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NEWS
March 2002
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on the headline you wish to review or simply scroll down the page)
(For
previous months click on Archives)
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MARCH
HEADLINES
RAF
Linton's Exclusive Air Display; Photo
of the Month; Yorkshire Eastern Region Dinner Dance,
AGM
2002; John Sloan Stands
Down After 7 Years; Ray
Kidd our New Chairman; York
wins the cup + other Awards ; Committee
Dinner; Spot
the UFO
Members
visit RAF Linton-on-Ouse
22nd
March 2002
A
dozen members had the privilege of being invited to watch the
special air display that accompanied the passing out parade at RAF Linton-on-Ouse. The display is organised by the
students themselves and spectators are normally limited to station
personnel and the student's guests. However, on this occasion the Red
Arrows were giving a very special pre-season display hence the desire of
the York members to see them in action. Cloud
was forecast, but we were very lucky with the weather as breaks kept
appearing and the cloud base stayed above 3,000 feet. (Photographs
by Dave Taylor and Les Quigley)
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Red
tails in the sunset!
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Red
noses at dawn!
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As well as the Red
Arrows members saw superb individual aerobatic displays by a Tornado
F3, a Tucano and a Gnat from Kemble. They also saw fly bys by pairs
of Tornado GR4's, Harriers, Jaguars and a lone Canberra. Needless to
say the instructors at Linton put on an excellent formation display with a
9 ship Tucano formation.
Air brakes - GO!
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The changes and the accuracy of the formations was
breathtaking! |
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York
members were dumb struck by the formation changes ! |
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Above
- Two Harriers streak by
Left
- A Tornado F3 shows its paces
Below
- An original "Red Arrow" - the Gnat Below
Left - A Canberra the oldest
operational aircraft in the RAF - flying since 1949! |
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Dick
Shuster returning from the formation trip |
Robin
Boulton, Dave Taylor & Les Quigley |
Ray
Kidd, Peter Carmichal, Jack Kilvington, John Sloan & Robin
Boulton relax in CFS's crewroom |
| The visit was
organised by RAFALO Dick Shuster & members were well looked after by
Flt Lt Andy Owen, the pilots of CFS and mess staff. The club extend
their gratitude to all RAF
& civilian personnel at Linton for making them so welcome. |
1940
- Battle of Britain over Biggin Hill? .......
No!
..... 2002 - Tucano's over Linton-on-Ouse after a "running break"
The Tucano Fly Past
(before the
break)
Yorkshire
Eastern
Region Dinner Dance
Saturday
23rd March
This
years dinner dance was held at the Bridlington Golf Club and was organised
by the Bridlington branch. It was a well organised event with excellent
food, wine and a jazz band. The York contingent had a good time as usual
despite having over an hours drive to get there.
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Members
of the York branch eating, drinking & making merry |
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Jill
& Les Quigley doing some serious dancing
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Dick
Shuster, Jack Kilvington & John Sloan doing some serious talking
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AGM
2002
14th
March 2002
This
years Annual General Meeting was quite a lively affair. It included
the handover of the chairmanship from John Sloan to Ray Kidd and a rather
disconcerting report about RAFA's Central Organisation from John Allison
our representative on the National Council. However it finished on a
happier note with our President handing out a few well earned certificates
and a "gong".....
Members
exercising their democratic rights at the AGM!
The
full club annual report can be reviewed by clicking on the AGM roundel
John
Sloan stands down as Chairman
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John
Sloan |
After 8 years as chairman of
the branch John Sloan stands down and Ray Kidd takes over.
John has been a dedicated member of the
Royal Air Forces Association and first served as Chairman way back
in 1973 when he was a young man (and Pontius was still a pilot). He
was then re-elected in 1994 and has soldiered on for seven years to
2001. His achievements are numerous and manifest. He has
chaired what is arguable the best club in the country.
Certainly the most progressive.
John joined RAFA back in 1944 as a budding
navigator. After initial "square bashing" in the UK,
like thousands of other young men John was off to Canada under the
Empire Training Scheme. |
| A week before VE day John
arrived in New York aboard the "Ile
de France" after a rough passage across the Atlantic.
He was welcomed by bands and flags as they berthed on the Hudson
River. Alas it was not for the RAF lads it was for a large
contingent of American troops returning home and as soon as the
Yanks were off, so were the bands.
Right -
Troopship Ile de France.
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After this initial excitement
by 8th May 1945 (VE Day) John found himself at RCAF Moncton in New
Brunswick. Four months later John was at No 1 Air Navigation School
at Portage Prairie in Manatoba and was nearing the end of the course
when the Japanese surrendered. The Empire Air Training Scheme
came to an abrupt halt since the RAF then had a vast surfeit of
aircrew. John's course were all posted to RCAF Rivers as a
holding station and then on to St John's in Newfoundland where they
boarded the Dutch liner "Nieu Amsterdam" for a smoother
trip home
Left - A young John
Sloan in 1945 at No 1 Air Navigation School, RCAF Portage la
Prairie, Manatoba, Canada |
On arrival back in the UK
non of the draft were allowed to qualify for their wings and they
were dispersed throughout the UK to perform rather more mundane tasks
than finding their way to Germany in the dark...... until their turn
for "demob" came along! Right
- RCAF Avro Anson for Navigation Training |
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Ray
Kidd
The new
Chairman of the York Branch of the Royal Air Forces Association
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Ray
Kidd OBE |
Ray officially took over
the chairmanship at the Annual General Meeting on 14th March. He was
welcomed into the position by all the members. Although John Sloan
will be a hard act to follow Ray is one of the few men who has the
ability and experience to do it.
Ray first wore an RAF
blue uniform back in 1947 when he joined the Air Training Corps -
No. 739 (Scarborough) Squadron.
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Above
- Sgt Kidd at Halton 1949
Left
- Corporal Kidd 1948 (right) |
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In 1951 he then went on to do his National Service as
a Ground Wireless Mechanic. Leaving the RAF in 1953.
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Left - LAC Kidd 1951
Right - SAC Kidd (on
left) at RAF Compton Bassett in 1952 |
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Right - Sgt Kidd ATC Halton
1949 |
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The blue obviously
matched his eyes for he was soon back in it as a Post Observer with
the Royal Observer Corps before returning to the ATC as a civilian
instructor.
He soon earned a
commission in the RAFVR/T and served on a number of ATC squadrons
throughout North Yorkshire before being appointed a Wing Staff
Officer. |
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Ray's final appointments
with the ATC were to command the former West Riding Wing and then
the Central & East Yorkshire Wing of the Air Training Corps.
Since retiring from the uniformed branch Ray has held a number of
civilian appointments and is currently the Wing President and
Historian.
Ray has been a life
member of the Royal Air Forces Association since 1972
Right
-Wing Commander Ray Kidd OBE RAFVR(T) presenting a certificate
of appointment to Brian Mennell (Currently Wing Corporate
Communications Officer for Central & East Yorks Wing and former
CO of Easingwold ATC Squadron) |
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YORK
BRANCH AWARDS
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Ken gets a
"gong" |
The Whitfield's
get a joint "cert" |
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Air
Commodore Gambold has a busy night - (Top) a long distance
medal for Ken Whitfield & (Right) a certificate for good
behaviour for Ken and his "missus"! |
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Left - Air Commodore Bill
Gambold presents a Certificate of Appreciation to Squadron
Officer Lennie Cofield WRAF (Ret'd)
Right - John Allison,
Wings Appeal Organiser, receives the Wings Certificate from Bill Gambold.
It was awarded to the York Branch collecting lots of dosh for RAFA charities. |
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John
wins the Cup
Bill Gambold presents Sqn
Ldr John Fisher RAF (Ret'd) with the Harry Cowan cup for personal achievement
York
Branch Annual Committee Dinner
1st
March 2002
The
Annual committee dinner was held at the Beechwood Hotel in York with the
Guests of Honour being the Air Commodore and Mrs Gambold. Other
guests were Dick Shuster (York's RAFALO), his wife Shireen and Les Quigley
(York Branches Internet Webmaster).
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On
the top table Kath Allison, Marianne Sutherland & John Alison
smile for the camera |
At
the other table the Shuster's, Dando's, Kidd's and a solo Les
Quigley smile for the Camera |
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Left
- John Sloan making his valedictory speech after seven years as
Branch Chairman. It was John's last official social
occasion and his last chance to thank his committee before his
retirement as Branch Chairman.
His speech was
followed by Bill Gambold (on John's right) who entertained the
audience with a few amusing tales. |
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