Month: June 2014

A good turn out at the Royal Cornwall Show this year has seen our Wings fund swell by some £ 750.  Thanks go to the team who manned the stand over the three days, I think they enjoyed it although I did not appreciate that we had so many horticulturalists .. they kept visiting the Flower tent although there was a distinct sway on when they walked back !!

It was a great pleasure for the branch to be introduced to RAF St Mawgan’s new Commanding Officer Wing Commander Guy Bazalgette. ‘Baz’ as he is known took up the role of Branch President and was delighted to receive the RAFA Presidents Cup into the T E Lawrence Mess Trophy Cabinet for display. Also present at the meeting was new PMC Squadron Leader Owen Crossby and we would like to thank them both for their continued support.

Treasurer Chris Cox and fellow branch member Brendan Hale ( ATC Newquay Airport ) managed a group “selfie” when the Red Arrows staged through Newquay enroute from Cyprus. They were giving a display over Falmouth but found time for a chat !

The end of May saw the branch represented at the 70th Anniversary D-Day Landings at Trebah Gardens. A fantastic day was had by all and the highlight was the display of 8 Standards.    

Text reproduced from RAF St Mawgan News section:

The RAF St Mawgan Branch of the RAF Association has just celebrated its first birthday, and celebrated in style by winning the Presidents Cup at the Annual RAFA Conference in Blackpool. The Presidents Cup is awarded by the National President, Air Marshal Sir Dusty Miller, to the best of the 450 branches in the country.

Air  Marshall Sir Dusty Miller, the RAF Association National President commented: ‘I am delighted, but not at all surprised, by the successful first year of the St Mawgan Branch. Having met the organisers and many of the branch members at their inaugural meeting, I would have been a great deal more surprised had they not succeeded, such is their dedication and the strong sense of fellowship between young and old, serving and ex-serving, alike. Nonetheless, I know it has not all been plain sailing and I congratulate them all most sincerely and wish them well for the future, in the earnest hope that others may copy their splendid example.’

RAF St Mawgan is a great example of the principle and has led the way in bringing a RAFA Branch on to the Station, and therefore attracting more members, but perhaps the key message is that an idea like this needs the full support and authority of the Station Commander. In this case, that was a given: and literally from day one of his tenure. Indeed, Wing Commander Philip Lamb was not merely a believer, but a disciple; and a proactive one at that.