onetoone ISSUE 3 2013
Transcription
onetoone ISSUE 3 2013
onetoone ISSUE 3 2013 The RAF Coningsby Journal 2 ISSUE 3 2013 onetoone 3 4 onetoone CONTENTS ISSUE 3 2013 5 Squadron news Stn Cdr’s Foreword Group Captain Johnny Stringer 3(F) Sqn XI Sqn 29(R) Sqn 41(R) Test & Evaluation Sqn 06 08 10 12 Wing Overview Catering, Retail and Leisure Community Camo Day What’s on at the HIVE 16 18 19 22 BASE SUPPORT WING ENGINEERING & LOGISTICS WING The Station Photographic Section 24 MT Flt crowned road safety kings 24 Operations Wing BBMF 26 PEOPLE & ACHIEVEMENTS 60 Second interview 28 Celebrity spotting at RAF Coningsby29 CHARITY Coningsby Crawlers Coast to Coast cycle ride 30 30 FORCE DEVELOPMENT At the start of this year, my ‘Station Commander’s Intent’ for 2013 highlighted my vision and objectives for the coming year, noting amongst other things that we all needed something left in the tank for when we needed to surge. I ’m writing this foreword after one of the busier weeks that RAF Coningsby has had since preparing for Operation ELLAMY in early 2011. Once again, the need to generate Typhoons to deploy at very short notice has seen everyone on the Station contributing to the deployment of XI Squadron and supporting personnel to Cyprus. It has been both energising and humbling to see the selfless and professional contribution of all, enabling us to have aircraft, pilots and engineers in place and ready to go in less than 48 hours of initial notice to move. I must also highlight the key role of the Typhoon Force HQ, who have been at the heart of the staff effort and coordination for the deployment. My thanks and gratitude go out to each and everyone of you, and to our families that once again support us in what we do. The ‘what next?’ is less certain, but that should not be a surprise. Whatever it holds, the Coningsby Wing is in good shape to maintain our deployed posture and sustain it from our home base. We have also welcomed our Royal Saudi Air Force colleagues to Coningsby for Exercise Saudi British Green Flag, and I am sure that the quality of exercise flying will be matched by the mutual friendship between our two air forces. On a personal note, I have been delighted to renew acquaintances with some of the first RSAF Typhoon pilots who were trained by 29 Squadron from 2008. And we are also hosting our own GR4 Force exercise participants from RAF Marham as well. Excellence in our core combat roles is never a given, and nor is the competence, skill and commitment of all who serve at Coningsby. In this regard, I have been heartened by the engagement across the Station with the recent New Employment Model briefings. This is more than enlightened self-interest, but speaks to ensuring that we can continue to provide the best possible ‘offer’ of service: as we reflect on a few very demanding days within a busy year, I promise that this remains at the forefront of my thinking. Exercise BLOOD BLISTER 3(F) Sqn Staff Ride to Normandy Exercise MEDSAIL C4I visit Bletchley Park 32 33 38 40 SPORT Downhill Mountain Bike Racing 42 RAF Coningsby Triathlon Club42 Editorial & Distribution Team onetoone Editor Publishers Sqn Ldr Thom Colledge Lance Publishing Ltd, 1st Floor, Tailby House, Bath Road, Kettering NN16 8NL. Tel: 01536 512624 Fax: 01536 515481 Email: mike@lancepublishing.co.uk www.lancepublishing.co.uk Distribution Lead: Cpl Ian Scott Deputy Lead: SAC Graham Dexter Distribution Team: SAC Jez Parkinson-Stuart (LS) SAC Paul White (LS) SAC Jonny Anderson (LS) View Onetoone online at www.onetooneonline.co.uk Printed By Design Lance Print Ltd Tel: 01480 492183 Sherrie Bacarese Advertising Jo Marchant Lance Publishing Ltd, 1st Floor, Tailby House, Bath Road, Kettering NN16 8NL Tel: (01536) 526674 Editor’s Foreword • Sqn Ldr Thom Colledge ISSUE 3 2013 A Few Words Of Introduction From Your New Editor Welcome to the Autumn edition of RAF Coningsby’s OnetoOne Magazine. This edition is especially significant for me, not only as the first in my tenure as editor, but it also it marks the passing of my first three months at RAF Coningsby. O n arriving back in May to take command of Ops Squadron I was excited at being given the opportunity to work in the RAF’s premier flying station and I certainly haven’t been disappointed. I have been amazed to see how much activity the station has packed in over this short space of time which coincided with the publication of the last edition of the magazine. I have certainly enjoyed the process of putting this chronicle together. It has given me the chance to meet lots of interesting people working in and around Coningsby who have been achieving some amazing things; be they superhuman endurance events for charity or simply helping to inspire future generations of the Coningsby community. All deserve to be recorded and recognised. In the process of learning to run a magazine, I have been examining the distribution of this publication and was surprised to discover the breadth of audience it reaches. On station alone, this article will potentially be read by over 2000 uniformed men and women spanning all three services plus hundreds of civil servants and integrated support employees. Copies are distributed widely though out partner firms such as BAE and Rolls Royce, our sister RAF stations and to the highest reaches of the MOD. Just as importantly, hundreds of copies are displayed at key locations in the local community. This forum really is a great opportunity to tell a wide and diverse audience all about what you have been up to and what you planning in the future. If you have a story to tell, a passion to promote, a good cause to champion or an achievement to celebrate I would love to hear from you for our next edition (I don’t want to mention the C word – I’m writing this in late August, but the next magazine cover is likely to have reindeer on the front). Email me your ideas or give me a call. As always, quality images are the key to a quality article so make sure to contact Sgt Mobbs and his team from the Photographic Section first if you are planning any activities over the coming weeks. It always helps to consider your articles early. In the words of Mark Twain; “it takes me at least three weeks to write a good impromptu speech.” Thom Colledge DII: CON-GMB-121 Editor Email: CON-GMB121Editor@mod.uk Telephone 01526 347506 6 onetoone 3(F) SQUADRON ISSUE 3 2013 7 PHOTOGRAPHS MAIN: The Sqn Cdrs and personnel at the official signing of the Sqn Affiliation Memorandum of Understanding BELOW (TOP TO BOTTOM): OC 3(F) Sqn, Wg Cdr ‘Cab’ Townsend with OC 201st Sqn, JASDF, Lt Col ‘Zero’ Nakata. 3(F) Sqn pilots with their Japanese hosts after the F15 familiarisation sortie. The first 3(F) Sqn exchange officer Lieutenant Yoshir Kamei, front row, 5th from right. 3(F) Sqn UPDATE 3(F) Sqn Japanese Affiliation When the phone call came in last year that promised hope of a Sqn exchange visit to Japan, little did I expect that it would actually come to fruition. But on Mon 15 Jul I was accompanied by Sqn Ldr Harry Raja (SEngO 3(F) Sqn) and Flt Lt Steve Kemp (junior pilot) to Japan with the task of initiating a Sqn affiliation with the 201st Sqn, Japanese Air Self-Defense Force. 3 (F) Sqn’s association with the Japanese is over 86 years old. The Sqn hosted the very first RAF foreign exchange officers both of whom were from Japan with Lieutenant Yoshir Kamei of the Japanese Imperial Navy being a 3(F) Sqn pilot in Oct 1927. The 201st Sqn is an F15J fighter sqn residing on Chitose Air Base on the island of Hokkaido, North Japan. After a brief overnight stay in Tokyo we were transported to Chitose via a Japanese C1 aircraft (mini-C17) and introduce to our Sqn hosts. Lt Col ‘Zero’ Nakata is the 201st Sqn Cdr and his Sqn is very similar to 3(F) Sqn. He has 30 pilots and 20 aircraft, slightly more than a normal Typhoon sqn, but he only has 30 engineers as rectification tasks are conducted by a combined engineering department. The 201st Sqn trains solely for the Air Defence mission but, in this regard, its programme and training tasks are closely matched to a Typhoon sqn. The Japanese fighter sqns are also very familiar with QRA duties and the QRA ‘shed’ at Chitose was strikingly similar to ours at Coningsby. However, with daily visitors from China and Russia, our newly found Japanese comrades are significantly busier when sitting on Q! Whilst looking around the Sqn and trading Sqn briefings was interesting, a flight in an F15J and a tour around the strikingly beautiful north island of Japan was a highlight which will live long in all our memories. The aircraft is old, however, and it has been a long time since I have seen so many dials and gauges! The amount of fuel burnt whilst in reheat is also eye-watering even allowing for the use of ‘lbs’ vice ‘kgs’. Still, the mix of 8000’ mountains and stunning coastal settings makes Hokkaido an impressive setting for an airbase; just like Anglesey? Away from the work environment, our Japanese colleagues proved to be capable hosts. A formal dinner waited for us on our first evening where we got to know each other and where we got to know a little more about Japanese cuisine. This is not a place for those with an aversion to fish or for those unable to use chopsticks. The second evening saw the visitors and Sqn pilots adjourn to the local Onsen for a traditional ‘hot spring experience’… swimming costumes NOT required! This was followed by another traditional meal in a ‘BBQ’ restaurant where cooking your own food at the table added an obvious novelty factor and then a spot of Karaoke…it’s a Japanese ‘thing’ afterall. Our final day on Thurs 18 Jul allowed us to visit more of Chitose Airbase and we were lucky enough to see a range of facilities including an impressive rapid re-deployment demonstration by the base Patriot missile battery. Having completed a formal affiliation ceremony our time to depart came all too quickly and a return to Tokyo and the UK was upon us. I have described this visit as a ’once in a lifetime’ opportunity. I never thought I’d get the chance to visit Japan and certainly not in a professional capacity. The Japanese are fascinating and incredible hosts. The country has come a long way since the Second World War, a part of their history that weighs heavily on them; hence the fact that they have ‘self-defence forces’ marking a deliberate statement of their non-offensive military. However, the Japanese military is increasingly capable (F35 will replace fast jets fleets soon) and their performance in support of the relief effort after It’s been a busy summer as members of 3(F) travelled far and wide renewing old friendships. the 2011 tsunami (itself a remarkably significant event in their history) has brought the military and civilian populations closer than ever. I suspect we will see much more of Japan on the international scene soon noting that they have already made modest contributions to operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Members of the 201st Sqn will visit RAF Coningsby in Summer 2014 where I hope we can demonstrate the excellence of our own fighter sqns and Typhoon. W g Cdr Cab Townsend’s passport has been particularly well used as he led two of the overseas trips. The first was a visit to Normandy with Flt Lt’s Badger Fordham and Rayban Chumley-Warner-Smyth who were joined by Cpl Fiona Stanley (Squadron Operations) and SACs Ben Pell, Martin Sherwin and Bruce Brennan (all 3(F) Engineers) on the Typhoon Entente Cordiale staff ride. This annual event commemorates 3(F)’s service in WWII when the Squadron flew the ‘original’ Typhoon over France. The Boss, Sqn Ldr Harry ‘SEngO’ Raja, and Flt Lt Steve Kemp participated in an extremely successful trip to Japan. Covered in a separate article, this visit renewed ties between the Japanese Air Force and 3(F) that began 86 years ago. With a reciprocal visit planned for next year it’s clear that 3(F)’s pilot nicknames need to be improved to compete with those encountered on the trip; Twink and Buble are no match for Lethal Snake, Swan or Zero. Following the Boss’s example the JPs have also been ‘improving’ international relations. Flt Lt’s Nilson and Smith attended the Zeltwig Airshow in Austria with a small engineering support team, Gregor Ogston attended a USAF led course not far from Las Vegas (it’s a tough job…) as well as a staff ride with 3 UK Division to Normandy whilst Si Taylor and Buble Palfreymen attended the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) on behalf of the Squadron. On the home front a busy social period has been enjoyed by all with the summer ball weekend a particular highlight. Starting with pre-ball drinks hosted by Sqn Ldr Billy Cooper he ensured that his reputation as employee of the month will not be challenged, inviting OC Operations Wing and the Station Commander to his soiree – it must be OJAR season. The ball was a fantastic success with all the pilots enjoying the plethora of activities in to the early hours. After the ball, a highly successful Squadron Families Day was held on the 3(F) Squadron site. Organised by the engineers, the fun fair themed day came complete with games, bouncy castle and a much needed BBQ to help some jaded summer ball attendees through the afternoon. The day provided a great opportunity for friends and family to relax in the sunshine and catch up over a pint of Squadron ale. The engineers continued their success the following weekend as they claimed victory in the Larkhill Cup Golf Tournament. It proved to be a comfortable win for the engineers – more practice needed by the pilots for the rematch next year. New arrivals during the period include Tim ‘Pyeman’ Pye, Kev Broder and Jon ‘Simmo’ Simcox. Pyeman joins the Typhoon Force following a 12 month tour of the Falklands having previously flown the Tornado F3 and Hawk T2. Kev and Simmo join from 29(R) and the pair will no doubt bring some QWI aggression and in Simmo’s case, some QFI nibbing, to the Squadron. Despite the busy social programme the pace of flying operations has not subsided. The Squadron flew 4 aircraft in the annual Queen’s Birthday Flypast over Buckingham Palace in June and has supported several air shows around the UK in addition to the aforementioned Austria and RIAT. Combat ready work ups continue as normal and the tempo of post graduation training has also increased as the Squadron begins it’s work up to the Advanced Tactical Leadership Course (ATLC) held in the UAE at the end of the year. The start of this build up was a highly successful Ex Carbon Copy which was held in the first week of August. As August draws to a close 3(F) looks forward to an overseas training flight to Poland, heavy weapons training off the coast of Wales, the Battle Of Britain celebrations in September and of course, Ex Saudi Green Flag. Until next time - Tertius Primus Erit. onetoone XI SQUADRON ISSUE 3 2013 The Squadron has also taken part in exercises such as Exercise ANDROID PREFERENCE, the Typhoon Qualified Weapon’s Instructor (QWI) Course’s end of Swing Role phase exercise, and the Combined QWI Multi Role Exercise in support of Typhoon and Tornado GR4 assets. A massive thank you must also go to the engineers who ensured that XI Sqn came in the top 10 static aircraft at the Royal International Air Tattoo this year by fitting training Air-toAir rounds to the aircraft and ensuring that XI Sqn had by far the most attention from the static crowds and media. XI Sqn O n 14 June, XI Sqn hosted its annual Association Day. A superb day was put on by Flt Lt ‘Wilko’ Wilkinson and the 35 members who could attend were treated to a tour of the squadron, a talk around the aircraft by some of our newer squadron members, a spitfire display followed by an all-ranks Dining-In Night in the Officers’ Mess. The pride, history and ethos of XI Sqn was evident in members both new and old and it is the continuation of Association Days like these that will ensure that XI Sqn continues as an institution and not simply a squadron. XI Sqn deployed a number of personnel, both pilots and engineers, up to Leuchars for the first Typhoon Force gathering of 2013. A Large Force Exercise was flown on the way up, pitting a combined total of 22 Typhoons against each other, in support of Tornado GR4s combined with assets from 100 Sqn and Cobham Aviation. This sort of exercise provides excellent training for all members of the squadron, new and experienced. Over the weekend there was an excellent The next few months holds much of the same for XI Sqn, who will be taking part in several exercises in preparation for an overseas exercise early in 2014. Hopefully with another wine tasting evening in between! Ociores Acrioresque Aquilis hal d It’s been a busy year so far for the Royal Air Force’s premier Typhoon squadron and it doesn’t look as though the pace is going to relent any time soon. In the 3 months since the last update the squadron has returned from Ex RED FLAG in North America, taken part in 3 large force exercises, had one squadron Association Day and lost one valuable pilot to 29(R) Sqn in return for four new ones! The squadron lost Flt Lt Jonny Dowen in May to 29(R) Sqn, we wish him all the best in his new role as a QPI and the 2015 Typhoon Display Pilot (you heard it here first!). Replacing him on the squadron are 4 new JPs. Flt Lt Mike ‘Brucey’ Forsyth joins us after a stint on 19(R) Sqn and before that the Tornado F3. Flt Lt Dan (….Dan….Dan…. Dan….) Hayes comes to the Squadron after a ‘Creamie’ tour and a display season on the Tucano, something he is trying to emulate by representing XI Sqn at every air show they are tasked with this year! Ab Initio’s Flt Lt James Pearce and Flt Lt Owen Thompson join us after a long and arduous 5 year grind through the flying training system. All should be approaching their Combat Ready check rides at the time of print; best of luck! Wo o Update Continuing XI Sqn’s work hard/play hard mentality, the past few months have been no different. On the morning of 25 May, Wg Cdr Wells, Wg Cdr Attridge, Sqn Ldr D’Aubyn, Flt Lt Thorne and Flt Lt Holt arrived at Richmond Park in London to participate in the gruelling non-stop 100km London to Brighton Challenge. There was an interesting warm-up routine from Mr Motivator and an even-more intriguing proposal for Thorney’s fiancée before they were on their way. The route was a combination of one third road and two thirds country trails and was a real test of physical and mental endurance. The group all successfully finished in around the 24 hour mark and were very 9 happily greeted by the future OC XI Sqn; Wg Cdr Chris Layden and his wife Sarah with a bottle of champagne! Completing the walk was a massive achievement for all who were very pleased to raise £3775.77 for Make-A-Wish Foundation; a charity that grants magical wishes to children with lifethreatening conditions. The squadron has also enjoyed a wine tasting evening, organised by Flt Lt Crickmore, although some members sampled a good few more bottles than others! ds programme of entertainment laid on by members of 1(F) Sqn, including clay pigeon shooting, pub golf and a real round of golf on the Old Course at St Andrews. A big thanks to all the engineers who laboured hard to ensure that all aircraft were fit to take part in the exercise on the way back and that everyone got home safely. zar 8 l Wi WOODHALL WIZARDS CHILDRENS’ CENTRE Registered Charity 1075827 Childrens Centre Here at Woodhall Wizards Childrens’ Centre we offer quality care to the children of Woodhall Spa and the surrounding areas. OfSTED May 2012: all inspection judgements were ‘Good’ Our ethos at Woodhall Wizards is that ‘all children deserve the best’. You can leave your children in our care and be assured that they will receive the best possible care from our well qualified staff in a warm, friendly environment that will encourage confidence and independence. We also an After School Club during term time, and a Holiday Club during school holidays. Awarded to deliver 2 year old funding Visits to the Centre are very welcome, and you can contact us on 01526 354916 enquiries@st-andrews-woodhall.lincs.sch.uk King Edward Crescent, Woodhall Spa, Lincs LN10 6RQ 10 onetoone 29(R) SQN UPDATE ISSUE 3 2013 jet display. Well done Jamie and his team! In preparation for a planned detachment to Cyprus in late Summer, Strats and the Boss went to Grosseto in Italy to see if we could make it half-way there. Aside from (redacted) they made it there and back with no trouble and reckon that if we top-up with fuel and use the other side of the map too, we should all get there without drama. Acting as an Air Transport backup plan, Mike Mason led a sailing expedition, Exercise TYPHOON BREEZE, from Gosport in July. Having got to Torquay in a mere five days the merry crew reckoned they could get to Cyprus without contracting scurvy if provided with a similar amount of liquid nutrition. The coming months hope to see OpCon 22 flying solo, OpCon 21 through the Air Combat Phase and OpCon 20 finally finished (one way or another). Hopefully, the first solos will run smoother than Ollie Pocock’s, which resulted in him being faced with a myriad of warning captions. Luckily he had read the HMS Eagle Carrier Landing Manual (second edition, 1962) instead of the Typhoon User Guide and his arrestor hook landing absolved him from having to fly endless circuits. 29(R) SQN UPDATE It has been a busy period for 29(R) Sqn with the graduation of more than 30 new Typhoon pilots in the last 12 months. In addition, the Typhoon Qualified Weapons Instructor (QWI) course has recently graduated providing the Front Line squadrons with more tactical expertise. T owards the end of the QWI course a two-week Combined QWI exercise was flown from RAF Lossiemouth. It combined the Typhoon QWI course with the Tornado GR4 (aka Bomber Command Historic Flight) and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Force QWI courses, in addition to rotary and multi-engine assets, to generate large scale scenarios involving up to 50 aircraft. 29(R) Sqn and 1(F) Sqn engineers did a great job maintaining a combined fleet of 12 Typhoon aircraft without a dedicated spares pack-up. Fighting through Urgent Technical Instructions, 2 engine changes and a complex accommodation & transport plot it is amazing that not one sortie was lost through unserviceabilities. Luckily the weather was favourable for most of the period and it gave everyone a taste of what northern Scotland can be like before half of the Typhoon Force move there next year. The QWI course culminated in two presentations to AOC 1 Gp on “Why QWIs deserve more pay” by the graduates followed by “Fighting Stick Storage Solutions for the 21st Century and Beyond” by Sqn Ldr Tuer, which left the audience thoroughly whelmed. There have been the usual comings and goings from the Sqn. We welcome Jonny “It’s a 2 if you’re lucky” Dowen who joins the instructor strength with his eyes on the Standards Pot; move over Nick Graham. A special mention goes to James “JT” Turner who recently found time to get married whilst on the course. We hope you and Tori have a lovely honeymoon (in 2016). Further still Colin “Bruffy” Brough has been granted a ginger breeding licence and is expecting a baby with Karen in November; congratulations to you both. Finally, it’s time to announce that Mike “Mick the Fish” Mason is off to Australia in December to fly the F-18. Up to now he has only let on the closely guarded secret to his closest family, friends, colleagues, acquaintances, selected public/curry houses across the UK and people he has passed in the street or sat near to in cinemas. Good luck Mike! With families in mind the Sqn held a low-key families day at the start of August. With the Sqn barbecue fired up, over 250 people attended. Jamie ‘Nozza’ Norris flew his display and the simulators were open for guests to see if they could do better. One of the guests was Hugh Pocock, father of Mark, a current Sqn member, who had been a photographer on 29 Sqn from 1954-55 when it was the Day Fighter Leaders School at Tangmere. A short dig into the Sqn history brought back lots of fond memories from what he described as his best time in the RAF. The display season has been going extremely well and the Typhoon Display Facebook page now has eleven friends. Furthermore, Nozza has been impressing all with the Typhoon at airshows around the country. One of the most prestigious was the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford for which he was awarded the trophy for the best solo PHOTOGRAPHS MAIN: Ex Typhoon Breeze Night harbour scene and INSET: Group photo. LEFT: Flt Lt Norris accepts the best solo jet display trophy at RIAT BELOW: 29 Sqn of Old (and Older), Mark & Hugh Pocock 11 12 onetoone 41(R) TES UPDATE ISSUE 3 2013 41(R)TES Tattershall Primary School High Riders Since the amalgamation of the Typhoon Test and Evaluation Sqn (TES) and the Tornado TES back in April, the hectic pace of trials flying and capability delivery has continued unabated. The merge has seen 41(R) TES double in strength and complexity and the unit is now charged with delivering test and evaluation (T&E) of both Tornado and Typhoon, as an Air Warfare Centre lodger unit at RAF Coningsby. At Tattershall Primary School we work in close partnership with parents and carers to help all children achieve their full potential in a happy and caring learning environment. We set high expectations for learning and behavior and continually strive to raise standards through providing a relevant, varied and stimulating curriculum. B ringing 2 aircraft types together through a smooth transition to combined operations is evidence of the hard work and detailed planning that is the bedrock to all T&E activity. The Sqn is embracing the benefits of amalgamation. Since the merge, the Typhoon Flight has remained predominantly in Lincolnshire, slogging away to develop core capability and continue their trials work in Combat ID, Radar and Defensive Aides Systems. The exception is the 41(R) TES Tornado Flight who, after first clearing the Gleave Building corridors of all 17(R) TES Typhoon pictures, departed to sunnier climbs for HIGHRIDER 13-01. Following a minor technical delay and a brief period of g-trouser readjustment (following an extensive P90X regime for Durcs) the 41 hordes were once again on the road, to bring order to the lawlessness of Ridgecrest, California. 13 Visits to the school are warmly welcomed. The HIGHRIDER 13-01 detachment was focused on continuing to investigate Paveway 4 (PW4) guided bomb performance for use with both Tornado and Typhoon, as well as a number of electronic warfare trials. Interestingly, in a bid to get into the spirit of the detachment the Tristar Tanker crew jumped the gun for the weapon drops, releasing their undercarriage doors into the green pastures of Nebraska, and leaving a third of the Sqn with some ‘force development’ time in Omaha. Having (eventually) reunited aircraft and personnel, the Tornado Flight set about flying a comprehensive programme of trials and currency flying, made all the more difficult by US Government ‘Sequestration’ which closed the base, presumably for stock-taking, Guard Room repairs and MOSS Migration, on a fairly regular basis as the US military adopted a 1970s style, money saving, 4-day week. The PW4 trials activity produced some interesting results (more so if you were stood some distance from the intended target) which will form the basis for Front Line implementation of the weapon in the future. Notwithstanding the extensive engineering effort required to generate the flying task, combined with the extreme temperatures encountered at NAWS China Lake, there was an opportunity to conduct some AT and Force Development. Many visited the USS Midway, now a floating museum, in San Diego bay, while the more adventurous participated in the increasingly popular form of human ‘pass-thepigs’ using jet-skis at Lake Isabella (which unfortunately, has been removed from the social calendar for future detachments following an unforeseeable injury)! Back in the UK, the Typhoon Flight continued to deliver briefs and take part in flying with the Front Line Sqns, in support to QWIC 4’s preparation for CQWI. The TES performed admirably, which is fair enough, when you consider they get the best Typhoon kit to operate. Allegedly. Finally, in June, the TES managed a mixed formation push North to Scotland – to deliver knowledge and training to the Leuchars’ Sqns. The plan was for 2 Typhoons and 2 Tornados, but sadly not all of the planned assets successfully made the journey – still, it’s the thought that counts. The outlook over the next 6 months sees both Flights once again return to the USA, plus continual, back to back, flight trials from home, delivering new and improved Tornado and Typhoon capability to the Front Line. Please contact the administrator Mrs A Porter or the headteacher Mrs Janette Davey who will be pleased to show you around the school and answer your queries. Tattershall, Lincoln LN4 4QZ Tel/Fax: 01526 342045 Email: enquiries@tattershallprimary.lincs.sch.uk Headteacher: Mrs Janette Davey Kirkby on Bain Church of England Primary School Learning together for life “Kirkby on Bain is a happy, inclusive and deeply caring school... The school, through its distinctive Christian character, is outstanding at meeting the needs of all learners.” (Church Schools Inspection, July 2012) visit: Wharf Lane, Kirkby on Bain, Woodhall Spa, LN10 6YW call: 01526 352715 click: www.kobps.lincs.sch.uk 14 onetoone ISSUE 3 2013 Sixth Form boarding at one of England’s top State schools The Robert de Cheney Boarding House is situated in the grounds of The Priory Academy LSST, an academy in Lincoln which is consistently among the top five performing non-selective State schools in the country. It provides a wonderful opportunity for Sixth Form students to develop and flourish, both academically and socially. • Academy and Sixth Form rated outstanding by Ofsted • 99% A-Level pass rate (three subjects) and 99% GCSE pass rate (5+ A*-C, including English and Maths) • 83% first-choice university success rate, with 27% of Year 13 students obtaining Russell Group places • Modern, home-from-home boarding comprising 60 single ensuite study bedrooms with internet access • Kitchen, dining area and laundry plus a Common Room on each floor • Designated Sixth Form support and pastoral staff to ease the transition from school to university, employment and independence • State-of-the-art Sixth Form science facility, with research laboratories, a planetarium and a debating chamber • Spectacular sports provision including a 60m indoor sprint track and a 400m synthetic outdoor running track, plus excellent field athletics facilities • Swimming pool, fitness suite, climbing wall, spinning suite, dance studio and badminton courts • Stunning residential centre in Normandy • Thriving CCF, DofE and pastoral programmes To arrange a visit or to apply for a 2014 place, contact Mr Chris Liston (Head of Boarding) The Priory Academy LSST, Cross O’Cliff Hill, Lincoln, Lincolnshire LN5 8PW Telephone: 01522 889977 l Email: boarding@prioryacademies.co.uk Visit: www.prioryacademies.co.uk/boarding 15 16 onetoone BASE SUPPORT WING ISSUE 3 2013 17 BASE SUPPORT WING OVERVIEW The publication of a new OnetoOne magazine gives us an opportunity to look back on what has happened since the last edition and to look forward towards the next. Regardless of the direction of travel, the tempo within Base Support Wing is always a busy one, and as shown by the diversity in our recent BSW photograph, it is always more varied than is perhaps immediately obvious to those both outside and within the Wing. What’s cooking? A scrutiny of the BSW photograph would show some of our Chefs. At the start of the Summer they took part in the Annual Royal Air Force Culinary Competition & Annual Awards. The competition was held over two days at Worthy Down, home of the Food Services Wing. The five RAF Coningsby competitors achieved a Silver medal and four Certificates of Merit which reflected the professionalism, high standards and the plethora of talented individuals in the Catering Flight here on station. Looking forward, we wish the team every success when they represent us and the Royal Air Force at Exercise Joint Caterer to be held at Shrivenham in late September. On another positive note, due to some successful lobbying from the Catering team here at RAF Coninsgby, plans are maturing from above to improve the manning for both Chefs and Stewards. This means we can expect a return to a full 3-mess system in the not too distant future. Visitors RAF Coningsby attracts a wide range of VIP and working level visitors, often in order to explain what it is we do here and the value and utility the Typhoon Force offers to the British taxpayer. Base Support Wing has a key role in both managing the visits’ process and hosting a fair share Another member of the Community Support Team, (CST) is WO Al Jenkins. The RAF Stress Management Governance Protocol calls for a proactive approach by the chain of command to reducing stress for Service personnel. In addition to both pre- and postdeployment events, the RAF has a system in place called Trauma Risk Management (TRiM) and WO Jenkins is currently promoting this initiative. TRiM is not a medical process or therapy, but it is designed to identify Service personnel at risk after traumatic incidents. TRiM is an effective tool A Golden Commemoration. Back in May, the Station exercised its right to march through Boston, ‘with Bayonets fixed, Colours flying and Drums beating’. a right that was bestowed on the Station on May 16, 1963, exactly 50 years before this year’s event. Organising a parade of this size and importance takes a number of personnel, who largely fall under the auspices of Base Support Wing. The Station Warrant Officer, WO Watson was instrumental in pulling this great event together, working alongside an RAF Police Flight contingent , Flt Lt ‘Ginge’ O’Hara from the Force Protection Training Flight and members of these visits. In July OC BSW hosted the new in post Head of Defence Security, Carol Bernard CBE who came to RAF Coningsby to gain an operational perspective of security on Station and more broadly across the three services. This was the final visit of three and she left with a Royal Air Force ID card lanyard; what better way to promote our service around the hallowed halls of Whitehall? of Boston Borough Council and Lincolnshire Police to ensure the event ran smoothly. This would not have been possible of course without the contribution of two flights of Servicemen and women from across the entire station led by the Parade Cdr, 3(F) Sqn Boss, Wg Cdr ‘Cab’ Townsend. The occasion was marked with a superb four ship Typhoon flypast led by Flt Lt Brough of 29(R) Sqn. What did you do last Summer? The Summer holidays have, as ever, been supported by a series of activities for children and families. These have included a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, a Teddy Bears’ Picnic, a Beach Party, and an opportunity for a free visit to Tattershall Castle to list just a few. These activities are organised by the Community Development Officer, Lou Henderson. Hot Fuzz. Along side the HIVE and the Padres, another pillar of the CST until very recently was PC Pete Smith, the Defence Community Police Officer, who retired at the end of August. Having joined the MOD Police in 1978, Pete took up post as the Unit Beat Officer (as they were then which assists in the management of stress within the RAF. Anyone who is interested in becoming a practitioner should contact WO Jenkins, Community Support Warrant Officer, on ext 7211 for further information. called) at RAF Coningsby in July 2004. Known locally as PC Pete, he quickly became an integral part of the RAF Coningsby policing and community support teams and a key figure in the local community too. PC Pete, though his work alongside colleagues from the RAF and MOD Police, helped to forge very valuable and strong links with the wider Lincolnshire Police Force and local residents. With Service Families Accommodation (SFA) at RAF Coningsby dispersed within the local community, PC Pete’s presence and pro-active approach has been a major factor in helping to reduce anti-social behaviour and thus providing a safer environment for the Defence community. His loss is keenly felt but we are now continuing his good work with our two Police Community Support Officers in an attempt to fill a rather large PC Pete size gap in our community policing portfolio. And if you are ever visiting Boston West Golf Club, keep an eye out for their latest recruit. From bicycles with baskets and bank jobs (no pun intended) to police cars and golf buggies, PC Pete Smith we commend, salute and wish you all the very best for a happy, healthy future. Amongst the 100 top performing schools based on sustained improvement in Level 4+ each year from 2009 - 2012 100% of children made the Governments required 2 levels progress in 2012 Good Church of England Primary School High standards of behaviour Small classes, high percentage of Teaching Assistants, many out of school activities, good links with the community. Breakfast Club available from 8am every day Enquiries and visits welcome. 01507 568304 www.mareham.lincs.sch.uk 18 onetoone BASE SUPPORT WING ISSUE 3 2013 19 Change is the only constant It’s not hard to see the fun that was had on CAMO’day RAF Coningsby supported two local schools in their Camo’ Day celebrations this year. Catering, Retail & Leisure It has been a very busy summer for all within the Catering, Retail and Leisure team at RAF Coningsby with major events such as the Funny Fokkers Comedy Show plus a sprinkling of charity events and football tournaments in the mix for good measure. W ay back in May, Catering Flight Personnel and civilians joined together in a day of teamwork to commemorate the passing of WO Neil Lloyd, whilst also raising a fantastic amount for charity. Catering Flight Personnel decided that their charity of choice would be ‘Headway: The Brain Injury Association’ who undertake research into such accidents and provided support to WO Lloyd’s family in the aftermath of his tragic passing in a road traffic accident. The whole flight pulled together to cycle the distance from RAF Coningsby to Paris and back – a total of 822 miles – on static bikes, followed by an evening of trying to numb the pain of our sore legs in the bar! One-hour long stints on the bikes were completed by all those involved, with special mention to SAC’s Sam Smith, Josh Spencer and Craig Johnson who all broke the 40km barrier. To everyone’s delight, especially those who were due to take part in the final few hours, we completed our target well ahead of time. This was down to the phenomenal effort by all of those who cycled – the pace was certainly not leisurely. The fundraising continued in to the evening with a charity leg wax and karaoke in the Heroes Bar, washed down nicely with vodka jellies sold by SAC Laura Ward. In total, an amazing £765.24 was raised for the charity. Although the most important aspect of the day was to raise as much money as possible for the charity, it was also great to see so many of the Flight pulling together and having fun! The Heroes Bar was also the venue for the inaugural Funny Fokkers Comedy Tour at RAF Coningsby which saw television comedians Terry Alderton and Paul Tonkinson gracing the stage. RAF Coningsby was the only station on the national tour which sold out all of their tickets before the doors opened, and this was reflected in the feedback of the comedians who both commented that it had been one of the best shows they had done. After compere Chris Gilbert warmed up the crowd and set the tone for the evening, Paul Tonkinson’s set was well appreciated by the crowd. His ‘interesting’ views on marriage, parenthood and the general pitfalls of family life made for a hilarious act and at the interval everyone was eager to see what Terry would add to the mix. His contribution to the evening turned out to be a large amount of abuse fired at the Officers and Pilots combined with freakishly accurate aviation noises and spontaneous rapping; quite an eclectic mix but one that went down a storm with the audience. Even the Sqn Ldrs on the front row seemed to be enjoying the banter! The smooth running of the Comedy Tour and the excellent feedback was testament to the blood, sweat and even a few tears that were poured in to the evening from everyone on the organising team. The Retail and Leisure teams have also been excelling at a National Level. Bapmobile Driver Julie Mitchell was nominated for the ISS Apple Awards – a national recognition scheme for those individuals whose performance makes an exceptional difference to their business. Julie was chosen as the Apple Award winner for June 2013 and wins a new Ipod as recognition of her hard work. Mr Jim Howarth, ISS General Manager nominated Julie for this national award and explained “Julie has recognised the challenges of our customers and has tailored her round to meet their needs. The availability of the offer is important to the success of the service, and Julie never takes the easy option, always ensuring replenishment is done and the best range possible is available for all of our customers. The Bapmobile has seen income almost treble since Julie took on the role and this is directly down to her willingness to give the customer what they want.” In addition to this, the RAF Coningsby SPAR shop also came first in a National level competition run by Camelot to see which shop could run the best promotion of the Euromillions UK Raffle Draw. Lisa Jack’s team led the way in this promotion, with their hard work, friendly demeanour and excellent rapport with their customers earning them the prize. The girls have been rewarded with a well deserved cheque which after much deliberation they have decided to use to treat the SPAR team to an evening of cream teas at the Petwood Hotel so that everyone can share in the glory. PHOTOGRAPHS MAIN: The award winning BAPMOBILE! Diner, diner, diner, diner, diner, diner, diner BELOW: Catering Flt static cycle ride from Coningsby to Paris and back in support of Headway. A ll schools across the country were invited to mark Armed Forces Day with a special nonuniform event to help raise awareness for the children and families of British service personnel. Proceeds from Camo day also went towards raising funds for the military charity SSAFA. Gartree Community School decorated their cafeteria with a military theme and treated students to a special buffet lunch. All students were invited to write comments on camouflaged paper and then the school created a paper chain which was then given to the SWO in thanks for a presentation he delivered on the role of RAF Coningsby. The paper chains are on display in a variety of locations across the Station. Teachers, parents and governors of St. Michaels C. of E. Primary School along with the CDO and volunteers from 7FP Wing co- ordinated, resourced and delivered a military themed afternoon of activities. Children took part in a mini assault course, built and flew paper aeroplanes, had the opportunity to put on camouflage cream and look at some military equipment. They undertook team building challenges, looked at a military vehicle brought from Thorpe Camp and had the chance to go in a Police car. The highlight for all children involved was learning some drill and a lesson on how to salute from WO Jenkins the Station Community Support Officer. St Michaels, together with Jacdor nursery who ran their own event on the day, raised a cheque for £266 which was presented to SSAFA at an assembly in the school. If you would like to take part in Camo’ Day next year then do not hesitate to contact Lou Henderson, the Community Development Officer, on 01526 347865 Try something new! A Taize service is held in the Station Church every 3rd Wednesday of the month. T his offers a quieter time for meditation and reflection with guided input. The Taize service beginning at 1200 hrs and lasts for no more that 30 minutes. You are welcome to bring your lunch and eat together following the service. All are welcome. What is Taize? On a hill in southern France a Christian community of brothers have opened their doors to the world as an act of hospitality. Many young people from around the world flock to Taize each year to pray, be silent, to be simple, to be faithful, to draw closer and deepen their relationship with God. Taize is described as being like a melodic, holy rhythm rather than than the frenzied pace of every day life. Three times a day visitors are called to prayer by the chiming of bells. The prayers are different to what you would expect as the worshippers gather to listen rather that talk. Scripture is read and then left to speak for itself in silence. Simple songs are sung and repeated. In a sense the experience can be described; God speaks and the heart hears. One aspect of military life that is constant for many is, if not all, is of change or a sense of moving on. We deal with change and movement in our work; in what we do, and how we do it. The military acknowledges the fluid and challenging times we are in; newly emerging challenges to security that must be met with shrinking recourses of budgets and people. Padre David C Haslam W e have more to achieve with less resources in unfamiliar environments. So we are all called to work in and with this new environment. Another aspect of change and moving on is the call to move from station to station and posting to posting. Often this involves taking our families with us and the removal of all our possessions from one home to build the next elsewhere. Change can be disruptive, unsettling and stressful. Sometimes it is not welcomed and we would rather settle and stay where we are and with what we know. Staying helps us feel safe and secure, dealing with the ‘knowns’ of life rather than risk, unknowns and uncertainties that come with the new. The struggle of moving and change is not new. There are many nomadic tribes who live in tented homes. They settle for a while; their sheep and animals graze on fresh grass for a short time before everything is packed up once again and they move on elsewhere. Abraham, founding father of the Jewish faith, was one such tribal leader living this kind of life style. So the people of God first lived a wandering life style with their God, Yahweh. Moses took the Hebrews from slavery (in settled brick houses in Egypt) to live a nomadic life for many years before they entered the ‘promise land’ of Israel where they settled down in permanent houses. It’s when they settled that the trouble occurred! People of faith know something of the ‘moving on with God’ in their personal lives. I see the Church struggling over whether to ‘move on’ faithfully or embrace change through new interpretations or insights of God’s love for today’s world. Examples of this include sexuality and the role of women’s ministry. I believe that in ‘moving on’ we can be open to see the new as exciting, adventurous, challenging, opportunity, new beginnings, re-defining, re-inventing, liberating and invigorating. But for me personally, a call to walk with God into the unknown, is knowing that whatever happens I can lay the uncertainties of my future before a God who knows me, my purpose and my destiny. It helps me feel even closer to the author of my life; that’s relationship with God. Anything else I shall not fear if I but fear God. As I talk about moving on I am reminded that it has come time for me to say a goodbye to you all at Coningsby. It has been a delight and privilege to work and live amongst you all. I shall take many fond memories of my time here and of the opportunities I have had in working alongside you here and in the far away places we have served together. I wish you all a fond farewell and prosperous and bright future. May God be with you in all you do. Happy journeying on! 20 onetoone ISSUE 3 2013 TWELLS Massive New Car Discounts and/or 0% APR Finance Plans available to HM FORCES Masterfit Service Centre Vauxhall Approved Bodyshop Always call Twells FIRST LIMITED OFFER:- MOT’s now Service & ONLY £34.95 MOT from £99.00 for accident repairs, paintless dent removal. upholstery repairs. enhancement and valeting We will collect and redeliver your car from your base Spend £100 or more with our service department and get £15 off Open 6 Days a week for Drive-In Drive-Out service Our prices for TYRES, BATTERIES, and EXHAUSTS are checked against the national fast-fit centres on a regular basis We usually come out as good on price- but our quality is superior 92 years old, a family business you can rely on! Always 80 Network Q Used Vauxhall cars in stock incl VAT & fitting Quality Batteries from only £29.99 When you bring this advert with you. Offer ends December 31st 2013 32 years Vauxhall Main Dealer Quality Tyres from only £34.99 incl VAT & fitting Original Rear exhausts from only £49.99 incl VAT & fitting Original Brake pads from only £49.99 incl VAT & fitting 49-51 High Street, Billinghay TEL: 01526 860000 WWW.TWELLS.CO.UK 21 22 onetoone BASE SUPPORT WING ISSUE 3 2013 HIVE INFORMATION the interests of the single living-in community are addressed. Contact details: 01526 347211 Mob:07919 301832 HIVE INFORMATION SERVICE The RAF HIVE Service supports the Chain of Command and tri-Service community through the provision of up to date and relevant information. RAF HIVE Information Officers are able to provide an extensive range of information on relocation, local facilities, schools and further education, housing, healthcare facilities, employment and training opportunities. Information on future relocations is one of the key areas of information support and is available either in advance or on arrival at the receiving unit. RAF HIVE staffs are also involved in providing Operational deployment support, including distributing deployment support resources and providing information on ways of communicating with deployed personnel. Contact details: Station HIVE 01526 347868 Coningsby HIVE 01526 342679 SSAFA SSAFA provides a confidential service to the RAF community, dealing with issues including: Relationship difficulties Bereavement and loss Childcare Housing Separation Special needs Benevolent Fund applications Contact details: Office: 01526 347846 / 347193 Mob:0777 594 8269 Out of hours: 0207 463 9358 SSAFA Volunteer Co-ord:0776 899 6738 SERVICE COMMUNITY SUPPORT OFFICER The role of the Service Community Support Officer (SCSO) is to assist in the provision of ‘first line’ support to Service personnel and their families, including acting as an interface between SFA Occupants and the Housing authorities, coordinating stress management events in line with current policy, and ensuring that COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT OFFICER The role of the Community Development Officer (CDO) is to promote a sense of community and general well being for personnel and families of people living and working at RAF Coningsby through: •N etworking and supporting access and development of community provision • E nsuring community provision is complying with best practice and government guidelines •M anaging the Airplay project and the Youth Engagement Team Contact details: 01526 347865 Mob:07799 273033 THE LOUNGE The Lounge is a modern ‘living area’ for livers-in (all ranks) at Coningsby and is situated above Heroes Bar. A non-alcoholic facility, The Lounge has a staffed Coffee Bar, wide screen TV, Playstation 3, Wii, games and Wi-Fi. Open weekdays 1130—1330 The Lounge is run by volunteers in the evenings so opening times may vary. See doors for times. Bring Your Own Lunch!! Add a delicious hot or cold drink from the menu and enjoy a relaxed comfortable lunch break. RAF CONINGSBY NURSERY & KIDS CLUB Registered to provide services for 50 weeks of the year, closing for two weeks over Christmas. Providing nursery education funded places for children aged 2—4 yrs for 38 weeks of the year, following the local schools term times. Clinton Park, Tattershall, LN4 4QZ. 01526 344325 www.nurseryandkidsclub.co.uk info@nurseryandkidsclub.co.uk RAF Coningsby Nursery and Kids Club Member of the Good Garage Scheme J MAXXIS TYRES-LIFETIME GUARANTEE J EXHAUSTS J SERVICING J BRAKES J PERFORMANCE PARTS J POLISHES J OILS J ONE STOP MOTORIST SHOP Community Centre Diary Clinton Park, Tattershall Monday Tiny Typhoons Tuesday BOKWA WednesdayPilates Wednesday Step Aerobics Wednesday Youth Clubs 8 - 12 yrs 12 - 15 yrs Thursday Pre-school craft club Thursday Rainbows ThursdayPilates ThursdayZumba Friday Community Support Clinic Friday Tiny Typhoons Mon, Wed - Fri CUPCAKE CAFÉ 0930 – 1130 1830 – 1930 0930 – 1030 1030 – 1130 1730 – 1900 1930 – 2100 1000 – 1100 1800 – 1915 1915 – 2015 2015 – 2100 0930 – 1130 0930 – 1130 0930 – 1230 CAB Clinic: 2nd Monday monthly 1000 – 1200 SHQ Solicitors Clinic Wednesdays 1200 – 1300 Station HIVE RAF Coningsby Mortgage Clinic Last Tuesday monthly 1200 – 1330 Station HIVE RAF Coningsby Community Fridays Support Team Clinic 0930 – 1130 Clinton Park Community Centre Community Support Team Board Chair - Wg Cdr Beer OC PMS - Sqn Ldr Warner Station Medical Officer - Wg Cdr Anderson Station Chaplaincy - Padres Elliott, Haslam & Kennard Air Cadet Liaison Officer - CT Russell OC PSF - Flt Lt Jim Schofield Station Training Officer - Flt Lt Chris Williams Service Community Support Officer - WO Al Jenkins Youth Activities Liaison Officer - Flt Lt Garland Community Development Officer - Lou Henderson HIVE Information Officers - Tina Proctor & Ann Parkinson SSAFA Personal & Family Support Worker - J ean Pattenden & Dan Parkinson DIO Housing Officer - Kate Ellis Coningsby HIVE 01526 347868 / 342679 OPEN MON - SAT 9 - 6 SUNDAY 10 - 5 NORTHGATE, SLEAFORD 01529 415550 CANWICK HILL, LINCOLN 01522 533665 MOT FROM £35.00 AT CANWICK BRANCH Community Clinics Contact: SERVICING FOR £55 PLUS PARTS CON-BSWHiveHIO1@mod.uk RAFConingsbyHIVE@ btconnect.com RAFConingsbyHIVE AJB Motors • gEnEral sErvicing and rEpairs • clutchEs suppliEd and fittEd • Mot prEparation • air conditioning rEcharging and sErvicing ElEctronic fault diagnosis using thE latEst softwarE for aBs, airBag and EnginE ManagEMEnt faults For further information please telephone: 01526 354 333 or 07979 942 952 Moorland Service Station, Horncastle Rd, Woodhall Spa, LN10 6UX 23 Helpful Health Hints Good advice to keep you and your loved ones fighting fit Cervical Screening Ladies are offered cervical screening (smear tests) every 3 years from the age of 25 and every 5 years from the age of 50. Screening has improved over the last year or so, and screening now tests for the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). Ladies found to have high risk types of HPV are automatically referred for colposcopy; this ensures prompt treatment and less time spent returning for unnecessary repeated tests. HPV is passed on during sexual contact. Low risk types are not harmful and are cleared through our immune system; however, high risk types can go on to cause abnormal changes in the cells of the cervix (womb) in later years; it is these changes that can cause cancer. Think of cervical screening as just another simple check up to reduce your health risks and maintain good health. Appointments can be booked with the Practice Nurse via the Medical Centre Reception on ext 7799. If however, you have your test performed elsewhere, then please let us know the result, so as we can update your records. For further information, take a look at the following websites: www.jostrust.org.uk/ www.cancerscreening.nhs.uk/ cervical/ Seasonal Flu The flu virus spreads rapidly through small droplets by coughing or sneezing into the air by an infected person. We live in a small community at RAF Coningsby and tend to congregate in large numbers in communal areas at work and in the Mess where the virus can thrive. Flu can rapidly spread amongst Unit personnel and cause sickness and absence, thus, effecting operations. Some people are at greater risk of developing serious complications of flu, such as bronchitis and pneumonia. The flu vaccination is offered from October onwards during the winter season, to people in ‘at-risk’ groups. If you are deploying on certain Operations, you will also be offered the flu vaccine. Can I avoid catching flu? Short of isolating yourself from everyone, it is difficult to avoid encountering flu viruses. Preventing the spread of germs is the most effective way to slow the spread of flu. •C atch it - Bin it - Kill it! – always carry tissues with you and use them to catch your cough or sneeze. Bin the tissue and wash your hands with soap and water. • If you share communal working areas, such as desks, computers and telephones, periodically wipe all these areas down. •D o not share Crew Room cups unless they are thoroughly washed in between use. • K eep your immune system strong by eating a healthy diet, taking regular exercise, getting enough rest and relaxation and not smoking. For more information visit: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Flu/ Pages/Introduction.aspx Sexual Health Advice Many people do not always have symptoms when they have a sexually transmitted infection (STI), however, if you do have any of the following symptoms or have started a new relationship, then you should get tested. • pain when you pass urine • itching, burning or tingling around the genitals •b listers, sores, spots or lumps around the genitals or anus • unusual vaginal discharge • bleeding between periods or after sex • pain during sex • lower abdominal pain If you have symptoms, contact the Medical centre, RAF Coningsby. Alternatively contact the Lincoln Sexual Health Services, specializing in Genitourinary Medicine and Contraceptive Health on 01522 539145. Opening times Mon – Thurs 0830-1930, Fri – 0830-1630. Please note that this is a free and confidential service. Free condoms are available upon request at the Medical Centre, RAF Coningsby and machines are located in the Messes. 24 onetoone Engineering & Logistics Wing ISSUE 3 2013 MT FLIGHT - ANNUAL ROAD SAFETY AWARD WINNERS Multiple exposure To many personnel on the Unit the Photo Section is just somewhere you go to for an quick portrait photo when you’re told to get a new mug shot for the Sqn board or you need a new ID card. I n reality, The Photo Section product has a much wider reach than just the odd ID photo or a “grip and grin” to commemorate the transfer of authority between an outgoing boss and his successor. Supporting many aspects of the Station’s output, the section provides support to operations working closely with QRA, engineers, police, medics and administrators alike, not to mention the public relations focused Typhoon Display Team and BBMF. Although not established to provide video, over the past year we have had great success capturing airborne footage from Typhoon and BBMF aircraft that contributed to a significantly larger RAF media effort for events like the Olympics, Queen’s Birthday flypast and the Dams 70th anniversary. Some of the sections footage has reached world wide audiences. The taxpayers reading this article will be pleased to discover that in an era of shrinking budgets and greater expectations for our resources, the Photo Section are also delivering a significant saving to flying training. Last year the section were approached to investigate the possibility of producing an aircrew training package that would allow students to consolidate their weapons training syllabus prior to a live sortie. Working with 29(R)Sqn Weapons Instructors, SAC Buckley captured footage from live sorties and the simulator and assembled a product narrated by a Qualified Instructor. This tool highlights the key learning points enabling a student rehearse as many times as they wish on the ground prior to flying a live mission to consolidate their knowledge. 29(R)Sqn has reported that students have received this package well, resulting in much earlier success in the air, ultimately reducing demand on aircraft and personnel alike and saving tens of thousands of pounds in the process. Victims of their own success, OC Forward Engineering Squadron is pushing the section hard for more. It is recognised however, that none of the above would have been possible without superb support from C4I. PHOTOGRAPHS MAIN: SAC Buckley at work in the editing suite. BELOW: Technical shot of damage to a plug and Dambusters 70th Anniversary. RAF Coningsby annually enters the Defence Road Safety competition, known as the Rose Bowl, which promotes safe driving standards and rewards effective road safety initiatives. T his year Coningsby managed to beat off stiff competition from over 100 tri-service units to be awarded first place for their outstanding investment in road safety campaigns. The stn was commended for focusing not only on it’s service personnel but looking more broadly across the wider local community by innovatively forming both local community road safety committees and inter-station meetings covering the multitude of RAF stations in Lincolnshire. The Trophy was presented to the RAF Coningsby MT Flight in the Wratten Suite at the end of May by COS Spt’s XO, AVM Bishop. The judges looked at road safety initiatives that the unit had undertaken with specific praise going to the large variety of road safety presentations throughout the year, each of which was widely promulgated to ensure maximum attendance. The judges liked the creative method employed to reinforce training when personnel were found to have breached road safety. The MTO dealt with such offenders by tasking them to create and deliver a presentation on how they had breached road safety and the consequences this could have had on others. This presentation was given to personnel on station in the presence of the MTO. After the event he was careful to find out how they found having to create the presentation, what they had learned, whether it was more effective than disciplinary action. All personnel polled found it a better way of dealing with the situation. One Line Manager reported that by his personnel being dealt with in this way, 120 people had benefitted from the lesson rather than just 2. In conjunction with Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership a series of drink driving presentations were given across the Station. They imparted how alcohol affects the body differently depending on build, height, gender and medical condition of individuals. All these factors contribute to the effect alcohol has on a person. The most powerful message was a video clip showing not only what can happen if someone is caught drink driving but also contains a message from a victim stating how being hit had changed her life. Coningsby was commended for promoting the ‘Pass Plus’ and other advanced driving schemes. Sgt Potts, a Bike Safe instructor, had seen the advantages this course delivers to riders so in conjunction with the Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership he organised a course for members of the RAF Coningsby Motor Bike Club. He even managed to get the fee subsidised. The course starts in the classroom where personnel spend about 1 ½ hours discussing recent trends in bike crashes, some tasters of advanced riding techniques and some hints and tips on cornering and overtaking. This is an informal discussion and all personnel are encouraged to participate. The next part of the course is the observed ride, which is tailored to the riders needs and done on a one to one basis with either a Police, I.A.M or RoSPA observer, all of whom are highly qualified and selected for their attributes and abilities. Generally the ride lasts for 2 hours. Riders are encouraged to ride as they would normally with no pressure to do anything fancy. Afterwards the riders are given a de-brief on their ride and any areas which may need polishing is highlighted. All participants are issued with a certificate and reminded to inform their insurance companies when it is due for renewal because attending this course should bring premiums down. Statistics have proven that anyone who has undertaken any form of advanced training is less likely to become a statistic of the wrong sort. PHOTOGRAPH l-r Cpl Jason Thompson, Sgt Si Ayre, AVM Bishop, Gp Capt Stringer, Sgt Caroline Taylor, FS Trev Shippey, Mr McKenna. 25 26 onetoone OPERATIONS WING ISSUE 3 2013 The View from the Waterfront The giant mug-shot board conveniently located on the stairwell of Ops Wg HQ has earned its keep recently. Battle of Britain Memorial Flight The newest Spitfire pilot of BBMF is unlikely to be picking up all the unpalatable flight secondary duties! O n the 27 June, the Station Commander of RAF Coningsby, Gp Capt Johnny Stringer, carried out his first Spitfire sortie in our Mk XVI TE311. He took off and had 45 minutes getting used to the aircraft and carrying out different manouevres. On landing it looked as though he had thoroughly enjoyed the first flight! After describing the aircraft as “a bit nippy”, Gp Capt Johnny Stringer was congratulated on his sortie and given a well deserved bottle of fizz by OC RAF BBMF, Sqn Ldr Dunc Mason. During the run up to the 70th anniversary of the Dambusters raids, BBMF launched their new Offical Memorial Flight Club. A very good friend of the Flight, Carol Vorderman kindly agreed to come and launch it for us and attended a press facility at the Flight. Former Countdown presenter Carol Vorderman paid tribute to the thousands of men who gave their lives in wartime when she launched a new Royal Air Force supporters club. She said in an age of “rights” we must never forget those who gave their lives for our freedoms, the brave heroes who “earned them for our. After the press facility had finished - Carol kindly agreed to have her photograph taken with a few members of the team! T here’s a pretty good chance that anyone stopping by Ops Wing in the last couple of months has relied on it to determine what the person they are visiting now looks like. Since the last edition of OnetoOne, the Wing has welcomed aboard a new SATCO, a new SLOps, and a new OC in short succession. The Wing is also getting ready to wave goodbye to some of its stalwarts such as WO Bowden, who is leaving the RAF after many years of loyal service and Sqn Ldr John Chappell who has decided that a promotion to Wg Cdr is sufficient reward for an impending commute from Lincolnshire to Andover. Both will be sorely missed. For the first time in a long while, the Coningsby based Typhoon squadrons have all been at home at the same time which has made for a busy Summer of flying activity. The Wing has been working hard to ensure everyone’s needs are catered for, especially when it comes to finding airspace to train in and tanker aircraft to refuel from. Sgt Ridgway, the fortunate soul responsible for coordinating the above, was incredibly pleased to see Typhoon successfully tanking from the new Voyager aircraft for the first time recently as it is hoped that this will free up a lot more capacity in the system. However it is also sad to think that the VC10 will be conducting its final ever flight in September after many years of loyal service. The Exercise Plans team has been kept busy designing and rehearsing the Station’s deployable operational support capability in a joint venture with RAF Marham, designated 121 Expeditionary Air Wing. A successful exercise in July leading to a deployment in support of Exercise JOINT WARRIOR in October should leave the EAW in a strong position to take over the RAF’s standby commitment from November for a 12 month period. The Wing were quick to turn threat into opportunity when, due to the unique goldfish bowl qualities of the HQ building, the internal temperature reached 38˚C during the height of Summer - All HQ staff are now considered acclimatized for potential EAW deployments to Africa or the Middle East. One of the main tasks of the Wing has been to help in preparing to receive our Royal Saudi Air Force colleagues who will be taking part in a combined exercise with UK squadrons over the first 2 weeks of September. After the glorious summer at Coningsby no one is quite sure who will have more trouble adjusting to the inevitable autumnal weather - our Saudi friends or us. The outgoing SATCO’s last act hurrah was to oversee the safe execution Project Propeller, an annual reunion for 150+ WWII aircrew, who are flown annually to meet up from all over the UK in light aircraft by volunteer pilots. This year, Project Propeller was hosted at BBMF. The veterans and their pilots met up at a convenient airfield, before flying to Coningsby for the day, then flying back home again at the close. It is generally hoped that the veteran air crew get an opportunity for some more “stick and rudder” time. Over 70 light aircraft were booked in to arrive at Coningsby over a short time window making for an unusually busy weekend however due to some unseasonably high winds not as many of the aircraft could land at RAF Coningsby as planned. Despite this, the day was a great success with lots of veterans being hosted by members of ATC, BBMF and volunteers. The Wing was justifiably proud of FS Robertson and WO Hollis who were rewarded for their hard work and dedication with honours over the Summer. A Meritorious Service Medal was bestowed on Flt Sgt Robertson in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for her sterling work for numerous good causes not least her work on behalf of Cancer Research which has already raised over £35,000 so far this year. WO Hollis received an AOC’s Commendation for the part he played in tackling a major incident when he was in command of Fire Section at Bastion Airfield. Congratulations are also due to SAC Pete Baird who has been awarded a slot of the Initial Officer Training intake commencing at Cranwell in October. He can’t be that smart though; he’s accepted a commission as an Air Traffic Controller! 27 28 onetoone PEOPLE AND ACHIEVEMENTS ISSUE 3 2013 60 nth 12 Mo ty n Warra • Great value for money • High quality service • High quality products Second S Interview OnetoOne talks to the key personalities at RAF Coningsby to find out what makes them tick. T he Station Commander’s right hand woman, Norma Outen shares her wisdom after a distinguished career keeping junior (and not so junior) officers in check. What was your first job? Archive Assistant zzzzzzzz What’s the best piece of advice you could give someone? Think before you speak. What’s the skill you’d most like to have? To be in two places at once. What’s your favourite holiday destination? Northern Cyprus with a bunch of great friends. FREE DELIVERY ON CALL 01526 344102 ALL UK ORDERS* Monday - Saturday 9am - 5pm What was the worst piece of advice you’ve been given? ‘Don’t be a PA’. What was your best meeting ever (and why)? Arranged a critical Op Ellamy meeting to plan the deployment of Typhoon to Goya del Col. I had 10 mins to get all key individuals assembled with all relevant docs. I called, they responded. What’s your favourite pastime/relaxation activity? Reading, Writing, Cooking, Food & Wine, relaxing with great friends and family. What’s your favourite music/ musician? Fifties love songs, Nina Simone, Otis Redding sums it up. ivill Service. WEEE recycling & handling specialists. Experts in the sales, repair & Servicing of LCD TVs, Plasma screens, Laptops, Desktop computers & other electrical goods. Individual tailored quotes for repairs & servicing. Great value services and sales all carrying a warranty! We stock spares for all major brands of laptops, computers and TVs. These spares and parts are sold on a global scale to both the public and trade. If you are looking for spares, parts, repairs, servicing or general sales of electrical goods then look no further. Televisions Laptops Computers Spares and Parts Repairs & Servicing Visit us online today! www.sivillservice.co.uk * Standard Delivery in UK is Royal Mail UK 1st Class Recorded. For International items standard RM delivery is Royal Mail International Signed For. @Sivillservice Sivill Service 20a Market Place Tattershall Lincolnshire LN4 4LJ Telephone: 01526 344102 What’s your all time favourite book (and why)? The Time travellers’ wife. It got me thinking. What car do you drive? Yaris What are you passionate about? My Family. What can’t you live without? My Mobile. Who’s your work or personal hero/heroine? Sir Alex. Name one person you’d like to have dinner with (and why)? Mr Outen. He always pays. What would be your perfect day away from work? Chilling out with family and friends in the sunshine. Tell us about a turning point in your career OC Ops Wg (2006) suggesting I apply to be his PA. What’s your greatest work achievement? Saving the Lancaster. What’s your greatest personal achievement? Apart from winning a Christmas cake competition at Kinloss in 1979, Designing & Project Managing the building of my house was quite satisfying and it’s still standing after 20 years. What’s your favourite quote or motto? Too much of a good thing can be wonderful. (Mae West). What’s in your handbag? Everything you could possibly require to save the world. What’s the best thing about your job? The tempo and diversity, no two days are ever the same. What did you want to be as a child? Join the Navy. If you weren’t in your current role, what would you be doing? Being Mrs Clooney. What was your worst mistake (and what did you learn)? Late 90’s, Receptionist in the Officers Mess. I accidently left the Tannoy on while my colleague and I decided to What’s the best/worst quality discuss the ‘merits’ of the then Mess in a leader? Manager. Learned obviously to turn the Best - Moral Courage, Worst - Indecision. damn thing off. What would you choose as What’s the question you’d your last meal? most like to have been asked? Seafood Tempura Hendricks or Bombay? D&M T WING Mobile towbar fitting service Witter, Brink, & PCT Towbars supplied and fitted Van Ply lining and extra seat fitting. Service discount available Tel: 01529 306670 Mobile: 07740 683867 Email dandmtowing08@btinternet.com Unit 3, Pride Court, Sleaford Enterprise Park, Sleaford NG34 8GL Web: dandmtowing.co.uk Finney’s Garage Car Maintenance • MOT £37.50 • Servicing available • Competitive rates on tyres • Small body repairs undertaken in our new up-to-date spray booth • Classic and kit car friendly • Full diagnosis service available • Follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/finneysgarage Langrick Road, Coningsby, Lincs LN4 4RU t: 01526 342665 finneysgarage@hotmail.co.uk Feel free to ring for a quote www.finneysgarage.co.uk 29 Celebrity spotting at RAF Coningsby A Recently the Station Guard Force would have benefitted from carrying an autograph book in place of the standard note book in July, RAF Coningsby was visited by a host of celebrities in quick succession. t the start of the month two members of the Bradford Bulls Super League Rugby team visited RAF Coningsby. The visit by Heath L’Estrange and Adrian Purtell was initiated by Senior Aircraftman Daniel Gibbons, who met both of the players at a recent charity ball. “I cheekily asked the question, whether they would like to come and train with us on the station, and they obliged!” he explained. “For an amateur such as myself it is a once in a lifetime chance to train with a couple of Super League professionals. As a rugby player in the RAF I get lots of opportunities, I get to travel and to play in some great stadiums, this is one of those great experiences.” The two professionals took the RAF Coningsby Rugby League team for a training session. Heath L’Estrange, Captain of the Bulls, was impressed with the RAF personnel, “They took to the training well and were eager to learn, they were physical and demonstrated some good skills, hopefully one day we can come back and do it all again”. During the day-long visit the two Australians also had an opportunity to get up close to some impressive RAF hardware, including a walk-around tour of both a Typhoon and Tornado aircraft. Heath said “It was an amazing experience to see what these guys work with on a daily basis; The Typhoon and the Tornado are awesome pieces of kit.” Shortly after the rugby stars’ visit, Suzi Perry, BBC F1 presenter, was flown from Coningsby to RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire to launch the Press Day for the 2013 Royal International Air Tattoo. Suzi’s Typhoon adventure started the evening before at XI Squadron. After arrival on the station, the first task was to be kitted up in the start-of-the-art flight clothing used by Typhoon pilots. Following a quick brief from the squadron boss, Wing Commander Rich Wells, Suzi then had her flying skills tested in the Typhoon simulator. The simulator is used to give pilots a virtual platform to practice their trade without needing to fly hours on a live aircraft. The incredible fidelity of the screens makes the experience as real as possible, as evidenced by Suzi’s exhilaration at safely ‘landing’ the aircraft. The next morning, after successfully completing the necessary medical, Suzi took to the sky with OC XI. Although unconfirmed, a source suggested that when the task to fly Suzi was received by XI Sqn the following conversation took place: XI Sqn programmer: “Boss, would you like to fly Suzi Perry?” OC XI: “There’s no like about it. I will fly Suzi Perry.” WO Pete ‘Woody’Wood’s last working day in the RAF On Tuesday 9 July, Depth Support Squadron had the honour of saying farewell to WO Pete ‘Woody’ Wood after 38 years of loyal service in the Royal Air Force. A fter a farewell chat and a photograph with the Station Comander in the morning, ‘Woody’ got the opportunity to salute the ensign at 1800 on his last working day in front of the Sqn and people he had worked closely with from around the station. After a few words and a formal ‘goodbye’ he was escorted across to the SWO’s office, where members from the Flt had positioned an aptly themed ‘Woody’ outfit for him to get into. Although the trousers proved to be slightly small, he had no issue with getting up onto the cavalry horse ‘Wombat’ that was waiting outside to carry him through the main gate and off Station for the last time. With the road route-lined by members from Depth Support Squadron, he was carried off in style whilst still hammering the guys with pointers about standards and other general banter - true to form as always! Special thanks to the SWO for all his help with coordinating the event, and to Cpl Sian Kiszczuk from TTF for providing and escorting the horse. 30 onetoone CHARITY ISSUE 3 2013 Coningsby Crawlers: Station Ops Flight’s 24hr relay against Cancer What? Relay for Life is an inspirational 24 hour event that honours cancer survivors and celebrates life. Whether you raise money through coffee mornings, karaoke, or something more challenging, you can be sure that it’s going towards life-saving work. Why? Team up with friends and family to raise money for Cancer Research UK. Make a difference and save lives. Relay for Life Lincoln is now in its 4th year and in the last 3 years teams have raised over £130,000. Planning for Relay 2014 is already underway. Who are we? This is the 2nd year that RAF Coningsby Stn Ops have entered a team to raise money for Cancer Research UK. The Coningsby Crawlers comprised of FS Wendy Robertson, Sgt Pete Thomson, Sgt Michelle Ridgway, Cpl Jamie Pitts (Team captain), and SAC Natalie Alway plus family and friends. When?The Relay itself is an annual event held over a weekend in July, but there are many ongoing fund raising efforts being held throughout the year, such as coffee mornings, cake sales, quiz nights, table top events, band nights and even bag packing at supermarkets! Where? This year’s relay event was held at the William Farr School, Welton, Lincoln. Highlights This year’s weather was definitely an improvement after the floods of 2012. Although it was colder after the previous week’s heat wave, all participants wrapped up and carried on walking. After introductions to the Committee, a warm up session was held to motivate all the members before they set off. The first lap was led by the cancer survivors, followed by 41 teams, complete with their banners, two of which were from RAF Cranwell and RAF Waddington. Being a relay there must be at least one member of the team walking round the track at any one time. The benefits of which give participants time to rest and with a shift system in place all can try and get some shut eye though the night. Another highlight was the BBMF Dakota flypast which always lifts everyone’s spirits and usually brings the event to a stand still! A 24 hour relay is achieved by the sheer commitment of all the teams who are motivated by the various entertainment throughout the relay. Several live bands performed including school bands from William Farr and there were various fancy dress laps which always prove entertaining! Each team also provided a stall with a product or service including raffles and tombola’s to help raise more funds. There were also more challenging stalls such as water games, a climbing wall, and plenty of inflatables for the children (and some adults!) Also available were foot massages and pampering, flower arranging and craft stalls. At 10pm the Relay stops for the Candle of Hope Ceremony, where poems and songs were followed by a fireworks display. Motivation through the night was supported with hot soup and shift work through the dark wet hours, with bacon butties to kick start the new dawn. The latter hours of the relay comprised of final laps with banners, and a Closing ceremony with the release of 10 white doves and a time for all to reflect on their achievement and what this will bring to others. So Far… Relay for Life Lincoln has managed to raise in excess of £35k this year! Interested? If anyone is interested, please contact CRUK Relay for Life Lincoln Committee member FS Wendy Robertson Air Ops Ext 7658 or take a look at the website http:// www.relayforlifelincoln.org.uk/ 31 Coast to Coast Challenge - Whitehaven to Whitby On 25 July three personnel from RAF Coningsby completed an arduous coast to coast cycle challenge from Whitehaven in Cumbria to Whitby in North Yorkshire. Starting at 6.45, the route took the three intrepid cyclists across the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales and the Yorkshire Moors. The trail took them up and over the infamous Hardknott Pass, which has gradients in excess of 30 percent along with several unexpected climbs. Throughout the day moods swung and morale fluctuated as they fought their way across country battling torrential downpours and the blazing sun. to the finish but with the use of an energy gel wrapper to fix the split tyre we were back on the road in no time.” The team had to rely on one another for support by providing encouragement and motivation in order to conquer the harder sections of the journey; Benjamin said, “At one stage I thought, ‘I’m never doing anything like this ever again’, however I’m now thinking about a John O’Groats to Lands End Bike ride next year!” The team was supported by Bill Enright (Paul’s father) throughout the day, providing much needed replenishment of supplies and encouragement. Bill was impressed by their achievement, “I was surprised by how quickly they completed the ride and how they came together to overcome the mountains during the day.” The team were riding for 12 hours 10 minutes, the addition of food and rest stops meant they arrived in Whitby at 22:40, unfortunately too late for a planned fish and chip supper! However, their disappointment was soon replaced by the satisfaction in what they had achieved. SAC Enright, “I think I speak for all of us in saying that we are incredibly proud to have completed this challenge and, more importantly, knowing we raised over £1100 for Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research. We would also like to say a big thank you to everyone who sponsored and supported us.” SAC Baguley had a puncture during the ride, “I was so annoyed considering how close we were PHOTOGRAPH From left, SAC Adam Baguley, SAC Ben Bonner, and SAC Paul Enright T he epic journey was undertaken to raise awareness and funds for Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research. The 158 mile ride was the idea of Senior Aircraftman (SAC) Benjamin Bonner; whose brother is a survivor of Leukaemia. Supporting SAC Bonner were two of his colleagues from RAF Coningsby, SAC Paul Enright and SAC Adam Baguley. HAINTON HOUSE, BRANSTON, LINCOLNSHIRE “LIVING IN THE PAST, INVESTING IN THE FUTURE” If you have ever dreamed of living in one of Britain’s Historic Houses but longed for an uncomplicated, modern style of living then Hainton House is for you. Seven luxurious Apartments lie within this beautiful Georgian building, dating back to 1765 and situated in the historic village of Branston, two miles south of the City of Lincoln and all its amenities. Hainton House was built by the Curtois Family, who were patrons and rectors of the Church and Parish of Branston between 1680 and 1891, and after extensive renovation by Lincoln based Developer, Castle Square Developments Ltd, the building has entered a new chapter in its long and colourful life. Turned into Apartments in the 1930’s, two US Air Force Officers lived in the top floor Apartments during WWII. George Lockwood, A Director at Castle Square Developments Ltd said: “Hainton House faced an uncertain future and required careful restoration and imagination to bring it into the 21st Century, whilst preserving the Georgian charm that made it such an important building within the community.” With affordable prices ranging from £135,000 to £220,000 and up to 1,230 square feet, the Apartments are an ideal opportunity to enjoy grand country living with none of the maintenance worries associated with an historic building. Virtual Freeholds (999 year Leases) are available for all the Apartments and a Management Company has been set up to take care of the running and ongoing maintenance of the building and landscaped gardens. Each purchaser will become a member of the Management Company. A separate, two bedroom Cottage and Georgian ‘Smoke House’ are also available. Tim Downing, of property agents Pygott and Crone said: “This is one of the finest examples of Georgian property in the Lincoln area and its history is certainly something that has a wide appeal. It has been sympathetically restored and that has given it a new lease of life.” With high ceilings and double aspect views, every property is unique and comes with two allocated car parking spaces. There are either Church or village views from the Apartments and all look down onto the landscaped gardens to the North and South. Apartments have some or all of the following features: original Georgian cornicing, fireplaces, panelling, stained glass windows, double height ceilings and front and rear aspects. Several Apartments have their own, private garden. New Homes Manager at Pygott and Crone, Mel Parker said: “There is terrific local support for the project, serious interest from a wide catchment and sales are progressing well.” To view the Apartments or find out more, please call Mel Parker at Pygott and Crone on 01522 518295 and visit www.haintonhouse.co.uk. 32 onetoone FORCE DEVELOPMENT ISSUE 3 2013 edge of RAF Oakington which marked the half way point; only 23 miles left to go. With the next check point less than 2 miles ahead at Longstanton, the sun made its first attempt to dry the teams out at last. EXERCISE BLOOD BLISTER THE 2013 PATHFINDER MARCH Fg Off Allen (Arm Eng Flt) & CT Brown (Fwd STANEVAL Sqn) On 22 June 2013, two teams from RAF Coningsby entered the 2013 Pathfinder March, a long distance, cross-country endurance event in commemoration of the Royal Air Force Pathfinder Force. T he Regiment Section made up the first team with the second based around Eng and Logs Wing personnel. The event started and finished at RAF Wyton and covered over 46 miles across the Cambridgeshire countryside in 20 hours. The route joined the former RAF Pathfinder airfields of Wyton, Graveley, Oakington and Warboys. The date of the event selected as the nearest Saturday to the Summer Solstice to take advantage of the maximum daylight hours. The Eng and Logs Wing team of eleven opted to break the walk into sections with most participants completing one or more stages however some were mad enough to consider undertaking the entire 46 miles. Having planned and trained, the day of the event arrived. It started with a very early breakfast of a bacon roll and hot drink in order to meet the 0300 registration. Here the teams received their important check point record card, essential to prove that teams had completed the entire march. The walkers were briefed and good luck speeches were made just in time for the heavens to open for the 0400 start; typical! A mass start for all the participants under the white water tower saw the horde turn left out of RAF Wyton’s gate; a sight not to be seen again for many an hour. The teams headed out into the still dark, wet Cambridgeshire countryside, full of high spirits for the journey ahead, heading to RAF Graveley, the first check point, 8.2 miles away. Check Point 1 was reached in just over 2 hours by which time the rain had stopped, giving the teams a chance to dry out. The important record card received its first punched hole; only 8 to go! The support wagon was a welcome sight for a quick team swap then the walkers headed east to Check Point 2. The second check point was serving three fine real ales, JHB, Wherry and Tribute, which were hard to resist but sensible heads ruled on that early in the morning and a cup of tea had to do. After a quick chat with the Regiment, a tasty “Morale” roll, a hot drink and the card punched, it was off towards Check Point 3; 14.8 miles completed! This meant more walking East heading to Dry Drayton; it wasn’t “dry” as more rain arrived just as the team did. At Check Point 3 (20.2 miles done) two team members had reached their intended distance goal but afflicted by some madness decided to press on further. The walk followed the southern At Check Point 4, the Longstanton sport ground, food, drink and medical help was to be had. One member had a very large blister which required lengthy treatment so all had a good rest where feet were checked, dried and socks changed. The Regiment team, still ahead, left the check point soon after we arrived. Not long afterwards our support crew disappeared to collect one of the Regiment who had received an injury. It is likely he will never live it down the fact he had to pull out yet all the old walkers soldiered through. At Check Point 5 (32.4 miles done) blistered feet were becoming harder to ignore. At this point we had our only retirement from the team; a member who had to give into the dreaded blisters. The support crew took him away with a good ribbing from the older walkers. Check Point 6 - “easy, only 6.6 miles away.” One person’s previous experience provided the direction with “this way, I’ve walked it before.”The team followed and after a while noticed some other walkers about five hundred metres north on the other side of a very large field. Perhaps they were lost? A voice was then heard to say: “I thought it was strange as I didn’t recall a cemetery last time.” After a quick change of route the team were back on track expressing their opinion of their commissioned colleagues’ navigational prowess with the upmost diplomacy. Check Point 6 (39 miles done) was the Royal Oak car park. After refreshments and with the card punched, there were only 7.4 miles left! From the pub the route headed south out of the village and on to Warboys airfield walking on what was an old service road to the very remote Check Point 7 manned by members of the organisation team. The card was punched and encouragement provided. The team walked on across fields to the last check point in King’s Ripton village hall. Card punched and a quick rest by the footpath sign which read “2 ½ Miles to RAF Wyton;” a welcome sight. With the blisters growing and people tiring, these last check points came and went in a determined blur. Just outside RAF Wyton the team stopped and walked as one across the line together. 46.4 miles plus an unintended diversion and the clock hadn’t reached 8pm; a significant success. Elated, but worn out the team had just completed the Pathfinder March (Exercise BLOOD BLISTER) in 15 hrs and 40 mins. Four of the team (average age 50) completed the whole march. This included the two who madly carried on after the third check point. The award for completing was a team medal, some very tired bodies, a lot of blisters and valuable funds raised for RAFA. Thanks to all who were involved from RAF Coningsby; especially the support team. PHOTOGRAPH MAIN: The Regiment Flt after the first shower of many LEFT: TOP - The important check point card and BOTTOM - Still smiling in the rain 33 Exercise TIFFIE TACTIC 3(F) SQN STAFF RIDE TO NORMANDY A family run award winning traditional pub/restaurant, serving good home cooked food with a large selection of 15 cask and keg ales (CAMRA Good Beer Guide 20012/13) 3.5 miles from Coningsby. Families, children and dogs welcome. The bar has an open coal fire ensuring a warm friendly convivial atmosphere in which to enjoy your meal with friend, family or that special person. Free Wi-Fi available too. Food is served Tuesday to Sunday between noon and 2pm and 6pm - 9pm Sunday Lunch available noon - 2pm All year round a great place to eat and drink! (Always advisable to book - Telephone 01526 354560) RUSSELL GREEN Re sident ial Care Home for the Elderly 11 Stanhope Avenue, Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire, LN10 6SP Thursday the 23rd of May saw the annual 3(F) Sqn pilgrimage to Normandy to conduct Force Development training on the D-Day beaches. I t also provided another opportunity to foster relationships with those who flew the Hawker Typhoon in World War 2 as we met up with a number of representatives of the Typhoon Entente Cordiale Trust (TECT). The TECT act as the conduit between Typhoon operators past and present and celebrate the Typhoon’s involvement in the D-Day landings during an annual trip to a variety of memorial locations in northern France. The 3(F) Sqn element of the Staff Ride started this side of the Channel at Capel-le-Ferne where Flt Lt Jim Fordham introduced us to a variety of Air Power concepts using the Battle of Britain as a case study. On reaching Caen, and following Cpl Stanley’s insistence that, when in France, one should eat pizza, further ‘stands’ were delivered at Arromanches, Omaha Beach, Caen’s Peace Museum and Pegasus Bridge by the other members of the 3(F) Sqn team; Flt Lt Cholmondeley-Smith, Cpl Stanley and SACs Sherwin, Pell and Bruce. Logistics, Air/Land Integration, RADAR and the precise use of Air Power in support of Op OVERLORD were all ably covered. On Saturday the 25th of May we joined up with the TECT group at a grid reference on a remote French B-road. Arriving first and a little bemused regarding the location, slowly but surely the crowd grew, police appeared, the road closed and about 50 people gathered around a Set in the beautiful village of Woodhall Spa. With a short level walk to all the village amenities. 24 hour care provided by professionally trained staff A Home Care Service is also available taking the same standard of care and commitment out into the local community For more detailed information visit our website at www.russellgreencarehome.co.uk Telephone: 01526 352879 small memorial dedicated to a Warrant Officer Henry Tallala. Henry Tallala was the only Malaysian Typhoon pilot in the Second World War (his brother, Cyril, was a Hurricane pilot) and was killed in action in Normandy in July 1944. The TECT had arranged a re-dedication of the memorial in the presence of 6 surviving members of Henry’s family… accompanied by a Malaysian film crew! We were also privileged to be accompanied by Gp Capt Peter Roper (Ret’d). Peter was Typhoon pilot who was shot down in Normandy, on his day off, in an aircraft he describes as ‘borrowed’ for the day. The next 2 days were spent at a variety of memorial services with the TECT party, including a number of French associates, celebrating the memory of fallen Typhoon pilots in Normandy. We were also privileged enough to be asked to unveil a new memorial to Flt Lt Jack Watson, killed attacking tanks near the village of St Martin de Sallen. The local Mayoress, 9 at the time of the crash which she remembers clearly, presented us with a cutting from Jack’s parachute which, as a fellow Typhoon pilot, will hang with pride in the Sqn’s History Room. I have done Staff Rides to Normandy before but the addition of the TECT contingent added something very special to the 4 days in France. It is clear from my conversations with Peter that, whilst the aircraft may have changed, the fighter pilot spirit very definitely hasn’t. It is also clear that we are very lucky to have an organisation like the TECT through which we can sustain links with the decreasing numbers of veterans but, vitally, can engender links between family members and current Typhoon operators. Roll on next year where we can celebrate 70 years since the Allied invasion of Europe and the crucial involvement of the Hawker Typhoon. 34 onetoone FORCE DEVELOPMENT ISSUE 3 2013 From One Bunker to Another Chief Tech Richie Smith On the 17th June 2013, personnel from Eng Ops Sqn, Logs Sqn and Ops Sqn escaped the windowless confines of RAF Coningsby’s Wing Operations Centre (WOC) into the daylight to undertake a 2 day Force Development Staff Ride to London. O rganised and led by Chf Tech Richie Smith, the event was designed to provide an understanding of the role played by the RAF in World War II from the perspective of a sector HQ Ops room. Personnel would see at first hand the difficulties faced by commanders at the time when planning and delivering operations and enable comparisons to be drawn with modern day activity. We set off from the WOC on day one and headed south, first stop – the Battle of Britain Bunker at RAF Uxbridge. The Bunker was used by No. 11 Group Fighter Command during the Second World War. Fighter aircraft operations were controlled from there throughout, most notably however, during the Battle of Britain and on D-Day. Today it’s run by the Royal Air Force as a Force Development asset and heritage attraction. We met the curator and guide for the afternoon, along with a small contingent of veterans, and descended the 70 steps to enter the more familiar surroundings of forced air and artificial daylight. After navigating the long corridors the group assembled in the Plotting Room. From here the curator explained the history of the Bunker, the role it played during the War, and gave accounts of how it functioned during the Battle of Britain. 15th September 1940 was to be the decisive day of the battle with Fighter Command shooting down 56 enemy aircraft with the loss of 26 of their own. The Prime Minister Winston Churchill witnessed the desperate events as they unfolded which led him to first quote the famous line “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed, by so many, to so few” as he left the Bunker. The line was written down by an aide and was used again on 20th September as the Prime Minister gave an address in the House of Commons. After a short film in the media suite and a look around the museum, the group thanked the curator, signed the visitors’ book and left Uxbridge – Next stop Northolt for overnight accommodation. Day two began with a short tube ride into central London and a visit to the Cabinet War Rooms deep beneath the Treasury building at Whitehall. No guided tour this time, instead we took our place in the queue, collected an audio-guide and went underground, into darkness once more. The Cabinet War rooms provided the secret underground headquarters for the core of British Government and senior military figures throughout the Second World War. From here commanders could meet and operate in relative safety, free from the threat of aerial bombardment. The War Rooms became operational on 27 August 1939, just days before the invasion of Poland on 1st September. Britain went on to declare war on Germany on 3rd September 1939. The War Rooms Museum gave the group an insight into what life would have been like during the War and how life and work continued underground. As we followed the audio guide around we were able to see the Trans-Atlantic Telephone Room where top secret conversations between Churchill and President Roosevelt took place. Then onto the Map Room which forms the hub of the entire site and remains exactly as it was when the lights were turned off on 16th August 1945, the huge maps on the walls show tiny pin holes depicting the progress of Allied convoys. Across the corridor is the Cabinet Room which is where Churchill and his inner circle would gather and plot during the War, scratches on the arms of the leather chair in which Churchill sat show the intense pressure he was under at these times. Finally we were led to Churchill’s room, this office-bedroom is the most luxurious of all the living quarters as you would expect. Churchill only stayed overnight on three occasions during the War, preferring to stay at No.10 instead, though he did make four of his wartime speeches from the desk in the room including his speech on September 11th 1940 warning of Hitler’s’ plan to wage a war of terror against the United Kingdom. After seeing at such close quarters the cramped conditions in which personnel were expected to operate in, often under intense pressure, the group agreed that life in the WOC is perhaps not so bad after all. And so after a couple of hours the tour concluded and the group were once again allowed access daylight and the world outdoors. After a quick lunch-break in St James’ Park, the afternoon would see the group take a walking tour around Central London to visit important monuments. The first of which, situated on Victoria Embankment, was the Battle of Britain Monument, constructed to commemorate “the few.” The monument depicts almost lifesize airmen scrambling for their aircraft during the battle, whilst bronze plaques list 2936 airmen and ground-crew from 14 allied countries that took part. A little further along the Embankment is the RAF Memorial. Built in 1923 as memorial to airmen who died in the Great War, it stands on the Thames with its huge gilded eagle looking south towards France. Today it serves as a tribute to brave Men and Women of the RAF – past, present and future. A short walk through Horse guards Parade and across the Mall, the group then arrived at the Sir Keith Park Memorial at Waterloo Place. A New Zealander by birth, Park first served with the Anzac Brigade in Gallipoli, he transferred to the British Army and was wounded in the Battle of the Somme, later he transferred again to the newly formed Royal Flying Corps where he was awarded a Military Cross and Bar along with a Distinguished Flying Cross. After the First World War Park joined the newly formed Royal Air Force and would later take command as AVM - AOC No.11 Group. He would be called upon regularly to oversee events in the Bunker at Uxbridge and was present, along with Churchill on 15th September during the Battle of Britain. The final destination was the hugely impressive Bomber Command Memorial in Green Park which stands as a tribute to the 55,573 Bomber Command crew who lost their lives in the Second World War. Unveiled on 28 Jun 2012 by Her Majesty the Queen, bronze sculptures of seven Bomber Command Aircrew form the centre-piece while the open roof above allows the light to fall directly onto them. Part of this roof structure contains recycled aluminium recovered from a Halifax Bomber which was shot down during the War. The Memorial contains inscriptions, carvings and dedications including a quote from the Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who said “The fighters are our salvation but the bombers are our means of victory.” With the itenary complete and photographs taken the only thing left was a tube back to Northolt, collect the minibus, and then back to Coningsby. The thoroughly enjoyable 2 day trip gave the group a real sense of what it must have been like at the heart of operational planning and strategic control during World War II, as-well as giving time to reflect on the courage and bravery of those that served and ultimately gave their lives in the pursuit of freedom. 35 36 onetoone ISSUE 3 2013 Think Print Lance Print is an established printers based in Huntingdon near Cambridge. At Lance we combine skill, experience & knowledge to provide a complete professional service. We aim to fill our clients with confidence in the knowledge that any work undertaken by us, will be completed to the highest possible standard. Call Today: (01480) 492183 You could be in the Algarve, relaxing in the sun... Situated on the top floor of a three storey block the apartment has its own residents’ swimming pool. It has the advantage of being away from the bustle of the town centre but within walking distance (10 minutes to the marina and another 5 to the town centre). It has a twin bedroom, open plan kitchen and lounge. The kitchen has a 4-ring hob, oven, microwave, toaster and washing machine. There is a family sized bathroom. The lounge has a sofa (which converts into two more single beds) and a table to seat four. A TV, DVD and CD player are also available. Both the lounge and bedroom have patio doors which open onto the balcony offering views over the swimming pool and across Lagos. There is ample car parking space in front of the building. www.lanceprint.co.uk www.lagosalgarve.co.uk Prices: Nov to Mar £190 Apr, May, Oct £255 June & Sep £320 July & Aug £395 To book accommodation please contact Judith Hall on 01536 711884 Apartments can also be booked very competitively at judith.hall6@btinternet.com 38 onetoone FORCE DEVELOPMENT ISSUE 3 2013 rather quick, and we spent the night in a port in Nice planning the main highlight of the trip which was visiting Monaco. The highlight of the expedition came on day 9….. MONACO! Now if you’ve never been, this place stinks of money! Every boat was £100m upwards. The women were like super models and Bentleys were like ford focuses. So imagine how it must have looked when our 1970’s yacht pulled up in the harbour! As you can imagine, it cost a fortune to stay the night so we only had the chance for a quick visit before heading to our new destination, but that did not stop us making the most of it. We ran around most of Monaco taking in as many sights as possible, taking pictures of every Ferrari and Rolls Royce we saw, the famous Monte Carlo casino, the pits of the grand prix and obviously stopping for another crepe with ice cream. Since visiting this place I have played the euro millions every week! Destination: Ajaccio, Marseilles, Cassis, Nice, St Tropez, Toulon, Monaco, Calvi..... EXERCISE MEDSAIL 2013 SAC Ben Hubbard “2 weeks sailing around the Med whilst everyone else is at work! Where’s the catch???” W ell you are reading the catch. I and my colleagues SAC(T) Mike Cattermole and SAC(T) Richie Willcocks from Forward Engineering Sqn signed up to a 2 week leg of Ex MEDSAIL 2013, around Corsica and the South of France. The expedition is part of the Joint Services AT Scheme, organised through Gosport, and after applying for a space, all three of us thought “we’ll never be selected for that, there will be too many people applying”. How wrong were we?! In the 6 months between applying and departing, SAC(T) Cattermole organised the MT to the airport to meet with the other crew, whilst I fought a war on terror in Afghan. Saturday May 25th 2013, two of the biggest events in this years sporting calendar took place; the Champions League Final between ze Germans and Carl Froch’s revenge fight against Mikkel Kessler. Instead we swapped them in return for a delightful journey in one of MTs finest speed-restricted half and half vehicles, for 3.5 hours down to Gatwick airport, with no sailing experience between the three of us, to take part in what would be 550 mile trip of the south of France. After queuing at the wrong gate for a while, we finally managed to get to the correct gate for boarding to sunny Corsica with the rest of the crew. We landed, jumped in a taxi and, guided by a Group Captain, headed for the wrong port. Our skipper turned out to be a guy named Paul Molyneaux and to say he was eccentric would be an understatement; the guy was a legend! Upon meeting Paul he took us on board our new home for the next 14 nights. The vessel was a 55ft boat called “KUKRI”. We spent the rest of the day learning some basic sailing terms and knots that would stand us in good stead for the rest of the expedition. On the first day we sorted out general admin such as getting the right kit issued out, sleeping arrangements and also the way the shifts worked. After this the whole crew went out into the port to try the local food and beer before setting out into the Med, heading towards Marseille, France. For the next two days Mother Nature was against us for our longest trip of the whole exercise. The wind was nowhere to be seen and the sea was rough at times, however after we all found our sea legs there was no problem coping with this. The 36 hour journey was long and not much sailing was conducted as we had to motor almost the whole way. However in this time we were taught the basics, such as knot tying and general boating terms, and we arrived in port in Marseille on the third evening. After a good nights sleep, the skipper allowed us a day to go and see the local sights and food. We made the most of this and saw many amazing cathedrals and views and sampled a few Irish bars that evening before an early night ready to do some actual sailing the following day. On the fourth day we started to make our way down the French coast. The skipper let us have input on where we docked and where we visited; we all decided to head towards a little town called Cassis. The day sail was really good; we had good winds and for the non experienced sailors, it was perfect for learning about how to sail. By the end of the day we were all getting good at helming the boat and trimming all the sails with the sheets, which can get quite hectic. That evening, time was our own to do as we pleased and Cassis was a picture perfect town. The next day we had another great days sailing, with amazing weather and great winds. We travelled around a number of coves and put the anchor down in one to have lunch and do dinghy drills. We arrived in Cassis at around 1800 and then had tea on the boat. During the two weeks, meals were produced by the “mother watch;” this was a duty where 2 of the crew had to provide the daily meals, which came around every 3-4 days. Over the next few days we did some more great sailing and got up to speeds of 11 knots, which is quick for the size of boat. We visited more coves and spent two nights in Toulon, hosted kindly by the French navy. We watched Toulon in the Final in the pub with the locals, which was an experience, had BBQs in the evening and did a lot of fishing in the port, but only managed to catch a seagull! We then made are way to St Tropez, as this had all been on everyone’s to do list. Each day glorious sailing weather coupled with top tanning weather, each night a crepe with ice cream and a few pints. Oh and by the way, celebrating your birthday in the sunset whilst anchored in St Tropez is quite a nice feeling too. It’s fair to say it had some amazing yachts and many rich people. After an evening of wishing we were rich and watching England get a lucky draw off Brazil we set off to Nice. The sailing weather was amazing which made the trip go After our lunch in Monaco we headed back to Corsica, which would take us over night. None of us were looking forward to it as the previous trip had been hard work, however this was amazing. The sea was really calm and there was not a cloud in the sky. The night weather was some of the best the skipper had ever witnessed and we managed to sail at 8.5 knots the whole way without changing course, and getting there 6 hours ahead of plan. When we arrived back we spent the rest of the time travelling down the Corsican coast, visiting a number of different places, before heading back to Ajaccio. On the final day, we cleaned the boat top to bottom. As it was our final night we all went to a restaurant, had some amazing local food, two crepes and then the Coningsby boys went for a few “quiet” beers, at 6.30am it was time to get a taxi to the airport and come back to normality. This expedition allowed me to develop as an airman; it improved my leadership capabilities, fitness whilst giving the opportunity to try some new Adventurous Training pursuits, enhanced my communicational skills within 39 the team environment and instilled the RAF’s core values. It also gave a confidence boost as we overcame the various obstacles to succeed in a number of challenges. It is a great opportunity for nurturing the characteristics that the Forces look for, no matter what rank that person is. But I’m also going to put it to you all like this: Not only did it improve me as an airman, I also got 2 weeks out of work, I got to see some great sights, I met some great people, I had a few local beverages, I ate some amazing food and all in work time! Not to mention I actually gained a competent crew qualification. It cost us £420 each initially, but ended up being subsidized by the Ped Flt and SIF so only cost us £140 each! My only concern is now that I’ve told you all this, you will all be applying next year and I will miss out. The gains from this event were significant and the expedition took very little organisation as the majority it is conducted through the Joint Services Sail Adventurous Training Centre at Gosport and can be applied for as individual spaces or for a ‘leg’ to enable the boat to be filled by the Sqn. These opportunities are out there for everyone, both regular and reservists. For more information speak to the PEd Flight who can explain about the scheme and the varying different opportunities that it presents. Banovallum Veterinary Group PROSPECT STREET, HORNCASTLE, LINCOLNSHIRE LN9 5AY TELEPHONE: (01507) 522236 or (01507) 523365 www.banovallumvets.co.uk SURGERY TIMES HORNCASTLE Monday - Saturday: 8.30 - 9.30am drop in Monday - Friday:4.00 - 6.30pm by appointment WOODHALL SPA Monday - Friday:1.30 - 2.30pm drop in CONINGSBY Monday - Friday:3.30 - 4.30pm drop in 24 HOUR EMERGENCY SERVICE PLEASE TELEPHONE HORNCASTLE 522236 or 523365 • Hot Pies and Food to go • Bureau de Change on Demand • Groceries, bread, Milk • Fantastic Selection of Papers & Magazines • Wines & Spirits • Passport Check & Send Service Post Office, Tattershall Lincolnshire LN4 4LJ Tel: 01526 342822 BROADWAY CARPETS & CURTAINS LTD For all your soft furnishing requirements. Curtains, Carpets, Wallpaper, Blinds, Awnings, Furniture & Lighting Showroom. All types of wood/luxury vinyl flooring and stockists of Sherborne and Parker Knoll Furniture. Come and visit us on the Broadway, Woodhall Spa. Open: Tues - Fri 9.00 am - 5.30pm Sat 9.00am - 5.00pm Matthew Temple House, The Broadway, Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire LN10 6ST T: 01526 353484 F: 01526 353584 E: broadwaycarpets@btconnect.com W: broadwaycarpetsandcurtains.co.uk 40 onetoone COMPETITION ISSUE3 2013 FORCE DEVELOPMENT ISSUE 3 2013 41 in block H. This housed the Tunny and Colossus galleries. Tunny was the British name for German Lorenz-encrypted teleprinter communications. Lorenz encryption was thought to be unbreakable; however in 1941 a German operator sent the same message twice using the same settings. This gave code breakers the insight they needed to break the code. In 1942 the British made their own Tunny machine that produced decrypts of Lorenz-encrypted messages. C4I Squadron visit their spiritual home: Bletchley Park SAC Stoker & SAC Joynes Bletchley Park in Milton Keynes was the destination for our C4I Force Development trip. Home of the code breakers of the Second World War. It is now run by a charity called Bletchley Park Trust and is used as a heritage and education site. W e arrived at Bletchley Park and were met by a tour guide who directed us to Hut 4 for a coffee. Hut 4 was originally used for Naval Intelligence, but has since been refurbished as a coffee shop and restaurant for visitors of the park. After finishing our drinks we moved on to Hut 12 and received a brief which formed the introduction to the tour. Bletchley’s local railway station had links with Oxford and Cambridge, whose universities were ideal recruiting grounds for code breakers. This made the site an ideal location for code breaking. We received a brief on code breaking and the workings of the Enigma machine, which is a German device for encrypting and decrypting secret messages. It was these secret messages that were analysed by the residents of Bletchley Park. The main tour started at the front of the mansion itself, which originally housed all of the code breakers. The ground floor housed the Naval, Military and Air sections, while MI6 worked upstairs. As the number of personnel grew, the code breakers had to expand beyond the mansion, and various huts were built in the grounds surrounding the mansion. The tour guide drew our attention to the water tower at the top of the mansion. Originally, German messages were intercepted by a wireless room in the water tower. This radio station was later removed to avoid drawing attention to the site. Various other listening stations were set up around the country, and coded messages were delivered to Bletchley Park by courier on motorcycle. Bletchley Park was affected by enemy fire on one occasion when three bombs were dropped nearby. These bombs were intended for the railway station but one of them landed by the couriers’ entrance to the park. The bomb dislodged one end of Hut 4, which was where we had coffee earlier that morning. Workmen were able to simply winch it back into position while Naval Intelligence work continued inside. Eventually we reached the Bletchley Park Museum, which housed the bombe. The bombe was an electromechanical device designed by Alan Turing, used to help decipher Finding the settings of the Tunny machine was a complex task due to the many possible starting positions of its 12 rotors. By 1943 a machine called the Heath Robinson machine was built to assist with this task. The operator would feed a paper tape containing cipher text into the machine which would then find the settings for that given communication. In 1944 the Heath Robinson was superseded by the Colossus machine, which was faster and more reliable. The museum contains a Tunny machine and a Colossus machine, both of which are replicas built by volunteers. Our trip to Bletchley Park was enjoyed by all that attended. It was very informative, and was particularly relevant to us as C4I personnel as it gave us a great insight into the history of our trade. It also gave us an insight into aspects of the war that rarely seem shown off in documentaries or history books. The guides were knowledgeable on inside German messages. For a German message to be successfully decrypted, stories about the private life of various “characters” known in Bletchley. This new both sender and receiver had to set up their Enigma in the same way. The insight into not often seen aspects of the war made the trip an experience bombe was used to calculate those worth having. settings for a given communication. The bombe on display was a working Photography by Cpl Pierson version that had been rebuilt for the museum. The first bombe was originally installed in Hut 1 in 1940. More and more bombes were built and by the end of the war there were around 200. Many were used at other sites in case of a bombing raid at Bletchley Park. In addition to the Bombe, the museum contained an array of Enigma machines. It also exhibited some of the life and works of Alan Turing, and a statue of the man himself. Our final stop was the National Museum of Computing, located Spot the difference The highly skilled experts in the photographic section have made a number of subtle adjustments to one of the photos. I f you think you know you can spot them all, email the editior of the OnetoOne magazine (CONGMB-121 Editor) with the total number of differences you think there are. One lucky entrant will win a fabulous prize that money can’t buy*. All competition entries must be received before Monday 14 October 2013. *Disclaimer: Fabulousness of prize may be overstated for publicity purposes. 42 onetoone SPORT ISSUE 3 2013 The RAF Coningsby Triathlon Club Officer, Lou Henderson, shaved an impressive 9 minutes off last years time, finishing in 1:34. Its all downhill! The RAF Downhill Mountain Bike team recently attended a training camp at Antur Stiniog in Wales. T he week long event enabled 16 riders to receive expert coaching from professional Elite rider Neil Donoghue. Three riders attended from RAF Coningsby; SAC Chris Goodwin, SAC(T) Paul Rogers and Sgt John Summerton. Although the discipline of Downhill racing has been established in the UK for almost two decades, the RAF’s participation has been more recent. As with other cycling disciplines, a CSR (Combined Services Racing) series is held each year in collaboration with a civilian race enabling the joint use of marshals, safety equipment and routes. The Army have quickly come to dominate this discipline, their success due in no small part to their ability to train together. By some miracle the weather in Wales was perfect and the uplift service ran faultlessly (you get a lift back to the top of the hill). Neil’s advice was well received by all, from the most experienced rider to the most junior. At the end of the week everyone was clearly riding faster and with more confidence. The success of the training camp was not solely down to the coaching. Bringing riders together from all corners of the Service was equally important as it allowed everyone to realise that they are part of a rapidly expanding and increasingly well organised team of talented racers. To test out the teams newly found skills the Army kindly organised a regional race at Hamsterly Forest only three weeks after the training camp took place. 40 riders (including 8 from the RAF) made the trip to County Durham to compete on a novice and advanced course. The format of the racing was simple; two timed runs down the hill with the quickest one counting. The fastest rider on the day was the winner. In the end RAF riders occupied seven of the top eight places on the advanced course with eighth occupied by a Navy rider. The Army didn’t get a look in. Hopefully this marks the end of an era of Army dominance and a new dawn of RAF success in down hill racing. The RAF Coningsby Triathlon Club has gone from strength to strength this year with a rise in membership and some fabulous results in races. M att Hill competed in the Emergency Services Sprint Triathlon at The National Water Sports Centre in Nottingham in May, crossing the line in 1hr 14. Dan Gambrill competed in the Oakham Sprint Tri in June, learning the importance of route recce for races after taking a detour on the bike leg, following signs for a 100 mile sportive taking place on the same day. Dan also competed in the Foremark Sprint Triathlon in July, finishing the sprint tri in 1:12. There was a good turn out of RAF Coningsby Tri members at the Woodhall Spa Sprint Triathlon in July, with 3 members completing the fast, friendly course, with other Station team members, RAF Tri comeptitors, friends and family cheering them on. Typhoon Propulsion Servicing Facilities’ Sean ‘Austin’ Powers finished in 1:10. Cpl Matt Hill had a fantastic race finishing in 1:13 and the Community Development July was the RAF Long Distance Champs, held concurrently with the Outlaw Triathlon at the National Water Sports Centre in Nottingham. The Outlaw uses the Regatta rowing lake for the swim before venturing out into the Nottinghamshire countryside for the cycle. On return to Transition, the competitors then start the marathon, doing several laps of the lake and 2 out and back loops into Nottingham itself. Austin Powers set himself a new challenge of completing the event having never completed a marathon before. Austin undertook the 2.4mile open water swim the 112 mile bike ride in addition to the 26.2 mile run just for good measure. Austin achieved an amazing time of 12hrs 47 and continues to create a name for himself as one of the most helpful and most mental members of the team. The transitions were staffed by members of RAF Tri, acting as helpers for lake exit and taking care of bikes in T2 for the weary competitors. Lou was an integral part of the RAF Tri helper crew, her ebullience and enthusiasm lifting everyone’s spirits in transition and across the finish line. As the RAF Coningsby Triathlon Club membership increases so does the support and expertise. Funding is available to support race costs for club members. If you are interested in having a go at Triathlon, contact Sean ‘Austin’ Powers in TPSF ext 6412 or Lou Henderson CDO on ext 7865 PHOTOGRAPH RAF Coningsby’s Austin Powers. 43 Christmas Afternoon Teas Enjoy winter treats by the fire with friends, family or colleagues Christmas Party Nights • Divorce and Separation Bring your party to our party on dates throughout December • Wills & Probate Festive drinks, dinners and dances over the Christmas period for locals and guests See our brochure online for full details • Court of Protection • Power of Attorney • Administration of Estates Call for more information on 01522 516500 www.dianegenders.co.uk Offices also in Nottingham CONINGSBY RECLAIM GOLFING SPOILS Flt Lt B Wadd Over the past 3 years the Air Traffic Golf Championships have seen the Coningsby controllers take a firm grip on several of the top individual and team prizes. T his year’s event, hosted by RAF Leuchars on 22 May at the picturesque Drumoig Golf Course in the surrounds of St Andrews, was always going to be an uphill task due to having one less man in what should have been teams of 3. The Scottish summer was a distant memory and the combination of showers and near gale force winds made an already challenging golf course trickier for all teams. The day began inauspiciously for our visiting team with Cpl John Cox-Tomlinson, a 2011 winner of the individual handicap and team trophy, losing no less than 20 balls on his way to card 17 stapleford points and a consolation pint at the halfway stage of the 36 hole stapleford event. Remarkably, his one straight shot, won the nearest the pin competition. The other Coningsby players rolled in only slightly improved scores of 33, 27 and 24 points, with the only saving grace being the relatively low top points tally of 39 for the morning by Boscombe Down. The afternoon’s play saw a remarkable turnaround for the Coningsby team with one player in particular playing the round of his life. Sgt Nick Ball, last year’s individual runner up, re-found his fine form to fire in a score 10-under his handicap for 46 points, a combined total of 70 points for the day and good enough for 2nd place in the individual competition for the second year in a row. Good luck playing off significantly less than a 24 handicap next year! Cpl Cox-Tomlinson improved to 28 points for the second 18 holes for a total score of 45 points and combined with Sgt Ball’s efforts they secured 4th place in the team tournament. The ever solid Flt Lt Paul Greenham scored 32 points on the closing 18 holes to back up his first round effort for 59 points in total. The top individual prize was taken by 2011’s winner of the gross trophy, Flt Lt Ben Wadd who backed up his 33 points in the morning with 38 coming home for a total of 71, and combined with Flt Lt Greenham’s score of 59, meant Coningsby reclaimed the Team Trophy for the second time in 3 years. Thanks to RAF Leuchars for organising a fine event in what will be their penultimate year before closure and also congratulations to WO Mark Elsbury of RAF Boscombe Down who retained the Shearer Moffat trophy for best gross score. 44 onetoone ISSUE 3 2013 Peebles & Hilton OPTOMETRISTS EYE EXAMINATIONS CONTACT LENS PRACTITIONERS COMPLETE EYE CARE - NHS & PRIVATE PATIENTS SUPER RANGE OF QUALITY FRAMES OWN WORKSHOP AND REPAIR FACILITIES R. WISBY (FAMILY BUTCHER) LTD We are a Traditional family Butchers offering top quality products with polite and courteous service. A warm welcome to all our customers, please phone to discuss your requirements. DaviD Hilton BSc FCOptom SuSan Cowan BSc FCOptom 16 Silver Street CONINGSBY tel: (01526) 344556 “lyndon” tawney Street BOSTON tel: (01205) 365395 Wragby Shop 01673 858968 Horncastle Shop 01507 527371 Richard Sivill Gallery JOHN CHAPMAN BUILDER New Build, Alterations, Extensions Repairs and Maintenance Silverdale, 126b Horncastle Road Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire LN10 6UX Tel: 01526 353421 inc Tattershall Engraving Full framing service. Large selection of open and limited edition prints including aviation prints. Passport ID Photos taken. Full Engraving Service - Trophies, Hip Flasks, Tankards engraved to your specification Squadron Crests etc. Ideal leaving gifts Quick Turnaround 4 High Street, Tattershall. 01526 345388 J.W.L. PERKINS & SON E sta bli s h e d 19 2 0 Newsagent, Stationer, Bookseller also Greeting Card Specialist 7 Market Place, Horncastle Tel: 523291 The greatest gift of all is the gift of LIFE….. We are here for YOU will you be here for US? Please support your local Air Ambulance. The Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance www.ambucopter.org.uk - Enquiries@ambucopter.org.uk - 01522 548469 Registered Charity No. 1017501 45 46 ISSUE 3 2013 116 West St. Thank You For Your Support Boston, Lincs PE21 8QZ Telephone: 01205 361555 Achurch and Sons Achurch, for quality, variety and service, upstairs and downstairs, well worth a visit to browse. YOUR LOCAL FRIENDLY HARDWARE STORE 16/17 Market Place Horncastle Lincs LN9 5BN TELEPHONE: 01507 523441 MEYER - STELLA COOKWEAR • LE CAFETIERE COFFEE MAKERS Penny’s Place Broken, leaking or blocked guttering at your home or business? Conservatory roof needing cleaning or fixing? Don’t know who to call? GUTTERCLEANSE CAN HELP! • Emergency callout • Gutters cleaned and repaired • Yearly health checks of your guttering • Conservatory roofs cleaned Full Public Liability Insurance No job too small or too big Call Dave 01529 410380 07877 362941 www.justjillsalternativeremedies.co.uk GILLIAN R ROBINSON HMD. DI.HOM. F.B.I.H. Homeopathic Practitioner Alternative Remedies Health Food Shop Postal Service Available 12 The Broadway, Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire Tel: Shop 01526 353 794 Home: 01526 353 417 Email: info@justjillsalternativeremedies.co.uk Cottage Cafe Dry Cleaners Our staff are trained in all aspects of dry cleaning and stain removal. Our Dolphin Lane, Boston shop is fully equipped to deal with a full range of services, a list of which is below. We reward ourselves with a quality service and take pride in our work. We offer a full range of services including: • Dry Cleaning • Wedding Dress Cleaning and Boxing Service • Evening Dresses & Ball Gown cleaning • Curtain and Soft Furnishing Cleaning • Ironing Service • Repairs and Alterations • Duvets Cleaning • Collection and Delivery (Contact us for details) 24 Dolphin Lane, Boston, Lincolnshire, PE21 6EU Tel : 01205 354229 75-77 High Street, Coningsby, Lincs. LN4 4RB Telephone: 01526 344414 PAMPER YOURSELF THIS SUMMER WITH THE OFFER FOR CHERRIES FOR SEPT & OCT FOR:• 15 minutes in the Sauna • Full Body Exfoliation • Indian Head Massage • Mini Facial All for £30.00 (saving £20.00) Please bring this voucher with you to claim a further £5.00 off the above price. 39 Sliver Street, Coningsby, Lincs, LN4 4SY General garden maintenance, fencing, paving, patios, turfing, seeding, grass and hedge cutting, lawn care. Local + friendly service, free no obligation quote. No job too small, reliable + trustworthy Tel: 01526 353382 Tel: 01526 352 633 Riverside Pub Evening meals available Traditional Sunday lunch Themed evenings including Quiz Nights & Bingo Local Historical Attractions nearby Mark and Lynda Limb A wide choices of All Day Breakfast A wide choice of light lunches, snacks, mouth watering cakes and pastries available throughout the day All our food is locally sourced and freshly made for your pleasure to eat in or take away Christmas Lunches Dec 4th - Dec 10th BOOK NOW Mobile/Dave: 07947 844587 Mobile/Adam: 07979 790589 We now take debit cards Contact 01526 342122 vanity fair Hair Stylists Donna & Melanie The Broadway Woodhall Spa LN10 6ST 01526 352956 The King’s Arms Church Road • Martin Dales • Woodhall Spa Lincolnshire • LN10 6XZ Open 8am till 4pm Monday to Saturday Breakfast served ALL day. Home cooked lunches served between 12 pm and 2pm 15 Witham Rd, Woodhall Spa Lincs, LN10 6RW Alan Tittershill Gas Services Engineer Natural Gas, LPG and Oil Appliances, Landlord Safety Certificates, Install, Service, Repair, System Power Flushing, Heating & Plumbing 26376 Maintenance 303251 Business Mobile: 07908 961155 Home Number: 01526 343598 Convert your skill, experience and training into a internationally recognised civilian qualification with an ILM certified course at RAF Coningsby ILM Leadership and Management award level 2 £175 1-2 Oct 2013 2-4 Feb 2014 14-15 Apr 2014 Wadd Wadd Con ILM Leadership & Management award level 3 £750 & level 5 £950 9-12 Sept 2013 10-13 Feb 2014 12-15 May 2014 Wadd Wadd Con ILM Coaching award level 3 and NLP Practitioner £1500 ILM Coaching and Mentoring certificate level 5 and NLP Pract £1700 NLP Practitioner only (not ELC eligible) £795 7-10 Oct 2013 (part 1) 4-8 Nov 2013 (part 2) 3-7 Mar2014 (part 1) 7-11 Apr 2014 (part 2) 5-9 May 2014 (part 1 2-6 June 2014 (part 2) Wadd Wadd Wadd Wadd Con Con Starting an On-line Business & ILM Enterprise & Entrepreneur level 3 £1500 14-18 Oct 2013 12-16 May 2014 Wadd Wadd Continuous Improvement manager - ILM level 5 qualifications in Service Improvement & Leadership & Management £2250 24, 25 Feb 2014 (part 1) Con 24, 25 Mar 2014 (part 2) Con 28 Apr 2014 (part 3) Con 30 Apr – 1 May 2014 (part 1) Wad 28, 29 May 2014 (part 2) Wad 26 June 2014 (part 3) Wad Wadd = Waddington, Con = Coningsby All courses are available at RAF Coningsby on an ‘as requested basis’. Please speak to TDF for details. We are fully approved so you can use SLC’s, ELC’s or Resettlement grants to fund training £250 discount if 2 courses are booked together For further info contact your Learning Centre or Inspired2Be on 01522 501886 or email info@inspired2Be.com • GARDEN TOOLS • CRYSTAL / GLASS • VINERS CUTLERY • Clock Repairs LE CREUSET COOKWEAR • OVEN / TABLEWEAR • BRABANTIA BINS • TABLE MATS P.J.B GARDEN PRODUCTS • SALT & PEPPER MILLS • B/D POWER TOOLS • STORAGE JARS • TRAYS GARDEN TOOLS • CRYSTAL/GLASS • VINERS CUTLERY