Reunion 2023
 
Once again we extend our thanks to Gp Capt Lorriman-Hughes, RAF Waddington’s Station Commander, who granted us access to the Officers’ Mess on Friday and Saturday evenings. The  use of these facilities hung in the balance this year as the mess had effectively been closed for a number of weeks owing to staff shortages. Fortunately we were not denied our spiritual home despite these difficulties and a very convivial Meet & Greet, lubricated by a welcoming barrel of Abbot Ale, was followed by a very successful dinner the following evening in the anteroom opposite the bar. The fact that both these events seemed to go so well was a  tribute to the contract caterers, the ESS-Compass Group, a small number of whom had travelled from their base at  RAF Coningsby to bolster Waddington’s limited resources. Between them they executed a most enjoyable formal dinner under trying circumstances in unfamiliar surroundings.
 
The daytime event on Saturday was a visit to the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre at East Kirkby. This centre has evolved considerably over the years and now houses a unique collection of World War II aircraft, including the ground-running and taxiable Lancaster ‘Just Jane’ and an ultra-rare De Havilland Mosquito, which can also be taxied around under its own steam. The weather was sunny and warm and members enjoyed browsing at leisure the wide range of exhibits. Unfortunately, the planned fly-past by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight’s Lancaster had to be cancelled at a late stage because of an unserviceability.
 
The Service of Remembrance on Sunday was held at Dunholme Lodge, under the direction of Reverend Paul Maple, assisted by Reverend Adam Watson. Members of the RAF Waddington Voluntary Band provided musical accompaniment throughout the service, as well as The Last Post and Reveille.
 
The weather was perfect, the setting ideal and, once again, we are indebted to the Wykes family for their extraordinary hospitality. They had erected a marquee as a precaution against inclement weather, cut out a full-sized outline of a Lancaster in the long grass flanking the memorial site and served coffee, tea and biscuits after the service. The icing on the cake was a spectacular overflight by a BBMF Spitfire. Rarely have I seen so many expressions of pure joy as the Spitfire thundered overhead.

Friday 19th May 2023 Reunion Meet and Greet at Waddington

Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre at East Kirby, 20th May 2023 Reunion

The Collinson brothers with their daughters at the reunion dinner at RAF Waddington on Saturday evening

Service of Remembrance at Dunholme Lodge, Sunday 21st May 2023 Reunion

The President sought and gained confirmation from RAF Waddington’s Station Commander that we are welcome to use station facilities for our reunion over the weekend 10-12 May 2024. The committee has agreed on the following  provisional programme:

Friday 10th May
The Meet & Greet will take place in the bar of the Officers’ Mess from 8:00 pm. A barrel of self-service beer will be available. Coach transport will be leave Damons Hotel at 7:30 pm, returning from the mess at10:30 pm.

Saturday 11th May
There will be no formal programme for Saturday morning, allowing members to do as they please in the Lincoln area.

At 1 pm a coach will take members from Damons Hotel to the Officers’ Mess car park at RAF Waddington; thereafter transport will be arranged to Operations Wing Headquarters within the station’s operational site.
On arrival we will convene in the Nettleton Room for the Association’s General Meeting. After the meeting, Flt Sgt Steve Lowe will give us a guided tour of XM607. Steve is a pivotal member of the Vulcan restoration team and has driven the project from its earliest days. Depending on where the aircraft is parked, and on the vagaries of the weather, we might pose for a group photograph in front of that most famous of Vulcans. We are also hoping our bid will be successful for a flypast by one of the Battle of Britain Flight’s magnificent WWII aircraft.

Saturday’s programme concludes with the Association’s annual dinner in the Officers’ Mess at 7:30pm.

Sunday 12th May
Once again Hugh and Lesley Wykes have kindly agreed to host us at Dunholme Lodge for a service of remembrance conducted by the Reverend Paul Maple. If any of you haven’t been to Dunholme Lodge before, you have missed a real treat. The address is Dunholme Lodge Farm, Lincoln Road, Dunholme, LN2 3QA. The location couldn’t be more appropriate - an ideal setting on the edge of what used to be the wartime airfield. As in previous years, we are hoping to be granted a BBMF flypast immediately after the service.

The concluding event will be pay-as-you-go lunch at the International Bomber Command Centre.