ROYAL AIR FORCE REGIMENT ASSOCIATION www.rafregt.org.uk BIRMINGHAM BRANCH Honours for the Birmingham Branch Page 2 Branch Website Page 2 Birmingham Branch Birthdays Page 2 – Branch Appeal Goodies for the Military Ward Page 2 HONOUR S FOR Death Notices Page 3 BIRMING HAM BRANCH John Docker 1st October 2009 Page 3 Page 2 The New Branch Standard Bearer Page 3 RAF Regiment Memorial Project 2009 Page 3 Major Coup for the RAF Regiment Page 3 GOODIES FOR THE Battle of Crete 1941 Page 3 Page 2 Who Watches the Watchers? Page 4 MILITARY WARD – Out of Defeat the Rise of New RAF Regiment Page 4 Mail Online Reporter Trains with Regt Page 4 MAJOR COUP FOR RAF Vehicle Check Points (VCPs) Page 5 REGIMENT Page 3 The Best of the Best on the Ground Page 5 In Afghanistan Page 6 National Memorial Arboretum Update Page 6 NATIONAL MEMORIAL Dedication of Memorial to Polish Forces Page 7 “ ” ARBORETUM UPDATE First to Fight a New Book Page 7 Page 6 Historical Synopsis Page 8 Duke and Duchess of Gloucester at NMA Page 9 New Memorial for the Fleet Air Arm Page 9 NEWS OF THE RAF RAFA Memorial Garden Page 10 REGIMENT Page 12 Future Events at NMA Page 10 RAF Regiment Books Page 9 Books about the RAF Regiment Page 11 Books Containing References to RAF Regiment Page 11 News of the RAF Regiment Page 12 Death Notices Page 12 General Notices Page 12 ’ Nation s Commitment to Armed Forces Page 13 ’ CG s Commendations for 2009 Page 12 Honours and Awards Page 14 Annual Regt. Chapel Commemoration Page 14 Association Spring Reunion Page 14 CGs Commendations Page 14 RAF Regiment Fund and Shop Queries Page 14 The Best Fighters in the RAF New Standard for 63 Squadron Page 15 Operate on the Ground Oman Experiences Page 15 Corps Diary Dates Page 13 The Royal Air Force Regiment. Dates for Your Diary Page 16 Birmingham Branch Committee Page 16 Ground-based specialists, NEWSLETTER NO: 244 protecting RAF assets from enemy attack. OCTOBER 2009 2 THE BIRMINGHAM BRANCH NEWSLETTER NUMBER 244 OCTOBER 2009 Dear Readers. RAF Regiment Books Honours for Birmingham Branch You will see later on in this newsletter, My list of books is growing all the time ’s suggestion, it was decided to add that the CGs Commendations 2009 have now and at Gordon been published and our Branch has been greatly a separate page for this information. As you will honoured, for our Branch Chairman Ron Sharp is again see later on in this newsletter, some of the one of the recipients of the CGs Commendations books have been in my list for some time now but for services to the maintenance of the RAF due to adding another seven books, some of them ’t think anyone Regiment Memorial Garden. I don not all about the RAF Regiment but containing really knows just how many hours Ron gives to references to the RAF Regiment. I have split the the Garden. Most of our members know that he is list into two parts, one with books all about the responsible for its maintenance that he does so RAF Regiment and the other, with books that well but he also carries out a number of other jobs refer to the RAF Regiment. too, such as lowering the flags to half-mast when BRANCH BIRTHDAYS sadly this becomes necessary, so our A very Happy Birthday to the following congratulations to Ron for an award that is so Birmingham Branch members whose birthdays richly deserved. It reflects the enormous amount are this month, may you all have many more. of work that he puts in. 2nd Oct Philip Ranford Walsall W Mids In addition, our Branch Vice-President is 6th Oct Neal Barber Stoke on Trent Staffordshire now the Chairman Elect of Birmingham County 10th Oct Ernie Bucknall Nuneaton Warwicks Royal British Legion and will be elected into that st 11th October James Setter Barnstaple Devon important post on 1 November 2009. This is a 21st Oct Ken Lobley Todmorden Lancashire very influential position in ex-service affairs in 23rd October Ray Hill Nuneaton Warwickshire the Greater Birmingham area and another great 24th Oct Anthony Minns Burton on Trent Staffs honour for the Birmingham Branch. Such is ’s dedication and well 27th October Barry Howe Clacton on Sea Essex Dave -known enthusiasm for 28th Oct John Dolphin Birmingham West Mids all things ex-service, that it will hold him in good 29th October Reg Burton Enfield Middlesex stead and I have no doubt that he will bring great 31st Oct Jeramy Hedges Broadway Worcs efficiency to that position. His election will be good for the RBL and will also reflect well on the Goodies for the Military Ward Birmingham Branch in having a senior member of It is most important that we remember the the Branch in such an important position. Our dangers that our young men and women serving congratulations to Dave for being nominated to a on operations are all facing, so please remember position that he so richly deserves. the appeal your Branch Committee have set up. Branch Website With your help, we can continue to provide these Although this may only be of interest to small comforts and any other items that the those of you that have access to the internet, Military Ward staff ask us for. We can never get another first for the Birmingham Branch is that enough goodies for the lads, so in the mean time, your continued support is appreciated for we need through the efficient services of the Association £18.40 remaining. Website Manager Gordon Diffey, I have added more money as we only have another page to the Birmingham Branch site on If any of you would like to contribute the Association website. We now have five pages items or cash now to this appeal, you can either listed that are now as follows. take them directly to Ward S4, Selly Oak Hospital Birmingham Branch Committee Page and ask for Warrant Officer A (Alan) Wanbon Birmingham Branch News RAF, or post them to him at Patient Support Services, RCDM, Ward S4, Selly Oak Hospital, Birmingham Branch Roll of Honour Raddlebarn Road, Selly Oak, Birmingham, B29 Birmingham Branch History 3 6JD. Alan can also be contacted on 07795 Branch installed the current grey paving slabs, the 801276. one hundred and ninety 2 X 2 foot slabs cost £363 DEATH NOTICES: .97. Digging out the foundations for the £370.00 and the slabs I regret to inform you of the death of ex- slabs by the NMA staff cost SAC John Docker who passed away on Thursday were laid by a professional slab layer at a cost of st th £400.00, making a total of £1,333.97. This was 1 October 2009. John who was born on 30 October 1933, would have been seventy-six on funded by a donation from the RAF Regiment th £500.0 £733.97 taken from 30 October. John joined the Birmingham Association of 0 and Branch in March 1991 and has been a stalwart the remaining balance transferred from the member of the Branch ever since and had also Memorial Garden Appeal Fund. served us well as our Branch Standard Bearer. At the time this was all we could afford John had been ill for some time and he will now but the red paving bricks it is proposed to install be sadly missed. in their place will look very much better and will John enlisted on 10th January 1952 and give a much more modern appearance, much more after his Regiment Training at RAF Dumfries and in keeping with the general appearance of the ’m sure that the remaining £900.00 of the Driver Training at RAF Weeton, was posted to a NMA. I Rifle Squadron (No unknown) at RAF Credenhill money required will be raised and that we will and served there and at RAF Thornaby with that soon be able to greatly enhance the appearance of squadron until he was posted to 58 Field the RAF Regiment Memorial Garden. Squadron at RAF Khormaksar at Aden and later Major Coup for the RAF Regiment at RAF Eastleigh, Kenya. During his service In my August newsletter on page 6, I told there he was detached to 1340 Flight at Marrians you about a major development for the RAF Farm on anti-terrorist patrols. John completed his st Regiment by the formation of a new Field service there and was discharged on 31 Squadron and a new Force Protection Wing December 1954. He was awarded the General ’s Headquarters. The RAF Regiment has become so Service Medal Kenya Clasp and the Queen strategically important that in July, the Armed Coronation Medal. Forces Minister announced that a new Force He is survived by his wife Eileen to whom Protection Wing Headquarters and a new Field we extend our sincere condolences. At the time of Squadron would be operational by this month. this newsletter being posted off for photocopying, The twelve personnel needed to run the FP Wing no funeral details were available. HQ and the one hundred and seventy-two troops The New Branch Standard Bearer to man the new Field Squadron will deploy to In last Augusts newsletter, I told you that Afghanistan in 2011. And a MoD study has ’s ill due to John Docker -health, we had to appeal determined that the best possible base for this new for another Branch Standard Bearer. I am Wing and Squadron will be either RAF Leuchars delighted to tell you that we have had three in Scotland or RAF Shawbury in Shropshire.