A group photograph taken during the 2022 reunion at RAF Waddington. Vulcan XM607 awaits final finishing after her much-needed refurbishment.

Out of the DV Window

There have been some changes in the upper echelons of our Association. Those of you who were present at the General Meeting in May will recollect that Henry Horscroft was appointed Life Vice President in recognition of his outstanding service as Secretary ever since the initial formation of the Association. We all owe him a substantial debt of gratitude for the work he has tirelessly performed on our behalf over the last 40 years. The old adage ‘no one is indispensable’ may carry weight but Henry comes close to being the exception to that dictum. A volunteer willing to fill the huge void he left was not forthcoming and we have been obliged to spread most of his duties among existing members of the committee.

We had barely got over that seismic change to our administration when another major one loomed large. After an identical period of unbroken service, John Laycock has stood down as Chairman. He too has been the face of the Association since its inception. Under his stewardship membership of the Association rose from an initial 209 to a peak of 490. Inevitably, since those early days the membership has slowly dwindled; the current strength today has fallen to just 221. John has moved out of the Lincoln area and, like Henry, he proved almost impossible to replace. Fortunately our President came to the rescue, volunteering to take on the mantle of chairman until such time as a replacement can be found. So it is business as usual, albeit with the regrettable absence of two of our founding fathers. We wish Henry and John long and peaceful retirements and look forward to seeing them both at Association events in the future.

Membership Matters
Annual Subscriptions
As every year, membership subscriptions are due on the 1st of November. We are doing our level best to hold the amount payable down to £10 per year. Could I remind those (admittedly, only a few) who continue to pay only £4 a year to please update their standing orders accordingly. Payment may be made by cheque, BACS transfer or Standing Order. The Association’s bank details are: 44 (Rhodesia) Squadron Association, Lloyds Bank, Sort Code 30-95-05, account number 01414860. Please clearly print your name and initials in the reference field of BACS transfers.

Costs associated with printing and distributing the biannual newsletter continue their inexorable rise and it has been necessary to scrutinise our bank account for receipt of subscriptions in order to limit the circulation of the newsletter to those who have contributed their dues. As with most accounting systems, ours is not invulnerable to the occasional error, so if anyone feels they should have received a copy of the newsletter and have been deprived of it, please contact the Membership Secretary so the issue can be resolved.

Email Addresses
The list of members’ email addresses is woefully complete. I would be grateful if anyone who has not yet done so could send me the briefest of emails so I can update the database.

Changes of Address
J Laycock
M A Tomlinson
A H Jones
If members need details of the above, please contact the Membership Secretary.