Thank you for the suggestions re Pilots’ Pals and I think they will stay in the attic – a nice surprise when my executors flog the bricks and mortar!
On the cover of the 1995 edition was a BofB veteran called Ivor Cosby DFC, who was an Hon Member of the Biggin Hill mess and when Mrs OD and I were first married she had the MQ at 1 Grice Avenue and hence close to said mess. One year she was pinged to host Ivor at the BofB bash and there was a young ‘holding officer’, recently commissioned and who was a bit in awe of Ivor, whom he engaged in conversation most earnestly!
He asked Ivor if he had realised, all those years ago, that he was fighting for the free world, the future of democracy and several other worthy objectives, which I no longer remember. Ivor took him by the shoulder and said: “You don’t understand, sonny, our motives were simply that those of us who survived would ever after be invited to at least one above average cocktail party every summer”, at which point Ivor grabbed another G&T from a passing waiter and staggered off into the crowd!!!
Old Duffer