling would be great (Mostly maiden names I am afraid I do not know the married names if applicable). Kathy Rawlinson won the Sash of Honour and joined Blue (Senior) Squadron in January 1967. The RAF Club is very central and has been agreed as a sensible venue.
Please contact me: [email protected] if you are interested in meeting up, or have news of anyone to help find them.
Black Squadron Course photo taken 27 th October 1966.
28 Mrs Rosie Hall (née Harris) Flight Lieutenant 1970 – 1976 & 1989 - 2006
My goodness another year has gone by - in a flash I could say. Time has literally flown by, what with my 2 paid jobs, 1 voluntary and 2 committees life is never dull!! Since the last Gazette issue I have worked at 2 very different large Airshows, a number of 1 day Airshows plus normal shift patterns within my Air Traffic work. I have also been on group visits to Blenheim Palace and the Albert Hall, chaired a number of lunches and prepared this edition of the Gazette.
In May this year Bob & I celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary by treating our families to a weekend away at the Oxford Hotel near Thame. The hotel were brilliant and everything worked out very well, the 4 great nieces and nephews (9months - 7yrs) loved the pool and we had an excellent meal for our anniversary dinner.
In between my other activities I have managed some travelling. In early December Bob & I spent a long weekend in Prague visiting the Christmas Market and the City. It is a lovely place, the market was very vibrant and an easy walk around. We had a couple of excellent meals one of which was whilst listening to a concert of Mozart's music.
For Christmas 2015 we decided to go away and enjoy some sunshine so we took ourselves off to Oman and Dubai. The hotel in Muscat, Oman was excellent, on its own private beach with about 6 pools and 6 restaurants. Talk about service, we spent an afternoon sitting on
29 loungers on a grassy strip just off the beach and as soon as we sat down a small cooler box with bottles of cold water was brought over to us plus 2 huge beach towels and an umbrella. During the afternoon we were treated to ice-cold facecloths plus all sorts of snacks being brought over at intervals - all for no charge - a life I could certainly get used to!! In Dubai we stayed near the airport but the hotel has a sister hotel on the Palm Island with free transportation so we went there a couple of times. We also visited one of the few places Bob had not been too whilst flying Shackletons, Sharjah airport - runway now the main street of city- where the control tower and Ops block are now a fascinating museum.
In April I and my 2 girlfriends Sue Fennell and Babs Nichols went off on our annual trip to the USA. This year we went to Arizona - I have been 3 or 4 times before but this was the first visit for the other 2. We flew into Phoenix and after a night in an airport hotel to stave off jetlag, drove up to the Grand Canyon. I had managed to get a good deal in one of the hotels actually in the Grand Canyon village. It was a lovely quiet location so much so that on one of the mornings I heard a shriek from the room next door, looked out and there was Sue face to face with a large deer quietly munching grass not 10 feet away. Seeing the girls’ reaction to looking out over the edge of the Canyon was fun - I knew what to expect.
After the 2 days in the Canyon we drove down to a place called Oro Valley, 20 miles north of Tucson where we stayed in an excellent timeshare complex. We had a delightful 3 bedroom apartment in a nice
30 quiet location with a patio complete with gas BBQ - it was used most nights. There was a lovely pool area with a great hot tub. From there we explored much of the desert areas such as the Saguaro National Park which is home to many different types of cacti and to hundreds of humming birds. We also went down to Tombstone and watched the Fight at the OK Corral re- enactment which was well done and fun. We ate in one of the many saloons on Main Street. Much shopping was also done on the trip and we came home with very full suitcases.
Later this year Bob and I are off to the States to drive across from Houston Texas to Charleston South Carolina visiting Vicksburg Civil War battlefield and others on the way. In Charleston we will attend a reunion of the Squadron Bob served with whilst on exchange with the US Navy. We will then drive up the east coast to fly back from Washington DC. New Year will be spent in Florida visiting old haunts from when we lived there in 76-78. We hope to spend a few days in the Everglades and have a go on one of the air boats (Seen on the opening shots on CSI Miami!!). We are going to treat ourselves to a night in the Magic Kingdom at Disneyworld on New Year’s Eve something we did 39 years ago. A few days in the Keys will round up the 3 weeks.
Bob is going to retire from his post as Assistant Commandant Air Cadets London and South East Region at the end of November and I am looking forward with hope and some trepidation to our being around the house together pretty much 24/7 for the first time in 40+ years of marriage!!!
31 Mrs Suzanne Holliday (née Rees) Squadron Leader 1971 – 1979 & 1981 – 1989
Last year was a sad one for us as both our dogs died – our golden retriever in April at 14 years 3 months from a brain tumour and our cocker spaniel at 15 years 6 months to the vagaries of old age on All Souls Day in November. On a bright note it has enabled us to travel more easily, attending an 80th birthday in Hannover and a 95th in Vienna, both in December. This year our family group came as usual to ski in the half term holidays but we stuck to riding the lift having succumbed to knee and other health problems.
I enjoyed a successful theatre season not with an acting role this time but as an announcer which I found 100% more daunting than actually being on the stage, but it was good for my German and my knowledge of local dignitaries.
May saw us in UK for Bob’s son’s silver wedding anniversary followed by a rainy international Austin Healey meeting in Zell am Zee then a glorious two weeks in Sicily, driving from Austria by car and afterwards spending a few days at Lake Como and in the Dolomites on our way home.
We plan to be in the UK again in September to visit the Revival meeting at Goodwood while simultaneously celebrating the 70th birthday of a friend of ours from the Austrian Austin Healey Club. The Royal Berkshire Show is next where a friend of ours is showing her horse. We will then drive to Devon to pick up a 2 year old cocker spaniel to bring a bit of youth and liveliness, not to mention dog hairs, back in our lives.
32 Mrs Mary Jackson (née Alsford) Flight Lieutenant 1940 – 1945 & 1946 – 1950
Nothing much to say except that, as with so many friends, I am in my nineties (96)!! We all seem to be a healthy lot – regards to them from me.
Mrs Geraldine Linford MBE (née Marvin) flight Lieutenant 1969 – 1977
It has been a difficult year as I broke my ankle quite badly at Guide Camp in September. It was a good time to take stock of all my “little” tasks. Girl guiding of course is still my “main” hobby and I am getting back into the swing of training adults alongside running a guide and senior Section Unit.
Mrs Jenni-Ann Mayer (née Wright) Flying Officer 1962-1967
So enjoyed Roma’s reunion in Salisbury and met up with several old friends from Jurby, JARIC, Seletar Odiham and Gutersloh. Sue Adams’ (née Trudigan) surprise Golden Wedding anniversary party was another mini reunion.
Mrs Pip Murphy (née Hando) Flying Officer 1959 – 1965
It seems amazing that we have lived in Ireland for sixteen years now. This must be the longest posting ever. Seán, having had a knee operation some years ago that went disastrously wrong, underwent surgery for spinal stenosis early this year, without any measurable decrease in pain in his back and legs. He still does most of the cooking and can still drive, so all is not lost. I continue to be involved with the church and committee activities and keep, touch wood, fit and active.
33 Our youngest son, Ciaran is marrying his long-time partner Sarah in September in what promises to be a very alternative ceremony and mini-Glastonbury – so something to look forward to and relish. Mrs Yvonne Norval (née Neale) Flying Officer 1960 – 1964
My sporting days have “caught up” with me! I will be having a knee replacement in July so hopefully I can be more active (at 81!) later on. I haven’t managed a holiday yet so I will now wait and see how I progress.
Mrs Jane Randells (née Moore) Flight Lieutenant 1980 – 1987
Terry and I are now happily settled in our flat in North Norfolk, we will have been here for eighteen months by the time this goes to print. I have thrown away all the ornament and packing boxes so have no intention of moving again. We are both busy with the North Norfolk Railway and our local church.
Mrs Pat Ridley (née Meekins) Flight Officer 1962 – 1968
I underwent a further operation at the John Radcliffe Hospital in December 2015 (53 weeks after my operation to remove part of my right lung!). The fluid had built up in the pleural cavity and had to be removed. I hoped that would resolve my breathlessness, but sadly it has returned and I am undergoing more tests. I know I was told at the outset in 2014 that I was an unusual and interesting case, but I would far rather be something they can diagnose immediately. I am still able to go to my cardiac rehab classes as I believe exercise helps. I just must not try and compare to what I used to do and be thankful I am still here and can try and keep up with my interests and voluntary activities. I look forward to meeting everyone again at the Reunion in 2017.
My daughter is going to make us grandparents at the end of July, so that is something I am really looking forward to and am focussing on that right now.
34 Miss Carmel Ryan Flight Lieutenant 1956 – 1976
I am still in good health, thank God and still doing some travelling. Last September Sue and I made the journey to the Southern States of America including Georgia, Mississippi and New Orleans. Our last day was spent at the NASA Space Center in Houston Texas and was a marvellous experience. It was great to be in the actual building where they sent men to the Moon and to realise they did it with few technical aids relative to what is available today.
We are still exploring the British Isles in our Motorhome and visit places we would not normally get to see if we did not have our “Home on Wheels”. We again spent 3 weeks in Scotland in May and were lucky while at the Moray Firth to see lots of dolphins feeding on salmon as they came in on the incoming tide.
I am still playing golf to keep fit and bridge to keep the grey cells in good shape!
Mrs Tamaris Ryan (née Adams) Flying Officer 1952 – 1955
Last December I fell heavily after falling over a curb, unfortunately I fractured my pelvis on both sides – a very painful experience. It is now March and after lots of help from kind friends and getting the right medication I am feeling much better.
If you fall and suspect you have damaged your pelvis go straight to a doctor or A&E as this can be a life-threatening problem.
Mrs Doreen Scott (née Robertson) Flight Officer
35 After retiring I did some voluntary work including driving buses for the Sidmouth Voluntary Society and also spent 7 years helping at our now defunct psychiatric hospital.
Now as may be obvious I am battling blindness and have just completed a course of eye injections. Not as bad as it sounds!!
The attached picture, which was taken at Tedburn St Mary on 6th September 1995 at one of our many reunions, is of four WRAF Officers who were stationed altogether at RAF Leuchars in 1955. There was a shortage of RAF Officers at the Station so we were sent to help. We were as follows:
Officer i/c Equipment Betty Wood Flying Officer (née Blackburn) wearing red jacket died 21st April 2015
Adjutant Doreen M Scott (née Robertson)
OC Signals Section Eileen Shaw (née Carlton)
Accounts Officer Sybil Young Flight Officer died 23rd December 1997
Mrs Jenny Scott BA (Hons) Cert Ed (née Davies) Squadron Leader 1955 – 1975
An uneventful year, now struggling with increasing immobility.
36 Mrs Joyce Sherburn (née Luscombe) Pilot Officer 1955 – 1957
I felt lost and devastated when my husband of 57 years – Jack Sherburn DFC – died nearly two years ago, so I decided to go travelling to places he had visited during his time in the RAF and as a Test Pilot for Short Brothers in Belfast.
It was, at first a bit daunting going off on my own, so started with a weekend coach trip. This was to Portmerion, North Wales. We once lived nearby in Harlech and used to visit there often. It is a magical place and I found my fellow passengers very friendly and I really enjoyed myself. So the ice was broken!
Last year I saw an advertisement in the SAGA magazine for a Singles holiday to South America, so I took the plunge and booked it! My sons were horrified, but happy that I wasn’t planning to go backpacking! It turned out to be brilliant and I enjoyed visiting Chile, then across the Andes by road and lakes into Argentina. The best bit was to come as we went into Brazil. My husband was always talking about the beautiful waterfalls at Iguassu, on the Argentine/Brazil border. He used to demonstrate the Shorts Skyvan to potential customers by flying over the falls, and I had photos he had taken from the air in 1969. Imagine my joy at
37 actually being there myself! The falls were absolutely magnificent – the longest in the world. The last stop was Rio de Janeiro! Fantastic!
Feeling very confident after this experience, my next holiday was a tour of Australia, again with SAGA. First stop was Perth, where I was able to spend a day with my late husband’s navigator of the 50’s when he was flying Canberra’s with 18 Squadron. Next, Alice Springs followed by a visit to Ayer’s Rock – Uluru – which I was lucky enough to see lit up by a perfect sunset. Next, on to Cairns to see the Great Barrier Reef, before flying to Sydney. Here I was able to spend a day with an old college friend, whose husband had recently retired as Leader of the Sydney Opera House Orchestra, so I was lucky enough have a look behind the scenes as well. The Tour ended in Melbourne where I visited a cousin who had married an Australian Merchant Navy Officer. I even managed to feature briefly on a BBC Travel Show programme when I visited the set of the soap “Neighbours”! In September I visited an old school friend in Bluffton, South Carolina. She joined the WRAF in 1951 as a direct entry, then the youngest to be commissioned in peacetime. Her name was Eugenia (Jean) Daley – now known as Ginny Barfield as she married a US Navy Pilot. As you can imagine, we had a lot to talk about! My younger son Mike came on this trip with me and we all enjoyed visiting Hilton Head Island, Charleston and Atlanta amongst other places, and sampled some delicious seafood!
38 This year I went to Egypt, courtesy of Titan Tours. My late husband was here in 1944, having trained on Hurricanes he was then posted to 78 Squadron on Dakotas and spent 3 years flying around the Middle East. I spent 4 wonderful days in Cairo, exploring the pyramids, including the Step pyramid at Sakkara. I even managed to see Groopy’s café, where jack used to enjoy his iced coffee all those years ago.
The next 7 days were spent on an enjoyable Nile Cruise, and I saw many temples, tombs and museums. My feet have just about recovered! It was such a thrill to visit the tomb of Tutankhamen in The Valley of the Kings, and to see the amazing temple at Abu Simbel.
This year I shall be 84 so am planning a more leisurely holiday – a cruise from Venice to Greece, then to Barcelona. Next year? Who knows?
Mrs Beryl Dennett-Stannard (née Skeggs formerly Fitall- Stannard) Squadron Leader 1976 – 1995
Terry and I are still living in SW France on the Atlantic coast where we run the RAF Association Sud-Ouest branch. I am also Vice- President of the RAF Association’s European Area. I am proud to remain an Ambassador for Combat Stress and this year I spoke at a fundraising event in the City of London specifically seeking female benefactors. Another, more unusual speaking event was a return to Guernsey Prison – thankfully they did let me out at the end of the day!
This past year has been a very eventful one with many ceremonies of commemoration for RAF Aircrew who gave their lives for our
39 freedom. In June on the French coast at Prefailles we helped unveil a new monument to remember the thousands who sought to escape from France in 1940 on HMT Lancastria after the blitzkrieg in Belgium. Many RAF personnel and engineers from Fairey Aviation made it on board with retreating British soldiers, sailors and other nationals who escaped with their families. Lancastria was sunk by aerial bombardment on 17th June 1940 and became part of a secret history of WWII as Winston Churchill refused to allow the British News and Press to record the tragedy. No one knows exactly how many were on board the Lancastria so it is possible between 4000 – 6000 died, making the sinking the greatest ever loss at sea.
The photo shows Terry and me reading the information panel erected next to the monument. The children with sashes are volunteer young town councillors who assist the Mayor at major events.
Mrs Diana Stewart LLB (Hons) (née Guest) Flying Officer 1948 – 1953
Most of the past year has been spent moving house and “down-sizing”. From a wonderful country village where there was no public transport, shop or pub but lovely people into the delightful town of Penrith. Having given up my car I am learning fast the local bus and railway timetables. We are still somewhat restricted because of the flood damage to the roads and bridges last December. Still the wonderful spirit of Cumbria rises above all and it is a joy to live here.
40 Mrs Rosemary Underwood (née Grumbley) Flight Officer 1963 – 1968
It seems that the pace of life accelerates, rather than slows, as one gets older. Here in a Suffolk village, there is hardly a day to sit and relax. Although I now have no Committee responsibilities, I’m still arranging the WI programme and enjoying playing with paper & glue maintaining the Institute scrap book. I’m keeping the brain active with the regular weekly mah-jong game, craft morning (still learning new skills!), monthly Scrabble not forgetting the DT crossword. Church Flowers exercise my artistic skills – a big effort for the Queen’s Birthday with much red, white & blue.
We are beginning to find the garden a bit much to manage. Supreme efforts were made for ‘Open Gardens’ but this is definitely the last time. To recover from weeks of digging, chopping, pruning & planting, we took ourselves off to the very north of Scotland, visiting the Castle of Mey which has been on my wish list since our tour at Leuchars. On the way home we spent some time with the Newcastle family.
The grandchildren constantly amaze with outstanding school reports, musical achievements and boundless energy – more importantly they are delightful children. We are ‘dog sitting’ this summer, roll on the next holiday!
41 AWRAFO GAZETTE ARTICLE THEMES
As you all know every year we have a different theme for members’ articles for the Gazette. This year we have had “Looking back on my career what advice would you give to my younger self and why?” and in the past we have covered a charity theme, OCTU, Secondary duties and best and worst postings. Plus for this year we have asked for book reviews which turned out to be quite popular.
If any of you have an idea for a future theme then please let me know either by email at [email protected] or telephone at 01767314676, any ideas will be considered by the committee at their annual meeting early in 2016.
On another note, when sending in articles I am more than happy to receive them by email, and if you have pictures to go with your narratives then please do send them either electronically or by mail via the secretary. The Gazette always looks good with some photos in I am sure you agree.
This year we are again using the printers in Chesterfield, they are part of a college there, where the students learn about collating and printing all types of information booklets, magazines, posters etc. I hope that you are happy with this edition, but if you have any points with regard to the actual printing etc. then please do contact me.
42 INTERNATIONAL CLUB FOR AIR FORCE OFFICERS WIVES
Have you heard of the International Club for Air Forces Officers Wives? This is a club for the wives and widows of Royal Air Force Officers which holds a number of luncheons throughout the year as well as visits to interesting venues.
The Club holds lunches in spring and autumn mainly, at the RAF Club in Piccadilly, London and, in the summer months visits are arranged to places such as the Albert Hall, the Bank of England, Bletchley Park the House of Commons and even Buckingham Palace.
Membership is open to wives and widows of serving and retired officers of the RAF, RAuxAF, and RAFR and to serving and retired female officers of the RAF and associated women’s services Daughters and Sisters are also welcome. Wives and serving female officers of other nations serving in the UK are also welcome. We If you would like to know more about this Club then contact either:
Chairman & Publicity Member: Mrs Rosie Hall, 7C Caldecote Green, Upper Caldecote, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire SG18 9BX Phone: 01767314676 Email: [email protected]
Membership Secretary: Mrs Carolyn Browning, Churchbrook House, Church Street, Barton St David, Somerton, Somerset TA11 6BU
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