THE NATIONAL SERVICE
(ROYAL AIR FORCE) ASSOCIATION.
The NS(RAF)A was formed in 2002 by a few ex RAF National Servicemen who thought that the era when National Service was common to all and was not only being forgotten but it was felt by so many that the recognised Veterans Associations did not cater for and were not interested in anything following WW2 ! – allied to that was the time factor which makes it necessary for this Association to be active now before it is too late for many of us.
To that end membership is open to ALL ex
RAF National Servicemen and Regulars, WAAF and WRAF
who served in the period 1939 to 1963 covered by the 2 National Service Acts of Parliament, when such service was compulsory for most of the young people of the day.
The aims of the Association are to create a forum for contact between members and to organise any such gatherings, be they local area Branches or our National events whereby members can come together for periods of social nostalgic comradeship.
(The Association does encourage participation of Partners at our events, the social side of our activities being very much to the fore).
The means of doing this is mainly via our superb quarterly magazine “The ASTRAL” (Sample pics in Gallery: Misc) plus this website and an annual AGM package weekend at a large hotel – (the venue of this popular weekend rotates North and South each year – 2003 Hayling Island / 2004 Scarborough / 2005 Llandudno / 2006 Blackpool / 2007 Eastbourne / 2008 Blackpool / 2009 Bracklesham bay, Chichester)/ 2010 Stafford, plus all members have access to the total membership lists (which includes the lists of camps the members served on during their time in the Service) and thus members have the means themselves to establish local contacts and arrange their own area and regional meetings.
We now have 27 Branches up and running all over the UK.
These are: Borders/Dumfries: / Bristol: / Cambridge: / Cosford: / Derbyshire: / East Sussex: / Edinburgh: / Exeter: / Gloucester: / Hornchurch: / Swanley, Kent: / Brigg, Lincs: / NE Surrey, SW London, Kenley: / North Wales: / Norwich: / Oxford: / Plymouth (Lunch Club) / South Wales: / Southend: / Sutton Coldfield: / Tyne, Tees: / West London: / West Sussex: / Wessex, Dorset: / West Yorkshire: / Wigan: / Wiltshire. (For details of local contacts tel 01782 516887 or e mail: pgh87@talktalk.net).
The NS(RAF)A Committee are all ex Veterans themselves who have volunteered to give freely of their time etc to run the Association for the benefit of its members without payment.
In our short history to date: we have held a first successful re union day at the site of the old no 11 School of RAF Recruit Training: RAF Hednesford in July 2003 and this was followed in April 2005 by a joint exercise with Staffordshire County Council, RAF Cosford and the local ATC Squadron with a ceremony at which an engraved 11 ton stone was unveiled to commemorate the existence of the camp.
(see our sister site: www.rafhednesford.org)..
2004 saw our first National re union and full Parade at the RAF Museum Cosford at which Air Commodore S R Sims presented 6 members with their recently awarded Suez Campaign medals. (See Gallery: Cosford 2004).
We continued to have this family day of RAF nostalgia in 2005 / 2006 / 2007 / 2008 and 2009 (where the principal Guest was Derek Twigg. MP Under Secretary of State for Defence and Minister for Veterans) with the full support of Air Commodore Sims and more recently, Air Commodore N W Gammon, Commandant DCAE Cosford and always with the input of an RAF Band, the BBMF aircraft and a full fixed bayonet Guard of Honour and this has now become the largest single Service Parade in the UK and the highlight of our activities.
The 2010 National re union and Parade was held on Sunday July 4th. and apart from the Parade over 30 stands representing The Veterans Agency, SSAFA, RAF Benevolent Fund, – RAF Camps and Associations etc were present.
This day encompassed the “Family” of the RAF in that Veterans, current serving Personnel and ATC all had an input.
The Reviewing Officer was: Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton KCB, BSc, FRAeS, RAF (Chief of the Air Staff) accompanied by the Commandant of DCAE: Air Commodore C H Green.
In beautiful, but windy, weather about 650 Veterans were on Parade and the total number of friends and families present topped the 3,500 mark.
The RAF Central Band led the Parade.
1855 (Royton) Sqd ATC from Lancashire – ATC Champion Marching Band gave displays of counter marching etc at 10.00 hrs and again at 12.45 hours following the Parade.
Regretably the planned display by Spitfires from the BBMF was cancelled due to high winds at thei base in Lincolnshire.
There is now a superb 2 hour professional DVD available of the whole days events and a copies @ £10 each are available from Mr Honey. Tel 01782 516887 or e mail: pgh87@talktalk.net.
A gallery of photographs can be seen on website: www.nsrafa.org / Cosford 2010.
Our thanks got to the combined efforts of NS(RAF)A Committee and members, The Staff of the RAF Museum and the Museum Volunteers, The Commandant and Staff of DCAE Cosford and the 4 ATC Sqdns whose combined efforts made this a day to remember.
2011 re union and Parade saw the unveiling of the NEW RAF National Service EXHIBITION within the National Cold War Exhibition Hangar at the RAF Museum at Cosford on Sunday 3rd July.
The 2012 National re union and Parade was held on Sunday May 20th. and apart from the Parade over 30 stands representing The Veterans Agency, SSAFA, RAF Benevolent Fund, – RAF Camps and Associations etc were present.
This day encompassed the “Family” of the RAF in that Veterans, current serving Personnel and ATC all had an input.
The Reviewing Officer was: Air Vice Marshal Garwood accompanied by the Commandant of DCAE: Air Commodore C H Green.
The 2013 National re union and Parade was held on Sunday June 2nd. and apart from the Parade over 25 stands representing The Veterans Agency, SSAFA, RAF Benevolent Fund, – RAF Camps and Associations etc were present.
This day encompassed the “Family” of the RAF in that Veterans, current serving Personnel and ATC all had an input.
The Reviewing Officer was: Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton KCB, BSc, FRAeS, RAF (Chief of the Air Staff) accompanied by Group Captain Adam Sansom MSc BEng CEng MRAeS RAF Officer Commanding RAF Cosford.
On the Parade 4 ex Bomber Command Veterans were presented with their newly awarded Bomber Command clasps by the Chief of the Air Staff.
The Central Band of the RAF were the Parade Band – Entertainment was by “The D Day Darlings” and the BBMF Dakota also put in an appearance.
2014 re union and Parade was the last one and was held on SUNDAY June 1st at the RAF Museum at Cosford..
Due to our age / costs etc no Parade at Cosford is being planned from now on.
However there will still be a re union and Parade at the National memorial Arboretum each year and the 2016 date is: Sunday September 4th 2016.
Further details from: Mr Honey. 01782 516887 or e mail: pgh87@talktalk.net
UK Membership of the Association is currently £5 per annum, OVERSEAS £15.
please make all cheques payable to:- NS(RAF)A – (if overseas in Sterling please) and application for membership – with a stamp for return postage – should be made to our Membership Secretary:
Dunelm, Denford Road. Longsdon, Stoke on Trent. Staffs. ST9 9QG. E mail: jk34@talktalk.net
Veteran to Veteran
When a Veteran leaves the ‘job’ and retires to a better life, many are jealous, some are pleased, and others, who may have already retired, wonder if he knows what he is leaving behind, because we already know.
1. We know, for example, that after a lifetime of camaraderie that few experience, it will remain as a longing for those past times.
2. We know in the Military life there is a fellowship which lasts long after the uniforms are hung up in the back of the closet.
3. We know even if he throws them away, they will be on him with every step and breath that remains in his life. We also know how the very bearing of the man speaks of what he was and in his heart still is.
These are the burdens of the job. You will still look at people suspiciously, still see what others do not see or choose to ignore and always will look at the rest of the Military world with a respect for what they do; only grown in a lifetime of knowing.
Never think for one moment you are escaping from that life. You are only escaping the ‘job’ and merely being allowed to leave ‘active’ duty.
So what I wish for you is that whenever you ease into retirement, in your heart you never forget for one moment that you are still a member of the greatest fraternity the world has ever known.
NOW… Civilian Friends vs. Veteran Friends Comparisons:
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Get upset if you’re too busy to talk to them for a week.
VETERAN FRIENDS: Are glad to see you after years, and will happily carry on the same conversation you were having the last time you met.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Have never seen you cry.
VETERAN FRIENDS: Have cried with you.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Keep your stuff so long they forget it’s yours.
VETERAN FRIENDS: Borrow your stuff for a few days then give it back.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Know a few things about you.
VETERAN FRIENDS: Could write a book with direct quotes from you.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will leave you behind if that’s what the crowd is doing.
VETERAN FRIENDS: Will stand by you no matter what the crowd does.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Are for a while.
VETERAN FRIENDS: Are for life.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Have shared a few experiences…
VETERAN FRIENDS: Have shared a lifetime of experiences no citizen could ever dream of
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will take your drink away when they think you’ve had enough.
VETERAN FRIENDS: Will look at you stumbling all over the place and say, ‘You better drink the rest of that before you spill it!’ Then carry you home safely and put you to bed…
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will ignore this.
VETERAN FRIENDS: Will forward this.
A veteran – whether active, retired, served one hitch, or reserve is someone who, at one point in their life, wrote a blank check made payable to ‘My Queen and My Country ‘ for an amount of ‘up to and including my life’.
From one Veteran to another, it’s an honour to be in your company.
Thank you for your service to our country and defending the freedoms we enjoy.
National Service actually !
The uniforms gone ! Farewell to the days
of stiff blue collars and disciplined ways.
No more in the mirror will our stiff self be seen
a well turned out Airman with brasses that gleamed.
For 24 months we were soberly dressed
like tailors dummies with everything pressed..
With eagles on shoulders to starboard and port
plus ramrod postures as we’d been taught.
Now let “T” shirts be “T” shirts or, rarely suits
may be proudly worn, though without those black boots.
Polyester ties are still acceptable
but bright designs might make DI’s excitable !
So lets have light Chino’s with never a crease
as it’s only ourselves we now have to please.
As we chat and relax, now and again
over a pint or two with those who remain.
Really we’re still young, Tom, Jock and Taffy,
who once enjoyed tea and a wad in the NAAFI.
In those golden years when we all looked alike
and promised each other we would’nt get tight.
Today we make do with fly pasts and shows
dabbing a damp eye and blowing our nose,
As we bore the youngsters with what we have done,
to which they respond, “World War Two – or One” ?
Tony Buckler.