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89 Entry RAF College Cranwell Reunions

2013 (50th since joining)     2008 (45th since joining)        2006 (40th since graduation)       2003 (40th since joining)

Squadron Reunions

2006

The 40 89'ers and a very distinguished guest at the 40th anniversary re-union

Back Row - Jerry Pook, Tony Ware, Paddy Pyper, Simon Coy, Dave Donelly, Alan MacDonald, Paul Buckland, Grant Taylor, Malcom Coe, Nigel Griffiths, Graham Horder, Steve Wrigley, Dick Shuster, Dave Harlow, Brian Synnott, Steve Baines

Middle Row - Barry Chalkley, Andy Griffin, Henry Middleton, Pete Squire, Dick Northcote, Colin Hinds, Roger Wood, Peter Robinson, Chris Saunby, Ian Robertson, Black Robertson, JC Newland, Dave Foulger

Front Row -  Roger Cresswell, Chel Hibbert, Pete Crispin, Ian Clarke, Sqn Ldr Geoffrey Wellum DFC RAF (Rtd), Allan Ferguson, Dave Hayward, Derek North, Jock Reid, Dick Slogrove, Les Quigley, Malcolm Caygill

Forty  89ers get together

People don't change - despite many not having seen each other for as long as 40 years, it took only minutes for the 40 chaps to revive their old relationships. It took only slightly longer for us to revert to the antics of our late teens and early twenties. Our bodies may have slowed down but our repartee was as quick as ever. The strange thing was, that whilst old sites were revisited, the South Brick Lines, Junior Mess, the Parade Square, etc there was hardly any reminiscing of events, the talk was always about people, the characters who helped shape our characters - especially the Senior RAF NCO's like Perkins, Eastwood, Scaife, Noddy, Campbell, and College Warrant Officer Gibbons  who pruned us to equal size before letting us grow back as a highly disciplined yet independently minded team. 

Well this weekend the team was far from independently minded since the universal target was the BAR.  Sadly, but probably wisely, it seemed closed more than it was open.  However, it was well utilised when it was open. 

It was a warm evening and reminiscing in the beer garden was a big improvement over the "60's" bar

A Warm Welcome The welcoming staff, especially the young cadets  were incredibly helpful and polite. Check-in was far easier and faster than even the best hotels - they didn't even ask for an imprint of our credit cards in case we did a runner with the contents of the mini-bar or stole the towels and bathrobes from the en-suite!  Unfortunately there was a dearth of Porters and Batmen, but nevertheless we soon managed to dump our kit and find the bar before lunch. Right  - The rooms were a lot smarter than in the '60's - but still no mini bar!

Thanks to the genial company and the banter, the afternoon passed quickly (and dryly) with visits to the various sports and a tour of the estate. Negotiating locked security gates almost proved a problem, since none of us knew the combinations, however, in true "Great Escape" style we overcame these obstacles by sheer cunning. (Sorry we can't tell our readers how - in case we endanger national security!) Wandering around the College was a great opportunity to bump into old friends -  Right -Dave Harlow, Dick Shuster & Dave Donnelly meet up with Alan MacDonald

Luckily the bar opened shortly before 89 rioted (which we hadn't done since the Junior Mess uprising of Easter '64), and some serious pre-dinner pint sinking began. 

Dinner was an excellent affair, with several highlights. These included the traditional post horn gallop performed by an SAC from the RAF Central Band - ably assisted by Malcolm Coe.  The after-dinner talk by the guest of honour, Geoffery Wellum, the last surviving Battle of Britain pilot and author of the superb book - "First Light",  was as excellent as his book.  The final coup de grasse was administered by Snotty.  He produced a bottle of 40 year old Armagnac - 1966 vintage - which he kindly shared with his old mates from "C" Squadron amidst the envious glares of the other squadron members!

After dinner it was time to return to the bar. However, it didn't seem to be open long before someone called last orders - it was 02.00 Hrs - we finished our drinks and crawled back to our pits at 03.00 Hrs to grab some sleep before church parade later that morning!

Despite the rigors of the previous night a few made breakfast, and most made the church parade. Luckily 89 was at the back of the church, because tradition, developed at 89's attendance at over 100 church parades, meant that "Sermon Cricket" was being played by the rear echelons.  After church we withdrew to the "Orange" to watch a very commendable march past of all the College Cadets. It was much better than during our previous re-union - The extra weeks that cadets are kept at the RAF College Cranwell is obviously paying off on the drill front at least!

Before lunch we took a short bus trip to Cranwell Village Cemetery to honour our dead with a wreath laying ceremony. As at our previous re-union this took place at Martin Barents' grave. After a moving ceremony, when flowers were laid for each of our departed comrades, we visited many of the other graves to pay our respects to other Old Cranwellians laying there. Amazingly, amongst the hundreds of headstones we found Frank Whitehouse's headstone. We new Frank's Ashes had been returned to RAF Cranwell from Singapore but did not realise he had a headstone. (To see article by Nigel Griffiths - click here). We had missed Frank's headstone in 2003 but now made up for this omission by placing his wreath and flowers on his grave,.

Frank was lost amongst the Cranwell ranks

* Andy Griffin researched the quotation on Frank's headstone "Mizpah Gen 31-49"  -  Andy reports that it reads ...

Our thanks go to all the staff and cadets of the RAF College for making the brief stay back in our old home such a success.  Thanks are also due to "Big X",  Dick Slogrove, and  his team of Squadron "whippers-in" for making sure it happened!

More photographs of the 40th Reunion

Held at the RAF College Cranwell on 17th & 18th June

Afternoon Sport 

We couldn't find any 89ers participating in sport (been there - done that!) so here' a few odd pictures taken whilst wondering around the RAF College....

Dick Shuster poses in front of Les Quigley's "Box Brownie"  Right - Dave Harlow, Dick Shuster,  Dave Donnelly & Chris Saunby can't believe they named a street after Quiggers!!

Pre-Dinner Drinks

Some hit the bar the moment it opened and hadn't changed for dinner - others wasted good drinking time and dressed up for the occasion!

Grant  - "The bastards where aiming for here!!" Left - Dick Shuster, JC Newland, Derek North & Dave Harlow - JC - "Go on give me kiss Dick!"

Old habits die hard....

More drink & more chat

The Photographers photograph each other!

Pre-dinner aperitiffs

The Bar closes before dinner so everyone starts looking dejected - Good news there's more booze in the Rotunda!

What ever happened to 89's hair? - It was the hats! - They made us wear them until '64!

(89 Entry were the last RAF Cranwell cadets to have to wear a hat when outside a building - Failure to do so was a chargeable offence!)

Colin Hinds, Roger Wood, Peter Robinson - An Engineers tete á tete Right - Organising the troops for a group photograph

Dinner

The Royal Air Force College Cranwell Queens Colour

Grace before the Old Cranwellian Association Dinner

Snotty's Special Treat (for "C" Squadron) ......

A 40 year old Armagnac

The only man in 89 who could keep booze for 40 years?

The Morning after the Night before...

Church parade

Hangovers? No!  -  Looking sober & pious before church? Or are they holding their dodgy stomachs??

Yesterday's cadets waiting for today's cadets to arrive!

You can guarantee that there will be lots of smiling faces when 89 get together ... Above - Chris Saunby, Graham Horder, Derek North & Ian Clark Above Right - Alan Macdonald, Dick Northcote, Malcolm Coe & Roger Cresswell   Right - Ian Robertson & Brian Synnott

Today's Cranwell cadets parade the Queens Colour in time honoured tradition in front of the RAF College

It may have looked like it, but sadly we weren't going on an old farts day trip to the seaside, or even to a wedding......

The 40 Attendees

Regrets received

Gone but not forgotten

Joined Sept 1963 - Nothing Heard

89 Entry Commissioning List - Nothing Heard

* Ex Henlow

Click here for 2008 reunion