The unofficial Manila chapter of the ex RAF Boy Entrants Association (two of us, both ex 33rd entry) hope to meet at a local this coming Sunday. We shall raise a glass to all who participated in that magnificent effort.

We will remember them. RIP.

Jake.

Back in the "bad old days" when Officers commanded (with the Warrant Officer's say so and the support of the SNCO's), we used to have eight RAF Stations "At Home" days on the nearest weekend to 15th September to celebrate/remember the Battle of Britain. I know because I organised/coordinated them (and wrote the Op Order) The new guard would be amazed at the uneccesary cost, the waste of valuable training time and the improper use of resources which was expended to achieve this unique weekend. Anyone else remember?

The way things are going, we'll soon only have eight RAF Stations.

at RAF Finningley I ran the Met. participation for BoB Open Day including diabolical unforecast weather at times.

The Station Telephone directory had a permanent number for:

Officer i/c Temporary Erections.

I think the number was permanently engaged, with so many testosterone-fuelled young trainees.

It really did, wish I had stolen a copy!

Spitfire at Waddo today for BoB. Sleep easy fine fellows.

"We will remember them"

Brave young men, many of whom must lived with their hearts in their mouths waiting for the scramble.

In actual factthere used to be more held simultaneously. 12 in 1964 and 65 and before that 15. On 19th September 1953, there was 70! including one RCAF station, North Luffenham I think. The date was always the Saturday of the week within which the 15th fell rather than the nearest Saturday to it. By rights, this coming Saturday 17th September is when, for example, the Leuchars show should be held.

That said I think it would be shame if we ever ended up not having at least one R.A.F. Station holding such a display in September.

There can be no better invitation to the general public to join the R.A.F. and other services in marking the Anniversary of what remains the most crucial air battle in history.

FB:)

There were indeed as reported in the press at the time.

With over a million visitors too!

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r...esSept1953.jpg

"The Few".
 

God bless "The Few" who gave us our freedom,we will remember them.

I guess so. Whist the perception of those that were involved is often one of young men that were ---- whatever. They were almost certainly very brave, very scared, very aware of their mortality, hugely inexperienced, and constantly hoping they'd live to enjoy their maturity. Most of those of us that followed became skilled in their art and adopted their creed, but we never had to contemplate death on a daily basis. That is what makes me remember, humbly.

They shall not grow old as we grow old

I'm over at a multi-national meeting at the moment in España...

Hopped onto the coach first thing this morning and hailed a Luftwaffe mate:

"Ah, die Deutsche! Happy Battle of Britain Day! Don't forget you buggers lost!"

"OK - next time you can have the Italians!"

"We did the first time - and you also lost then!"

So tonight we've had an excellent run ashore. We must never forget, but equally don't forget the losses amongst 'brother fliers' on all sides. Politicians suck (especially if they have a penchant for silly moustaches), but respect for all those who had to do what they did should reasonably be observed.

Have any of the news channels today made reference to this most significant day?
May be it's not "PC" to make reference to "winning" in regard to a fellow European neighbour..........

Lest we forget the debt we owe...

"I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin. Upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilization. Upon it depends our own British life, and the long continuity of our institutions and our Empire. The whole fury and might of the enemy must very soon be turned on us. Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be freed and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands.
But if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new dark age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science. Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves, that if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, This was their finest hour". (Winston Churchill 18th June 1940).

"Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few". (Winston Churchill 20th August 1940).

Eight? I distinctly remember when just about every RAF and RAuxAF Station held 'Battle of Britain' open days. Even the Bomber Command ones. :hmm:

Our local station was RAF Thornaby, home to RAuxAF 608 Squadron and their DeHavilland Vampires and it was where I got Avtur in my blood at the age of five.

Blacksheep

Quite correct.

Moreover, the national and local newspapers used to print souvenir special editions covering the airshows; with interviews with those who fought so gallantly.

After completing my pre-Vulcan Buccaneer lead-in course :\ , I held at RAF Biggin Hill awaiting my fate.

One day we shifted a filing cabinet, from behind which fell a piece of yellowing foolscap dated around 1955. It contained some fascinating gems, in particular that 'Meteor aircraft are not to be flown below 50ft in the designated low flying areas' and 'Airmen are not to hitch rides on the wings of Meteors as a means of crossing the aerodrome' - but the one I liked best was 'Of the 34 RAF stations in Home Command in the south of England holding Battle of Britain days this summer........'

I have a copy of the 1953 RAF Merryfield BoB At Home day programme - something like 20 different types of RAF and RN aircraft in the static display.....

Preparing for 234 Sqn's 70th bash, we found some BoB gun camera film in the loft.

"Opening range: 40 yards
Closing range: indeterminate"

and with overtake :eek:
bits of Messerschmidt bouncing off the windscreen.

Certainly avoids having to remember all that QWI stuff!

Transferred it to video for the visitors. The German Navy starfighter pilots enjoyed it too.

From the outset, all commands held "at homes" on B.O.B. Saturday, its just that the numbers increasingly decreased, but the standard of fare at each got better as well. About 1954 or there abouts, there was an argument between the AOCs of Tech Training and Maintenance command (I believe), and VCAS, Sir Thomas Pike at the time. They were unhappy about the heavy number of their stations which they were being asked to make available to be open that forthcoming B.O.B. weekend. The chief complaint was that their stations largely had little of interest to show the public and were always at the back of the queue when flying items were being allocated , supposedly fairly. Their concerns were regarded sympathetically and were assured that things were about to change. I believe this referred to 1957, when a central B.O.B. project team were set up at Fighter Command H.Q. their job was to ration out the bulk of flying and static participants to avoid as much as possible any imbalance.

If you buy my book "The R.A.F. At Home" all this and more is detailed etc etc!:ok:

FB:)

Finningley Boy can you confirm my reflections on erections please?