ROYAL AIR FORCE & DEFENCE FIRE SERVICES ASSOCIATION MAGAZINE INSIDE THIS 24 PAGE ISSUE RAF Catterick EvENT JUNE 2006 REPoRT - SPoTlIGHT oN RAF Catterick FIRE SqUADRoN PART 2 EX - RAF CATTERICk FIRE and RESCUE SqUADRoN - 1982 &THE WoT1 - ASSoCIATIoN SHoP REmEmbRANCE PARADE 2006 DetailS - “DoES yoUR CHEWING GUm loSE IT’S FlAvoUR etc?” REmINDER that SUbSCRIPTIoNS ARE DUE 1ST SEPTEmbER - SToP PRESS - mUSEUm SHoCk! Augustwww.fireservicesassociation.net 2006 wwww.fireservicesassociation.net 1 Flashpoint Magazine - August 2006 brief History of The Association Formation of the Association CONTENTS The formation of the Royal Air Force & Defence Fire Area Coordinators were subsequently elected to cover 2 Brief History of the Services Association took place at Shoreham Airport in East the U.K. Association Sussex, on the13th. May 1995, when 23 ex-service personnel The Intervening Years got together to settle the question of why there wasn’t an 3 Who to Contact Many changes have taken place since then as the organisation relating to the trade of firefighter when most & Proposed New Association established itself over the intervening years Book recording other trades had formed one of their own many years ago? and, with its formation, colleagues, past and present, now the history and Inaugural Committee Formed have a better chance of finding each other again, renewing the development old friendships and making new ones. of the RAF and On that day, when those founder members turned up from Defence Fire and all over the country, they went on to form the inaugural The Association publishes Flashpoint magazine 3 times Rescue Service committee of the Association and elected the following per year with information, news, updates, articles, Officers and Committee:- anecdotes, photos. and stories. 4 Editorial - Useful Contact Numbers Member Association membership is made up of ex and serving - Front cover photo President Late John Arthur 11 firefighters and includes those personnel who made Vice President Ken Rimmel 20 up the Air Force, Army and Royal Navy* Fire Service 5 Catterick Report Chairman Keith Penfold 9 Departments, which became the Defence Fire Services. Vice Chairman Mick Clark 2 Together we are the Royal Air Force and Defence Fire 6 Membership News Secretary Dennis McCann 7 Services Association. &1st September Subs reminder Treasurer Late John Knight 21 Associate Membership is open to ex and serving personnel Editor * Late Alan Alsop 49 having a minimum of three months service with the 7 ‘ D o e s y o u r Civilian Aviation Authority (CAA) Licenced Aerodrome chewing gum lose Fire Services. it’s flavour etc.’ *The position of Editor first introduced in 1995, when thelate Alan Alsop took post as founding editor, but after the * Royal Navy have since founded their own Aircraft 8 Letters & Stop formation of the Association in May of that year. Handlers Association. Press Area Coordinators Elected 12 Catterick Garrison Army Open Day 14/15 Spotlight on RAF Catterick Fire Squadron 1958 to 1988 Pt 2 16 In Memoriam 17 Shop 18 N e w s - Vi e w s U p d a t e s a n d Deadlines - ‘Big’ Jim Crabtree ill 19 R e m e m b r a n c e Day Parade 20 P h o t o g r a p h i c Memories 21 Heroes of the RAF Fire Service Sgt George Masterson RAF Luqa 1971 22 RAF & Defence Photo shows 21ex-RAF Firemen attending Shoreham Airport, East Sussex on Sunday the 13th May 1995 Fire and Rescue Service - ‘Nimrod’ for the forming of the Association, but only 15 are named - Basil Cotton, Barry Poulton, Bob Good, Roger Exercise & SSAFA! Brooks, John Knight, Joe Shackleton, Len Nightingale, John Arthur, ‘Nobby’ Clarke, Bob Hodgeson, Dennis McCann, Graham Kennedy, Keith Penfold, Bill Bennett & Tony Cullen (didn’t join)! The 23 Brief Histories of photo was taken Sunday morning and several founder members were missing, for various reasons. They the RAF and the were, C Ayling, S Morley, F Hoxey, R Smallridge, A Watts, R Rideout, D Shields, J Dalton, G Bridges, Defence Fire and Bob Westwood, Reg Silcock, Richard Callanan, ‘Brummie Yates, Brian Wooldridge, Brian Ford, Ron Rescue Service Mason and, now,Charles Sharp. A grand total of 32 who started things off, for all those of us, who have 24 Ex - RAF Catterick followed on behind - Are there any more out there or, is that it? Ken Rimmel, D/Day Museum, and founding Fire & Rescue vice-president, member 20, took the photograph - Ed. Squadron 1982 & WOT1 Flashpoint Magazine - August 2006 2 www.fireservicesassociation.net Who To Contact Officers and Committee Area Co-ordinators Northern Ireland Australia Kenneth Green member 255 Bill Wylie member 785 President Devon & Cornwall 2 Brooklands Drive 102 Kingsclere Avenue Keith Penfold member 9 Wilf Longmire member 83 Whitehead Keyborough 80 Pitts Field 28 Cormorant Drive Carrickfergus Victoria Cricklade St Austell Antrim Australia 3173 Wiltshire Cornwall N. Ireland tel Melbourne 9769 0826 SN6 6AW PL25 3BA tel 01960 372 595 te l 01793 751 536 tel 01726 642 74 Cambridge Scotland Vice-President Norfolk Howard Harper member 682 Alec Robertson member 753 Dennis McCann BEM member 7 Steve Doran member 41 34 The Westering 12 Kinclavin Crescent Lulworth, Ronal Meadowlands Murthly Clacton Road 22 Gunn Street Cambridgeshire Perth Weeley Heath Foulsham CB5 8SF PH1 4EU Clacton on Sea Norfolk tel 01223 292 298 tel 01738 710 487 Essex NR20 5RJ CO16 9ED tel 01362 684 132 Member, Mark Watson, volunteered as coordinator to cover Riyadh, tel/fax 01255 830 546 email - [email protected] Saudi Arabia - still awaiting details - Ed. Chairman RAF Co-ordinator VaCanCies Roger Brooks member 16 Steve Bowden member 413 east Yorkshire - LinCoLnshire -MidLands - sCotLand - south east 18 Farm Close Station Fire Officer Seaford RAF St Athan other areas as neCessarY. it’s not too arduous, just a Matter of keeping in Sussex Barry touCh, and proMoting the assoCiation when abLe to do so. if You Can heLp, BN25 3RZ Glamorgan pLease ContaCt a CoMMittee MeMber. we assure You of a warM weLCoMe. tel 01323 899 562 CF62 4WA [email protected]. tel 01446 798 393 co.uk Wales PROPOSED NEW BOOK – members will Vice-Chairman Ian King member 242 be aware from the April 2006 Flashpoint, that a Jim Paterson member 405 Warren Bungalow 18 Plover Court John’s Lane book is in the process of being produced outlining Rossington Hirwaun the personnel, past and present, who have been Nr. Doncaster Mid Glamorgan South Yorkshire Wales members of the Royal Air Force Fire Service or DN11 0HU CF44 9TB Defence Fire Services, (now the Defence Fire and tel 01302 864 742 tel 01685 811 131 Rescue Services). Secretary South Yorkshire & Derbyshire Many stories and anecdotes have already George Edwards member 238 John Arnold member 394 been received and each article, however short 8 East Close 22 Crookes Broom Lane or long, is a unique contribution to the project. Ecclestone Park Hatfield Prescot Doncaster Please consider submitting an article as everyone Merseyside DN7 6JN has something to say and your contribution will L34 2RA tel 0132 351 196 tel 0151 426 5093 be recorded for posterity. Contributions to myself email - george.edwards46@ South please. Contact details as per the Who To Contact virgin.net John Hurl member 564 page. 34 Copt Elm Close Treasurer Charlton Kings George Edwards Secretary member 238 Geoff Varley member 221 Cheltenham 3 Fairway Gloucestershire Girton GL53 8AE Cambridge tel 01242 522 503 CB3 0QF HOW TO JOIN - For more information tel 01223 276 772 London ‘’Jess’ Jessup member 133 about the Royal Air Force & Defence Fire Services Membership Secretary 44 Quentin Road Association and to request an application form John Hanley member 69 Lewisham contact :- 17 Carnegie Road London Peterborough SE13 5DF PE8 6AJ tel 020 8463 0737 John Hanley, Membership Secretary, tel 01780 784 964 email - [email protected] North 17 Carnegie Road, Peterborough PE8 6AJ serve.co.uk Joe Shackleton member 22 2 Westminster Close Tel - 01780 784 964 or email - john@hanley7438. Eston Editor Flashpoint Middlesborough freeserve.co.uk Dave Kenyon member 239 Cleveland or 47 Grange Avenue TS6 9NU Visit our website at - www. Thornbury tel 01642 285 098 Bradford BD3 7BE fireservicesassociation.net tel/fax 01274 666 043 e-mail: [email protected] www.fireservicesassociation.net 3 Flashpoint Magazine - August 2006 Flashpoint Editorial eaders will quickly early Friday and Sunday mornings to meet R note that this is- with 2MT Squadron when they delivered, Useful Contact sue is chock full with and then uplifted, the WOT1, on our be- Numbers ex RAF Catterick Fire half. Saturday morning the WOT1 front RAFBF - The Heart of the RAF Family:- Squadron items for nearside tyre was soft and Logistics were which I make no apolo- very helpful with advice to sort the matter. 0800 169 2942 gy. As a Sutton-on-Hull ‘skiffLe’ & raf ternhiLL - In RAFA - The Royal Air Force Association:- man, I’m honoured and the last issue, I promised an item from 0800 018 2361 member, Colin Nixon, on ‘Skiffle’ and delighted to present the SSAFA Forces Help - The Soldiers, information on Catterick for your enjoy- hope you enjoy it. For those of you who Sailors, Airmen and Families ment. I only hope that someone out there haven’t a clue what it’s all about, prepare to Association:- 020 7403 8783 has similar items on Sutton, Manston or be enlightened briefly on the subject! Colin Teeside. If so, please dig them out and would like your help in trying to identify a The Royal British Legion - RBL - send them in. name from a photo taken at RAF Ternhill, 08457 725 725 the front CoVer shows the Catterick