Whatever else is happening today, it is also the 50th Anniversary of the Graduation of No 72 Navigator Course at 1ANS, RAF Stradishall, on 8 December 1965. Eight of the eleven shown here after the parade had started together at Hullavington in January that year.
L to R: Jock Turnbull, Kevin Toal, Paul Hickley, Robin Ibbott, Ian Macmillan, Larry Blake, Doug Marshall, Tim Miles, Dave Ford, Keith Moore, Dick Weldon.
Our course commanders at Stradishall had been Flt Lts Bob Marshall and Ken Newman, and at HV, Flt Lt Ray Cook. The Reviewing Officer that day was Air Cdre R G Wakeford MVO, OBE, AFC, then SASO at 3 Group - in November 1976, when he was then DCDS(Int), I was in a VC10 crew that brought him back from Dulles to Brize Norton.
I've no idea quite how many of us are still out there, but I'll raise a glass to you all this evening.