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free issue
April 2012
Eagle Eye The Official Magazine of JSU RAF Wyton
eagleye
EAGLE EYE
MAGAZINE
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LanceThe “Eagle Eye” is the magazine of JSU RAF Wyton and relies on features and articles from its readers. Please forward unclassified articles on: the local area, activities, achievements or awards, clubs and societies, your hobbies or even your work, to the Editor. We would especially welcome features from RAF Civilian personnel, and Service and RAF Civilian families.Those personnel submitting articles are reminded of the law relating to copyright. Articles submitted must be original and may only contain previously published material with prior permission of the original author.
The “Eagle Eye” is your magazine - please support it.
It would greatly assist us in raising much needed advertising revenue, if when responding to advertisements seen in this magazine, you would quote the “Eagle Eye”.
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Editorial Team
Contents12 Station Commander’s Foreword
Joint Forces Intelligence Group
57(R) Squadron
Bobsleigh Championships
Phantom’s Final Journey
The Walk Across Nicaragua
RAFBF Hand Over
Santa Keeps On Giving
Sportsman’s Dinner
Tough Guy Challenge
Go Red Day
EX Gallic Jubilee
Sport Relief Mile
Pathfinder
Ensign For The Last Time
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Editor: Flt Llt Nick Tucker – SO3 J7 Training
Deputy Editor: Fg Off Heather Constantine - MCO - 3686(W)
Deadline: Material for the June 2012 edition should be with the Editor no later than the 16th May.
Advertising Sales By: KayleighLance Publishing Ltd Tel: (01536) 526666
Published By: Lance Publishing Ltd, 1st Floor, Tailby House, Bath Rd, Kettering NN16 8NL. Tel: (01536) 512624 Fax: 01536 515481Email:[email protected]
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Printed By: Lance Print Ltd Tel: 01480 492183
Copyright: Eagle Eye is not an official publication; the views expressed in this magazine are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect official policy. No part of this publication may be reproduced in part or whole without the written permission of the Editor or the Publishers. Photographs are Crown Copyright, all rights reserved, unless credited to an individual photographer. Eagle Eye is published by permission of the Station Commander.
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Happy Easter to you all, I hope you managed to make the most of what leave you could take over the Easter period despite the gloomy weather, after all that sunshine luring us into thinking it was BBQ time over the weekend as well.
Anyway, this is the first edition of Eagle Eye, which as the Stn Commander rightly points out, holds a slightly different look
to that of recent editions with the Purple reflecting RAF Wyton’s new image and place within Joint Forces Command. Building work continues across RAF Wyton, with bits of the Officers’ Mess falling off the West Wing (and not because of high jinx I may add) to the near complete look of the new and impressive Pathfinder building.
It seems quite a lot has gone on over the past few months, which has led to a varied edition, from sports, to dinners and charity events. As always we are looking for as many articles as possible for inclusion within the Eagle Eye so if there is anything you feel you want included in the Eagle Eye, from what your Section does to activities outside of the wire please feel free to send it through to myself or the Deputy Editor.
So to our new readership, welcome and to you all please enjoy the April edition.
There were times this winter when we must all have felt like the cursed crew in the Rime of the
Ancient Mariner. The roads were awash, we had water falling from the kitchen ducting in Wyton Officers’ Mess, and cascading down the stairs in the Station Headquarters at Brampton. Water seemed to be everywhere but in the taps and pipes where it was needed! Thanks to the tremendous efforts of the station staff and volunteers, normal service was eventually restored and two major Mess functions were rescued from the brink of cancellation at the eleventh hour. On that note, I’d like to give special mention to Sgt Simon Rees and his son Matthew who volunteered to go door to door to deliver bottled water to those families’ quarters affected by the outages.
On a brighter and drier note, March saw the graduation on No. 163 Course of 57(R) Sqn Elementary Flying Training School. Having endured a torrid time in 2011 as SDSR reductions bit into our junior aircrew cadre, it was reassuring to see 8 students progress to the next phase of flying training. Well done to Sqn Ldr ‘Wes’ Wesley and his team of instructors for the 100% success rate, and I’m sure we’d all wish to convey our best wishes to the graduates for their future professional development.
The cover of Eagleye has a different colour scheme this month, as April is the month that RAF Brampton/Wyton moves from Air Command to Joint Force Command. The purple brand isn’t the only visible sign of change, and readers will probably have noticed the Joint Forces ensign flying from the flagpoles of both
stations. A short but dignified ceremony took place at RAF Brampton on 2 April to mark the occasion, when the RAF ensign was lowered for the final time against the backdrop of a fly past from 57(R)Sqn. The change also widens the distribution of Eagleye, as we welcome readers from Defence Intelligence Units at Hermitage, Feltham, London and Germany, who will be joining us at RAF Wyton as elements of PRIDE continue to come online.
There’s plenty more packed into this edition. Whether it’s sports reports, news, visits or charity events there’s something in here for everybody, and I hope you enjoy the read.
Water water everywhere, Nor any drop to drink . . .
From The Editor
The Station CommanderForeword From
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Joint ForCES intElligEnCE grouP
Overview
From 1 Apr 12, the Intelligence Collection Group (ICG) will be renamed the Joint Forces Intelligence Group (JFIG). Its Mission is: “To
deliver intelligence, information, services & force elements to Defence, including deployed forces & to Other Government Departments & international partners.”
The JFIG remains subordinate to Defence Intelligence, based in Whitehall and is part of the newly created 4* Joint Forces Command. The JFIG will encompass over 3,000 military and civilian staff, spanning several intelligence capabilities and responsible for providing a broad spectrum of UK-based support and specialist expertise. The JFIG also supports deployed operations in Afghanistan and elsewhere, ensuring the success of its mission.
The JFIG will be restructured as a number of elements move into the purpose built facilities at Wyton from late 2012 onwards. At the centre of the new infrastructure is the Pathfinder Building, housing the Defence Geospatial Intelligence Fusion Centre (DGIFC). 42 Engineer Regiment will move into Roy Lines in Summer 2014.
The move to Wyton will provide a number of other benefits to the Group, which will include more cohesive command and control, planning and improved training. All this will improve the overall efficiency in the delivery of the mission.
Message from Commander“Over the coming months you will notice a great deal of additional activity as JARIC starts to move across from RAF Brampton and my HQ staff move up from Feltham, West London. These are exciting times and JFIG will be very
much at the heart of UK operations now and in the future. Looking ahead to our arrival at Wyton, everyone within JFIG will become actively involved with Station life and contribute to what will be a flourishing community. I am very much looking forward to meeting many of you in the coming months and wish you a good Easter.”
Brigadier nick Davies
Commander JFig
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Almost all of the students, and many of the instructors, headed to the Alps leaving the UK just as Austria experienced its heaviest snow fall
for a decade. Skiing conditions were excellent, with plenty of fresh snow and temperatures just under zero preventing the surface layer from melting. Everyone made the most of the conditions to get as much practice as possible in preparation for racing in either the Giant Slalom or the Snow Style event.
Unfortunately, shortly after returning to RAF Wyton the snow followed the Squadron back from Austria. A couple of inches of snow made the airfield very picturesque, but useless for flying, especially once the fresh snow had turned into a layer of icy slush. Conditions persisted for a week, so the students took the opportunity to visit some aviation related sites. Starting with the Imperial War Museum Duxford, which offers free entry to service personnel in uniform, and has an impressive array of aircraft from throughout the 20th century. As snow stopped flying all week the students also ventured further south to the RAF Museum at Hendon and to the Imperial War Museum in central London.
Fortunately, the snow eventually cleared and 163 EFT course made rapid progress through the end of the flying syllabus, finishing the Navigation phase with landaways to other airfields, followed by flying in formations of 3 aircraft and culminating in their Final Handling Tests. Happily everyone on 163 EFT successfully
It has been a busy start to the year for 57(R) Squadron, kicking off with the RAF Ski Championships in Saalbach, Hinterglemm, Austria.
57(R) Sqn completed the course, eventually!
57 Squadron also welcomed 4 new members in February. 167 EFT, comprising Flying Officers Boyd, Percy and Coulson, and Pilot Officer Goff, are the shape of things to come in the sense that the course consists of 4 students. Courses are slated to remain this size for the next two years, as a means of slowing the throughput of pilots through EFT and into the Flying Training pipeline. Their progress has been far from slow however and half of the course have flown solo already; the rest are just waiting for benign weather conditions to catch up.
Generally RAF Wyton is an excellent location for Flying Training thanks to a good airfield setup and clear airspace in the local area. Where it falls short is instrument aids, which provide information to an aircraft trying to approach the airfield through cloud and poor weather. Previously, instrument flying has been practiced by flying a long transit to an airfield such as RAF Marham and using their aids. However this wastes precious flying time and places a greater burden on Air Traffic Controllers at the hosting airfield.
To trial a possible solution, 165 EFT became the test subjects for an instrument flying detachment. A couple of students, instructors and aircraft flew up to RAF Church Fenton in Yorkshire, where they met the rest of 165 EFT who had driven up in the detachment’s
insurance policy. Although admittedly the radar broke on the very first day, it was soon up and running again and having the facility so close was invaluable. All three of the students who were at the instrument flying stage completed this phase in just 4 days and had an opportunity to get a feel for what will come next while navigating back to RAF Wyton at the end of the week.
Throughout the last month 163 EFT has been busy making preparations for their graduation, which took place on 15 Mar. Unfortunately the weather on the day followed the pattern of the rest of the week and the morning started off with thick fog covering the airfield, unfortunately curtailing the first part of the planned flypast. Thankfully the fog slowly cleared just in time for the Sea King flypast and this was followed by a superb graduation lunch in the Officers’ Mess, where a number of prizes were awarded to the students of 163 EFT. Following the traditional showing of the course video, the afternoon seamlessly flowed into 165 EFT’s ‘hipster’ themed solo barrel, including a lot of inflatable pugil stick fighting with the students battled their instructors for their hard-won solo badges.
Following the graduation, 57(R) Sqn have bid a fond farewell to 163 EFT who depart us for a lengthy hold before their next flying course. Which flying course they find themselves on will be decided at their streaming board at the end of March. 57(R) Sqn wish them all the best of luck with this and their future flying careers.
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For 2 weeks in late February/early March, the picturesque town of Igls, near Innsbruck,
Austria played host to the Bobsleigh, Luge and Skeleton Bobsleigh Interservice Championships
which saw teams from all three disciplines and all three services descend on the small
town to compete against one another.
Bobsleigh, Luge and Skeleton interservice Championships
The fortnight of sliding kicked off with a week of training on Olympic Sliding Centre Innsbruck, Igls track which has played host to numerous international
competitions. The first week proved to be an intense week, with sliders from all disciplines maximising ice time to finesse their starts and their lines, in order to scrape off the fractions of seconds that would all count in the competition. Starts prove particularly crucial, especially in bobsleigh, where the two members of the bob have to coordinate their hit on the sled to near fraction of a second accuracy in order to give the sled the best possible start down the ice before sprinting and loading, which in some cases proved amusing to watch. Throughout training a Navy driver’s handle collapsed leaving her sprawling on the ice as her unsuspecting brakewoman loaded into the sled on her own, having to shuffle forward and drive the sled on her own to the finish.
A week of three slides per individual per day soon took it’s toll on the teams. The physical nature of the sport in the bruising and battering of the runs in addition to the humping and dumping of the heavy sleds meant that come the end of the week everyone was appreciative of the 2 days we had off to recover prior to the Interservices starting properly.
The Interservice week commenced with 3
days of further training which allowed for the Team Managers to pick their best individuals for the Luge and Skeleton and the best combination of Drivers and Brakemen for the Bobsleigh. Bobsleigh preparation was generally carried out at the start and space was at a premium, which seemed to add another element of competition in who could arrive first and claim the best spots in the cover, out of the snow. A competitive air certainly hung around the start as individual services looked for any information they could gain from the others in order to give them an edge. Seemingly small snippets such as; which runners were being used, start times and how heavy individual sleds were would all be of use in picking the right competitors. Having said that, the rivalry, despite being serious, was friendly and banter was at full flow. Coaches from all three services were on hand to give advice to anyone, everyone dug in at the starts to ensure smooth running and there were even two RAF Brakemen who ended up sliding with the Royal Navy in their own competition proving true Jointry not only in ops but in competition too. Plus it also meant that an RAF Bobsleigh team member won the Royal Navy’s fastest brakeman competition!
Finally, after a week and a half of training the Interservice Competition was upon us. The competition would consist of four slides over two days for the Bobsleigh and Skeleton Bobsleigh and one day of two slides for the Luge. Tension was immense. Runners were polished down to the smoothest of sandpaper grades (approximately two microns for the Bobsleigh), sleds were polished and taped and generally treated like a newborn.
The first day of competition kicked off with the Skeleton teams sliding in the morning and the Bobsleigh in the afternoon. By the end of the day the RAF Skeleton teams, both male and female were proving themselves in competition, trouncing the Army and Navy. However, the RAF Bobsleigh had taken a bit of a beating, despite having some rocket like starts (due mainly to the fact a number of our
brakemen were also GB brakemen) the down times were off the pace in comparison to the other services. However, having said that, we were competing against 2 Olympians and GB1 and GB2 drivers.
All was to be decided on the second and final day. The competition in both disciplines would be decided by the aggregate times over the four runs. At the start of day two, the Bobsleigh competition saw the top 5 separated by a mater of hundredths of a second which meant that if there was even a minor mistake by anyone it could mean the lose of the competition. Sadly enough for the RAF Bobsleigh there was no such calamity by the Army or the Navy, all getting clean runs down the track. At the close of the competition The RN were placed 1st and 3rd whilst the RAF’s top sled managed 5th. However, better news was to be had by the RAF Skeleton Teams, with the females taking a clean sweep of the podium and the males taking 1st and 2nd. Skeleton also saw Pilot Officer Craig Alison, 57(R) Sqn take 5th, a truly phenomenal effort for his first year of competition.
The Interservices were closed by the Awards Dinner, which saw the handout of awards for the three disciplines. Despite the RAF Bobsleigh team taking home the wooden spoon, again, the night was a rowdy one which saw even more banter and
jointry which made for a fitting close to the competition.
Well done to the teams from all three services, and lets hope that next year will bring the same.
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The Joint Aircraft Recovery and Transportation Squadron (JARTS) were charged with careful disassembly of the aircraft in preparation for the
move to Wattisham. The team have spent just over a month preparing the aircraft for the 63 mile trip.
At around 1500 hrs on Thursday the Phantom fuselage was carefully craned onto the lorry that would transport it back to its old home Wattisham Flying Station. However with such a large aircraft some parts have to be transported separately. The team removed the wings and external fuel tanks, among other parts, so that the large aircraft would fit safely onto the low loader. This has not been a small task as the team has had to carefully remove an estimated 3,000 rivets, ensuring that the aircraft can be put back together easily at the other end.
On arrival the team at Wattisham Heritage Museum will fully refurnish and put the aircraft on display, to become a permanent part of the collection. The Phantom XT914 was immortalised into Wattisham’s history in 1992 as it was chosen to be the display aircraft for the farewell displays that were performed at many different RAF airfields around the country. Squadron Leader Paul Tuite, Officer
RAF Brampton’s long serving Gate Guardian, Phantom XT914 began
its final journey home to Wattisham Flying Station
in Suffolk on Thursday, 8 March. The Phantom
XT914 was stationed at Wattisham before being decommissioned in 1992.
RAF BRAMPTON’S PHANTOM MAKES ITS FINAL JOURNEY HOME
Commanding Operations and Training at RAF Brampton Wyton Henlow, who is Project Officer for the Phantom removal at RAF Brampton said: “Although It’s a sad day for RAF Brampton, the Phantom XT914 is returning to its home unit to be lovingly refurbished. The Phantom has been a focal point for both RAF Brampton personnel and the local community. Its departure really does mark the start of the Station’s closure.”
RAF Brampton’s eventual closure is scheduled for the end of 2013. Phantom XT914, however, will outlive the Station it has strikingly ‘guarded’, returning home to Wattisham; where it was previously flown by No 74 (Tiger) and No 56 (Firebirds) Squadrons up until it was retired from service two decades ago.
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Mr Pete Brindley, Expedition Leader brought a team together made up of civilian and military personnel ranging in age from 22 to 59
years. Senior Aircraftman Tom Evans, Natalie Bignell, Wendy Fieldhouse from JARIC and friends Steve Hersee, Paul Bedford, Susan Vaughn and Abigail Lang all signed up to the epic expedition. Together the team trained for 18 months before heading out to Nicaragua, team building, developing fitness and raising funds to help with the school project.
The idea for the walk across Nicaragua was thought up over a cup of coffee, however not satisfied with just walking the 200 km across Nicaragua, the team had another aim in mind. Although the team self-funded their expedition, the team raised vital money to complete a charity project at Tilgue School on the island of Ometepe to revamp the school play area and repaint classroom furniture.
JARIC MEMBERS WALK ACroSS niCArAguA
IN JANUARY this year four intrepid staff from Joint Air Reconnaissance
Imagery Centre (JARIC), along with
four friends walked 230 km across
Nicaragua, from San Juan Del Sur on the coast of the Pacific
Ocean to Bluefields on the Caribbean coast, completing a school
project along the way.
After 3 flights and a long drive the expedition team finally arrived in San Juan Del Sur on the west coast of Nicaragua to start their 200 km trek. The team walked 30 km North East to a town called Rivas in intense heat which occasionally reached 45 degrees C and 93 – 97% humidity. After an exhausting walk the team crossed Lake Nicaragua to the island of Ometepe where they carried out the three day project at the local school.
After three days of repainting and repairing
school equipment, the team divided into two, with one group taking a banana boat to cross over to the east side of the mainland from the island. Unfortunately the journey which would normally take six hours took incredible 19 hours, when the boat eventually landed, it was at a different port than originally planned, Natalie Bignell said: “If I never see a sail boat again in my life I will be very happy!” Due to the to sailing group landing in a different port the second group had to walk an extra 30 km to meet the sailors before starting out on their journey to El Rama 165 km east.
Pete said: “Keeping the morale high and working together meant any difficulties were overcome, including tropical downpours, the day time heat reaching 45 degrees C and an encounter with a large black spider.”
To support the team walking a support the crew were on hand to provide a constant supply of food and water and organise places to set up their tents in ranches and hotel grounds each night. Aida Alvaros a Nicaraguan lady who acted as interpreter and guide was key to this as a member of the team.
Pete said: “The event showed the team the Latin American culture and how friendly people can be who do not have very much in the form
of material items. The event was a massive achievement to all who took part. Without the interaction of each team member it would not have been the success that it was.”
Along the 165 km journey to El Rama, the team walked through some very poor villages, meeting people along the way, each team member was struck by how friendly the locals were although most had little. The final leg of the journey to Bluefields on the east coast the team, were spoilt with taking it on a commercial ‘Panga’ or fast speed boat. Once the team got to Bluefields they made sure that they all dipped their toes in the Caribbean
sea, and day of well earned rest. Before the team left Nicaragua they donated the tents that they had used on the trip to the Disaster Relief Fund for use as emergency shelters during the hurricane season. Pete said: “The event was challenging but at the same time extremely rewarding and satisfying as the team walked across the largest country in Latin America. Would I do this again? In fact I am already in the initial planning stages doing something similar in another part of the world.”
Over £450 was raised for the school project and £600 for SIFT (Seed International Fund Trust) – Ometepe Childrens Feeding and Nutrition Program, with the team also raising monies for charities close to their hearts at home, totalling £300 for Parkinson’s Disease and £1,000 for Help for Heroes.
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SANTA KEEPS ON GIVING AT
RAF WYTONAlthough Christmas is
now well and truly over, Father Christmas keeps on giving at RAF Wyton.
You may recall from our February edition that Father Christmas; along with a variety of reindeer, elves and fairies took part in the RAF Wyton
Santa run in December 2011 raising a grand total of £244 for East Anglian’s Children’s Hospice (EACH).
Wing Commander Mike Brown, Station Commander, presented the cheque to Debbie Fairhurst from the charity on Friday 27th
January.The cash raised will help towards the general upkeep of the three Hospices which support children and families across Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk. Wing Commander Brown said “It is a pleasure to hand over this cheque to EACH, such a deserving charity. Well done to everyone who took part!”
Debbie Fairhurst from EACH wanted to give “A big thank you to everyone to helped
raise money for EACH.”
The Station chose EACH to be their charity for 2011. Sergeant Jo Shrewsbury who helped organise the Santa run in December had the privilege of visiting the Milton Hospice earlier in 2011. “I was amazed with their facilities, the staff were so enthusiastic. Everything was geared up to making it the best environment for the children and families, it was really inspiring. I know that the money that we have raised at the Santa run will be put to good use.”
Sportsman’s Dinner
Cheque Handover
The Sportsman’s Dinner held in July 2011 hosted a Charity Auction, with items kindly donated
by the varying Station Sports Clubs.
The proceeds this year went to the Upsidedown Sports Club, which is based in St Ives. It enables school-aged wheelchair uses, the chance
to enjoy sports in a friendly and supportive environment. Activities include wheelchair football, curling and polybat. It gives new opportunities for children with disabilities and helps to promote independence and self esteem.
The proceeds from the auction amounted to £901 and a cheque was presented by OC OPS and FDS, Squadron Leader Paul Tuite, to Cathy Ledsham, spokesperson for the Upsidedown Sports Club.
The RAF Benevolent Fund has so far invested over £4m in the provision of
over 57 new play facilities (Multi-Use Games Areas (MUGAs), play parks and
youth shelters) across SFA Estates and stations in
England and Scotland as part of its Airplay project.
The RAF Wyton MUGA and two play areas are the 19th and the latest SFA estate to be completed and handed over to DIO/MHS to manage and maintain.
The Wyton MUGA and play facilities were opened on 28 March 12 and saw children from Wyton-on-the-Hill Primary School taking part in a football skills session led by players from Peterborough United Football Club.
The provision of MUGAs, play parks and youth shelters is just one strand of the RAFBF’s Airplay project which has cost over £24m. The Fund has also provided Youth Support Workers at 28 RAF stations and childcare centres, with further builds scheduled in 2012.
RAF Benevolent Fund Play Facilities
Handed over to Dio
Next year’s Sportsman’s Dinner will be hosting another charity auction and it is hoped that the Station Sports Teams will once again donate items, with proceeds going to another very worthwhile cause.
The challenge is not for the faint hearted. He braved electric shocks in the ‘Torture Chamber’, cuts and scrapes in barbed wire crawl. Burns when jumping over
burning hay bales, hypothermia in the numerous dips in icy water and mud, vertigo when climbing over the 40 ft cargo net and the usual sprains,
RAF Wyton’s Tony Blood, 31, who is the Babcock
Unit Admin Systems Administrator, took part
in the 25th Tough Guy Challenge on 29 January, for his son 18 months old
Ashton. The Tough Guy challenge takes place over a gruelling 8 mile
assault course that tests participants to their limits.
RAF WYTON’S TONY BATTLES
THROUGH TOUGH GUY CHALLENGE
twists, joint dislocation and broken bones. Tony said “It was every bit as tough as I had heard, I ran past so many people suffering from the freezing conditions, shaking uncontrollably and with other injuries, a guy in front of me smashed his head open on one of the obstacles but that didn’t stop him.”
Tony was one of 5000 contestants that started, however not all were as lucky or successful as only 2800 finished, Tony crossed the line in 3 hours and 49 minutes said “I was amazed by everyone’s spirit on the day, part of the mantra of tough guy is that you help everyone. I got stuck behind ‘Spiderman’ on a rope bridge, 20 ft above a stinking pool of water. Scared of heights, he froze in the middle of the rope so you couldn’t get past him. It was dangerous to stop moving on the course as hypothermia would set in. luckily with a few words of coaxing he managed to get across.”
“I think the worst part of the course was the Slalom where you had to run up and down this
really steep hill about 12 times, it was awful, the lactic acid in my legs was so painful.”
To keep his spirits up Tony’s Dad and wife Vicky were on hand to cheer him on and feed him jelly babies for energy. “They were a real life saver seeing my family really spurred me on to finish.”
Tony took on the Tough Guy Challenge to raise awareness and funds for Cleft Lip & Palate Association (CLAPA) as his son Ashton was born with a bi-lateral cleft lip & palate. So far little Ashton has had 4 operations and has more to go. Tony said “I wanted to do this challenge for Ashton as he is a real tough guy! I wanted the medal for him, as to me he is the ultimate tough guy as he has been through so much.”
Tony has managed to raise around £540 for CLAPA so far and wants to do more, although he says he won’t be doing Tough Guy again. In July he intends with Ashton’s Granddad and 2 uncles to complete the 3 peaks challenge.
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On Friday, 24 February 2012, personnel at RAF Wyton took part in ‘Go
Red’ day, the final event in the Red for Heart
campaign run by the British Heart Foundation
(BHF) throughout February 2012.
WE WENT REDDiD You?
The RAF Wyton ‘Go Red’ day event took the form of an aerobic fun and games session in the Station gymnasium. The lunchtime event, organised by
Carole Johnson, the Gymnasium Manager, was attended by over a dozen personnel, all wearing an assortment of red clothing.
Starting off with a football warm-up, the eager participants then endured a strength circuit which catered for all levels of fitness, even if it did look a little like too much hard work on a Friday afternoon to those supporting on the sidelines. The session culminated in a couple of games, one of which required teams running the length of the gym in boxing gloves and then
unwrapping a sweet with the gloves still on, another game involving two teams battling it out in a race to pass a 4 kg medicine ball in turn between one persons legs and over the next persons head until they reached the finishing line. Needless to say, the obligatory Service warm down was not forgotten.
By the end of the fun and games several of the valiant participants had faces that matched their red apparel. However, once recovered, all who’d taken part said they’d thoroughly enjoyed themselves. The ‘Go Red’ day event at RAF Wyton, organised by Babcock International Group, who run the Multi Activity Contract on the Station was a great success and the organisers were keen to thank all those who either took part or made a donation to the British Heart Foundations ‘Go Red’ day. Staff within Babcock, who have been involved in BHF events in the past, believe the cause to be an invaluable one and were enthusiastic to support this year’s event.
Having herself taken part in the lunchtime antics, Mrs Johnson said “I am pleased that everyone enjoyed themselves. I’d particularly like to thank Andrew Warren and Simon Ryan, two of my staff who have done a fantastic job in organising this afternoon’s event. I’d also like to thank Phil Webb who, with Andrew Warren, arranged the much needed refreshments afterwards”.
Travelling in two minibuses, led by Flt Lt Ed Slater, the Station PEdO. The journey took them initially to an overnight stay in Dunkirk via the cross channel ferry from
Dover.The following day, Tuesday, the stand
questions were started in earnest. The first stand was held in the sand dunes north of Dunkirk. The second stand was held in a rather unique location of Zuydcoote Military Cemetery. It is unusual in the fact that there are British, French and German soldiers buried together. A German bunker was visited in the harbour area and after lunch the final stand of the day was held next to the only memorial in Dunkirk relating to the evacuation, next to the sea front.
The afternoon was taken up by driving to Dieppe, approximately 130 miles away.
In Dieppe, Op Rutter and Op Jubilee was discussed and a wreath was laid in the Op Jubilee memorial garden, located in the centre of the town by Flt Lt Ed Slater. The Commonwealth War Cemetery was a stand location as well as 2 memorials to Canadian units located on the sea
Ex Gallic JubileeOn the morning of 12th March, 18 gallant staff riders departed for France from RAF Wyton, via RAF Brampton and Henlow.
front.On the Thursday, the staff riders travelled to
Amiens prison and discussed Operation Jericho, where the walls of the prison was bombed in 1944 in an attempt to release French resistance fighters. Other subjects discussed were the Special Operation Executive and various forms of Intelligence gathering.
The afternoon was spent travelling to St Omer airfield for the last stand question of the day – Area bombing and would it be accepted as a means of warfare today.
The last day of the trip was Friday and the day started at laCapoule museum outside St Omer where V2 rockets were assembled. The final stand questions related to Hitler ‘Vengeance’ weapons – the V1, V2 and V3.
After each participant delivered their stand questions, a discussion session was evoked and in some cases a very lively discussion followed.
FS Jim Simpson and Mr Chris Thurling, both members of staff from RAF Wyton Education Centre, assisted with the running of the Staff Ride and were the vehicle drivers.
Nearly 800 miles was driven throughout the week.
Ex Gallic Jubilee 2 was run a couple of weeks later, mirroring EX GJ1 but this time under the stewardship of Flt Lt Nick Tucker, the STDO.
For further information of Force Development activities, go to FDS Website and access the diary page.
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On Friday, 23 March 2012, on what was the hottest day of the year so far, 19 hardy souls from RAF Brampton took to the fields and
riverside paths of rural Huntingdonshire in aid of Sport Relief. As well as raising money for charity, the run was set-up to highlight RAF Brampton’s closure in 2013, the majority of its personnel moving up to RAF Wyton later this year.
Having recently returned from the Antarctic, where he had been conducting scientific research, Major ‘Mitch’ Mitchell of the Joint Air Reconnaissance and Intelligence Centre (JARIC) found himself in slightly less testing conditions. Finishing the run in joint first place with Flight Lieutenant Ian Hall, Mitch said: “Although it was 50 degrees centigrade warmer than the Antarctic, it made a nice change not being tied to three other people on the end of a rope.”
Waved off from RAF Brampton by Group Captain Steve Thornber, Officer Commanding JARIC, all runners successfully navigated the course, arriving safely at RAF Wyton where they were met by Wing Commander Mike Brown, the Station Commander.
In addition to the charity aspect of the run, there were some remarkable performances, none more so than from Flight Sergeant John Williams. Having nearly lost a foot in a serious accident two years ago, John managed the course in a very good time. When asked if at any point he had considered pulling out of the event, he said: “In the end, I didn’t really have
WHEN THE EXTRA MILE IS JUST THE START
a choice. Although I wasn’t aware at the time, some very ‘considerate’ colleagues of mine went round collecting sponsorship on my behalf. I must remember to ‘thank’ them!”
Sergeant Dave Tyler, also of JARIC, who organised the cross country run, said: “This year is an authentic milestone for us all at RAF Brampton as we make the transition to RAF Wyton. It also goes without saying what an important year it is for the UK in terms of promoting sport, fitness and wellbeing. My thanks go out to all who took part and those who generously donated.”
PERSONNEL from RAF Brampton went more than the extra mile for Sport Relief when they took part in a 10.5 km cross country run from RAF Brampton to RAF Wyton.
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The PFF was formed on 15 August 1942 under 8 Group commanded by then Wing Commander Don Bennett with its HQ at RAF Wyton. The PFF was
tasked with leading the main bomber force and accurately designating enemy targets en route. As such, the 22 March 2012 gave personnel at Wyton a chance to honour the gallantry of the PFF members; in fact a simple glance across the seating plan prior to the dinner would see the majority of former Pathfinders with the letters DFC, DFM or DSO (or even a combination of a few of them) after their name, a subtle indication of just what the Pathfinders endured and achieved.
The visit commenced with the Pathfinders and their guests visiting the Pathfinder Collection, run and curated by a number of passionate volunteers. The displays included various effects and memorabilia and of course sparked stories from the Pathfinders who were clearly moved by the visit, helping to bring the whole meaning of the day into context.
The evening itself began with pre dinner drinks in the Upwood Room of Wyton Officers’ Mess along with an official photo of the attending Pathfinders, Station Commander and the President of the Mess Committee. Following on from the photo, the 70th Anniversary painting, commissioned by the Mosquito Museum and the Pathfinder Collection was unveiled by Lady Broom, widow of Air Marshal Sir Ivor Broom DSO DFC** AFC as well as Mrs Noreen Cooper, daughter of Air Vice Marshal Donald Clifford Tyndall Bennett CB CBE DSO RAF in the presence of the artist, Mr Phil West before seats were taken for dinner and grace delivered by the Padre. As with all good dining in nights wine flowed; as did the conversation, allowing for us all to learn how those DFC’s, DFM’s and DSO’s galore were earned along with many other tales of high adventure such as stories of experimental bail outs from Mosquito’s, all being regaled with modesty, as if at the time the individual were out for a Sunday stroll.
As the dinner drew to a close the Station
RAF WYTON HOST PATHFINDER’S FOR 70TH CELEBRATION
On 22 March 2012, Royal Air Force Wyton
was proud to host former members of the Pathfinder Force (PFF)
at the annual Pathfinder Dinner. This year sees
the PFF celebrate its 70th Anniversary, quite a milestone for
the Force and the veterans themselves.
Commander made a speech highlighting the achievements of the Pathfinder Force. On behalf of the Pathfinders from Flight Lieutenant Colin Bell DFC (Retired), gave a reply recounting a small taster of what the Pathfinders had achieved.
Flight Lieutenant Colin Bell DFC (Retired) told the story of a Pathfinder crew on their way back from Germany after a gruelling and long flight, the pilot of this crew decided to have a cat nap, as they had reached the outer limits of the German air defences. Leaving his navigator to wake him if needed, however a few minutes later there was a violent explosion metres under the right wing very nearly destroying the aircraft, needless to say the pilot woke suddenly to see a very concerned navigator. Luckily no damage was done to the aircraft and they landed safely. As the crew later found out they had flown over a German Air Defence school training women how to use anti aircraft guns. Due to the shortage of ammunition these ladies were only allowed to fire one shell a night, clearly these ladies knew a good target.
As with all good dining in nights, the officers and guests reconvened in the bar where tall tales recommenced and more wine flowed. The evening came to a bleary close with the majority of Pathfinders still about in the bar, glass in hand, whilst many an officer had sloped off to their bed.
Thanks for this day must go out to all those who helped in the organisation of the event including; Wyton Officers’ Mess Manageress, Trish Skoyles and all her staff including Head Chef Allan Elmore for the wonderful food, as per usual; the Wyton Area Voluntary Band who once again provided superb musical accompaniment to the dinner and to the Pathfinder Collection volunteers for all their hard work, to name but a few of the sections involved.
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Yesterday RAF Brampton Wyton started on a new
footing as the Stations changed Commands to
the new Joint Forces Command which was
established yesterday at Northwood Headquarters.
RAF stations Brampton and Wyton will move under the new command, but RAF Henlow will become a separate unit and remain under RAF
Command. Sixteen Service personnel from RAF Brampton and Wyton were on parade for the small ceremony, with many more civilian staff and servicemen and women watching as the RAF Ensign that has flown at RAF Brampton since the Second World War was lowered for the final time.
RAF BRAMPTON AND WYTON LOWERS
THE RAF ENSIGN FOR THE FINAL TIME
At exactly 1600 hours three Grob Tutors from 57 (Reserve) Squadron stationed at RAF Wyton flew overhead in tight formation, as the Ensign was gradually lowered by members of the RAF Brampton Regiment section. The Bandmaster of Wyton Area Voluntary Band, Graham Sheldon sounded the last post.
Station Commander RAF Wyton, Wing Commander Mike Brown said “Its good to see so many staff turn out to witness this important moment. It is sobering to respect the lowering of the RAF Ensign over Wyton and Brampton for the last time, given the long and distinguished histories of both stations. However today also marks the start of a bright future under the newly formed Joint Forces Command, which will ensure the strong military association with the people of Cambridgeshire will remain intact for many years to come.”
Due to the change in Command there are certain other changes that will be made, RAF Brampton will no longer hold the name ‘RAF’ as the station will become a satellite to Joint Support Unit RAF Wyton. In place of the familiar RAF Ensign’s at both RAF Wyton and Brampton Camp the Joint Services flag will be flown to reflect the Joint Forces Command as a tri service Command.
Flight Lieutenant Ed Slater, Parade Commander said, “Although it was a small ceremony today, it is so important to mark the occasion as this is a part of our history. I am very proud to be a part of it.”
The formation of Joint Forces Command is part of the MOD’s Transforming Defence programme, which is the most significant programme of Defence reform for a generation. The Joint Forces Command has been established to ensure that a range of vital military capabilities, functions and organisations – such as medical services, training and education, intelligence, and cyber – are organised and managed effectively and efficiently to support success on operations.
By bringing together a number of joint Defence organisations, the Joint Forces Command will ensure investment in joint capabilities is appropriate and coherent, and strengthen the link between experience in operational theatres and top-level decision-making.
An amazing place with something for everybodyARTS AND CRAFTS FAIRBank Holiday Mon 7th May10.30am to 5pmMeet Artists and makers and hunt for art you’ll love.
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1940s FARM AND COUNTY FAIR In association with BBC HistorySun 3rd & Mon 4th June 10.30am to 5pmHorse and Cart rides, Vintage cars, guided tours, ‘Lost Crafts’ drop-in workshops, plus have your hair done-up 40s-style and try on stylish vintage clothes.Special event day admission prices apply
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You could be in the Algarve, relaxing in the sun...Situated on the top floor of a three storey block the apartment has its own residents’ swimming pool. It has the advantage of being away from the bustle of the town centre but within walking distance (10 minutes to the marina and another 5 to the town centre).
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To book accommodation please contact Judith Hall on 01536 711884Apartments can also be booked very competitively at [email protected]
Prices:Nov to Mar £190Apr, May, Oct £255June & Sep £320July & Aug £395