Henry Horscroft
17 August 1931 - 27 September 2025

In 2022 Henry Horscroft was appointed Life Vice President in recognition of his outstanding service as Secretary ever since the initial formation of the Association in 1982. We all owe him a substantial debt of gratitude for the work he had tirelessly performed on our behalf for more than 40 years. Sadly Henry passed away in September of 2025. In the wake of his death the Association received a flood of  warm personal tributes recognising his colossal contribution to the Association. Everyone knew Henry and although the old adage ‘no one is indispensable’ may carry weight, Henry comes close to being the exception to that dictum. When failing health obliged him to reluctantly hand over his Association duties, 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 ever since.
 
Henry trained as a Signaller and started his flying career on Avro Shackleton maritime patrol aircraft. He progressed from the rank of Sergeant to Flight Sergeant and then Master Aircrew before being commissioned in the rank of Flying Officer. He underwent further training as an Air Electronics Officer prior to joining the V-Force on Vulcans.
 
Stories about Henry’s time on Vulcans are legion but I was reminded recently that Henry earned the sobriquet Henry ‘Cecil B DeMille’ Horscroft, on account of being producer, performer and director of a much-lauded Squadron cabaret. One of his productions even went overseas, receiving rave reviews from an astonished audience at a base in Australia during a Squadron deployment. The roar of greasepaint and the smell of the crowd were fixations he was unable to throw off even after retirement from the RAF. Cabaret, his first love, eventually gave way to singing and he was an active member of at least two choirs in the Lincoln area.
 
When 44 (Rhodesia) Squadron disbanded in 1982 Henry became an enthusiastic and indefatigable founder member of the Squadron Association. As the Association developed and its membership grew, Henry assumed more and more responsibilities. His duties as Hon Secretary increased exponentially to encompass editing, printing and distribution of the biannual newsletter, planning annual reunions, producing reunion booklets, organising annual dinners, services of remembrance and Sunday lunches. The list is far from complete and, as if that wasn’t enough, he  even took on the duties of Hon Treasurer when the occasion demanded. These tasks were taken on willingly and with characteristic good humour. Henry was blessed with a very positive outlook on life, urging those around him to pursue their ambitions regardless of obstacles. He is survived by his wife Betty and two daughters. His contribution to the Association was immense and he will be sorely missed by his family and all who knew him.
 

Mel Robson

 
Sadly, Melvin William Robson passed away on 4th October 2025. Mel was a wonderful husband, father, brother and grandfather. He will be sincerely missed by many people within and beyond the Service. His love of aeroplanes shone through from his careers in aviation. He was proud to have served in the Royal Air Force and latterly, to work for BAE Systems prior to his retirement. When retired, he spent time in general engineering and later worked on carpentry and many other charitable engineering projects. Mel was a great supporter of this Association and his good-humoured presence at annual reunions will be sorely missed. He was a devoted family man and leaves behind his wife Christine, his sister Thelma, his son Andrew, daughter Gemma and four grandchildren; Liara, Jackson, Amelia and Owen.