A brief post to say that a bit of housekeeping has been completed on the web site. The latest membership list has been refreshed and the minutes from this years AGM have posted on line. http://www.24sqnassociation.royalairforce.net/admin.htm

All members will be receiving a hard copy of the minutes within the next few weeks, along with a request for a voluntary donation to Association funds.

Jimmy made a valuable contribution to the Squadron during his time working in the Safety Equipment section between 1971 to 1976. Jimmy also was a keen rugby player and fan but succumbed to cancer earlier this year(2009). His brother-in-law contacted us to say they were making a donation to the nominated Squadron charity CALM.

All the hard work certainly has paid off for those who have upgraded the Squadron History Room. Plenty of Association members and guests strolled over to the new enlarged and ever expanding Squadron History Room to revisit a few scenes form the past.

Major Todd Shugart on exchange form the USAF has been involved in a labour of love in putting the many items of memorabilia in fine order. It is on track to be classified almost a museum at this rate.

XXIV Sqn History Room

I thought I saw a few flash guns going off around the Mess on the evening of the Reunion Ladies Guest Night and so I contacted Maurice Hills who sent me a few postcard size shots he took on the evening. I have had to scan them onto the PC, so they have lost a bit of definition but still plenty good enough to see that one and all are glad they scrubbed up for the evening and eager to give it a go next year.

We are joined by the Army this year

Pied Piper Pct 09

Straight and Level tall story club

We have just heard from the daughter of Flt Lt Jim Grey that he died on September 15th 2009 aged 86.

He had 3 tours as a 24 Squadron pilot during his RAF career;
1) at Colerne on Hastings from 1959 – 1962
2) at Colerne on Hastings from 1964 – 1967
3) at Lyneham on Hercules from 1968 – 1971

He was nicknamed ‘Zebedee’ because of his moustache, and the popularity of Magic Roundabout at the time. When his tour finished in 1971 he was 48 and had reached the limit of his flying career so he left the RAF and took up various other jobs and interests before retiring to Northumberland with his wife Joan, who died earlier this year.

A brief post to inform everyone that this years Reunion at RAF Lyneham on Saturday October 3rd was a big success and enjoyed by one and all.

More details coming along shortly and some early photos below.

24 Sqn Assoc Reunion 2009 - 2 Briefing

24 Sqn Assoc Reunion 2009 -1 Briefing

According to BBC news on the evening of Sunday 20th Sep 09 the six Italian soldiers killed in Kabul a few days ago were members of 187 Parachute Regiment (The Volgore)  -  the unit with whom, the Squadron is closely associated and in whose regimental chapel the retiring Standard was laid up only last November.

By chance, Gp Capt Richard Bates, who was OC XXIV during the time of the original tragedy was staying with our current Chairman Keith Chapman who both saw the TV footage of the six coffins being being offloaded from an Italian Air Force C-130 at Ciampino. They agreed that the Association would wish to send a message of sympathy to the CO of the Italian Parachute Regt.

When Richard and Keith were in Livorno last November for the laying-up ceremony, the CO of 187 Para Regt was Col Gabriele Toscani De Col.  He told them that the Regt was to be deployed to Afghanistan in Spring 2009 but wasn’t sure whether he would still be in post then.

Hi folks.

Just finished totting up who is coming along to this years Reunion and numbers are looking quite good with 57 for the AGM and Lunch and 50 plus Serving Members for the Ladies Guest Night. (See the list below)

We are keeping our fingers crossed that the WX is CAVOK on the day and maybe that a flight in a J is on the cards!

ps – we will be spending quite a bit of time in the Station Briefing Room this year, so you might need to head straight for it on arrival. Check at the main gate.

See you on the 3rd of October – The Sec

Received an email recently from Robin SWART, grandson of  W.B. Swart which might be of interest which has links with the early RFC era and a previous OC of XXIV Squadron:-

Robin’s grandfather and his brother both either served, or were associated with, with the RFC 24 Squadron in WW1.

He is in possession of the original letter to the Air Ministry that recommends his grandfather, W.B. SWART to be a pilot in the RFC. Unfortunately, the top section of the letter is missing, so they do not know the date of it, but it is signed by the Squadron Leader Commanding of No. 24 (Communications) Squadron at the time.

WWI Brothers and XXIV Links

His brother, Major J.G. SWART was the Commanding Officer of the Squadron on 22 August 1917 (as per your web site).  He is mentioned a number of times at: http://www.apw.airwar1.org.uk/flying%20trg.htm and won the Military Cross at the battle of the Somme.

The attached photograph is of Robin’s grandfather, W.B. SWART and his father, E.B.J. SWART, in South African Air Force  uniform just before WW2. His father served in the SAAF during WW2 and the Korean War and his younger brother, Derek Swart rose to the rank of Group Captain in the RAF.

If you have any further information about W.B. SWART, Robin would be very interested to know the facts.

Many thanks,

Robin Swart

Hi all

Here is an update from Sam about Hotel accommodation for the Reunion on the 3rd October.