Remembrance Sunday 2009 Duxford

[firbeck 860]

The usual ceremonies at Duxford were contraversially marred on the direct orders of that nice Mr Brown, but more of that later.

It was noticeable that a group of locals from Il'son had made the trip:

Events started with the 2 minute silence at 11:00am, it was fascinating to see the hundreds of people swarming around this historic airfield just stop dead in their tracks, you could hear a pin drop.

The museum has historic links with the USAF, they were based there in the war and, apart from housing the biggest dedicated USAF museum in the world outside of the USA, the personel at the 48th Fighter Wing at Lakenheath have much to do with the museum. This week the 492nd Fighter Squadron flying F-15E aircraft are to be deployed to Afghanistan. As a tribute, the museum held a candle lighting ceremony to honour those who are to put their lives on the line.

Richard Ashton the museum director made a very noble speech, did you know that nearly 30,000 US aircrew lost their lives flying in defence of this country in WW2, only 0.1% of American serviceman had ever been out of their country before, and that every UK based US aircraft on a mission in Afghanistan carries a small Union Jack in the cockpit as a tribute to their British hosts.

The USAF sent many of their soon to be deployed pilots to the ceremony, there were also all their famillies and other members of the community attending, what an embarresment to Mr Brown.

[firbeck 860]

Duxford is the site of the regimental museum of the Anglian Regiment, they always make a showing. Prior to the service, their temporary chaplain, Rev Miller, who was to hold the ceremony, happened to sit down with me for a chat, it was great, he passed his divinty degree at Nottingham Uni and wore their scarf during the service, lovely bloke:

It would appear that as a cost cutting exercise that the Anglian Regiment were banned from attending THEIR service on direct orders from Downing Street, so no parade, no military band, no flying Spitfire as in all the previous years. However it seemed then it was learnt that the USAF were going to make a powerful presence that orders were revoked last Thursday, too late, other arrangements had been made for the regiment, so we had the adjutant surrounded by USAF pilots and a dormant Spitfire, what a sad state of affairs.

The charged up Spitfire raring to go but, won't pay the fuel bill.

[rob237 89]

Pleasing to read that many were in attendance and of the part played by the often maligned US forces.

Q1: How did Gordon Brown debar the attendance of British forces?

Edit: Covered in your second posting...

Q2: Did the approaching twister wipe out the cream of the Felix fleet?

At lunchtime, I encountered a little old lady walking by, with great difficulty and a pained face...she told me that she was making the long walk back home from the local Remembrance service.

Spoke volumes for the way that many still remember...

Cheers

Robt P.

[firbeck 860]

After all that, some fascinating people, vets, serving soldiers, but these wierdo's, a Hells Angels Chapter, some with combat badges, all on Harley's and all wearing these cloth symbols on their backs:

The naval cadets were late for the MTB ceremony:

Then a few aircraft, nobody noticed the worlds only airworthy original Mk1 Spitfire, many years in it's restoration, restored to it's original condition, in for a paint job, you could smell it, and obviously not yet run up:

Everything here is a treasure, a Mk1 Blenheim, the TFC aircraft with their poppies, farewell to the P-39, would you fancy changing the spark plugs on a Bristol Centaurus:

A classic example of Afghan airpower:

But lets not forget our Allies:

[firbeck 860]

You may say, what has this got to do with a Nottstalgia forum, well, it's in remembrance of my dad, my mum, his cousins, his brothers, all those from Nottingham who put their lives on the line, I would like to tribute this to them and all those people from Nottingham that suffered and continue to do so.

I have no other way of doing it, I took my dads cap badge with me, it's a poignant reminder of what everyday folk had to endure.

What did the rest of you do then to remember this, anything?

[plantfit 7,661]

Nice pics Pete thanks for sharing, it's nice to see so many younger folk at these services

Rog