Ceremony Marks 95 Years of RAuxAF

RESERVISTS gathered at the National Memorial Arboretum to mark 95 years since the founding of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force.

A service attended by personnel from the 30 reserve squadrons and five associations was held at the RAuxAF’s dedicated memorial at the 150-acre Staffordshire site.

Chairman of the RAuxAF Foundation, Gp Capt Richard Mighall, said: “The men and women of today’s Royal Auxiliary Air Force are, as were their predecessors, a credit to our nation. In Winston Churchill’s words they are ‘twice the citizen’.”

The service was taken by Padre the Reverend Mike Elliott of 600 Sqn and wreaths were presented. Recently-laid memorial plaques were also dedicated to former RAuxAF personnel.

These were: Air Commodore Alex Dickson, Honorary Air Commodore, 7644 Sqn; Squadron Leader Bruce Blanche, Intelligence Officer, 2 (City of Edinburgh) Maritime HQ; Air Commodore Angus Douglas-Hamilton, 15th Duke of Hamilton, pilot and Honorary Air Commodore, 2 (City of Edinburgh) Maritime HQ; The Right Honourable Lord Monro of Langholm, pilot and Honorary Air Commodore, 2622 (Highland) Sqn; Flying Officer Neil Pearson, Ops Controller; Air Chief Marshal Sir John Barraclough, pilot and Honorary Air Commodore, 3 (County of Devon) Maritime HQ; Flight Sergeant William Webster, Air Signaller, 3603 (City of Edinburgh) Sqn; Edwin ‘Tony’ Stotesbury, 600 (City of London) Sqn Assoc; Flight Lieutenant Cameron Rennie, 7644 Sqn (Media Reserves); Senior Aircraftwoman Leanne Carroll, 605 Sqn.

Flt Lt Rennie died last year on duty. The two last RAuxAF personnel killed in action were Senior Aircraftmen Chris Dunsmore, 23, of the RAuxAF Regiment who died at Kandahar, Afghanistan, in 2007, and Gary Thompson, 51, who died at Kandahar, Afghanistan, in 2008