I remember Hodgkinson in his report recommended that the RAF News be distributed free as part of the corporate communications strategy (before someone had invented corporate communications). Not that long after there was a big push to get us to subscribe to the extent of stopping the Messes buying just a couple of copies.

Then more recently still, Coningsby with a Service population of over 2,000 took just 20 copies. The CRO got at least 2!

I'm pretty sure that my section alone gets 20 copies these days....!!

Normally about 2 get looked at!

African Swallows or European Swallows?

It is not called Pravda for nothing. My letter about the use of the cattle truck C130 to transport passengers, while banning the use of the VC10 at the same time went unanswered.

Says it all really ...

RAF News HomePage

At least it does say Air Command.

Bombing Mau Mau
 

Beagle, any chance of you posting the 'Bombing Mau Mau' article from the same issue?

I arrived in Kenya during June 1954, and I seem to remember the 'raids' were still ongoing as was the Harvard interdictions

Thanks in advance

PZU - Out of Africa (Retired)

Maybe a separate thread for more to appreciate/contribute to?


"Articles from the past" or some similar title?

OOOPs, I did the damned survey;) I suspect my responses reflect the general trend of this thread. I always remember buying the RAF News to see if anyone I knew had been promoted, or managed to get themselves into a story worth reading. My best mate, from Halton, appeared one day on top of a Puma in Norway. I managed to get back in contact with him as a result of that. I'm definitely not liking stories about how the service is doing in the woofter ratings. I suspect I would be sorely tried in being PC enough for the "modern" RAF:rolleyes:

If anyone wants copies of said RAF Review Magazine then there are many examples for sale on a well known auction site starting at less than £1 each! (A bit less than Beagle is willing to charge).

I recently carried out some research into a mid-air collision of two Waddington Lincolns in 1949 - the best source came from an on-line copy of a review magazine from that year. They are out there somewhere!

When I started this Thread, I mentioned the great and good who were ultimately responsible for RAF News but I hadn't realised the depth of the antipathy towards the newspaper at that time.

If somebody can tell me the big cheese in charge - AMP perhaps - and give me an email address, I shall 'petition' him and refer him to this Thread with the request that he gets it sharpened up.

Old Duffer

OD,

I'm glad you started this thread; I don't feel alone any longer! I stopped my subscription a couple of years ago as my blood pressure couldn't cope with the fortnightly scan for typos, spelling errors with Station names and misidents of aircraft. I reckon they recruited the worst of Fleet St as 'journalists' when they moved from Innsworth. Never knowingly miss the opportunity to wheel out a cliche; ATC cadets are always 'high flying'.

pzu, just for you:


Old-Duffer, it's quite probable that there is no such grand fromage in these poverty-stricken times....:hmm:

Petit Chablis then.

As for 2004, remember that mandatory radio programme of the '50s Journey in to Space.

Bombing Mau Mau
 

Cheers BEagle

PZU - Out of Africa (Retired)

OD ...

A possible starting point with a quick call followed by a letter/eMail perhaps.

HQ Air Command,
High Wycombe, Bucks
HP14 4UE.
T: 01494 495546
E: [email protected]

Coff.

Would it surprise you to know that there are no uniformed RAF personnel involved in it's production?

Amazing the earth-shattering information that used to appear...

http://www.kmercerphotography.co.uk/...dding022_2.jpg

Even more amazingly, we still are a 'happy couple'. :ok:

My first job on promotion to corporal and posting to Brize was in the Post Room. I was responsible for ordering, distributing and selling RAF News.

As I read this thread I had to double check the date and make sure that it wasn't 1974 because the exact same comments were being made then and that's - gulp - almost 40 years ago!

My last act on retirement as a sqn ldr in 93 was to buy a copy of RAF News. Still got it somewhere.

Er no, it wouldn't.

Bit like Defence Estates or the MOD Civil Service really.