THIS NEWSLETTER SHOULD BE DISPLAYED FOR THE USE OF ALL MEMBERS. 75th Anniversary of the formation of the ATC

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1 Scotland & Northern Ireland Area Newsletter March 2016 THIS NEWSLETTER SHOULD BE DISPLAYED FOR THE USE OF ALL MEMBERS I n s i d e t h i s Sophie Witkowski & George Slater Edinburgh Marathon Festival Announcement for clubs Golf Tournament Mr Ronald M Taylor Ayr&Prestwick First Aid Volunteering Update Mudfield & Snowdonia Challenges Area Conference 2016 Michael E Dark A Christmas Island Story Contact Details Branch Notices th Anniversary of the formation of the ATC On the 7th of February, HRH the Duchess of Cambridge marked the occasion of the 75th Anniversary of the formation of the ATC, the Duchess by attended a church ceremony and a reception in London. The ceremony took place at the RAF church, St Clement Danes, London and the reception was held at the Royal Courts of Justice. She met cadets, veterans and adult volunteers at the service and reception. In her first official engagement as Patron of the RAF Air Cadets, HRH The Duchess of Cambridge today launched a year of cadet activity to celebrate the 75 th anniversary of the formation of the Air Training Corps (ATC). The Duchess took over the important role from HRH The Diary Dates Mar 23 Apr 1-3 Apr 19 Jun 19 Jul 23 Jun 25 Sep 3-4 Duke of Edinburgh just before Christmas, ending his 63-year association with this world-renowned uniformed youth organisation. In her appointment the Duchess also represents members of the 200 RAF sections of the schoolbased Combined Cadet Force (CCF). Many units are also celebrating their 75 th anniversary in Commandant Air Cadets, Air Commodore Dawn McCafferty, said: It is a real honour for us to have HRH The Duchess of Cambridge as our new Honorary Air Commandant and it is wonderful that she joined us on such an auspicious occasion. Joining the ATC affords Northern Region Meeting & Welfare Seminar Area Conference, Portrush Southern Region Meeting & Welfare Seminar Lothian Armed Forces Day, Livingston East Fortune Airshow Armed Forces Day Scottish Airshow, Ayr/Prestwick many opportunities to young people, including camping, adventure training and flying. The cadets are also equipped with leadership skills and experience to guide them in their future ventures as adults. Sep 3-4 Northern Ireland International Airshow, Portrush

2 P a g e 2 Edinburgh Marathon Festival The Edinburgh Marathons Festival takes place from the 28th to the 29th of May The Festival is the largest running event in Scotland and the fastest marathon in the whole of the UK due to the elevation of the route through Edinburgh. The Festival includes a marathon, a halfmarathon, a 10k race, a 5k race and junior races of 2k and 1.5k races. It is also possible to complete this marathon as a team in four, in the form of a relay! There are no standard entry places left for the Edinburgh Marathon, however there are charity places left and as an official affiliate, the RAF Association currently has available places within the marathon. Edinburgh was voted the 4th most beautiful city in the world, so with stunning scenery and the flat elevation of the route on your side, running the Edinburgh Marathon is an enjoyable challenge. If you are interested in raising money for the Association by taking part in the Edinburgh Marathons Festival, please contact us via challengeevents@rafa.org.uk or on Copyright: Anna Lawton The Meadows, Edinburgh Copyright: Anna Lawton Copyright: Anna Lawton Edinburgh Castle Arthur s Seat, Edinburgh

3 Sophie Witkowski Virgin London Marathon P a g e 3 We re excited to announce that Sophie Witkowski, Head of Welfare at the RAF Association, will be running the Virgin London Marathon on the 24th April 2016 to raise funds for the Association. Sophie said: I have always enjoyed watching the London Marathon, seeing all those people supporting charities is really inspiring. I applied for it last year through the ballot, before working for the RAF Association but was unsuccessful. When this place came up I thought I d put my name forward! Sophie Witkowski, Head of Welfare I have been really encouraged by the support the Association gives and the commitment it has to delivering welfare to meet the needs of the RAF Family. I have spoken to many people who have seen a positive change in their lives and I am in admiration of the continued support of our membership. I m really excited about running the Marathon on behalf of the Association, I have never done anything like this before and it will be a real challenge, but I have a training plan which I hope gets me over the finish line! Please support Sophie s fundraising efforts and help to make her hard work and dedication even more meaningful by visiting her fundraising page at the following address: fundraisers/ sophiewitkowski2 George Slater Edinburgh Marathon We d like to introduce George Slater, who will be running the Edinburgh Marathon to raise money for the RAF Association! George is serving at XXIV Sqn at Brize Norton as an Aircrew Instructor. George was born in Aberdeen and has also served previously served at Kinloss, Lossiemouth and Leuchars. The following is George s statement regarding his fundraising: This year I have set myself the challenge of completing my first marathon - and have chosen Edinburgh, my favourite city and the place where I proposed to my beautiful wife. George reuniting with his daughter on return from Afghanistan I have served in the RAF for 16 years now, and will be raising money for the RAF Association, the charity that supports the RAF family. My profile picture is me being reunited with my daughter Amelie after a deployment to Afghanistan. RAFA supports families of deployed personnel, along with lots of other important work. To encourage you to donate I am giving you a unique opportunity. If you donate 10 or more then you can leave a song/artist on your comment and I will add that song to my marathon playlist. You can choose a song with a special memory, something you like to run to, something really annoying, anything you like. In return for your donation I promise I will listen to it in full during the marathon (I do ask your song is no longer than 5 minutes so it doesn't dominate the playlist). Please leave a message to explain why you have chosen the song. You can donate using the following link: uk.virginmoneygiving.co m/fundraiser-web/ fundraiser/ showfundraiser- Page.action? userurl=georgeslater&fa Id=671466&isTeam=fals e

4 P a g e 4 Announcement for Clubs Selling Alcohol HMRC ALCOHOL WHOLESALER REGIS- TRATION SCHEME Clubs may have received letters from their brewery regarding this scheme. We know that Coors have sent letters out to the majority of their customers. This matter is unlikely to affect RAF Association Clubs although we appreciate that brewers such as Coors are simply undertaking a compliance exercise by informing Clubs of this matter. Clubs should therefore not be concerned if their brewery writes to them regarding the scheme. The Alcohol Wholesaler Registration Scheme was introduced on 1st January 2016 by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to tackle alcohol fraud. It only applies to alcohol wholesalers businesses which sell alcohol to other businesses. Clubs are therefore not likely to be affected. However, should a Club sell alcohol to another business then they will need to register with HMRC. From 1st April 2017, Clubs must make sure that any UK wholesalers or businesses they use to purchase buy alcohol are approved by HMRC under this scheme. We do not anticipate that any RAF Association Club will have to change its procedures as a result of this situation and Clubs are likely to be able to continue to buy from their existing suppliers without any problems. Thank you. Brian Fare Membership Support Officer and National Clubs Advisor Falkirk Golf Tournament The 2015 RAF Association Annual Golf Tournament will be held at Falkirk Tryst Golf Club on the 22nd of September This is a traditionally longstanding annual competition for members. There is no fundraising involved and this competition is open to all members. This is the chance to meet other members and enjoy a relaxing day of conversation, fresh air and golf. The day begins with a bacon roll and tee off at 10am. The end of the tournament concludes with a meal. The cost of participation, which will include the refreshments outlined, is currently approx. 32 per person. To register or to obtain more details, please contact BSO Dave Mowatt on the details available at the end of this newsletter.

5 Mr Ronald M. Taylor P a g e 5 We would like to release a statement from John MacLean, Life Vice- President and Chairman of Peterhead Branch: It is with sadness that I have to inform you of the death of Ronald M Taylor on the 24th of January 2016, at the age of 102. During his career with the RAF, Ron travelled to Canada for aircrew training and returned to the UK as a Flight Engineer. However Ron would not speak much about his RAF experience, he preferred to concentrate on his work with the RAF Association. On leaving the RAF he was employed by the Peterhead Council Water Board, until he retired. He was well know throughout the town as the Water Man. He was a quiet and kind man and despite failing health, he continued to faithfully take a full interest in all Branch activities, until his death at age 102. Ayr & Prestwick Branch First Aid Qualification On Saturday the 30th of February, 4 members of the Ayr & Prestwick Branch took part in the Level 2 Basic Life Support and Safe Use of an Automated External Defibrillator Course within the Branch s RAF Association Club. The course was provided by C&M Training, of Ayrshire. The company regularly provide first aid training and health and safety advice to the Branch and Branch Club. The importance of this training can t be underestimated, Receiving a shock from AED and first aid, could mean the difference between life or death for a person experiencing cardiac arrest. The skills that these members learned give them the ability to help to save lives. Well done to all of those members involved, on gaining their new qualification and skills, and thank you to C&M Training for providing the course.

6 P a g e 6 Volunteering Update Volunteering Launch This month marks the official launch of the Befriending Service at the Lords and Commons Dinner on the 8th of March. A number of high profile delegates will be attending, including the Chief of the Air Staff. This month we are also going to be ramping up communications around all volunteering opportunities and making sure the public hear about what the Association does and how they can help us. We have a new website and registration system where volunteers can easily get involved and sign up for a variety of roles such as a Caseworker, Fundraising Team Leader or Befriender. Befriending Since our soft launch in December, we have been fortunate to have over 100 potential new volunteers come forward. 80 potential Befrienders are in contact with us and we are working with them to find out how they can help us and where they can visit members of the RAF Family. After the official launch of Befriending this month, our welfare teams will be matching up those who need a visit with a volunteer who has time to help. We will keep you updated on progress. Volunteer Audit Thank you to everyone who has contacted us over the past couple of months to inform us of who you are and how you help the Association. Many Branches have completed the volunteer survey forms and told us who is undertaking which role for their Branch. We are going to officially thank all our volunteers in National Volunteers Week (1-7 June) and so we would like to hear from as many of our Branches as possible. There is still time to return the volunteer audit forms, so if you have missed the deadline, don t worry, please still send in your forms using the freepost envelopes provided. Individuals still needing to complete a form, please consult your Branch Chair or a copy is available on the Member Portal. Thank you for your continued correspondence with us around the volunteering programme and please contact us on volunteers@rafa.org.uk or on with any questions.

7 Mudfest Airfield Anarchy P a g e 7 Endurance and obstacle challenges have become an exciting and varied new way to get fit and strong. From the 11th to the 12th of June, there will be an opportunity to take part in such a challenge. The Airfield Anarchy Mudfest will take place on disused WWII airfield RAF Winthorpe and will put participants through their paces with mud running obstacles! This is a great opportunity for those who enjoy getting messy, doing something a little different and who like a challenge. Also, importantly, this is an opportunity to raise money for the RAF Association to support the instrumental, good work it does to support the welfare needs of the RAF Family. If you would like to attend the Mudfest, please contact our events team and register for a place as soon as you can! You may contact our Events Team on: challengeevents@rafa.org.uk, or Please get in touch also if you have any questions regarding the event. The exact location for the event is: Winthorpe Airfield (Newark Showground), Drove Lane, Newark, Nottinghamshire, NG24 2NY. Multi Event Snowdonia Challenge The multi event Snowdonia challenge takes place on the 14th of May 2016 and involves a variety of challenges, which includes: cycling 17km (10.5 miles); trekking 15km (9.3 miles); and kayaking 4km (2.5 miles) over the course of 12 hours. Snowdonia National Park in northwest Wales is home to a range of mountains and glaciers, which makes for some stunning scenery. The view from the top of Mount Snowdon is reputed to be one of the most extensive in the UK. From the peak parts of Ireland, Scotland, England and the Isle of Man can be seen in addition to the beautiful Welsh countryside. Some beautiful and unique flora and fauna can be found in the Snowdonia National Park. The Snowdon Lily, Osprey, Polecats and Otters, Peregrine, wild Mountain Goat and rainbow coloured Snowdon Beetle among many others. If you enjoy raising money for charity, the great outdoors and a little bit of a challenge, this event could be for you. The challenge is rated as being of medium intensity and so would suit a variety of age groups of good fitness level. The variety of the activities involved in the event mean it s an interesting adventure and a great challenge to complete too! If you are interested taking part to raise money for the RAF Association or would like to obtain additional information, please contact the Events Team on: challengeevents@rafa.org.uk or alternatively

8 P a g e 8 Area Conference 2016 This year the Scotland and Northern Ireland Area Annual Conference will take place in Portrush in Northern Ireland, over the Weekend of the 1st of April to the 3rd of April The Magherabuoy Hotel will be the location of our Conference this year, it s a beautiful and comfortable location to hold the conference, close to World Heritage site of the Causeway Coast. We have provided a detailed outline of the conference on the subsequent page (number 9), however a general outline of what will take place is as follows. On Friday the 1st of April, the Conference begins with an informal meet and greet in the hotel bar. On Saturday the 2nd of April, the Standard Bearers Competition begins at 0930, officially starting the Conference, with Dinner beginning at 1930 and Entertainment at 2045 concluding the events of Saturday. The menu for the Dinner/ Dance on Saturday is: Vegetable Soup; Turkey and Ham or Roast Beef; Trio of Deserts; Coffee and Mints. In addition to this menu there are vegetarian options available and other dietary preferences or needs such as allergies can also be catered for too. If you do have any such preferences or allergies, please contact Carol Titterington on the contact details provided at the end of the newsletter. The cost per head for the Dinner/ Dance, for those solely attending this event, is On Sunday there will be a Church Service at 1100, followed by refreshments at the Magherabuoy Hotel. Rooms at the Magherabuoy hotel are now fully booked however there are a variety of lovely hotels that we can direct you to that are very close by. If you haven t yet booked accommodation for Conference please consider: An Amazing B&B, The Antrim House Hotel, The Albany House and The Ramada, or please contact us as soon as you can and we can assist you.

9 P a g e 9 Area Conference 2016 Schedule The following is an outline of the schedule for the 2016 Area Conference. Friday 1st of April to 2300 The Pipes of Peace Folk Group Main Bar Saturday 2nd of April -From 0700 Breakfast Registration Standard Bearers to arrive Standard Bearers Competition Coffee break Young RAFA Seminar Lunch VIP Party gathers in Foyer All delegates seated Pipe in the VIP Party Conference opened by Area President AVM D Whittaker March in the Area Standard Silent Tribute & Dedication by Reverend Knox and Jim Gannon Mayor of Coleraine opens Reunion Area Chairmen s Report State of the Nation Rory O Connor RAF update AVM David Niven Operational Speaker Gavin Willmott 51 Squadron Coffee Break Membership Debate & Open Forum Presidential Certificates, Awards & Cheques Vote of Thanks Dick Trebbett March off the Area Standard Reunion Close Photo Opportunity Foyer Seated for Dinner (Call for Dinner when all guests will be piped in to Dinner) Grace Dinner (Harpist as background music during Dinner) Royal Irish will play Dancers begin Area Draw The John Trotter Band Raffle The John Trotter Band The National Anthem Carriages Sunday 3rd of April Transport to RBL carpark (Shuttle Minibus on standby) Parade assemble outside the RBL Portrush Parade march off Wreath laying ceremony War Memorial Church service Parade Marches Off to outside RBL Transport to Magherabuoy Hotel Refreshments at the Magherabuoy Hotel Carriages Bus Tour Causeway Coast 02 Apr at 1000 (for those not attending the business sessions) Note This information is correct at the time of printing but is subject to change so should be used as a guide only.

10 P a g e 10 Michael Edward Dark Retired RAF Squadron Leader Michael Edward Dark, who has died at the age of 85, was one of the last pilots to fly a Sunderland flying boat into Castle Archdale in Co Fermanagh. The Sunderlands played a vital role in the Battle of the Atlantic, helping to pinpoint and destroy German U-boats. Squadron Leader Dark was one of five generations of his family to serve in the RAF since its formation in April 1, His grandfather, Albert, an ex-royal Navy gunner, joined on that date and served in its technical branch. Michael's father, Edward, served from and was part of an Allied forces scientific team which visited Hiroshima in September 1945 to determine the effects of the two atomic bombs dropped on Japan the previous month. Michael's eldest son Jonathan also served in the force as did his granddaughter Rebecca, whose five years in the RAF included going to the Falklands. She later trained as a nurse in the Queen Al- Michael Dark, pictured on the bottom row, second from the right

11 P a g e 11 Michael Edward Dark After leaving the RAF in 1970, Michael spent the next eight years as recreation manager for Magherafelt District Council and Larne Borough Council. On moving to Castlerock, he became a volunteer at Coleraine Citizens Advice Bureau, retiring in He spent 26 years as a member of the Causeway Coast branch of the RAF Association and of the Aircrew Association NI. He is survived by his wife Ann, children Jonathan, Nicholas, Patrick and Annabel, and a number of grandchildren. The unmistakable form of the Sunderland

12 P a g e 12 A Christmas Island Story by Roddy Moffat In 1958, I was posted to Christmas Island in the Pacific, 1200 miles south of Hawaii. This was Britain s main test area for nuclear bombs and I was volunteered by the War Office, as were thousands of other troops, as what was euphemistically known as witnesses. I was trained as a Ground Radar Mechanic in the RAF, working on Receiver Consoles and in this capacity was serving at RAF Boulmer in 1957, when I was detached to RAF Feltwell for a short training course on the Ack Ack 3 Mk. 7 Tracking Radar. In WWII, these units were used, in conjunction with Ack Ack Artillery, to locate and lock onto an aircraft, the radar and guns thus following it wherever it went. On his screen in the mobile radar unit, the operator fed range, bearing and elevation to the guns, enabling them to lock onto the target. On Christmas Island we would be using the unit in much the same way, except we would be plotting the information coming in on a map using a moving pen. Two months after I returned to Boulmer, I was sent to RAF Innsworth for kitting out with tropical gear. A train journey from 'Y' Site, Christmas Island, showing 'Sgt. Flit' overhead spraying DDT to keep down the flies Innsworth took about 200 assorted RAF tradesmen to London Airport for a flight by BOAC (British Overseas Airways Corporation, forerunner of British Airways) to New York, where after few hours, American Airlines took us, first to San Francisco, then on to Honolulu. The flight to Christmas Island was on board an RAF Hastings. It must be remembered that there were no package holidays in those days, and for practically all the young Servicemen, this was their first trip outside the UK. Couple this with the fact none of us knew Showing how flat Christmas Island is, nothing higher than a few feet above sea level what the bomb tests entailed, and you had a pretty carefree attitude among us. On arrival on Christmas Island, I initially shared a tent with about 30 others. Daily, about a dozen or so of us, who were going to form Y Site about metres from Ground Zero, went to this site to erect tents and living quarters, bouncing across the coral in a 3- tonner. Our tents were on one side of a lagoon, with the units and generators on the other side. It was a walk around the lagoon of about a couple of hundred yards to get to work, but usually, one of us carried the others clothes whilst the rest swam across. In the run up to a bomb test, there would be about 400 Army, Navy, Air Force and AWRE (Atomic Weapons Research Establishment) personnel on the island, so it can be appreciated that our little unit of about 16, including 3 Sergeants and a Flight Sergeant, were quite happy to be living and working away from such a large number of people all sharing tents and mess halls. After our equipment and quarters had been set up, we settled down to rehearsals for the main event, these rehearsals taking place about twice a week. There were three of the Tracking Radar units, one on the aircraft carry-

13 Continued... P a g e 13 ing the bomb, one on the second aircraft, which had observers on board and would be the lead aircraft on the next test and one on the Canberra aircraft, which would fly through the nuclear cloud obtaining samples. On the test I am writing about, I was the Operator tracking the lead aircraft. Sitting in the unit, I wore headphones whereby I could hear the pilot, though not speak to him, and also my C. O. in the Plotting Caravan, to whom I could talk. The first and second aircraft were Valiants, and the crews often came to our site to sit in the units with the operator, to see what was happening at our end of the rehearsals. On the morning of the test, we were all up and about earlier than usual. Our dress that day, as opposed to out usual shorts and sandals, was long trousers, shirt with the sleeves rolled down and shoes. I believe our dress for that day was for radiation protection! I sat in my cabin for what was a dummy run by the aircraft to the target. I could hear the lead aircraft pilot talking to the scientists at the airfield regarding visibility over the target, together with weather conditions, and for my part I was able to follow the aircraft on the run without any problems at our end. The go ahead was given for a live run. I again picked up the aircraft on his run in and was able to follow him as the command was given to drop the bomb. His run was of course being plotted on the map in the Damage to the tents at 'Y' Site after the 'H' bomb test Plotting Caravan, via information from the Radar Unit and the moving pen. As he came up to the bombing point, I heard him say bomb gone. At this point, I came off tracking the aircraft and began searching for the falling bomb. When I found it, we began tracking it in the Caravan. During this time, from bomb gone, a countdown was taking place and three seconds from detonation, I unlocked the radar and swung the aerial 180 degrees, to protect it from the flash of the detonation. About a minute after detonation, the order was given to evacuate the radar unit and caravan and head for our shelter, which was corrugated iron supported by sandbags, which was to give us protection from the blast of the bomb. When I came out of my unit, I looked in the direction of Ground Zero and saw the most terrifying sight one could imagine. The whole sky was on fire, a mixture of red, orange and black flames, as if the very clouds were on fire. Looking around me in the shelter, there were worried faces, mirroring my own fears. The blast then came, which shook our shelter violently and we could see our units being bounced around, with the nearby palm trees bending almost to the ground. The heat from the bomb was tremendous, even given that the daily temperature on the island was between 100 and 125 degrees fahrenheit, this was much hotter. Then came the order to leave the shelter and observe Ground Zero. Where there had been hell in the skies, there was now the usual beautiful blue, with a magnificent white mushroom formation rising up for miles and miles. To be a witness to this sight is something which I have never forgotten and in the discussion with others who were there, it is something that we never will. Over the years, many who took part in these tests suffered appalling cancer related illnesses and many cases, their children and grandchildren have suffered likewise. I have tried at Nuclear Test Veteran's Association conferences and on Channel 4 Service Pals, to contact any of those who were with me on Christmas Island, but I have found only two. I often wonder how the rest got on. If anyone reading this was stationed on Christmas Island during these tests, or knows of anyone who was, please get in touch via the Contact Us page of the Stornoway RAFA website ( uk).. The British Nuclear Test Veterans Association website can be found at: Roddy Moffat relaxing in the NAAFI on Christmas Island

14 HELP US TO STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOU By far, the quickest and easiest way for us to get in contact with our members is through . This method of communication also saves money on postage money that we can instead spend on providing welfare support to members of the RAF Family. Please update us on your current address by sending a quick note to Anna using the details on the right. AREA STAFF CONTACT DETAILS Edinburgh Office Sophie Bruce, Acting Assistant Area Welfare Officer sophie.bruce@rafa.org.uk Anna Lawton, Acting Area Admin Assistant anna.lawton@rafa.org.uk WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU Let Anna know what your Branch is up to, so that it can be included in next month s newsletter. You can contact Anna by calling the office, or you can your updates and photographs to her using the details to the right Follow us on: Mike McCourt, Area Welfare Officer: mike.mccourt@rafa.org.uk Leuchars Office Dave Mowatt, Branch Support Officer: dave.mowatt@rafa.org.uk Joe Stanfield, Area Director: joe.stanfield@rafa.org.uk Belfast Office Carol Titterington, NI Regional Support Officer carol.titterington@rafa.org.uk Sarah Waugh, NI Regional Manager sarah.waugh@rafa.org.uk Area Supporters We would like to express our thanks to Rangers Charity Foundation, Tunnock s, Hibernian FC, POSH Original Art and Heroes Vodka for their generous donations to the Scotland & Northern Ireland Area Conference raffle. These companies have donated some fantastic prizes. Tickets will be available for purchase at the Area Conference and will be drawn on the day.