INSIGHT

BATTLE OF BRITAIN
DINING IN NIGHT

InsightMAGAZINE 1
2 InsightMAGAZINE
InsightMAGAZINE 3
INSIGHT
Issue 5 2013
From the
Editor…
From Brammer
to Bremner…
There may have been some
minor confusion over the
Brammer/Bremner handover
of the editor role of the Insight
Magazine, but I clearly have a
lot to thank Squadron Leader
Brammer for, the last editorial
for a start. I am grateful for
the vibrant and professional
magazine that he and his team
have developed and hope to
continue to ensure it meets the
needs of RAF Waddington and
the local community.
As we enjoy the last few days
of Summer it is clear from the
wide range of articles that we
have received, that the Station
has had an extremely busy but
rewarding few months. With
continued support to enduring
and contingency operations I
am extremely grateful to those
On the cover
Battle Of Britain Dining In Night
4 InsightMAGAZINE
who have taken the time to
present articles highlighting
the diverse activities of service
personnel, families and the
community. The Insight team
have been working hard to
ensure the magazine reflects
the spectrum of activities at RAF
Waddington and we are always
keen to receive articles, so please
if you are organising an event or
activity, send us some pictures
and an article, to let everyone
know what you are up to.
Looking forward, there are
more changes coming to the
Insight editorial team and we
are all keen to ensure that the
magazine meets the needs
of the readers. If you have
any feedback for the team
please contact us at WAD-
InsightEditorialTeam@mod.uk.
EDITORIAL TEAM:
WAD-InsightEditorialTeam@mod.uk
External Email: Use personal email addresses listed
Tel: 01522 720271 (6706 Ext No.)
Editor:
Sqn Ldr Stewart Bremner
8SQN-EngOC@mod.uk
Deputy Editor:
(Flt Lt) Heather Constantine
heather.constantine261@mod.uk
Assistant Deputy Editors:
(Sqn Ldr) Mark Brammer and (Flt Lt) Joey Marquet–Horwood
Distribution:
Corporal Stephen Calvert
Ext 6495 steven.calvert415@mod.uk
Artwork: S Oliver
Photography:
Sgt Karl Whitelaw, Cpl Loz Platfoot, Cpl Sarah Draper,
SAC Chris Davidson, SAC Lauren Pope, SAC Andy Stevens, SAC Ben
Stevenson
Advertising by:
Jo Marchant
Tel: 01536 526674
Designed by:
Rosalyn Parry
Tel: 01536 521126
Published by:
Lance Publishing Ltd, 1st Floor, Tailby House,
Bath Road,Kettering. NN16 8NL
Tel: 01536 512624
Fax: 01536 515481
www.lancepublishing.co.uk
Email: mike@lancepublishing.co.uk
Printed by: Lance Print Ltd
 22 18

39 06

In this Issue…

Station
06 Commanders
Foreword
14 COMMUNITY MATTERS 28 EX BRILLIANT ARROW

06 RAF WADDINGTON’S V (AC)

SQN WINS DACRE TROPHY 16 WADDINGTON BRAVES
GREAT SUCCESS
32 EX HENDEUM

EXERCISE
07 BATTLE OF BRITAIN
DINING IN NIGHT 18 REFURBISHED CLIMBING
WALL OPENS 34 NORMANDY EAGLE

10 THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN

MEMORIAL FLIGHT 20 RAF WADDINGTON RUGBY
TOUR 2013
39 PUSH (ANOTHER) 500!

13 ALL CHANGE AT THE TOP

22 RAF Waddington
THROUGH THE AGES
41 54 SQN 97TH ANNIVERSARY
REUNION WEEKEND

The magazine is entirely funded by advertising and costs the Station nothing to produce. Insight is not an official publication and, unless otherwise stated, views expressed in this magazine
do not necessarily represent MOD, RAF or Station policy. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the permission of the editor or publishers. Advertisements accepted
on the understanding that they conform to the British Code of Advertising Practice. Insight is produced by kind permission of the Station Commander, RAF Waddington.

InsightMAGAZINE 5
Station
Commander’s
Foreword...
Group Captain Al Gillespie
Station Commander
What a
Summer….
The tempo and variety of activity
supported by RAF Waddington
is really quite daunting.  That we
continue to deliver so much, so
consistently and so successfully
is impressive in its own right but
I don’t underestimate how much
of that success is based on the
professionalism and ingenuity
of our team.  It never ceases
to amaze me how seemingly
impossible tasks are achieved,
against the odds - it genuinely
is the people that make
the difference.
RAF Waddington is unique in
that we host such a diverse,
and sometimes disparate, range
of cutting edge capabilities.  It
is often the case that these
capabilities, and the extent
of our ongoing operational
commitment, are only fully
understood here at Waddington
so it seems natural that we
should invest a significant
amount of effort in hosting
senior visitors from across
Government and wider Defence
to better their understanding
of what we do and how we do
it.  This engagement is vital if we
are to maximise the effective
employment of our battle-
winning capabilities but also, and
really importantly in my view, it
has the positive side effect that
our efforts are widely recognised.
 
I was honoured to host our
Honorary Air Commodore,
His Royal Highness the Earl of
Wessex, at our Battle of Britain
Dining-In Night in the Officers’
Mess.  This was the first time
the Honorary Air Commodore
6 InsightMAGAZINE
RAF Waddington’s V
(Army Cooperation) Squadron
wins the
Dacre Trophy
The squadron which played
a central role in supporting
had been able to join us at such
a formal function and I know French operations in Mali
he was particularly proud to
join in our commemoration of earlier this year has won the
the courage and fortitude of
“the Few”.  The Honorary Air relaunched Dacre Trophy.
Commodore was delighted with
the evening although I have yet
to gauge whether he was also
impressed with the stamina of
some of the modern generation
who were still celebrating when
he departed the next morning…
I am always pleased to see
articles highlighting that force
development, adventurous
training, community support
and sporting activities
continue at RAF Waddington
in parallel with the operational
commitments.  These activities
are key to the continuing
development of our personnel
and provide welcome respite
between the operational
commitments.  They also provide
valuable support to service
families and engagement with
the wider community, both vital
to the continued success of
the station.
As I approach the end of my
tenure as Station Commander,
I can look back with immense
pride at the achievements of the
Station.  These achievements have
not been easy, they have relied
upon the enduring commitment
of our personnel, underpinned by
the support of our families and
friends.  It has been an honour
to be part of such a varied and
capable station, championing
ISTAR by consistently delivering on
operations in the UK and overseas.
Presenting the prestigious
trophy to V (Army Cooperation)
Squadron at the RAF Leuchars
airshow, Air Vice Marshal Stuart
Atha, Air Officer Commanding
No. 1 Group, praised its
members’ efforts over what has
been a busy 12 months.
Air Vice Marshal Stuart Atha,
Air Officer Commanding No. 1
Group said. “This recognises V
Squadron’s contribution, not just
in Afghanistan, which endures,
but also at very short notice to
Africa, where it was key to the
success the French enjoyed,” .
The RAF Waddington-based
squadron has been flying
Sentinel R1 aircraft carrying the
Airborne Stand Off Radar (ASTOR)
system over Afghanistan since
2008. In January 2013 it was
deployed to assist French forces
against Islamic insurgents in Mali,
flying 66 sorties and generating
100 intelligence reports as it
tracked insurgents fleeing French
ground troops.
Air Commodore Dacre was
during the 1930s whose son
Flight Lieutenant Kenneth
Fraser-Dacre was killed in 1943.
In his memory, the family
presented the RAF with the
bronze Dacre Trophy, which was
awarded most proficient fighter
Squadron, annually, up until
2005.
V Squadron was a multiple
winner of the Dacre Trophy
in the 1970s when it flew
Lightnings and the award
recognised weapons proficiency.
The trophy was last presented in
2005 and this year retired Group
Captain Phil Dacre agreed, on
behalf of his family, that it should
be revived to recognise the best
squadron in No 1 Group.
He said: “I think it has a deeper
meaning as a result of this
change and it is very appropriate
that V Squadron should be the
RAF Waddington’s
first winners.”

Squadron member Flight

Accepting the trophy, Squadron
Leader Chris Setterfield said it
Lieutenant Russ Power was
sure his colleagues appreciated
winning the Dacre. “For someone
meant a lot to everyone on the
squadron. “It is an extra level of
recognition and a pat on the
to say you’re doing a good job
is quite nice,” he said. “It’s been a
busy three years and the families
back as we continue to work
hard,” he said.
suffered the most - they deserve
it more than we do.”
Author Off Cdt Rob Taylor,
7644(VR) Sqn
Officers’ Mess
Battle of
Britain
Dining In
Night
His Royal
Highness the
Earl of Wessex
joins RAF
Waddington for
Battle of Britain
Dining In Night
RAF Waddington Honorary
Air Commodore His Royal
Highness The Earl of Wessex
was the guest of honour at RAF
Waddington’s Officers’ Mess
Battle of Britain Dining In Night,
a formal occasion held each
year to commemorate the most
important event in Royal Air
Force history.
Since its formation 95 years ago,
the RAF has continually defended
the skies over Great Britain.
Winston Churchill famously said
“Never in the field of human
conflict has so much been owed
by so many to so few”. He was
referring to the monumental
battle the Royal Air Force fought
over Britain between the 10th
July and 31st October 1940
defeating the German Luftwaffe
and halting the planned invasion
of Britain.
Station Commander RAF
Waddington Group Captain
Al Gillespie said “It’s an honour
to host our Honorary Air
Commodore His Royal Highness
The Earl of Wessex at such a
significant formal occasion which
we proudly hold each year to
remember the sacrifice made
during the Battle of Britain and
celebrate the freedom that
this has afforded over the last
73 years”.
Honorary Air Commodore is an
honorary position bestowed by
Her Majesty The Queen and is
designed to strengthen the bond
between the military unit and
the individual. His Royal Highness
The Earl of Wessex was appointed
RAF Waddington’s Honorary Air
Commodore in October 2008
and has visited the Station several
times since.

InsightMAGAZINE 7
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8 InsightMAGAZINE
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InsightMAGAZINE 9
The Battle of Britain
Memorial Flight (BBMF)
The Flight Engineer’s Day
The BBMF motto is “Lest we
forget” and our core business
revolves around veterans,
reunions, parades, funerals etc.
In fact, last month my tasking
included the dropping of
a WW2 pathfinder’s ashes
and the 100th birthday
celebration of the oldest
surviving member of Bomber
Command. But I am not sure
much is known about the
Flight outside of the people
who are part of the Unit; so
I wanted to provide a little
‘insight’ into what being
part of BBMF entails.
So how does someone become
part of the Flight? The answer to
that depends on your trade. Our
flying season aligns with the good
weather of the British summer
months, so there is insufficient
work to justify full time aircrew;
therefore the BBMF is an additional
duty for aircrew. As you can
imagine, this can impact heavily
on an individual’s primary role and
relies on good will from your boss
to release you to fly. The Flight’s
pilots are either multi-engine or
single seat fast jet qualified, and
will either fly the Flight’s bombers
or fighters respectively. Navigators
are predominantly drawn from
the fast jet fraternity and fly on the
Dakota and Lancaster. Loadmasters
crew the Dakota and are selected
from both fixed and rotary wing
aircraft types. As a Flight Engineer, I
fly on the Lancaster. Unfortunately,
the trade is currently in decline
because of the retirement of our
remaining aircraft types: VC10,
Tristar and Hercules K. However,
the E3D Sentry is potentially a
longer term survivor that requires
a Flight Engineer, so eventually all
Lancaster Flight Engineers will be
drawn from RAF Waddington.
10 InsightMAGAZINE
BBMF aircrew tour lengths
are generally 5 years. When a
vacancy appears a trawl for
volunteers will be promulgated;
however, you are free to write
a letter of application at any
time. Selection is based on
your performance in the air
and on the ground, operational
experience, instructional ability
and finally, on your performance
in a selection interview. Unlike
the aircrew, our groundcrew are
full time RAF personnel who are
also specially selected to serve on
the Flight. They will have already
proven their technical abilities
on modern mechanical and
avionic aircraft systems. However,
historical aircraft require a
different skill set which is seldom
tested by modern aircraft. So
part of the selection process
will include a familiarisation visit
to the Flight, where informal
vetting will occur, before an
offer for a place is awarded.
So what about the aircraft I fly
on as a Flight Engineer? PA474 is
predominantly a Mark 1 Lancaster
that was prepared to operate in
the Far East as part of the Tiger
Force. However, as the bomber
rolled out of the factory the
war ended, so she never saw
combat and as a result is one of
the few surviving Lancasters. The
aircraft was employed on several
peacetime duties including
photographic reconnaissance and
experimental wing design trials
before eventually making it to the
BBMF. As with all the aircraft on the
Flight, the Lancaster is painted to
represent a famous airframe from
WW2; this season PA474 wears
the colours of a 617 Sqn aircraft
‘Thumper Mk 3’ to celebrate the
70th anniversary of the Dambuster
Raid. During WW2, Lancasters
usually flew with a crew of 7 that
included air gunners, a wireless
operator and a bomb aimer. Today,
we routinely fly with a crew of
only 4 which comprises 2 pilots, a
navigator and a flight engineer.
So what does my day consist of?
I generally arrive at Coningsby 3
hours before take-off and, if it’s a
longer flight, collect crew rations
from the Airmens’ Mess. I then go
to the BBMF hangar and check
the aircraft log book. This details
‘snags’ from the last flight, any
maintenance work carried out and
provides essential engineering
information like: engine power
readings, weight and balance data
and the amount of fuel loaded.
This leaves me with a small amount
of time to read any new orders,
thereby ensuring I am up to date
and subsequently ‘in the green’.
The navigator and the pilots are
now gathering in the planning
room and, with 2 hours left
before take-off, we all attend a
meteorological brief. After ‘met
brief’, I calculate the All-Up-Weight
of the aircraft and determine the
Centre of Gravity position. This
ensures the aircraft is balanced
and not overloaded, which
preserves the fatigue life of this
vintage aircraft. Up to this point
my job has been somewhat
academic in nature, so it’s now
time for a change of emphasis.
I walk to the aeroplane and
carry out a thorough ‘pre-flight’
internal and external inspection
of the engines and airframe
structure, flight systems and
instrumentation. We now have
1 hour to go before take-off and
the whole crew gather in the
planning room for a detailed brief
on our tasking; this will include
but not be limited to: routing,
flypasts and displays. It is at this
stage that I give any passengers
or flying groundcrew a Lancaster
safety brief. We generally roll into
the ‘out brief’ which confirms we
are authorised and fit to fly.
The Lancaster’s mighty Merlin
engines are started up, regularly
drawing a crowd on the public
road next to our hangar, as people
watch the start, taxi and take-off
of the iconic aircraft. In the air, I
stand behind the Co-Pilot; this is
because his sits in my seat! My
job is mainly lookout and system
monitoring; however, in the unlikely
event of a malfunction or failure, I
am integral to the running of the
emergency ‘red card’ drills. With
my technical knowledge of the
aircraft I am in an ideal position to
provide advice on the implications
and corrective action required. I
also operate the undercarriage and
fuel system, and am responsible
for the safety of passengers and
the security of fuselage load.
It only remains for me to say that
we are all volunteers on the Flight
and we rely heavily on a stream of
applications from suitably qualified
air and groundcrew. So if you fancy
a challenging, once in a lifetime step
back in time, why not give it a go?
FS Mark Fellows.
InsightMAGAZINE 11
12 InsightMAGAZINE
All
change
at the top
It’s all change at the top at RAF
Waddington with the arrival of
three new Squadron Executives.
Joining us from Advanced
College Staff Course and
assuming command of
Base Support Wing is Wing
Commander Colin Owen.
Wing Commander Owen
joined the RAF in 1998 as a
Physical Education Officer and
has previously worked as the
Personal Staff Officer to the
Station Commandant at RAF
College Cranwell.
5 (Army Cooperation) Squadron
is now under the command of
Wing Commander Dave Kane.
Wing Commander Kane joined
the RAF in 1991 and flying
Harriers; has seen active service
in both the Balkans and more
recently numerous tours in
Afghanistan flying in support
of UK and ISAF operations
throughout the country. More
recently he has been located at
MOD Main Building in London.
Assuming command of 51
Squadron is Wing Commander
Tom Talbot. Wing Commander
Talbot joined the RAF as
a pilot in 1995 and has
previously served on 51
Sqn as a Flight Commander
Operations flying operational
tours in the Mediterranean
and Afghanistan. He has
also previously completed a
number of deployments as
RAF Waddington’s detachment
commander in Oman,
responsible for both Nimrod
R1 and Sentinel R1 operations
in Afghanistan.
RAF Waddington
start EAW training
On 1 Mar 2014, 34 Expeditionary
Air Wing headquarters will stand
up at RAF Waddington.
Station personnel could be
tasked at short-notice to
establish an airfield anywhere
in the world to enable
anything from humanitarian
and disaster relief to major
air operations.
To prepare for the 12 month
commitment, personnel from
the Station recently took
part in the first of a series of
exercises aimed at setting
up an Expeditionary Air
Wing headquarters, Exercise
FLEDGLING EAGLE.
The two-day exercise introduced
personnel to the EAW concept,
raised awareness of units
available to support the EAW
and prepared individuals for
exercises they will undertake in
the months running up to the
stand up.
Team from Air Command.  Some
of these exercises will be hosted
here at RAF Waddington whilst
for others, we will deploy to
more austere and unfamiliar
environments.  This initial exercise
has complemented the extensive
preparation that the team have
already put in place and has
vindicated my confidence that
we are well set on the road to
delivering a well prepared and
highly effective EAW.”
Preparation towards the EAW
will culminate in a week long
deployed exercise in early 2014
which will test each member’s
professional and military skills to
ensure they are ready to meet
whatever challenge they may
face in 2014.

Senior Aircraftman Jonathan

(L-R) Wg Cdr Owen, Wg Cdr Kane,
Wg Cdr Talbot
Jones who took part in the
exercise and will work as an
Intelligence Analyst on the
EAW said, “During the exercise
we participated in workshops
where we carried out small
planning tasks.  These were an
excellent opportunity to get
to know the people we could
be working with on the EAW
and learn about experiences on
operations.” 
Inset:
Wing Commander Alun Roberts, Waddington EAW personnel being
Chief of Staff Operations, 34 EAW briefed by a member of the JFAC
said, “Over the next few months, EAW Training Team.
before the EAW stands up, we
will undertake a series of training Main:
exercises lead by the Joint Force Waddington EAW personnel
Air Component EAW Training undertaking a planning task.

InsightMAGAZINE 13

What a busy summer it’s been! It really has been full on
for the last couple of months at RAF Waddington and
this definitely applies to Community Support Squadron.
The summer is always busy
it seems with ‘business as
normal’ on many fronts but
with the added challenges
of short notice deployments,
school holidays, our traditional
‘Airplay’ Holiday Activities
Programme and being
shorthanded this year due to
staffing changes, this summer
has been busier than ever for
Community Support Squadron.
On 21 June, Community Support
Squadron saw the departure of
Mrs Karen Pearce, one of it’s most
experienced staff. Moving on to
pastures new, Karen took up the
position of Personal Assistant
to the Station Commander,
having served within the HIVE
at Waddington since December
2000. Over the last 12 years,
Community
Matters
14 InsightMAGAZINE
Karen has been a real stalwart,
providing a valuable and high
quality service both in her core
role as HIVE Information Officer
and also in recent years, as an
integral part of the Community
Support Team. Karen leaves large
shoes to fill and her expertise
and commitment providing
essential support to Service
Personnel and family members
will certainly be missed. All of
the Community Support Team
wish her the very best in her
new role which will almost
certainly provide a challenge
in these ever changing times.
Airplay Holiday Activities
In recent years, RAF Waddington,
Service Personnel and many
of their families and children
have benefited greatly from the
excellent RAF Benevolent Fund
sponsored ‘Airplay’ project. The
project that saw a large injection
of funding for stations a few years
ago has provided dedicated
youth work staff who have
delivered both term-time and
holiday youth provision in recent
years. Earlier this summer the
Station Youth Worker, Miss Kirsty
Forrester also left to pursue a new
role which was well deserved but
also left us with the challenge of
delivering a summer programme
that has gone from strength to
strength in recent years. Before
leaving, Kirsty planned this
summers programme that not
only included our normal trips
and activities, ice-skating, Alton
Towers, Low Ropes etc. but also
saw the introduction of some
new initiatives, watersports, skiing
and snowboarding, an ‘airfield’
camp out and the re-working
of our ever popular (annual it
seems) ‘Masterchef’ event. This
year one of the key personalities
involved in the development and
continued success of ‘Airplay’,
Air Commodore (Ret’d) Paul
Hughesdon (a director of the
Ben Fund) visited the station to
be a guest judge. Accompanied
by Mr Damian Pinel, the Chief
Community Development
Advisor from HQ Air Command
and yours truly, this years event
had a delicious RAF theme. With
large numbers of young people
preparing food menus based on
traditional and cultural delicacies
where the RAF has bases or
personnel around the world,
the event was a great success.
Overall the programme this
summer was hugely successful,
in the main due to one of our
‘sessional’ youth work staff
(Miss Kristina Rodier) stepping
up to the plate and ensuring
that over 450 activity places
were offered to young people
over 19 different activities. How
we maintain or develop this
programme for future holiday
periods, is one question I haven’t
quite got my head round yet!
Support To Deployed Families
Throughout a Service persons
career it is now almost common
place that Service personnel will
spend time away from home.
Regardless if this is part of an
Operational Deployment or a
domestic exercise or training
course, family members left
behind can still experience

The next scheduled Families Deployment Briefings are to be held on
Thursday 19 September 2013
Thursday 28 November 2013
additional stresses and strains.
Separation through duty is
never easy and coming more
frequently that at any time in
recent history, it can often be a
real challenge to Service families.
RAF Waddington continues
to place great importance on
providing support to families
affected by separation through
duty. Through its dedicated
Community Support Squadron,
RAF Waddington continues to
provide a range of activities/
initiatives providing practical
support leading up to, during and
after the Service person returns
home from deployment. Regular
events and activities continue to
take place at RAF Waddington
and at venues within the County
of Lincolnshire and beyond.
Deployed Families Group
Once each fortnight, a small
dedicated group of community
members meets in the Integrated
Welfare Facility (IWF or HIVE
as more commonly known),
providing support to families
who are affected by Operational
Deployment or separation
through duty. The group run by
members of the community, on
behalf of the community is an
excellent way to pass a Saturday
morning, entertain the children
and provide or receive mutual
September Butlins, Skegness
October Twin Lakes, Melton Mowbray
November The Deep, Hull
December Sunday Lunch including BFBS Christmas
Messages Pantomime, Lincoln
@ 09:30 in the HIVE
@ 09:30 in the HIVE
support from those who know
exactly what Service families are
going through. If you are left at
home with the kids, weekends
and holidays can be tough,
this group aims to make those
times that little bit easier.
Deployed Families Trips
As part of RAF Waddington’s
commitment to it’s families
affected by deployment or
separation through duty, the
Station has long supported
regular days out and visits to local
leisure attractions. During 2013,
Community Support Squadron
staff have already planned,
organised and ran several trips
that have included Yorkshire
Wildlife Park, Fantasy Island,
Skegness and Alton Towers to
name but a few. With many
families affected by deployment
or separation through duty,
enthusiastically participating this
year, the programme for 2013 has
been better than ever. If you are
currently, or due to be affected
by operational deployments or
will be separated through duty
for a minimum of 60 continuous
days during the remainder of
2013, just look at what you will
be able to look forward to.
Families Deployment Briefings
Service Personnel deploying
overseas are well looked after
and well prepared prior to
departure. At RAF Waddington,
we believe that the families of
Service personnel should also
be well looked after and equally
well prepared. Regardless of the
relationship to a Service person,
whether it is a spouse, Mother,
Father, brother, sister or a partner,
being prepared or at least being
aware of the support that is
available, is really important.
Community Support Squadron
and other key Station welfare
personnel are therefore pleased
to be able to offer regular families
deployment briefings for Service
families affected by deployment.
Conducted in the Integrated
Welfare Facility (HIVE), every two
months, briefings are provided
to ensure that families are aware
of the support that is available
during periods of Operational
Deployment. Consisting of
a short presentation with an
opportunity to ask those really
important questions, briefings
are friendly, informal and offer
a great opportunity to meet
other families experiencing
similar pressures and stresses.
For further details about any
of the support available to
Service families affected by
operational deployments
or separation through duty,
please contact the RAF
Waddington HIVE.
Tel: 01522 727675
E-mail: WAD-BSW-PMS-HIVE@
mod.uk
InsightMAGAZINE 15
Waddington Braves Great Success
On Saturday 14th September, RAF Waddington Flying Club played host
to over 40 children from the Douglas Bader Foundation.
The foundation supports
children with limb loss and
other physical disabilities by
offering unique experiences and
improving life-skills to increase
confidence. Taking to the air in
the clubs fleet of light aircraft, the
children followed in the footsteps
of Battle of Britain pilot Douglas
Bader.  Douglas lost both legs in
a flying accident before the war,
but was determined to overcome
his disability and went on to
become one of the most famous
fighter pilots of all time.
Whilst airborne many got the
chance to take the controls of an
aircraft for the first time under the
eagle eye of their instructor, whilst
others took the opportunity to
see their house from a bird’s eye
perspective.  Everyone thoroughly
enjoyed their flight and as soon
as they landed, they were already
looking forward to repeating the
experience next year. The children,
who all came from the Lincoln
area were aged 6 to 16 and by the
end of the day they were nearly all
aspiring future pilots.     had really dropped. The ground
 
Once again the weather forecast
wasn’t too promising for our
Braves Young Aviators Day, but
the Met department at the station
obviously new far more about the
local climatic conditions than did
our chums at the BBC or, indeed,
my seaweed!! Once again as I
pulled back the curtains in my
Lincoln hotel Saturday welcomed
me with grey skies and appeared
to be rather blustery but a quick
call from Gary Mennell at the
airfield eased my concerns; he
assured me that
it was going to
16 InsightMAGAZINE
brighten up around mid-morning
and it would be a great day for
flying. I was still a bit doubtful as
we drove the short distance to the
rendezvous point but, just as our
guests for the day started to arrive,
the clouds began to break and
by the time everyone had been
escorted to our base for the day
and received a briefing, the sun
broke through and, sure enough,
the day was transformed just as
those in the know had predicted!!
The club made three of their
aeroplanes available to us for the
day, two Cessna 172s and a PA-28
Warrior. As the first wave of flights
disappeared into the distance
towards Lincoln, excitement on
the ground grew as group number
two readied themselves for their
turn. The circuit took in much of
the local countryside and afforded
some superb views of the City of
Lincoln, particularly the Cathedral,
Castle and soccer stadium. some of the members, and leave and locked up, the safety barriers
When the first flight returned it for home. Whilst the two groups dismantled and stored and, by
was reported that visibility was were together the Station Fire the time I left the station, it was
excellent and that the wind speed & Rescue Team paid us a visit a picture of perfect peace and
and everyone was given the quietness as the early autumn
support team had everything opportunity to have a look at the sunshine began to drop towards
brilliantly organised and everyone very specialised equipment that is the horizon. I bet it was a different
was put completely at ease by always “at readiness” on station. story on Monday morning though!
Club Chairman Chris Hives, who
had assumed the mantel of chief The weather held fair throughout As always we are indebted to all
steward at “Air Waddington” for the the afternoon, indeed, it probably of our friends at Waddington,
day, as he prepared the Braves for improved a bit as time went on. particularly everyone at the
their first flight in a light aircraft. Looking across the vast expanses Flying Club all of whom had
Before we knew where we were of the station everything was so worked so hard to make sure that
it was time for our lunch break peaceful; there was no other flying our Waddington Bader Braves
and we welcomed our afternoon activity apart from the Bader Braves had an absolutely fantastic and
aviators before the morning group and it was difficult to imagine just unforgettable day. Thanks guys, it
could eat all of the sandwiches how different the station must was brilliant. “It’s clear to see from
and smashing cakes cooked by the be on a normal working day. The all the happy smiling faces just how
wives of Cessnas looked rather insignificant much everyone enjoyed it.”
trundling along the ten thousand
foot long runway designed to Flight Lieutenant Chris Hives
handle the very biggest of our said, “As Chairman of The RAF
military aircraft but to all those who Waddington Flying Club, I was
took a flight, the Cessna became delighted that the Club was able
Bader’s Spitfire!! to share the joy of flight with so
many of the Bader Braves on
By 16.00 everyone had been Saturday.  Judging by the size
treated to a flight and our of their post-flight smiles, it was
wonderful day drew to a close. obvious that the children had really
The aircraft were returned to their enjoyed the chance to take control
home at the Flying Club HQ, 54 of an aeroplane and to have seen
Squadron HQ which had been the City of Lincoln from a birds-
our home for the day, was cleared eye perspective.“
InsightMAGAZINE 17
RAF WADDINGTON CLIMBING AND MOUNTAINEERING CLUB

OPENS ITS REFURBISHED WALL

It is said that we are born with just two innate fears; loud noises and
falling, which is surprising considering today’s phobia obsessed culture.
What is even more surprising is
the growing number of people
that actively chose to place
themselves in situations that
seem to almost guarantee a
considerable fall from height! I’m
talking of course about the ever
growing sport of Rock Climbing.
With its roots dating back to the
Victorian era, climbing as we know
it today can be traced back to the
first solo ascent of Napes Needle
(The Lake District) by Walter
Parry Haskett Smith in the late
1880’s. In many ways, climbing
has advanced significantly over
the last 130 years but the crux
of the sport remains essentially
unchanged; “climb to the top of
the highest thing around and
hope you don’t fall!”
The RAF views climbing, as with
many other forms of Adventurous
Training (AT), as ‘the only way
in which the fundamental risk
of the unknown can be used to
introduce the necessary level
of fear to develop adequate
fortitude, rigour, robustness,
initiative and leadership to
deliver the resilience that military
personnel require on operations.
AT contributes to recuperation
from the mental stress of
operations, by re-introducing the
concept of fear in a controlled
environment. AT is therefore
a core military training activity
which supports operational
effectiveness and the ethos of
the Armed Forces’. Put simply,
working through our fears,
innate or otherwise, can often
have significant benefits to our
professional outputs.
The new facility was formally
opened by the Station
Commander, Group Captain Al
Gillespie on 6 August in a small
ceremony attended by members
of the RAF Waddington Climbing
and Mountaineering Club.
The club’s training officer Corporal
Ash Johnson said, “The overhaul
will enable RAF Waddington to
continue to meet it’s mandated
AT targets whilst maintaining our
status as a strong contributor to
RAF Climbing. It also ensures that
we’re able to continue our liaison
work with the local community
which includes working with
organisations such as the Princes’
Trust and the Air Training Corps”.
If you’re interested in getting
involved in the sport, please
come along to one of the club’s
training nights which are held at
the climbing wall every Tuesday
from 1800-2030. The club
provides training and advice for
both novices and experienced
climbers and is open to Service
personnel and dependants. As
well as indoor climbing, the club
routinely runs outdoor climbing
sessions and overseas expeditions.
For further information, please
contact Flight Lieutenant I Dodd
(Ext 8503). Alternatively visit the
RAF Mountaineering Association
website at: www.raf.mod.uk/
rafmountaineering/
Flight Lieutenant D S Handley

Although RAF Waddington

has been home to an organic
climbing facility since 2001, 12
years of constant use and little
investment had led to a severe
decline in usability. In an effort to
regain this important Station asset,
the RAF Waddington Climbing
and Mountaineering Club
successfully secured funding from
RAF Waddington, the RAF Central
Fund and the RAF Sports Lottery
to conduct major renovation work
on the existing Wall. Work began
in June and was completed in
early July providing 2 additional
climbing routes and a significant
increase in overall usage options.

18 InsightMAGAZINE
Station Commander, Group Captain
Al Gillespie is shown the ropes.

InsightMAGAZINE 19
RAF WADDINGTON
RUGBY TOUR 2013
0500hrs, Wed 15th May: the start of a week-long rugby tour of Catalonia.
The squad, 22 members strong,
travelled to Barcelona to visit
several Spanish rugby clubs.
This presented an excellent
opportunity to play a very high
standard of rugby union, whilst
conducting community and
charity projects and developing
relations between the RAF
Waddington RFC and the people
of Southern Spain.
Waking early on Thursday
morning the squad’s first training
session took place in the rain
on a beach of sharp grit! The
session focussed on preparing
the squad to deliver the tour’s
first challenge: train 80 children
aged between 8 -16 in a foreign
language. However, having
liaised with Stephane Cazalbou,
Sitges RFC’s youth coach and
refined the content of the
session, Gee ‘Drop Short’ Jenner
ran the team through the drills
that we would be coaching and
nominated 3 training activity
leads. It soon became apparent
that most of the team had
obviously missed these sessions
as juniors but eventually the
forwards had mastered simple
passing and the backs had
remembered how to tackle.
Despite the unexpectedly damp
weather and painful playing
surface, the squad picked up the
key points and the session ended
with a mandatory swim in the
sea, much to the surprise of the
local life guards!
Sitges RFC
Youth Training Session
Thursday 16th May saw the team
travel to Sitges RFC. By
UK standards their club
was small but by Spanish
standards Sitges is a big
club. The plan was to
coach Sitges’ under 14’s,
12’s and 10’s using drills
such as tackling, touch
rugby and exploiting
space, passing drills
and rucking. Having
completed the training
session and after the kids
had stopped bullying our
20 InsightMAGAZINE
mascot ‘Harry the Hornet’ (Martin
Wallhead in a hornet outfit),
every child was presented with
RAF Waddington memorabilia
which was kindly donated by the
RAF Waddington Air Show team.
After a well deserved break the
team supported the seniors ‘old
school’ training session where
their coach spent most of the
time telling players off! This did
provide the team with a chance
to experience the Spanish playing
style which was very open and
unstructured. After 4 hours in
the Spanish heat the session was
over, the youth team coach
thanked Waddington players for
their time and presented Maj
Jenner with a handmade tile
with the club’s Dolphin symbol.
Amazing Spanish hospitality
followed in the open air club
house and traditional seafood
paella and a few beers was
shared with our excellent hosts.
A great night was had by all!
First Fixture V CEU Barcelona
Seniors and under 23s
Friday 17th May began with a
beach training session focussed
on preparing the team for their
first fixture against CEU Barcelona,
a local university team and one
of the highest ranked teams
in Catalonia. With several sore
heads and phantom injuries
appearing training was slow.
A long coach journey took the
team to Barcelona that evening.
The squad were lucky to have
a brand new kit for the coming
season which we wore for the
first time. This kit came courtesy
of the Nuffield Trust and our
sponsor Envitia (who provide
Spatial Information Services to
several key air platforms at RAF
Waddington). Due to several
injuries, the teams agreed to
play two games of tens, one
against the seniors XV and the
second against their under
23s. CEU Barcelona Seniors
started the match and after an
unstructured first quarter the
Hornets began stamping their
authority on the home side’s
“
turf. Punishing tackles from
centres Paul ‘Blunthead’ and Matt
Morgan disrupted the home
team’s attacks and allowed the
After some emotional
moments for those
involved and hilarity
from those who
weren’t, we completed
the day’s activity with a
game of rugby...
Hornets to turn over the ball and
to break away for an early try.
This galvanised the home team,
regaining some composure and
spreading the ball wide. At half
time the scores were level at
14-all, with two tries and two
conversions each. As the second
half progressed, however, the
Hornets’ physicality and forward
strength sapped the home
team. Some well controlled
driving mauls gained territory
and disrupted the home team
defence with Waddington backs
exploiting the opportunity
with a well worked try. The half
ended with a respectable win
by the Hornets 21–14.
After a brief interval the Hornets
were back on the pitch, but this
time facing a more athletic Under
23 team. The home team began
with tremendous enthusiasm
and enjoyed disrupting the play,
seeking gaps in the Hornets’
defence. Their fitness stretched
the Hornets’ resistance and
their distribution put the team
under significant pressure. With
some crucial tackles made, the
tide turned, with Waddington
back in possession, the forwards
reverting to typical British rugby
and through a succession
”
of short punchy crash balls,
breaking up the defence and
shipping the ball to the backs for
a simple opening try. Despite the
home team breaking through
the Waddington defence to
score two tries, the Hornets
remained in control throughout
the second half and scored two
more excellent tries combining
physicality with sharp handling
and good lines of running.
The final score for the half was
Waddington 19 CEU Barcelona
10. Post match hospitality ensued
in the centre of Barcelona,
pizza and beer flowed and the
international language of rugby
was enjoyed by all, including

some good natured drinking
games and rugby sing-offs.
The evening ended with
the exchanging of gifts
once again.
Force Development
The weekend provided
welcome recovery from 2
days of rugby and, as part
of the Force Development
component enjoyed a coastal
walk to the east of Lloret De Mar.
However, en route Ollie ‘AWOL’
Loak took the opportunity to
incorporate hill reps for the tour
members who had repeatedly
missed breakfast. After some
emotional moments for those
involved and hilarity from those
who weren’t, we completed the
day’s activity with a game of
rugby/volleyball on a secluded
beach. Day 2 of the weekend
provided a day of recovery. On
Mon 20th May, the second part
of the FD component began
with an early start that saw the
team travelling into Barcelona
for a cultural visit. This began
in the morning with a walking
tour of Barcelona, conducted by
an English guide, focusing on
the military aspects of the city,
majoring on the Spanish Civil
War. This walk concluded with
lunch and the entire group were
able to see a different dimension
of the city. The afternoon had
been scheduled for a museum
visit, however due to a public
holiday that had to be cancelled.
The group were given the
afternoon to explore Barcelona,
before being coached back to
the hotel.
The Final Game V
Tarragona RFC
After the weekend break, the
Hornets were growing restless
for the final game of the tour
on Tue 21st May. After surviving
the horrors of the hotel’s
monotonous packed lunches
and the long coach journey, the
team arrived surprisingly well
prepared at the small club in a
working area near Barcelona’s
docks. Playing a full 15-a-side
game the visitors were confident
they could start strong but it was
not to be. In the stifling heat, the
home team started by playing
to their strengths, passing
fluidly and avoiding getting
involved rucks
and mauls.
Only the solid
defence of
Waddington’s
wings
prevented
the home
side reaching
double figures
and soon the
forwards felt
Maj Gee’s harsh
words. With
a new tactic
of smashing
Envitia
proud sponsors of
anyone carrying a ball the
RAF Waddington
Hornets started to make ground
and soon the tables began to
turn. Quick ball from a line out
Rugby Team 2013/14
and punishing pick and drives
from the forwards allowed Maj
Gee to crash over from 5m out Envitia is proud to sponsor the RAF
under the posts at the end of the
first half. He also converted the Waddington Rugby Team for the
try. At half time the team were
losing by a single conversion. forthcoming season.
Some inspired substitutions and
proven fitness and conditioning
in the second half allowed
Waddington to break open the
Tarragona defence. The forwards This kicked off with a Help for
repeatedly rampaged through Heroes match and followed
the tired Tarragona pack, and up with a community tour of
gave the backs excellent go Spain (see article).
forward ball resulting in a
succession of tries, with SAC The sponsorship arrangement
“Rick Ashley” Booth scoring the will see Envitia front of jersey
winning points resulting in an for the duration of the season,
emphatic 31-19 win. including all league and cup
games. As part of an on-going
Reflections commitment as an official
sponsor Envitia has already
The Station tour has been supplied the team shirts. These
extremely successful with all were officially presented during
of the players on top form and a ceremony at RAF Waddington
proving to be great ambassadors in front of the veteran Vulcan
for British military rugby. XM607.
The generosity and natural
bonhomie of our Catalonian Envitia, based in Horsham,
hosts and the generosity of supply geospatial technology
the Station, Nuffield Trust, that enables shared situational
and sponsors, with whom the awareness for on-board
experience would have only ISTAR platforms.
been a fleeting dream, struck us
all. The tourists returned from
the tour refreshed, tighter knit
and wiser rugby players. RAF
Waddington RFC wishes to
thank Stn Cdr RAF Waddington,
Stn Cdr RAF Scampton, the
RAF RU, and the Nuffield Trust,
who helped in the purchase
of this year’s new playing kit,
our sponsors ENVITIA, the
RAF and Army Sports Boards
and members of the RAF
Waddington RFC Committee.
Sqn Ldr Jamie Meighan
Club President (2011-2013)
InsightMAGAZINE 21
RAF Waddington through the Ages:
Part 4 The Desert Wars
With the disbandment of 50 Squadron and the retirement of its last Avro
Vulcan from service in 1984, RAF Waddington found itself facing permanent
closure. However, it soon became the home to NATO AWACS operating
away from their main base at NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen on the Germany-
Dutch border, proving the Station’s ability to support a sizeable AEW fleet.
These aircraft were co-manned by
the RAF until the United Kingdom
purchased its own AWACS fleet,
which entered service in 1991.
Although the UK aircraft were not
ready to enter service during the E-3A aircraft alongside 5
1991 Gulf War, Waddington served Hangar on forward deployment
its own role in DESERT STORM, to RAF Waddington, 1984
becoming the port for American
causalities arriving back from the Using the ramps and taxiways
War. With the arrival of the Station’s recently vacated by the
first new E-3D Sentry and the Vulcans, NATO’s Airborne Early
Electronic Warfare Operational Warning E-3As begin to use
Support Element (now known RAF Waddington as a Forward
as the Air Warfare Centre) from Operating Base. Royal Air Force
RAF Wyton in 1995, the Station crew flew alongside their NATO
completed it’s transition to the counterparts in preparation for
forefront of UK ISTAR Operations the arrival of the new Nimrod
and took its place in the ensuing AEW3 aircraft and retirement of
Desert Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. the Shackelton AEW Mk2.

Construction of the future

Sentry Dispersal on the Station
sports pitches, late 1987

With the cancellation of the

Nimrod AEW3 Programme
in 1986, Waddington was
designated the new home
for 8 Squadron and the
Boeing E-3D Sentry. Existing
Station infrastructure and
hangars were insufficient
to support the new aircraft
and extensive modernisation
began. The Station sports pitch
gave way to the new Alpha
Dispersal and taxiways were
rebuilt to accommodate the
344,000lb aircraft.

22 InsightMAGAZINE
The arrival of the United
Kingdom’s first Boeing E-3D
AWACS in 1991
Destruction of the World Trade
The arrival of the first Royal Air Center Twin Towers in New York,
Force E-3D Airborne Warning Sep 11, 2001.
and Control System, airframe
ZH101, marked the end of an On September 11, 2001, a series
era for the venerable Shackleton of terror attacks on the United
AEW2 on 8 Squadron. States prompted the nation to
invoke NATO Article 5, calling
for fellow nations to come assist
in their defence. NATO E-3As
previously stationed at RAF
Waddington began to patrol
the skies over North America
whilst E-3Ds, Nimrod R1s and
over 500 personnel from the
Station moved to the Middle
East and joined the allies in the
campaign against the Taliban
in Afghanistan, providing
around-the-clock surveillance
and intelligence to air and
ground forces.

Arrival of the 51 Squadron and the

Nimrod R1, 1995.

Alongside the move of the future

Air Warfare Centre to Waddington,
the specialised fleet of electronic
reconnaissance Hawker Siddeley
Nimrod R1s joined the E-3D at RAF
Waddington. Having previously
participated in the 1991 operations in
Iraq, the aircraft continued to provide
support to combat patrols over Iraq
through Operation Telic in 2003.
Working alongside United States
Navy EP-3s and United States Air
Force RC-135 Rivet Joint, the aircraft
provided an unsurpassed electronic
and communications intelligence that
was the first choice among equals of
theatre commanders. A Sentry E-3Ds from 8 Squadron
arrives at Prince Sultan Air Base in
Saudi Arabia on March 2, 2003.

At 0200 on March 19, 2003, a Sentry

E-3D from RAF Waddington called
on station alongside a 51 Squadron
Nimrod R1 working with United
States Special Forces and Marines to
locate and secure Iraqi missiles and
combat troops in the Iraqi Western
Desert. Within days the aircraft were
flying over Iraqi territory, where
they maintained a near-continuous
presence until cessation of primary
combat air operations in May, 2003.
After a short period of recuperation,
8, 23 and 51 Squadrons quickly saw
themselves return to Afghanistan.

InsightMAGAZINE 23
24 InsightMAGAZINE
26 InsightMAGAZINE
SLEAFORD GOLF CLUB WINTER MEMBERSHIP OFFER
Come and play one of the County’s best winter playable course
Winter Membership available from
1st November – 31st March inclusive
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Information Contact Club Manager on 01529 488273

InsightMAGAZINE 27
Exercise
Brilliant
Arrow
Late August, as many people were
gearing up toward the upcoming
bank holiday weekend, a large party
of 8 Sqn Air and Ground personnel,
along with other keen supporting
volunteers, were packing their bags
and jumping on board the E-3D
heading off to Orland Main Air
Station (MAS), Norway.  and technologically advanced
28 InsightMAGAZINE
Leaving slightly earlier than
planned, due to station stand
down, they quickly acclimatised
to the local area, revising
necessary documentation and
commencing the initial plans
for the upcoming exercise.  The
remainder of the personnel,
who were unable to come
out on the initial deployment,
were transported from RAF
Waddington down to RAF
Brize Norton, and from there
via Hercules  C-130K out to
Orland.  After this long trek
they were able to join the rest
of their crew, tired but looking
forward to the commencement
of Exercise Brilliant Arrow 13
(BAW13).
BAW13 was a live flying exercise,
conducted primarily from Orland
MAS, involving some 50 military
aircraft and over 800 exercise
participants; taking place from
the 25 August to 06 September.
The event was organised by
NATO’s Headquarters Allied
Air Command (HQ AIRCOM)
in coordination with the Host
Nation, Norway.   defence systems and Forward
The aim of BAW13 was to
provide all involved with training,
essential to fulfil their role in
the NATO Response Force
(NRF). This is a highly ready
multinational force made up of
land, air, maritime and special
forces components, which the
Alliance can deploy quickly
wherever needed. The live
flying conducted in BAW13 was
planned in such a way to provide
a realistic and challenging
environment allowing aircrew
and controllers from ten
Allied nations to execute force
integration training at the air
component level.
In addition to the UK forces
other nations involved included
Norway, France, Germany,
Greece, Italy, the Netherlands,
Poland, Portugal, and Turkey.  The
range of aircraft participating in
the exercise included the F-16,
Tornado and Mirage 2000D
fighters, two airborne warning
and control system (AWACS)
platforms (the 8 Sqn E-3D and
the French E-3F), three transport
aircraft, four helicopters and
the DA-20 special jamming
aircraft.  To support the training,
other assets were brought in
including Ground-based air
Air Controller teams.  All of these
assets and nations came together
to create a realistic BAW13
exercise environment.
Every day of the exercise around
80 sorties took place split into two
 included the
opportunity to fly
with the RNoAF 339th
Squadron. One of those
fortunate individuals
was Fg Off Rob Stewart
who describes his
experience below:
The RNoAF 339th Sqn
flies the Bell 412 that's
the venerable 'Huey' to
you and I-and brings
an entirely different
aspect to the scenarios
being run on BAW-13.
Everything from SF
separate waves.  The COMAO support to CSAR to ship hunting
wave in the morning and the fell into the remit of the 339th, so
shadow wave in the afternoon, when I was invited to join them
both waves saw participating on a sortie I, of course, jumped at
“ ”
aircraft trained in various the chance.
air to air and air to ground
scenarios.  Working in two crews The trip started well: being
the 8 Sqn aircrew planned and asked to assist in fitting the
flew alternating days and
with the tireless support
of the 8 Sqn Ground crew
all but one mission was
completed successfully
allowing effective
It soon dawned on me that
command and control of
the exercise to ensure all
the training took place
the small strip of worn-out
safely and without incident.
The addition of a Combat
fabric across my lap was all
Search and Rescue (CSAR)
Mission, enabled crew to
react and respond to a
that was keeping me from
downed aircrew situation,
an event for which
there is limited training
toppling out the door.
opportunities in routine
UK flying.  On this day
certain enthusiastic members M134 mini-guns to the sides of
of the E-3D detachment, were the choppers is far flung from
invited to volunteer to act as the a normal day in the office. This
downed aircrew running around was soon followed by the usual
Norway adding extra realism to safety briefs, with the door
the training.   Here E-3D crew gunner, giving the brief, adding
had to effectively allocate their additional emphasis on ensuring
time between controlling the air we had our seat belts on tight...
war, which continued as in every It soon became
other day, but with the added clear why. We
responsibility of aiding the safe started the
pick up of the ‘downed aircrew’, flight with some
and learning what challenges low-level flying
and pitfalls could be avoided across some
with more training. of Norway's
impressive terrain
Detachment personnel took the all the while, the
opportunity to visit the German side doors open
WWII coastal battery, Austrått to the elements.
fort.  The turret with 3 x 28CM It soon dawned
guns, was actually the C turret on me that the
from 'Gneisenau' - the German small strip of
WWII battle cruiser, sistership of worn-out fabric
the 'Scharnhorst'. The ship was across my lap
damaged in an air raid in 1942, was all that was
and so the main guns were keeping me
removed and employed in the from toppling
coastal battery role at various out the door.
locations around Norway.  A Before long, we
very interesting tour gave were making a
those detachment personnel in tactical landing
attendance a rare insight into the to engage with
lives and living conditions of the the JTACs and
German soldiers, operating at coordinate the
one of these Forts during WWII. next phase of
the mission,
Other opportunities available this turned
to a few fortunate individuals, out to include
some gut-wrenching tactical
manoeuvring with a whole lot
of practice gun runs thrown in
for good measure. The sortie
was then rounded off with a
flyover for the benefit of 'NATO
TV' before coming to a halt and
landing back at Orland MAS.
A morning with a good mix of
fear and fun also making some
friends with our NATO brethren.
All in all, a success.’ Fg Off Rob
Stewart, Surveillance Operator,
8 Sqn.
As well as the opportunities to
experience part of Norway’s
military history or act upon
invites to go flying low level,
other individuals took the
chance presented to them to go
exploring the local landscape,
see the wildlife during walks
exploring the many hills around
the base or falling victim to
the sharp stones which were
the pitfall of a few bike rides
and the local area.  Some
individuals took the chance, at
the weekend, to visit Norway’s
first capital, Trondeim, a lively
and cultural city of Norway,
whilst others enjoyed the
evening entertainment put
on as part of BAW13.  This
entertainment included an AC/
DC tribute band amongst other
various music nights, all giving
opportunities to get to know
participating members of other
countries detachments and
joining in on sing offs, which
were notably dominated by the
enthusiasm of the German and
Greek Singers.
All in all BAW13 provided a great
opportunity for 8 Sqn personnel
and supporting members to
participate in a multi-nation
command and control air to air
combat exercise, with various
different scenarios, with the
aim of enhancing training and
skills for all involved.  Operating
out of Orland MAS as a Forward
Operating Location (FOL) for
NATO’s AWACS, enabled the
ground crew, led by DEO
Flt Lt Eckersley, to achieve
a fantastic result of 8 out
of 9 missions completed
successfully.  A massive
thank you goes out to all
involved in ensuring the
aircraft were in a good state
to achieve such a result.
At the end of BAW13
Exercise Director Colonel
Frank Gerards stated the
whole effort had been a
‘Job Well Done’.
Continuing on Colonel
Frank Gerards stated:
‘During the past ten flying
days we have flown a
total of 534 missions training
covering the whole spectrum
of Air Power capabilities
in order to prepare for a
wide array of NRF missions.
The whole exercise has
been conducted safely and
without incident, with the
professionalism of both air and
groundcrew having been of
the highest standard. All in all
we can be very satisfied with
our achievements.’
So as the exercise participants
all make their way back to their
respective bases, and reflect on
the training and experiences
of the past few weeks, all can
happily reflect on a Mission well
done, our thanks go out to the
BAW13 Exercise Director Colonel
Frank Gerards of the Netherlands
Air Force and the senior Host
Nation representative Lieutenant
Colonel Hans Jørgen Nordskog
from the Norwegian Joint
Headquarters, who worked
tirelessly together to put on a
fantastic exercise.  On behalf
on 8 Sqn I look forward to the
next opportunity to work out
of Orland MAS and be involved
in future multi-national level
exercises enabling the Sqn
personnel to build on lessons
learnt over the past two weeks of
Exercise Brilliant Arrow 2013.
InsightMAGAZINE 29
30 InsightMAGAZINE
Ex HENDEUM
On 24th May 2013, 9 members
of 8 Squadron visited the RAF
Museum at Hendon to look at
several aircraft types on display.
The aircraft were all similar or
identical models to those flown
by 8 Squadron over her history.
Each of the Squadron members
presented on one of the aircraft;
we all returned to Waddington
with a much better appreciation
of both our predecessors’ efforts,
and the technical advances in
aircraft designs that allowed
the Squadron to pursue such a
variety of airpower roles over the
past 98 years.
The First Aircraft of
8 Squadron - BE2
Presented by Flight
Lieutenant Ed Purkiss
(54 Squadron)
The establishment of 8
Squadron Royal Flying
Corps was approved on
14 Oct 1914, with the
Squadron forming on 1st
April 1915 at Brooklands.
The Squadron was
equipped with the Royal
Aircraft Establishment
(RAE) BE 2C and deployed
to St Omer, France on 15th
April 1915.
The BE2 was a much improved
BE1 (Bleriot Experimental 1).
Designed by Geoffrey de Havilland
in 1912, the BE1 employed a
water-cooled Woolsey engine
giving a top speed of 70 mph.
The improved BE2 was powered
by a 60HP Renault engine,
giving a higher top speed,
improved aerodynamics, but
still with wing-warping as the
primary method of roll control.
The aircraft was redesigned by
ET Busk in May 1914, entering
Post WWI - Bristol
F.2 Fighter
Presented by Flight Lieutenant
Dave Graham
A few weeks after the Armistice
with Germany in 1918, 8
Squadron continued flying but
in a purely reconnaissance role.
As part of the British Army of
Occupation, it was tasked with
monitoring the disposition
of German land forces and
32 InsightMAGAZINE
service just after the outbreak
of WWI. With a new wing plan
form, increased dihedral and
a new tail-plane the aircraft
was inherently stable. A larger
rudder and the introduction
of ailerons improved
controllability. Intended as
a front-line reconnaissance
and light bomber, the aircraft
suffered from a lack of air to air
manoeuvrability, and became
prey to the Fokker Eindecker.
Over 3500 aircraft were built,
and it remained in front line
service until 1917 before being
relegated to submarine spotting
and service as a training aircraft.
The aircraft was retired from
service in 1919.
policing the shifting borders
after the conflict. For this task,
the Squadron re-equipped with
the Bristol F.2 Fighter. Originally
conceived as a powerful and
Burma-Sumatra -
Liberator Mk VI
Presented by Flight Lieutenant
Allen Weir
The Liberator displayed in the
RAF Museum is a very similar
model to that flown by 8
Squadron. The American-built
Liberator MkVI was operated by
8 Squadron for only 6 months
from May 1945. Initially based in
Jessore in India, it quickly moved
to Minneriya in Ceylon where it
WWII - Mosquito
Presented by Flight Lieutenant
Simon Dachtler
After disbanding in India in
November 1945, 8 Squadron
soon re-formed back in Aden on
1st September
1946 by re-
numbering
114 Squadron;
it thus
became a
light bomber
Squadron
flying
Mosquitoes,
and it was
engaged
on general
duties, training, photography,
shipping searches and policing
the Aden Protectorate. The new
8 Squadron possessed eight
Mosquito Mk ‘s armed with four
robust 2-seat reconnaissance
aircraft, when fitted with
the high-performance Rolls
Royce Falcon or Hispano-Suiza
engines and with forward
and rear firing machine guns,
the aircraft proved to be fast,
manoeuvrable and well-
armed – more than a match
for most German fighters in
dogfight combat. Known as the
“Brisfit” or “Biff”, the aircraft was
surprisingly capable as a fighter.
The most successful F.2 pilot
of WW1 was Andrew Edward
MacKeever who scored 31 kills,
was primarily involved in special
ops in support of guerrilla forces
fighting the Japanese in Burma
and Sumatra. Stores, agents and
even a dog were parachuted
into the jungle areas. When
the Japanese surrendered, 8
Squadron aircraft were tasked
with supporting the protection
of allied POW camps by dropping
leaflets, which encouraged the
Japanese to look after their
charges, along with food and
medicine supplies. In mid-
November 1945, 8 Squadron was
disbanded and its aircraft flown
to India for disposal.
.303 Browning machine guns and
four 20mm cannons, with one
aircraft having dual controls for
instructional duties.
The Mosquito was a remarkable
aircraft for its time; not only was it
made largely of wood but it was
designed as
an unarmed
bomber,
depending
on its superior
speed to
escape enemy
fighters,
hence it was
nicknamed
‘The Wooden
Wonder’. In
total 2,298 FB
Mk VI’s were built, nearly one-
third of Mosquito production.
Total Mosquito production was
7,781 of which 6,710 were built
during the war.
but this tally was surpassed
by Charles George Gass, who
scored 39 kills while flying as an
observer. Unfortunately, unlike
good crews, the Falcon and
Hispano-Suiza engines were in
short supply. Several front-line
reconnaissance Squadrons that
acquired the new Bristol F.2
received the Type 15 version
that was fitted with the less
powerful and more unreliable
Sunbeam Arab engine. No. 8
Squadron flew this version
until it was disbanded in
January 1920.

Hawker Hunter -
FGA9
Presented by Flight Lieutenant
Nigel Johnson
In 1958 the Royal Air Force
held a competition to find a
suitable type to replace its
Middle East-based Venom
ground attack fighters.  overseas, primarily in the Middle
Hawkers won with a proposal
for a modified Hunter F6 and
an order was placed for the
conversion of a number of
airframes.  The new version
was designated FGA9 to show
its new role and the type first
flew in July 1959.  The aircraft
was fitted with upgraded air
conditioning, greater oxygen
capacity, external fuel tanks,
and a tail parachute so it
Post WWII -
Hawker
Tempest
Presented by
Flight Lieutenant
Michael Clarkson
The Hawker
Tempest VI arrived
in service with 8
Squadron in Mar 1947, by
this time flying out in Aden.
Initially 8 Squadron conducted
mixed force operations with
Mosquitos in reprisal and
coercive raids against rebellious
tribesmen. By May, the Tempest
had completely replaced the
Mosquito and had continued
the success of the previous
type. The eight rockets carried
by the Tempest were a potent
weapons system; however,
operators did have issues when
faced with a strong wind. The
Squadron quickly developed
a technique whereby aircraft
would fire the first 2 rockets to
sight the target, followed by
the remaining 6 in a salvo to
deliver a deadly blow. In one
would be better suited to
the hot temperatures and
long transits of the theatre.  The Rivet Joint at Mildenhall
It was also fitted with rocket
rails and could carry high-
explosive or armour-piercing
rockets, in addition to
retaining the Aden cannon of
the F6.
FGA9s saw most of their service
East, and the last operational
Hunter FGA9s were flown by
8 Squadron. The Squadron
disbanded in December 1971
prior to reforming with the
introduction of the Shackleton
AEW1. The Hunter FGA9 at
Hendon is painted in 8 Squadron
and 43 Squadron colours, as
both Squadrons operated
pool aircraft again out of RAF
Khormaksar, Aden.
such operation, 18 hits were
recorded out of 24 rockets.
(Not bad for an unguided
system!) On occasion rockets
were not required to achieve
the desired effect. For instance,
at the end of January 1949,
a detachment of 8 Squadron
Tempests left for Mogadishu in
Italian Somaliland.  This was at
the request of the British Army,
who anticipated trouble with
the local population; however,
after a few shows of force
over towns the danger
passed and the detachment
returned to RAF Khormaksar.
The following months saw 8
Squadron repeatedly placed on
readiness, poised to respond to
similar situations.
Operations Wing Force
Development Day,
DCAE Cosford
On Wednesday 2nd July, 8 personnel
from RAF Waddington Operations
Wing visited the RAF Museum at
DCAE Cosford in Shropshire, primarily
to look around the Nimrod R1, XV249.
This was the second leg of the relevant to RAF Waddington as
Wings Force Development 13 Squadron has recently stood
trip to look at the Future of up and remotely pilots the MQ9
ISTAR compared to the past. Reapers in Afghanistan.
representing the future and A very enjoyable day came
the Nimrod representing to an end with the results of
the past. the questionnaires, proving
that even RAF personnel in
Upon arrival, we were welcomed an RAF museum don’t know
by the staff at the RAF Museum everything! Returning to
and led outside to the static Ex Waddington, eventful as it was
51 Squadron aircraft that had in an attempt to miss the worst
once flown in the skies above of the traffic, quizzes were held
RAF Waddington. Specially and the champion of general
opened for our eyes only, Ex knowledge emerged!
Airframes Technician Flight
Lieutenant Darrell Griffiths and Many thanks to Corporal
Ex Weapons System Operator Jenna Earl for organising the
Sergeant Rhys Littlejohn used trip, Sergeant Neil Cullen for
their experience with the aircraft driving the minibus and the RAF
to enlighten the rest of the party Museum Cosford for opening up
of the capabilities of the Nimrod. the Nimrod and allowing us to
explore her.
After a lunch break, we were
let loose into the rest of the
exhibits; armed with a pen and
notepad, we had just 3 hours to
complete a questionnaire on the
various displays and compile a
discussion that we would hold
when our time was up, back at
the Refuel Café. It was intriguing
to look around the four huge
hangars of aircraft, especially
the ‘Test Flight’ hangar. This was
full of weird and wonderful From left to right: Senior Aircraftman
designs that engineers and Adam Gibson, Flight Lieutenant Darrell
inventors had developed and Griffiths, Corporal Marie Flitcroft,
it was interesting to see what Corporal Jenna Earl, Sergeant Darryl
could have been flying today, Robinson, Sergeant Neil Cullen, Flight
if it had caught on of course. In Sergeant Andy Talbot.
spite of the task set for us, the
‘Fun n Flight’ interactive display
was almost too tempting for
some and possibly too much
time was spent attempting to
successfully drop a package
onto a target from a scale model
C130 Hercules!
With our time up and our
notepads full, we gathered to
discuss the role of Air Power and
how it has transformed since the
beginning of flight and how it
could continue to develop into
the future. Some interesting
points were raised, including
whether or not unmanned
aerial vehicles would eventually
phase out the need for pilots
altogether. This is particularly
InsightMAGAZINE 33
 Exercise Normandy Eagle
On 8th September, Sergeant’s
(Rookie) Rooke, Stu Douglas and
Petty Officer Chris Van Geene (all
from the Air Warfare Centre at RAF
Waddington) met up with 8 other
service personnel to participate in
Exercise Normandy Eagle 13.
Led by Warrant Officer Richard The crossing was both
Nevitt, from 22 Training physically demanding and
Group Generic Education challenging with the ships
Training Centre, the exercise personnel being split into a 2
consisted of combining watch system working 4 hours
both Adventurous Training on and 4 hours off. Each watch
and a Staff Ride together to was responsible for keeping
encourage and develop self
reliance, initiative, leadership,
teamwork, expeditionary
ops, airborne ops, /troop
insertion; Close Air Support
/ Air interdiction, ethos, Gosport Mariner
core values and standards
and a sense of adventure
among service personnel.
Incorporated within the Nonetheless, we all arrived safely
expedition, personnel Day 1 at Ouistream at around 2300 Days 2, 3 & 4 Mulbery Harbours
studied and visited various hrs ready for our bed, having
historical WW2 areas around enjoyed a good crossing.
the Normandy coastline. a constant look out for ships,
sailing the boat, preparing meals
and changing the sails as the Days 2, 3 and 4
Day 1 weather changed, while the off
watch rested. Armed with a combination to
Having departed Gosport on the shower block but with no
HMS Kukri, a Nicholson 55 With the ever changing weather shower token, personnel made
ft sailing boat, we set sail for and sea state, some found it more do with anything that would
Ouistream, France, at 0600 hrs. challenging than anticipated. hold water; be it a baby sink or

Day 1 Is that a carrot?

even the cleaning ladies sink,

the aroma was far more pleasant
than pre-cleanse.

Suitably refreshed, breakfast

was then served (by the Mother
watch) and we departed the
Kukri to be met each day by the
Spt Team from 22 Training Group
Generic Education Training Centre,
Squadron Leader’s David Stubbs
and Heather Wootton. We were
then driven to various locations
around the local area.

Speeches on aspects of the

Normandy beaches were given
by both crew and support staff,
Day 1 Challenging sea state these included: Sword Beach,

34 InsightMAGAZINE

Montgomery statue, Hillman
Strongpoint, Pegasus Bridge, Caen
Memorial Museum, Expeditionary
Airfield B3, Arromanche cliff,
Mulberry harbours, Point Du Hoc,
Omaha Beach, Port en Bassin
and Bayeux Cemetery. The in
depth research that personnel
carried out, coupled with actually
being at each site gave people
a much better appreciation and
understanding of the efforts and
sacrifices people made, in order
for ourselves to be where we
are today.
Day 5 Day 6 Plain sailing
Conscious of the tides and
lack of wind forecast an early
rise was inescapable. At 0500
hrs the crew awoke to prepare
to motor/ sail Kukri back to
Gosport. With a sea like a mill
pond we set off on our 100
mile journey reaching ground
breaking speeds of 4.8 knots’
under motor. Fortunately, at
1500 hrs Zephyrus provided us
with a westerly wind to assist
us northwards. All hands on
Days 2, 3 & 4 Port en Bessin
deck was announced as the
ships additional front sails were
prepared and hoisted and
subsequently increased our the boat for its next trip. 2 rides at no cost go to the
speed to just shy of 8 knots. hours later, with reliable Kukri following link:
in ship shape, personnel went
Having been sailing in total their separate ways having http://defenceintranet.diif.r.mil.
darkness the glimmering lights thoroughly enjoyed their week. uk/Organisations/Orgs/RAF/
of the Isle of Wight were spotted. Organisations/Orgs/GETC/Pages/
Collision avoidance and accurate If you are interested in EagleSchemeHomepage.aspx
navigation into Portsmouth participating in any of the
harbour was the main priority Adventurous Training or Staff Sergeant J. G. ROOKE
as everyone tried to identify
the correct light sequence of
flashing lights amongst a mass
array of varying lights on the Day 6 Back safe and sound
coastline. Once spotted the
final course was set and we
finally arrived back at Gosport
around midnight.
Day 6
After a good nights sleep all
personnel awoke to prepare
Day 6
InsightMAGAZINE 35
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InsightMAGAZINE 37
 (Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance)
Qualified Weapons Instructor
Presentation
& Graduation Day
The intensive Qualified Weapons
Instructor (Intelligence Surveillance
& Reconnaissance) course began
in January...
An exciting day’s cricket on 14 Aug
13 at RAF Vine Lane, Uxbridge, saw
RAF Waddington clinch the RAF
T20 Cup from RAF Lossiemouth
and RAF Odiham.
Having won the RAF T20 Cup for
the 4 previous years, Lossie arrived
as favourites and were confident
of extending their hold on the title.
However, after an early flight, they
would need to maintain focus in
order to deliver on their potential.
Conversely, Waddington were the
in-form team, enjoying an excellent
regular season and lying second in
the league. A quiet self-assuredness
pervaded the team – all were eager
to bring silverware to Lincolnshire.
RAF Odiham made up the trio (the
same three sides as last’s final day).
Odiham had some good players
and were certainly capable of
an upset.
The early match was RAF
Lossiemouth vs RAF Odiham. The
low scoring match set the tone for
the day, as Lossie only managed 104
all out. Odiham’s response started
briskly, as they were keen to chase
the total quickly. A bright start
soon fell foul of some audaciously
attacking strokes. They succumbed
to 63 all out, a loss of 41 runs.
Lossie, now on the victory march,
RAF Waddington Cricket Team RAF T20 Winners 2013:
Back Row (left to right): Chas Gimenez (President), John Dawson, Mat Haisman
(OIC), Mark Lamper (Secretary), Paul Keymer, Lee Griffiths
Front Row (left to right): Alan Cowdale (Dep OIC), Craig Reilly, Stuart Fraser-
Cattanach (Vice-Capt), Rob Buckley (Capt), Ryan Watson (Treas), Jaime Green
38 InsightMAGAZINE
were keen to claim the title by
putting Waddington to the sword.
Fortunately, Waddington had
other ideas.
The second match of the day saw
RAF Lossiemouth clash with RAF
Waddington. Lossie batted first.
The top order was keen to bat
through and marshal the team to
a good score. However, they failed
to capitalise on a good base to their
innings, crawling toward a total of
96-3. Waddington bowled well
(Corporal Lee Griffiths 1-7 from 4
overs, Sergeant Rob Buckley 1-10
from 4 overs) and kept it tight in
the field. Waddington took to
the total in aggressive fashion
and Lossie were soon punished
for their small total. Sergeant
Stuart Fraser-Cattanach was the
main Waddington protagonist,
bludgeoning a rapid-fire 47 to
ensure Waddington achieved a
good run-rate in addition to total
victory and winning by 7 wkts inside
14 overs.
The final match of the day turned
out to be the best. Waddington
needed to win to claim the title –
Odiham had disappointed in their
first game but were keen to restore
pride. Waddington elected to bat
first, hoping to set a commanding
...with enthusiastic students
arriving at RAF Waddington
from across Defence and as far
afield as California. The students
were drawn from Air Battlespace
Manager, Intelligence Officer, RN
Aircrew, Army, USAF Intelligence
Officer and RAF Aircrew Branches.
Over the next 7 months the
students were uniquely trained
as ISR leaders and tacticians,
demonstrating extensive ISR
knowledge during the numerous
exams. They demonstrated skills
throughout the Direct, Collect,
Process, Disseminate (DCPD)
process and across the J2/3/5/6
domains, both academically and
practically during demanding
ABTC exercises and at Ex CQWI.
During the course they were posed
two challenging research topics
by Army ISTAR and the Maritime
Warfare Centre and identified some
significant issues and potential
solutions that could mitigate
these problems both in the near
and longer term. The syndicate
presentations are their opportunity
to share these thoughts and
showcase themselves to an
influential audience from
across the ISR domain.
Despite being only the 4th QWI
(ISR) course to graduate, such is
RAF WADDINGTON END
RAF LOSSIEMOUTH T20 DYNASTY
total for the fragile Odiham batting
line up. Unfortunately, despite
good performances by Lance
Corporal Craig Reilly (24), Sergeant
Fraser-Cattanach (24) and Corporal
Griffiths (23), Waddington mustered
a below-par 114. Odiham lost
their Captain (C Thomas) and
best batter in the first over to the
outstanding Waddington Captain
Sergeant Rob Buckley (1-13 from 4
overs). However, the other opener
Senior Aircraftman Neil Langham
was progressing the total nicely.
Eventually succumbing on 36,
the foundation was set for a good
chase. Waddington had other ideas.
Senior Aircraftman Ryan Watson
was reintroduced to the attack
and bowled superbly well under
pressure to produce arguably the
bowling performance of the day.
the profile of the course and the
success of previous graduates
that the audience included AOC
No. 1 Gp, AVM Atha. Following
the presentations the AOC
shared his thoughts on their
content and offered a welcome
insight into the shape of ISR in
the years to come. The coveted
QWI patches were awarded
by Commander Joint Force
Intelligence Group, Brigadier
Davies; whose organisation is
at the very heart of UK Defence
Intelligence modernisation.
The new graduates take their
place amongst the elite of ISR,
with posts contributing to
ISR Operational effect in such
diverse locations as Afghanistan
and Colchester. In addition to
the coveted patch, graduates
also have the opportunity
to enrol for the MSC in ISR
Management, this collaborative
programme in association
with Lincoln University creates
the framework for civilian
accreditation of this unique
Military course. Graduates are
required to produce a research
framework, an essay and a
dissertation to complete the MSc.
Course 5 will commence in
January 2014, with 12 willing
volunteers selected.
He took an important three wickets
at the death to deny Odiham their
only victory of the day and confirm
Waddington as RAF T20 victors.
Special note should go to Stuart
Fraser-Cattanach, who was awarded
the Player of the Day Trophy by
Group Captain Reaves, RAFCA
Chairman. He complemented his
unique brand of aggressive batting
with two wickets and a resolute
performance in the field.
RAF Waddington have also reached
the Final of the RAF Cricket Cup
which is due to be played at RAF
Vine Lane on Mon 2 Sep 13; a
report will follow for that event, in
due course.
Captain Paul Keymer, 5(AC) Sqn

It was “wheels-up” of a different
type on the runway at RAF
Waddington on Friday 16th
August as Ex-RAF Regiment
Gunner Sean Allerton (48)
completed the next stage
of his PUSH 500 Charity
Wheelchair Challenge.
Push
(another) 500!
Following a motorcycle crash
nearly 20 years ago, Sean from
Sherburn-in-elmet, near York
was left a tetraplegic and is now
confined to a wheelchair.
Inspired by the news that The
Proclaimers had become patrons of
the Forgotten Heroes Charity, Sean
set himself a 500 mile wheelchair
challenge which he successfully
completed in March of this year.
Not one to rest on his laurels Sean
has set himself another 500 mile
challenge, 3 miles of which he
completed on a loop of the airfield
at RAF Waddington on Friday.
Sean said:“As a recipient of the
support of the RAF Charities I’m
able fully appreciate just how
much of a difference they can
make to the life of someone who
needs it. I hope you can sponsor
my efforts which provides vital
funds for them”.
Sean was joined on his challenge
by several of his supporters
including personnel from
8 Force Protection Wing RAF
Waddington who regularly
provide specialist force
protection capabilities at Bastion
and Kandahar Airfields, members
of the Yorkshire University Air
Squadron who have supported
Sean throughout his challenge,
and an RAF Waddington Physical
Training Instructor (PTI) Corporal
Ollie Loak. Keen to experience
the challenge as Sean does, his
supporters completed part of
the course in wheelchairs.
When he’s not too busy raising
money for Charity Sean can
be found flying, a hobby he’s
recently discovered and excelled
at. Having been given a flying
scholarship for disabled people
Sean is now an accomplished
solo pilot.
More info can be found at
www.push500.com/the-challenge
To donate please go to
www.push500.com/sponsor
InsightMAGAZINE 39
40 InsightMAGAZINE

54 Squadron
97th Anniversary
Reunion Weekend
On 27 September, 54(R)
Squadron welcomed Association
members to RAF Waddington
for their annual reunion event.
Gathering in the crew room
on Friday evening for a
traditional Squadron beer call
and sumptuous buffet (thanks
to Mrs Karen Cropper), Officer
Commanding 54(R) Squadron,
Wing Commander Tim Monk,
welcomed retired and serving
members and their families.
Awarding Warrant Officer Steve
Corlett with a well-deserved
A2 Instructor Upgrade, Wing
Commander Monk received
a gift of new model aircraft
painstakingly recreated in
Squadron livery by Mr John
Green (probably the finest aircraft
model maker in the country). The
models now sit proudly amongst
other Squadron aircraft in a new
presentation cabinet located
within the Squadron crew room.
Saturday’s events started with
a visit to RAF Cranwell, where a
tour of College Hall Officers’ Mess
was hosted by Curator Ms Hazel
Crozier. Association members
returned to RAF Waddington
where a families’ afternoon
gave them the opportunity to
fly the Sentry simulator, tour
the Sentinel static display and
witness an amazing Spitfire flypast
flown by Station Commander
RAF Coningsby, Group Captain
Johnny Stringer, a former
Squadron member. Following
the Annual General Meeting,
Saturday’s formal dinner was
held at the stately Branston Hall.
The Squadron Standard set the
backdrop for a delicious meal
attended by some 83 members.
Association President Wing
Commander Monk was joined
by Assistant Chief of the Air Staff,
Air Vice Marshal Edward Stringer,
himself a former OC 54 Squadron,
new Chairman Wing Commander
Simon Prior (Retd) and Padre
Wing Commander Kev Hart. Wing
Commander Monk highlighted
how busy the Squadron had been
over the previous 12 months,
with training, standardisation and
operational involvement across
all ISTAR Force Elements based at
RAF Waddington.
The oldest Association member
and ex-Second World War
Spitfire pilot, Mr Ken Bellamy was
presented with a 90th birthday
gift of a Spitfire Haynes’ Manual
by Patron Air Marshal Sir Roger
Austin (Retd). For his lifelong
contribution to the Association,
Sir Roger was gifted a large
picture of Sopwith Camel – the
Squadron’s First World War
action being the subject of
his current research. Ex Officer
Commanding 54(R) Squadron,
Wing Commander Anne-Marie
Houghton also presented the
Squadron with an impressive
new piece of silver (in the familiar
shape of a Lion rampant sable) as
her departing gift.
Since its reformation at RAF
Waddington on 1st September
2005, the 54 Squadron
Association has gone from
strength to strength with around
250 members. The Association is
keen to attract more members
(whether they served on the
ground or in the air) and would
particularly welcome interest
from veterans of the Jaguar era
(1974-2005). The Association is
ramping up for the Squadron’s
100th anniversary celebrations,
hopefully to be held where it
was formed at Castle Bromwich
in 1916. However, next year’s
reunion will be held over
the weekend of 19th to 20th
September at RAF Waddington.
Membership of the Association
is free. Serving and retired 54
Squadron members interested in
becoming involved with future
Association activities should
contact Secretary Flight Sergeant
Jase Brewster at jkb100@live.
co.uk. Audax Omnia Perpeti!
Below:
Association members assembled
in front of a Sentinel R1 aircraft at
the Families Afternoon.
Above:
Six OC 54s reunited – from
left to right: Air Marshal Sir
Roger Austin (Retd), Wing
Commander Simon Prior (Retd),
Wing Commander Tim Monk,
Wing Commander Anne-Marie
Houghton, Group Captain Dim
Jones (Retd), Air Vice Marshal
Edward Stringer.
InsightMAGAZINE 41
42 InsightMAGAZINE
 New barbershop opens in Navenby
Luke’s Barbershop opened on 3rd January this year.
Started by Luke Daniels, the business has been
established to give the modern and traditional
man a place to feel comfortable, with ‘good old
fashioned barbering” and wet shaves with hot
towels, without the need of an appointment
or the fuss that goes with modern gentleman’s
hairdressing. The purpose of Luke’s Barbershop is
to offer quality service in the surroundings many
men are used to, and also with very traditional
surroundings from the 1930’s when barbering
shops were at their pinnacle for men’s grooming.
The barbers is set in the beautiful village of
Navenby and is sure to add to the number of
quality establishments already within the area.
“We chose to open the Barbershop as we felt
that for the surrounding area and well beyond,
there was nobody offering a service where wet
shaves and a mixture of modem and traditional
barbering could be obtained,” commented Luke. “
We have always felt that with the right premises
in the right location, we could offer the complete
package. Most men do not like the fuss of making
an appointment, or deciding when their hair is due
to be cut, so we feel strongly that this barbershop
has no appointments for any of the services-The
shop’s first priority is the people of Navenby and
the surrounding village~~therefore all ages are
catered for from first haircuts to our respected
senior citizens, men on their way to and from work
and the surrounding RAF bases.”
Decades ago, shaving was one of the biggest
services in the barbershop. In fact, gents would
frequent the shop most days for a shave and would
insist in having their own brush and mug.
One of the main reasons for this was the shave
was cheap and quite a relaxing process, as a face
massage was always included. However at home it
was difficult to maintain and use a fixed blade razor
(cut throat). It was also time consuming and an
uncomfortable shave because gents had very little
experience of looking after the blade.
Shaving was a very lucrative business for the barber
until the early 1900’s when the safety razor was
introduced.
The art of shaving then hit its demise and was
at the point of extinction until now. With the
barbershop becoming fashionable once more,
modern barbers are looking not just to cut hair
well but to start taking care of their male clientele
better.
The wet shaves are very much for the modern
man, they are done in such as way that the
client does not feel too fussed over but gets an
extremely pleasant service. The Luxury Wet Shave
consists of a total of 5 hot towels, moisturisers,
oils, creams, 2 shaves and a freezing cold towel,
leaving the face extremely smooth and soft, all in
40 minutes.
The Wet shaves are already proving popular, with
many ladies treating their partners to a luxury wet
shave experience.
Luke’s Barbershop, 19 High Street,
Navenby, Lincoln LN5 0EN.
T: 01522 811816
www.lukesbarbershop.co.uk
InsightMAGAZINE 43