Association News
26.01.12
Association Website Update:
Since the very dramatic and unavoidable loss of our website at the end of last year, a lot of work has been done to bring the new website up to date. As well as creating a brand new website, there has been a lot of work going on in the background. Apart from one or two little known gremlins, the new basic website is very near completion, but work will continue on the new 'Members Area' over the coming weeks.
The 'Members Area' will host the monthly newsletter, 'The Hornet', along with various other tools, within a secure environment. (Only members of the association will have access to the members area.) Once this part of the development process has been completed, members will be notified on how to use this feature.
The whole of the new website, will be officially unveiled at the 2012 Reunion and AGM, and we are hoping that the new site will help our members to keep in touch with the Association and to keep in touch with their friends for many years to come.
Damien English - Website Manager
24.01.12
The 100
Squadron Association 2012 Reunion
The dates for the 2012 Reunion have
been decided, and the event will be held on Friday 8th June until
Saturday 9th June. The finer details are currently being arranged
and full details of the weekend will be sent out in March.
Please keep checking this site for further
updates.
Jinny White – Secretary
24.01.12
The Bomber Command Memorial Unveiling
Dedication and Unveiling of The Bomber Command Memorial in Green Park has been arranged for Thursday, 28th June 2012 and will last about an hour. The Bomber Command Association are organising the ceremony and are asking for people, particularly WWII veterans of Bomber Command, to apply for tickets using the form below. The deadline for applications is 10th February 2012, so if you wish to attend, please return the form to address shown at the top of the form as soon as possible. However, please note that they are giving priority for tickets to Bomber Command Association members who are veterans of the Command and to close relatives of the 55,573 who are commemorated, so some applicants may be disappointed.
Air Commodore Norman Bonnor - President
11.10.11
Association Website
As you can see, the 100 Squadron Association website has changed dramatically. Usually the committee would advise the members of the association prior to making such changes, however, this has been out of our control. Just over two weeks ago, I was informed that the company based in the USA who hosted our previous website, experienced a fire in their communications office which held all of the servers containing their customers websites. Luckily for them, the total damage was minimal but the servers that perished in fire contained the 100 Squadron Association website. In the previous months, I had made many backups of the website incase of such events, but the backups were also lost in the fire, meaning that we had no website at all.
After a few moments of disbelief and cursing into thin air, I got to work on the new website. I have moved the website to a new hosting company and the main bulk of the website is complete. There is still a lot of editing to be done and some of the links on this site need 'tweaking', but before long we will have a fully operational website again.
Please can I ask you all to be patient while the work is being completed and I will update you on the progress in due course.
Damien English - Website Manager
04.08.11
Bomber Command Memorial
Many of you are keenly interested in the Bomber
Command Memorial Fund and the progress with the actual building of the Memorial.
Well, during the past few days several items of note
have appeared, and the progress is now ‘hotting up’ so to speak. In ‘The Daily
Telegraph’ of 5th May an article reported on the laying of the
foundation stone in Green Park on 4th May 2011. Present were Marshall
of the Royal Air Force Sir Michael Beetham, President of Bomber Command
Association, along with HRH the Duke of Kent and Air Chief Marshall Sir Stephen
Dalton, Chief of the Air Staff. Sir Michael Beetham said, “This is a major
milestone in the campaign to get this memorial erected. Today is D-Day for the
campaign and we can look forward to celebrating VE-Day next year when it is
finished.” (The Daily Telegraph. 5 May 2011, Page 13).
The Spring Newsletter of Bomber Command Association
also provides an informative update on the Memorial and reports that “…the
construction programme has been agreed…[and]…with the clear intent of a
Dedication Ceremony in May 2012.” (Bomber Command Association Newsletter 61:3)
So, at long last we can be reasonably confident that
the Bomber Command Memorial will be built, with the Dedication scheduled for May
2012. This will be some 57 years since the WWII Bomber Offensive came to an end
in May 1945. Norman Bonnor and I will ensure that 100 Squadron will be
represented at that Dedication, and we shall keep you informed with respect to
arrangements for the Dedication Ceremony as these become known to us.
Donations for the Memorial are still being welcomed
by Bomber Command Association, so please do continue to donate.
Air Cdre Norman Bonnor and Dr Keith Ellis.
04.08.11
Association Historian
Most of you will be aware that Arthur White was our
Historian for many years. During those years Arthur wrote and published ‘The
Hornet’s Nest’, which is the definitive history of 100 Squadron.
After Arthur’s death, Greg Harrison was unanimously
elected as the Association Historian. Greg has contributed widely to the known
and published history of 100 Squadron; he has generously given many people
unstinted assistance in their search for information about relatives and loved
ones who served with ‘The Ton’. His knowledge of and about 100 Squadron defies
superlatives; suffice to say that he is a ‘walking encyclopaedia’ where 100
Squadron is concerned. Greg also played a major part in the research and work
associated with the production of the DVD ‘Celebrating 90 years of 100 Squadron
Royal Air Force’.
It is with great regret that we have to tell you that Greg has, due to work and family commitments, decided to stand down as our Historian. We shall be the worse off with his departure in terms of providing the service that Greg offered to the Association and to people who have benefited greatly from his knowledge and his willingness to freely share that knowledge. Greg will remain as a member of the Association, and in thanking him for the long hours of work he has carried out on our behalf, we wish him and his family well for the future.
Dr Keith Ellis
- Treasurer
07.10.11
Holton le Clay - Service of
Thanksgiving November 2011
Our Remembrance Day Service of
Thanksgiving will take place at the Main 100 Squadron Memorial site on
Remembrance Sunday 13th
November 2011. The usual timings will apply and those wishing to attend should
assemble at the lay-by close to the A16 traffic lights from 11:30 onwards.
It is the intention of Wg Cdr Christian Gleave, OC 100
Squadron, to provide a fly past of 100 Squadron aircraft. This is, of course,
subject to weather and other Squadron commitments.
Colin and Jean Johnson will again kindly
arrange lunch after the Service. The venue for lunch is likely to be at the new
Village Hall, but this will be confirmed at the Memorial Site on Sunday 13th
November. The cost of lunch will be £6:00 per head payable at the door. Catering
is made so much simpler for Colin and Jean if those wishing to attend and
partake of lunch let us know prior to the 13th
November. So, please be courteous and inform Dr Keith Ellis (01743 360810 or
rk.ellis@live.co.uk
) that you will attend by no later than 24th
October. This information will be passed on to Colin and Jean in good time for
them to purchase the necessary supplies.
Dr Keith Ellis,
Treasurer