NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 2020
Introduction from Our President
Happy New Year to all Association Members. Hard to believe that another decade has already passed and with time speeding past I have decided to leave full time employment and I hope one of the pluses of this will be the chance to spend a little more time on Association business. To that end teasing out the potential to hold our annual reunion in Scotland in 2021 will be interesting. I am spending time with the Museum at Tangmere, not least in the hope that may yield a heightened profile for the Fighting Cocks. I am also dipping my toe into the veterans’ charities waters and that may deliver unexpected benefits to members downstream. My endeavours will of course be helped by your inputs on either areas of concern or on the direction of travel for the Association and you should feel free to get in touch directly should you so wish.
Happy New Year to all Association Members. Hard to believe that another decade has already passed and with time speeding past I have decided to leave full time employment and I hope one of the pluses of this will be the chance to spend a little more time on Association business. To that end teasing out the potential to hold our annual reunion in Scotland in 2021 will be interesting. I am spending time with the Museum at Tangmere, not least in the hope that may yield a heightened profile for the Fighting Cocks. I am also dipping my toe into the veterans’ charities waters and that may deliver unexpected benefits to members downstream. My endeavours will of course be helped by your inputs on either areas of concern or on the direction of travel for the Association and you should feel free to get in touch directly should you so wish.
Annual Reunion 2020
1800 for 1900hrs on Saturday 16th May at the
RAF Club, Piccadilly
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, so we thought that 43 (F) Squadron's part in this climactic battle would make a very suitable theme for this year's reunion dinner. To that end we have managed to secure Andy Saunders as our guest speaker. Andy is an aviation historian and author, who has written many military aviation books including 'The Fighting Cocks' for Osprey books, and he is a founder of the Tangmere museum. Tangmere was where the Squadron flew from for most of the Battle. Andy promises that he has many anecdotes of the Squadron during this period and we look forward to what promises to be an enthralling evening. Dress will be lounge suit with squadron tie, and cocktail dresses for the ladies.
1800 for 1900hrs on Saturday 16th May at the
RAF Club, Piccadilly
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, so we thought that 43 (F) Squadron's part in this climactic battle would make a very suitable theme for this year's reunion dinner. To that end we have managed to secure Andy Saunders as our guest speaker. Andy is an aviation historian and author, who has written many military aviation books including 'The Fighting Cocks' for Osprey books, and he is a founder of the Tangmere museum. Tangmere was where the Squadron flew from for most of the Battle. Andy promises that he has many anecdotes of the Squadron during this period and we look forward to what promises to be an enthralling evening. Dress will be lounge suit with squadron tie, and cocktail dresses for the ladies.
Reunion 2019
We enjoyed a great reunion last year with just short of 70 joining us for dinner. Katharine Campbell spoke and gave some fascinating insights about her father, Sholto, Lord Douglas of Kirtleside, our founding Squadron CO. Katharine is about to publish a biography of her father. We also celebrated Andy Moir’s time as Chairman of the Association. He was surprised with his thank you gifts of 2 handcrafted fly boxes (he is a keen fly fisherman), and then even more surprised to be presented with the Beedle Trophy to reflect his commitment to the Association Committee over many years and his achievements as Chairman.
We enjoyed a great reunion last year with just short of 70 joining us for dinner. Katharine Campbell spoke and gave some fascinating insights about her father, Sholto, Lord Douglas of Kirtleside, our founding Squadron CO. Katharine is about to publish a biography of her father. We also celebrated Andy Moir’s time as Chairman of the Association. He was surprised with his thank you gifts of 2 handcrafted fly boxes (he is a keen fly fisherman), and then even more surprised to be presented with the Beedle Trophy to reflect his commitment to the Association Committee over many years and his achievements as Chairman.
Remembrance Day 2019
We were well represented at the Remembrance Day service in the Church of the Holy Rude in Stirling. A wreath was laid at the Squadron memorial in the church by Keith Boyd. This event in Stirling is now well established in the calendar and all are welcome to come along. On the continuing theme of remembrance, we hope that the local ATC units will continue to develop their custom of marking the anniversary of the Squadron's formation with a short ceremony at the Falleninch Memorial. We will circulate the date once it is known and again all are welcome to attend.
We were well represented at the Remembrance Day service in the Church of the Holy Rude in Stirling. A wreath was laid at the Squadron memorial in the church by Keith Boyd. This event in Stirling is now well established in the calendar and all are welcome to come along. On the continuing theme of remembrance, we hope that the local ATC units will continue to develop their custom of marking the anniversary of the Squadron's formation with a short ceremony at the Falleninch Memorial. We will circulate the date once it is known and again all are welcome to attend.
Squadron Paintings
Some of you may be aware that the Association inherited a significant number of the Squadron's paintings when it was disbanded and most of these are being temporarily stored with the RAF Museum Reserve Collection at Stafford. We own 18 paintings which depict scenes covering most of the Squadron's history. It is the Committee's plan to get as many of these paintings as possible on display somewhere suitable. We plan to approach the following establishments to see if they would take some or all of the paintings but if you have any good ideas on where you would like your artworks to be displayed then please pass your thoughts to the Committee.
National Museum of Flight, East Fortune
Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre
RAF Lossiemouth (current base for Northern QRA(I))
Tangmere Military Aviation Museum
La Gorgue Museum, France
Some of you may be aware that the Association inherited a significant number of the Squadron's paintings when it was disbanded and most of these are being temporarily stored with the RAF Museum Reserve Collection at Stafford. We own 18 paintings which depict scenes covering most of the Squadron's history. It is the Committee's plan to get as many of these paintings as possible on display somewhere suitable. We plan to approach the following establishments to see if they would take some or all of the paintings but if you have any good ideas on where you would like your artworks to be displayed then please pass your thoughts to the Committee.
National Museum of Flight, East Fortune
Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre
RAF Lossiemouth (current base for Northern QRA(I))
Tangmere Military Aviation Museum
La Gorgue Museum, France
Stirling Guildry Dinner 25th September 2019
Our Chairman recently found himself back in the Chapel and Great Hall of Stirling Castle, the scene of our highly successful 100th anniversary dinner. On this occasion he had been invited to represent the Association at the 900th anniversary dinner of the Guildry of Stirling, with the Princess Royal as the guest of honour. The Squadron was an Honorary member of the Stirling Guildry and the Association has now taken on that mantle. The Guildry is an ancient merchants’ association which now plays a purely ceremonial role in promoting Stirling and maintaining links with the other organizations which make up the fabric of civic life in and around the City. The memory of 43(F) Squadron is very much part of that fabric and was the first of several organizations mentioned by the Dean of the Guildry in his speech, with a touching resumé of the Squadron’s historical links. When the Chairman thanked the Dean for his kind words, he was very excited to hear that we plan to bring back our Annual Dinner to Scotland in 2021. A promising response for our 2021 reunion.
Our Chairman recently found himself back in the Chapel and Great Hall of Stirling Castle, the scene of our highly successful 100th anniversary dinner. On this occasion he had been invited to represent the Association at the 900th anniversary dinner of the Guildry of Stirling, with the Princess Royal as the guest of honour. The Squadron was an Honorary member of the Stirling Guildry and the Association has now taken on that mantle. The Guildry is an ancient merchants’ association which now plays a purely ceremonial role in promoting Stirling and maintaining links with the other organizations which make up the fabric of civic life in and around the City. The memory of 43(F) Squadron is very much part of that fabric and was the first of several organizations mentioned by the Dean of the Guildry in his speech, with a touching resumé of the Squadron’s historical links. When the Chairman thanked the Dean for his kind words, he was very excited to hear that we plan to bring back our Annual Dinner to Scotland in 2021. A promising response for our 2021 reunion.
Reunion Planning 2021
Following the wonderfully successful centenary celebrations in Stirling, we are working to have our 2021 reunion back in Scotland. We hope to be in a position for the Committee to review costed plans at our meeting in May and to announce the date and venue at our dinner this year. That will give everyone a full year to plan for the pilgrimage north and put arrangements in place. Thoughts and suggestions very welcome.
Following the wonderfully successful centenary celebrations in Stirling, we are working to have our 2021 reunion back in Scotland. We hope to be in a position for the Committee to review costed plans at our meeting in May and to announce the date and venue at our dinner this year. That will give everyone a full year to plan for the pilgrimage north and put arrangements in place. Thoughts and suggestions very welcome.
Web Site
The Committee have been looking at updating and improving the web site. More to follow. However, if there is anything you would like to see on the site then please let us know.
The Committee have been looking at updating and improving the web site. More to follow. However, if there is anything you would like to see on the site then please let us know.
Old Warden Airshow 7th July 2019
Andy Moir enjoyed a great day and witnessed not only one of the best airshows he has seen but also the remarkable sight of seven Hurricanes in formation. This was the largest formation of Hurricanes to be flown since 1946 - a truly historical event. One of the aircraft was Hurricane Mk I/IIA P3717/DR348 which was assigned to 43 Squadron at Drem on 20 January 1941. It suffered a heavy landing on 23 April and was subsequently repaired by Air Service Training Ltd before being dispatched to Rolls Royce for conversion to MkIIA standard to become DR348. It then served in Russia from 1941-42. The aircraft’s crashed remains were recovered and brought back to the UK where it was ultimately restored to flying condition in 2015 and joined the Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden. Photos attached including a Hun’s-eye view of the boys tipping in.
Andy Moir enjoyed a great day and witnessed not only one of the best airshows he has seen but also the remarkable sight of seven Hurricanes in formation. This was the largest formation of Hurricanes to be flown since 1946 - a truly historical event. One of the aircraft was Hurricane Mk I/IIA P3717/DR348 which was assigned to 43 Squadron at Drem on 20 January 1941. It suffered a heavy landing on 23 April and was subsequently repaired by Air Service Training Ltd before being dispatched to Rolls Royce for conversion to MkIIA standard to become DR348. It then served in Russia from 1941-42. The aircraft’s crashed remains were recovered and brought back to the UK where it was ultimately restored to flying condition in 2015 and joined the Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden. Photos attached including a Hun’s-eye view of the boys tipping in.
Deaths
Sadly I need to report the death on 4th December 2019 of Eric ‘Cyril’ Rollings. Cyril was Peter Townsend’s personally chosen Armourer and serviced 43 Sqn Hurricanes at Tangmere and Acklington. After leaving 43 Sqn, he was commissioned and became a Hurricane, then Dakota pilot, with most of his flying in the Far East. He stayed closely in touch with the Association by email and letter, and died peacefully in his nursing home.
Sadly I need to report the death on 4th December 2019 of Eric ‘Cyril’ Rollings. Cyril was Peter Townsend’s personally chosen Armourer and serviced 43 Sqn Hurricanes at Tangmere and Acklington. After leaving 43 Sqn, he was commissioned and became a Hurricane, then Dakota pilot, with most of his flying in the Far East. He stayed closely in touch with the Association by email and letter, and died peacefully in his nursing home.