“252 boys arrived at Wendover railway station on 21st August 1945, of whom 63 were destined for the
No.1 Radio School at Cranwell. They set off on the long march to No.1 Wing, and as they were
‘marching’ along, looked up and saw a Lockheed P38 Lighting fly overhead, still with its black and
white D-Day stripes.”
This year, 60 years to the very day on 21st August, 51 members of the 51st, including four from the
Cranwell group and Jack Smith, who made the journey over from Perth with his wife Joan, gathered at
the Holiday Inn at Aston Clinton. They were accompanied by 54 wives, sons, daughters and one grandson,
who all came along to see where their husbands, dads and grandad spent their youth. Amongst our number
was Rita Bell, the widow of our first Chairman Dinger Bell, whom we invited along to be our guest for
the weekend, and the Guest of Honour was Chiefy (Roy) Thomas, accompanied by his wife Mary.
Chiefy, now 88, was the ‘C’ Squadron disciplinary Flight Sergeant throughout our time at Halton and
was also defender of ‘his boys’. At the time we may not have relished his ‘watch over us’, but in the
long term his discipline helped mould us into what we are today and we were therefore delighted that
he could join us in our celebrations. Throughout the day we were escorted by Min Larkin, Barrie
Nancarrow and Peter West from the HAAA.
The march ended at the Trenchard Museum where Ken Savage made a presentation of ex-WO Fred (Boggy)
Marsh’s pace stick, bible and photograph to the museum Curator, Francis Shanford. Boggy was the
No.1 Wing Flight Sergeant when we arrived at Halton in August 1945 and was promoted to WO in
February 1947, taking over from WO Bill Bond. At that time, Bill Bond presented Boggy with a bible,
which will now be an exhibit in the museum. Boggy died in July this year at the ripe old age of 93,
and his son, Tony, presented the items for the museum to Ken at Boggy’s funeral. We lingered for a
while looking at the photographs, workshop test pieces, memorabilia and the locker and kit layouts.
While this was going on, the Golden Oldies were playing outside the open windows and as we left
they played a rather moving “Will ye no come back again?” and “We’re no awa’ tae bide awa’”.
We had already come back again, and on the basis of not being awa’ tae bide awa’, perhaps we should
look forward to another commemoration. Even with the miracles of modern medical science, we don’t
think we’ll manage the centenary - but 70 years on? Who can tell? Maybe the 60th Anniversary of our
Passing Out in 2008?
We then departed for the Officers Mess - Halton House - where our host for the day, Min Larkin, gave
the gathering a brief history of the building and allowed us time to wander around the ground floor
and gardens. A fitting end to our day at the Camp.
It was then back to the hotel, for a quick wash and brush up before John McLaren piped us in to dinner,
and the evening celebrations began.
After a wet Friday and dismal Saturday, we were greeted with blue skies on Sunday morning and so it
continued throughout the day. We boarded three coaches outside the hotel, complete with walking sticks,
hearing aids etc, and the first destination was the Apprentice Tribute outside Schools, where Rita Bell
spread Dinger’s ashes on the two newly prepared rose beds to the background of a piped lament played
by Keith Youlden, bandmaster of the Golden Oldies. The spreading of ashes around the Tribute is
becoming a regular occurrence, so the HAAA decided to prepare the rose beds for future ashes, and
Rita was pleased to know that Dinger was their first ‘arrival’.
We then congregated in St George’s Church for a service that included an address by Taff John, about
those far off days of apprentice training. Ken Savage, having liaised with the HAAA over the order
of service, produced an excellent service booklet. The service was conducted by Padre Adrian Gatrill
and the organist was Margaret Evett. Ken read the lesson and we were pleased to see that Pablo
Morrison, who is now wheelchair bound, was in church to share the occasion with us. After the church
service, we formed up and were led by the pipes and drums of the Golden Oldies, with our own
Frank Howard on the mace, the short distance to the Tribute for photographic opportunities.
The coaches then conveyed us to No.1 Wing for lunch in the Airmen’s Mess. (No, we did not march up the
hill - although this was suggested!!) It was originally arranged that we would have lunch in the
Officers Mess, but this was switched to the Airmen’s Mess, with the assurance that the food would be
better. The Airmen’s Mess, outside 15 Block, looks from the front exactly as it did 60 years ago,
but inside it is very different - bright, clean, airy and the cold buffet was excellent, with a wide
range of cold and hot drinks on offer.
After lunch, everyone including wives, sons and daughters, other than those with excused boots and
marching chits, fell in behind the Golden Oldies outside the cookhouse by 15 Block, with Frank Howard
again on the mace. The walking wounded made their way to the Henderson Gym (the Trenchard Museum)
while the ‘parade’ marched along the road to 11 Block, left wheeled onto the square, along past SHQ,
left wheeled again along 2 Wing and marched past the saluting base where Chiefy Thomas took the salute
while the marching contingent gave him a creditable ‘eyes right’.
While the raffle tickets were being sold by the usual team of Jean, Ruth, Esther and Hazel,
Sam and Margaret Bugg were selling the 51st book “Post War Brats At Large”, with both tables doing
a roaring trade. A ‘special’ prize donated by the Pine Lodge Hotel was won by Jack Wetherell.
During the course of the evening, the election of a new Chairman to replace Don Ellis, who sadly died
in July, took place. Ken conducted the election and there was only one nominee, Sam Bugg, who was
proposed by Chris Brill and seconded by Taff John. The vote was unanimous and Sam was elected
Chairman to great acclaim by the gathering.
At the end of the evening, there was one final event when completely to his surprise, Ben Mitchell
was presented with a cheque on behalf of the Entry by Ray Belsham and Ken Savage in appreciation for
all the work he has done in his role as Treasurer, reunion organiser and newsletter editor over
the past 13 years. Jean was presented with a bouquet of flowers for putting up with all the time
that Ben spends on 51st matters! This had been proposed by our late Chairman Don Ellis, who wrote
letters to all the Entry (except Ben), and the presentation was made on Don’s behalf.
This all came as a complete surprise to Ben, who thought he knew exactly what was going on behind
the scenes, but Ray and Ken, and the rest of the Entry, had kept this from him.
So ended a great weekend, with grateful thanks to Min Larkin and his team from the HAAA who helped
with the organisation for the day. Everything went according to plan, the sun shone and nobody
fell by the wayside during the long and tiring day. We said our farewells on Monday morning, with some
meeting up again at Bromsgrove on 8th October for the ‘usual’ annual reunion.
As all members that were on parade on that day will know, many many photographs were taken, and for
the benefit of those who were unable to attend, maybe the Secretary can prevail upon Members who
took photographs to send him prints and from them make up an album which could be displayed at
future reunions.
Five have been already selected and included in the website.
Please click to view
PRESENTATION OF BOGGIE'S PACE STICK
GOLDEN OLDIES WITH FRANK HOWARD
PABLO, CHIEFY ETC.
IN CHURCH
SECRETARY AND TREASURER IN REFLECTIVE MOOD
REUNION ‘08
We had a great turnout for our 60th Anniversary of Passing Out reunion on 27th September at the Bromsgrove Hotel (ex Hanover International and Pine Lodge) which has been ‘home’ to us for 15 of the 17 annual reunions held to date, and they have looked after us so well over the years that we do not intend to change the venue in the years to come. The two reunions which have not taken place in Bromsgrove were the first reunion which was held in the Rose & Crown at Tring in 1992 and our Diamond Anniversary of Joining Up which was held in the Holiday Inn, Aston Clinton. After our numbers were down to 49 in 2007, we lowered our target and budgeted for 50 attendees and were delighted to find that 68 made the annual pilgrimage. We may be getting older, but the bond of the ex-brat is strong and we don’t want to let go unless we have to. Of the 68 attendees, 30 were members of the 51st (including Nobby Clarke ex-50th) and 38 wives, family and friends – a truly 51st Family occasion. On parade were, by trade, RIGGERS - Geof & Janice Bradshaw with their daughter Sarah, Paddy Bolster, Chris Brill, Tom & Audrey McHarry and family, Gus & Betty Thorogood. ENGINES - Eric Beale, Bernadette with her husband & Jo, Ginge & Sheila Britten with their daughter Deborah & husband John, Sam & Margaret Bugg, Pam Ellis with her son David, Jock Espie, Taff & Kay Evans, Mike Gill, Tom Hardie, Toddy & Thelma Hood, Stan Hyde, Llyn John, Skate & Hazel Lee, Freda Lee with her son Nigel, Geoff & Bib Mason, Jimmy Middleton, John & Janet Oakes and Ted Skinner. ELECTRICIANS - Ruth Brooks & Hazel Lunan, Jim & Elizabeth Dowdell, Roy & Irene Pollit and Jimmy & Thelma Reynolds. INSTRUMENTS - Tommy & Adrienne McCallum, Ben & Jean Mitchell with their daughter Amanda & husband Murray and Robbie & Margot Roberts. ARMOURERS - Nobby & Hilary Clarke, Del Harris and Ken & Esther Savage. RADIO - Peter Moore.
Unfortunately our piper was an absentee, so we weren’t piped in to dinner as usual, but John hopes to be on parade next year providing he can find enough puff to fill the bagpipe bag - container - capsule - or whatever you call it! At the dinner, our Chairman, Sam, gave a special welcome to Tom Hardie who had journeyed over from Andorra, to Ray Belsham’s daughters Bernadette & Jo, to Peter Moore who flew the flag for our Cranwell colleagues and to the McHarry entourage – all eight of them. We had several comments that the meal was as good or better than any of previous years. As in the past two bottles of wine were allocated to each table, but for some reason, instead of placing the two bottles on each table, the waiting staff went round topping up glasses on a regular basis. Ben was a bit concerned that the ordered quota was being exceeded, and sure enough when he went to pay the bill, an extra 12 bottles had been added at a cost of £186! No wonder some people reckoned that the wine flowed well! After some discussion, and a check on the dinner order, the hotel waived the cost of the extra wine – so, yes, the wine flowed, and we didn’t have to pay for it! We don’t think the hotel will make the same mistake next year. We had the usual raffle at the dinner, and numerous prizes were brought along by the attendees, along with prizes donated by Kay Wilson and Spider Webb in their absence.
On Saturday afternoon, the ladies were entertained by a greetings card demonstration and they had the opportunity to make one themselves during the afternoon. Some, but not a lot, made use of the swimming pool, jacuzzi and sauna. Unfortunately the steam room was u/s. It was suggested that everyone should get out of their pits and get some exercise before indulging themselves with the annual ‘fry up’ which terminates at 10.30 hrs on Sundays, but the scent of fried bacon etc was too much for most. After breakfast, it was time for Ben to collect deposits for the next reunion, and he collected more than enough to pay the deposit of £250 for the 2009 reunion. Tommy McCallum said his deposit was a life insurance premium to ensure that he was still alive next year so that he could get his moneys worth! Words of a true Scot!
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