SEPTEMBER 2011 No 51 THE MAGAZINE OF THE RAF YATESBURY ASSOCIATION. INCORPORATING RAF STATIONS CHERHILL, COMPTON BASSETT, TOWNSEND AND YATESBURY The Seven Standards on Parade at our Remembrance Service See page 4 Photo by Gordon Chivers RAF YATESBURY ASSOCIATION Patron Air Marshal Sir Alec Morris KBE, CB. COMMITTEE Chairman & Rev. B.L. Morris, Canterbury Bells, Ansford Hill, Castle Cary, Honorary Chaplain Somerset. BA7 7JL. Tel: 01963 351154 email: [email protected] Vice-Chairman Ron Stempfer,24 Hazlemere Gardens, Worcester Park, Surrey, & Standard Bearer KT4 8AH Tel: 0208 3375401 email: [email protected] Honorary Secretary Mrs. Rosie Watt, 5 Heather Way, Calne, Wiltshire, SN11 0QR & Treasurer Tel: 01249 814754 Minutes Secretary Alan Trinder, 7 Manor Road, Wantage, Oxfordshire, OX12 8DP Tel: 01235 763940 Membership Phil Tomaselli, 146 Stockwood Lane, Bristol, BS14 8TA Secretary Tel: 01275 836795 Public Relations Tony Gernon, 35 Bransby Road, Chessington, Surrey, KT9 & Standard Bearer 2JZ Tel: 0208 2874610 SPARKS Editor Clive Simpson, 113 Daubeney Road, London, E5 0EG Tel: 02032 225322 email: [email protected] Cenotaph Co-ordinator David Clark, 35 Lampern Crescent, Billericay, Essex, CM12 0FE Tel: 01277 625448 Webmaster Bill Hauxwell, 18 Hollyhock Close, Kempshott, Basingstoke, & Archivist Hants, RG22 5RF Tel: 01256 472035 Member without Portfolio Albert Mundy, 33 Priory Way, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH16 3LS Tel: 01444 413448 LOCAL BRANCH REPRESENTATIVE Eastern Branch David Clark (See above for contact details) 2 www.rafyatesbury.webs.com FROM THE U/T EDITOR The U/T tag was to be removed but before it is I must confess that our Membership Secretary was contacted by a member who told him my number was unobtainable. I got my own phone number wrong!! I have corrected it in this Issue. Apologies to anyone who has tried to phone me. I am still appealing for any articles you may have for inclusion in SPARKS. Remember it is your magazine, all I do is collate the material I receive. Without your contributions I am redundant. My thanks to those members who brought articles to the AGM, they are most welcome and I will use them in forthcoming issues. The AGM, my first, was a lively and entertaining affair and following lengthy constitutional discussions Lyn Morris was voted Chairman and Ron Stempfer Vice-Chairman. After the Sunday service I had a chat with our Patron and discovered that while we mere O/R’s had to rely on a Morris Oxford for our weekend transport he used an Airspeed Oxford. The benefit of rank. I will say no more about this for the moment but beware Sir Alec, I have witnesses to your confession!! WELCOME TO OUR NEW MEMBERS Since our last edition we have 11 new members. Welcome, we hope to meet you all soon. Yatesbury Compton Bassett R. J. Batt Rackheath, Norfolk 1954 M. E. Poutney Tadley, Hants 1958 W. Glander Calne 1964 L .M .T. Munckton Sherborne 1957 K. Curlewis Kings Langley 1956 Neither W .G. Joyce Swindon 1958 Mrs. B. Glander Calne J. Aitken Norwich 1954 G. Luck Barwell Dr.W.H. Young Weymouth 1950 Mrs. G. Abbott-Darbyshire (nee Breach) Cirencester. CONTENTS ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING......................................................Rosie Watt 4 SILENT KEYS BRIAN SAUNDERS............................................................... 5 A NOSTALGIC LOOK BACK..................................5068035 SAC Neville Fawcett 6 A SHIP BY ANOTHER NAME..................................................Michael Taylor 8 SMILE AWHILE.............................................................................................. 8 MARCHING ON ICE.....................................................2713933 J/T Roy Perry 9 CUSHY POSTING.........................................................................Jack Walton 12 THE GHOST OF RF 398..........................................................Doug Bennison 13 27 GROUP REMEMBERED.......................................................................... 15 CARTOON BY KANE..................................................................................... 15 INFORMATION NEEDED............................................................................... 16 THE LAST HERCULES LEAVE LYNEHAM...............................Clive Simpson 16 LETTERS TO PHIL TOMASELLI.................................................................... 18 REMINISCENCES OF MY RAF DAYS............................Richard (Dick) Myers 19 IT’S NOT WHAT YOU KNOW......................................................George Cady 21 THE NATIONAL MEMORIAL ARBORETUM............................Phil Tomaselli 22 MORE SILENT KEYS..................................................................................... 22 3 www.rafyatesbury.webs.com REPORT ON THE 2011 AGM Rosie Watt The Annual General Meeting took place on the 20th August at Compton Bassett and was well attended by 43 members. A minute’s silence took place before the meeting when we remembered our dear friend Brian Saunders (Association Chairman) who died in July. Our Vice Chairman Rev. Lyn Morris took on the role of Acting Chairman for the following meeting. The Saturday evening started earlier than normal with the “after dinner speaker” speaking before the dinner! David Court lives locally and is an ex-RAF Police officer. When he arrived I asked him how long he was going to talk for (so that our caterer would know when she could start serving) and he said very precisely “42 minutes” and that is what we got! I found him to be an eloquent and charismatic speaker and I hope everyone enjoyed his talk on “The Battle of Britain”. Being one of the younger members of the Association I was fascinated with all the facts and figures. I think it will be hard to find a better speaker for next year – any suggestions? The evening meal was most enjoyable, and the suggestion was made to me that our caterer Liz should be made our “Honorary Caterer” as she has now completed the kitchen tasks for 12 years! Sunday morning saw seven standard bearers and a group of young ATC members at our church service. There were two of our own Standards paraded, together with two British Legion, one Observer Corp, one RAFA and one ATC. Our Chaplin Rev. Lyn Morris took the service, the lessons were read by Publicity Officer Tony Gernon and our Patron Air Marshall Sir Alec Morris. Rev. Morris reminisced about his time in the RAF and his eventual calling to the ministry. His sermon encouraged us to “use the gifts that God has given us”. The church was full and the standards were paraded outside, the last post was sounded, which is always a very poignant moment in the proceedings. The war graves have been cleaned this year, and new flowerbeds and grass planted around them, Our AGM this year was a pleasure to attend, and I would like to encourage more members to join with us on the 18th and 19th of August next year. Thank you to everyone for their input, however small or large your contribution, it made for a wonderful weekend. Thank you for the report, Rosie. On behalf of all those who attended I would like to say thanks for the enormous amount of time and effort that you put in to ensure the AGM was a success. Maybe next year you will be able to persuade your grandson to part with some of his parent’s hard earned money and become a member so that he can join in the fun. We need younger members to ensure survival of the Association. Ed. 4 www.rafyatesbury.webs.com SILENT KEYS BRIAN SAUNDERS YATESBURY 1954 It is with great regret and sadness that we have to report the death of Brian on 14 July 2011. He succeeded Albert Mundy as Association Chairman in 2010. Prior to this he had been our Treasurer from 2004 to 2009. His funeral took place on Friday 22 July at Worting Road Cemetery in Basingstoke and was attended by a large number of family and friends. Several members of the Committee were also there, and Tony Gernon paraded the Association Standard at the graveside. Brian’s widow, Pat, sent the following message via Doug Bennison : Brian joined in 1954 and after basic training at Padgate he went to Yatesbury as a Storeman. He was billeted in Hut 54 and left the RAF in 1957. He enjoyed his time in the Service and was also very proud to be part of the Yatesbury Association Doug Bennison, who was Permanent Staff at C.B. From 1952 - 1955 and a close friend of Brian’s ,writes: I join in the family tribute to Brian, our late Treasurer and Chairman. Now another gap in the earthly, Ex RAF ranks. My local pal, Brian, sadly missed and now reunited with my relation, Bryan Pryor who was a medic in SSQ from ‘55 to ‘57. RIP Brian. I received this letter via Phil Tomaselli: Dear Mr. Tomaselli It is with regret that I write to inform you of the death of my father, George Prescott. at the age of 94 as the result of a stroke. He was sent on a Wireless Operator's Course to RAF Yatesbury Radio School in 1940. He joined the association a few years ago and very much looked forward to receiving his copies of 'Sparks.' I accompanied my parents to the reunion weekend on several occasions, until he got too frail to attend, and he greatly enjoyed meeting fellow ex-servicemen and catching up on 'old times.' A photo from the last AGM he and Mum attended in 2009 is enclosed, together with copies of a few sketches my father made in 1941 during his time in the Middle East. I wish the Association well George & his wife can be seen at Yours Sincerely the end of the table on the right. Pat Prescott-Jones I will include some of the sketches The Association extends its condolences to Pat in future issues. Ed. and the rest of the family on their sad loss. Ed. 5 www.rafyatesbury.webs.com A NOSTALGIC LOOK AT COMPTON BASSETT 5068035 SAC Neville Fawcett In April 1959, at the age of 21 years & 4 months, having been deferred to enable me to complete my studies, I was called up to serve my National Service in the RAF (National Service was cancelled a month later in May) and reported to RAF Cardington. After square bashing at RAF Wilmslow, I was posted to Yatesbury in June 1959 to begin training to be an Air Wireless Fitter, but due to no course being available for some time, we were eventually transferred to Compton Bassett in August that same year on a Ground Wireless Fitter course.