Planning to be there for Heidi’s 60th party – I’ve just had my 60th and I’m an ex-Hunter man. Hope the weather holds.

Definitely not Avon, looks more like Derwent out of a Meteor to me

Battle of Britain pilots

L-R : Peter Waghorn, ?, Ron Smyth, ?

Towards the end of October 1940 at the Eagle in Woodford Green. They were with 249 Squadron at the time.

Will definitely try to get to some of these, especially the April one – I’m a big Hunter fan and it’s my 60th this year too!

ex-Dambuster groundcrew – I wonder if the Lanc is available…

R.I.P Coe

I remember it well – I was stationed at Wittering at the time. This went on for 3 weeks or so as we had the BBC one week, RCDS another and Princess Anne the other week. Great being able to sit in Vulcan, Victor, Jaguar, Shackleton etc when I was normally slaving away in the hangar on Hunters and Harriers. When the Vulcans did their 4 ship scramble in the evening I was in the Malcolm Club and we could feel the floor shake.

On September 15th I remember a young man of 19 who had recently got his wings and was then thrust into the turmoil of aerial warfare, a life that saw his end just months later. I think of him, and his friends, and give thanks that they did what they did for us, without question, against hope. My children, I hope, will remember too and reflect on what might have been. To all the pilots and groundcrew who fought for us during those dark days of 1940 – thank you.