ARCHIVES 

A Rear Gunner takes to the Air again!

(Arthur Roantree 58 years later - and in the front seat!)

Luxembourg 2002

Relaxing after the Ambassador's Reception 

(Bowling at "Maniac's Bar" - Somewhere in Luxembourg!)

Cheers Chaps! & The food was good too!

Groping Competition? Or where has my Ball gone?

Commemorating the RAF's War Dead in Luxembourg

The Group from York

The Grand Ball

MAY & APRIL HEADLINES

Jubilee Celebrations;      A Sad Farewell to Jack

National Conference;     Cranwell Visit;    Harrogate Entertains;   Spot the UFO

York Branch express a Lotto thanks to the Queen  

The Lotto Jubilee Tour visited York on May 23rd, as part of its two week circuit of the British Isles. Members of York Branch RAFA were invited to inscribe congratulatory messages to one of two giant - six foot by three foot - Jubilee cards which were touring the country. The cards were  presented to Her Majesty The Queen at Buckingham Palace on May 31st.   Left - Ken Whitfield, Ray Kidd, Fred Ullathorne & John Sloan toast Her Royal Highness

 York Branch PRO said, "The Jubilee is a very special occasion and it's great that we have been given a chance to be part of the celebrations. As the Queen is our patron we have been able to thank her for fifty years of service by signing the Jubilee card."  

 York Branch Party

 Branch members also gathered at Aldwark on Saturday June 1st for another Jubilee celebration - our indoor street party. With the Club suitably decorated in a mass of red, white, and blue, over forty members turned up for our champagne toast to the Queen, to take part in a Jubilee quiz, and to gorge themselves on a really splendid buffet, complete with our own Jubilee cake.......

A really successful event, for which special thanks must go to Fred Ullathorne organisation; Ken and Rina Whitfield – food and drink; and to John Mawson for dispensing the champagne so well, Dave Taylor's glass proving almost bottomless. Sunday was not such a good day for him.

JOHN ARTHUR (JACK) KILVINGTON

By Dave Taylor

 It is with great sadness that we record the passing of Jack Kilvington at approximately 1:30am on Thursday 9th May. His untimely demise has left a massive void in many people's lives within the many organisations in which he was involved, right up to the moment he was admitted to hospital for the second time - the first after suffering a heart attack, from which he appeared to be well on the way to recovery.

Jack always considered the RAFA to be his first love, but it will be seen from the following list of organisations with which he worked, just how committed (or possibly committeed) he had become during his years of retirement

RAFA:Hon Treasurer - York Branch/Branch Club

Yorkshire Eastern Region - Rep to Area Council

North East Area Clubs sub committee - Vice Chairman North East Area - Delegate to Conference

Yorkshire Eastern Region - Secretary

Member NE Area Executive Committee (as Vice Chairman to Clubs Committee)

Other commitments

Civilian Committee of 110 (City of York) Squadron ATC - Chairman

Civilian Committee Central & East Yorks Wing ATC - Vice Chairman

Past Chair and member of 229 (Ebor) Mess, Fellowship of the Services

Haxby & Wiggington Parish Council - Clerk to

  I hope I can be forgiven for adding a personal note to say that Jack was a great friend to me, almost like a father really. I used to confide in him a great deal, so in my life the void he has left is one of almost cavernous proportions. I will miss him greatly, as will many - John Allison. Area and Central Councillor. Vice Chairman, York Branch.

An Appeal to the Membership 

The above list notwithstanding, Jack also took upon himself responsibility for many other essential tasks, most of these unseen and unheralded, but all absolutely necessary to ensure the smooth running of our Club: cleaning, cellar man, decorating for special occasions, barman, plus the 101 other things he put his hand to, which, as can be imagined, leaves us very short-handed. We therefore appeal to our 400 plus membership to help fill the void by volunteering your services to the Club or Branch

We certainly need volunteers for the bar and cleaning rosters - both just "a few hours a month" jobs, but above all, we are in desperate need of a Treasurer and deputy Treasurer. Although John Sloan has kindly stepped into the breach, temporarily, this is definitely a stop-gap solution, and, lacking a volunteer to fill this post, the Branch will cease to be, for RAFA rules state that a Branch must have a full compliment of officers, of which Treasurer is one

So please step forward and help us out, and also help perpetuate the memory of Jack

We will remember him Wednesday May 15th was the sad occasion of Jack's funeral, and a chance for those that wished, to pay their last respects. Well, let me tell you, everyone did, for it was standing room only. The ATC provided a guard of honour, standards were paraded, and it seemed like everyone and his dog was in attendance (OK, forget the dog). A fine send off for a fine man!

The National Council at Blackpool

The standard bearers prepare for the big parade

Sunday parade on the prom with a loan Spitfire flying past

(Or is it Quiggers trying to find his way back to Yorkshire?)

CLUB VISIT 

The Royal Air Force College Cranwell

The current Royal Air Force College Crest

(Introduced in 1966 when the engineers arrived - in a bus!)

On Wednesday 17th April 12 members of RAFA York visited the Royal Air Force College Cranwell where they were given a conducted tour of the College, followed by Lunch in the Sergeant's Mess and a visit to the Navigation Training Squadron and the CFS detachment for Grobs.

The Visitors - Left to right - Neal Devey, John Sloan, Les Quigley, Dave Taylor, Dave Wilson, Geraldine Woodhall, Joe Munday, Maisie Heydenrych, Ken Hartridge, Norman Spence, Connie Spence, Jill Quigley

	We were met the guardroom (still the old railway station) by Sgts Dave Lambie and Mike Jessop our drivers and mentors for the day. Their first task was to drive us to the College - now called College Hall!

Our guide for the morning was Mike Spurway the College Adjutant (far left) - His knowledge of and enthusiasm for the College set the scene from the very outset and kept the visitors spellbound.  We even got to stand on the carpet a privilege that used to take cadets nearly 3 years to attain!

Left - The portrait of the Queen with Lord Trenchard behind.   Right - Maisie Heydenrych, who served at Cranwell during the war, gets to sit on the Queen's chair.

Far Left - Les Quigley finds himself on the wall in the Hall of Fame! Left - A blow up of the photograph on the wall - Les (centre rear) when he was a dashing young fencer! Below - A rare picture of Cranwell Cadets in No.1 uniform relaxing - this is because it was taken in France at L'Ecole de l'Air

Above (Left to Right) - "Randy" Stubbington (Sadly killed in the late 60's), "Pete" Squire (Current CAS), "Snotty" Synnot (Still flying as CAA Captain), "Quiggers" (Web master for RAFA York & still learning to fly), "Pete" Glover (Ex-England winger - where are you Pete?)   Right - Air Chief Marshal Sir Peter Squire KCB DFC AFC ADC FRAeS, RAF, Chief of the Air Staff. Unlike the rest of the group - apart from the fancier uniform,  "Pete" doesn't look any different 37 years on!

A lone Tucano and 3 Jetstreams

After  lunch in the Sergeant's Mess the party went down to the sharp end - "Flights" - for "Quiggers" it lacked the buzz of the 60's when their were dozens of Jet Provosts lined up in two ranks with jet aircraft landing and taking off every few minutes and pilots everywhere - however, we where made very welcome and were shown around the aircraft. 

The one moment of excitement was a lone Harrier doing a "touch and go" as we watched.

Left - Jill Quigley always did like young Cranwell Pilots Above - Especially those that let her drive!

After the flight lines the party were taken over to CFS on the east side of the airfield.  Here we were shown around by the "Boss" of the Grob flight Squadron Leader John Temple. A Grob with looks like a model aircraft!
Right - John Sloan thanks Sgt Dave Lambie

Members entertained by Harrogate RAFA

Several members and their wives made the journey from York to Harrogate to be royally entertained and fed by our nearest neighbour.....

Above -Les Quigley finds a photograph of himself in Harrogate's Hall of Fame

Above - The photograph - A younger Les (on the left) handing over a £500 cheque for the wings appeal  some 15 years ago!

Spot this month's UFO

The following photograph was recently taken through the Webmaster's study window. 

(Is it coming or going?)

Can anyone identify the UFO?  Replies to webmaster@rafayork.co.uk . 

The first correct answer wins a No 6 (RCAF) Group 1943 left handed all rank's mug

(with special instructions for officer's)

Last month's UFO was - a Chinook - the first answer came from Luxembourg - Miss Danielle Quigley, however, as she has plenty of mugs the prize goes to the 1st runner up  - Mr David Taylor of  RAFA York - The 2nd runner up was Brian Darke of RAFA Luxembourg, who also wins a mug for being so far away.

Last modified: July 03, 2004