RAFA Quiz - The branch team came second in the quiz for RAFA branches at RAF Honington - not quite able to catch the serial winners, Stowmarket. We were also presented with a cheque for £130, our share of the money raised on the base for Wings Appeal.


Upcoming dates in our calendar:

What does the future hold for the Diss & District Branch?

The future of the Diss and District branch of the Royal Air Forces Association will be decided in the next two months.
The monthly meeting at Diss Town Football Club on February 13th will be told of the problems the branch faces since no one has volunteered to become chairman, secretary or treasurer -who are not standing for re-election. A final decision will then have to be taken at the annual general meeting on March 12th.

One option being considered, assuming that three people cannot be found to take on these key posts, is for it to become a registered members group. The group would cease to be an independent charity but would still be part of the national RAFA organisation and would continue to raise money for Wings Appeal. It could retain the branch standard and still take part in various events, but would cease to have formal monthly meetings.


                       We need your support for all the fund-raising events.

RAFA’s main purpose is to assist serving and former members of the RAF and their families who need help. Any money we raise is used for this. If you would like to help us do this you can donate online right now by clicking on the Donate Now button which will take you to our donations page on the Charity Now website. It’s 100% secure.

Recent Events

The Battle of Britain remembered

Aircrew who flew in World War Two proved a big attraction at our Battle of Britain Day at the Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum, Flixton, on August 22nd. An estimated 6,000 people poured through the gates and many stopped to chat to the veterans.

Air Cadets from Beccles, Diss and Lowestoft welcomed them and staged a march-past in their honour. This was organised and led by Warrant Officer Martin Dobson, who is in charge of Beccles squadron of the ATC and is a member of our branch. After the march-past the cadets and the veterans enjoyed talking about serving in the RAF during the war.

Among those who met the veterans were the chairman of Suffolk County Council Eddy Alcock and the chairman of Norfolk County Council Tony Thomkinson.

Various aircraft flew over the museum during the day, ranging from an autogiro to a Dakota from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and including a Stearman flown by branch president Wg Cdr Gerry Honey.
 
Our RAFALO Sergeant Nigel Millar once again arranged terrific support from RAF Honington. Children flocked to the climbing wall provided and manned by Honington, their rifle-range also proved popular and a quartet of musicians from the base played in the main hangar.

Forties style dancing was another feature in the hangar, where the "NAAFI" was kept busy selling drinks and food.

Outside there were plenty of ex-forces vehicles on display as well at aircraft of all types and sizes which appealed to visitors of all ages.

The weather stayed fine and RAFA's takings amounted to over £1,700.

The organisers, our chairman Herbert Websdell and treasurer Julia Websdell  were thanked by the museum, which enjoyed its busiest day of the year. Mr Websdell thanks all those who took part and helped in any way to make the event a great success.

See more Battle of Britain celebration pictures.

Next year's RAFA Day at Flixton will be on August 14th.



Redlingfield Memorial to WW2 B-17 Aircrew



The branch standard was among those paraded at Redlingfield for the dedication of a memorial to the crew of a B-17 which crashed there during World War II.
A detailed report and more pictures can be found on the Redlingfield website www.redlingfield.suffolk.gov.uk






At the new memorial in the village, are, from left: Lt Col Brent Vosseller from USAF Lakenheath; a trio of US veterans in the UK as part of their 2010 reunion tour - Staff Sgt Earl Joswick, 1st Lt Robert Spinnenweber, and Staff Sgt Frank Martin; and USAF Lakenheath chaplain Capt Richard Holmes.







Diss and District RAFA members with the certificate from the RAFA Central Council marking the formation of the branch on June 28th 1950.  Holding the certificate are chairman Herbert Websdell and president Wg Cdr Gerry Honey. Standing between them are secretary Brian Ager and treasurer Julie Websdell.
(Picture courtesy of the Diss Express www.dissexpress. co.uk)




Branch secretary Brian Ager presents Cadet Connor Keightley with the RAFA Shield for Community Service. Connor had, among many other things, carried the RAFA standard on a number of occasions. The award was made at Diss 1070 Squadron Air Training Corps presentation evening.

Community Shield

The Diss & District branch of the Royal Air Force Association has given Diss Air Cadets a shield to be presented annually to the cadet who does most for the community.



John Blagden, the Diss & District RAFA Branch welfare officer, handed over the shield to the Air Cadets’ Commanding Officer Flight Lieutenant Emma Dixon.

John became training officer of Diss Air Cadets Squadron in 1960 and then served as adjutant from 1964 to 1974.









Celebrating the Centenary of the 1st Cross-Channel Flight

  The day was a great success. An estimated 5,000 people visited the Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum, Flixton, on Sunday 16^th August 2009 for Diss and District Royal Air Forces Association’s major annual event. This was a big increase on 2008 when we welcomed 3,500 people there for our Salute to 90 Years of the RAF. Approximately £1,700 was raised for RAFA, which was excellent. All the money we raise is used to provide help and assistance to existing and ex-RAF personnel and their families.

The day was bright and sunny so people were easily able to see the planes which flew over the museum. These included a Harvard, a Mustang, a Hurricane from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and three Steadman aircraft led by branch president Wing Commander Gerry Honey.

This year’s event celebrated the centenary of Bleriot's cross-Channel flight and we were pleased to welcome a French Air Force pilot, Captain Sebastian Flageollet, who is on secondment to RAF Marham and had been asked by his embassy to represent France.

A French flavour was also provided by a framed, signed, limited edition picture kindly donated to us by Simon Ovendon, a Dover based photographer. It showed a replica of Bleriot's aircraft in the skies over Dover on its flight to mark the centenary of the aviator's historic achievement. This was one of the items sold in a sealed bid auction to raise money for the Wings Appeal. (See Simon's website at www.simonovendenphotography.com ).

Members of the Diss and Beccles Air Cadet Squadrons took part in a march past. The salute was taken by Squadron Leader Howard Parr of RAF Honington and Norfolk County Council chairman Mrs Shelagh Gurney.

Musicians from RAF Honington played in the main hangar while some people listened and others jitterbugged enthusiasticly.

 Lots of families with children came along and there was plenty to entertain them including a large RAF climbing wall, which proved to be a very big attraction, brought along by the branch’s RAF Liaison Officer Sergeant Nigel Millar and his team from RAF Honington.

The RAFA stall was incredibly busy, with lots of people making donations and buying raffle tickets and books. Every youngster who visited the RAFA stand was given a free badge, paper hat and flag, which they really seemed to enjoy waving.

The Air Cadets recruiting stand was also busy all day, handing out information and talking to youngsters who were interested in joining.

Air Commodore Nick Carter, the South Eastern and Eastern president of RAFA, who was one of the  many  guests at Flixton, has written to the branch congratulating them on putting such a splendid show.

The branch thanks Flixton museum for allowing us to stage the event there and all the volunteers who worked tirelessly to make it such a great success.

In 2010 we plan to stage another similar (bigger) event there on Sunday 22^nd August, marking the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain on. So make a note in your diary now.

Click here to see more pictures of the event.

 


A salute to 90 years of the RAF
  
In 2008 the branch's Salute to 90 years of the RAF was a great success.

Well over 3,500 people poured in through the gates of the Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum at Flixton to enjoy the festivities with RAFA raising more than £1,300 and the museum's NAAFI was kept busy all day.

Among the special guests, who were greeted by branch president Wing Commander Gerry Honey, was a Battle of Britain pilot - Wing Commander Tom Neal DFC.

Click here to see the highlights. 

 

See information about other recent events here.

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