On 22 October, three World War II veterans, Don Turell, Robbie Hall and Peter Greenwood and one post-war veteran, Ken Orford, were delighted to visit RAF Coningsby with the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans to visit the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and its historic hangar.
The visit brought back wonderful memories for all the veterans as they viewed the iconic aircraft of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, the Lancaster, Dakota, and two Spitfires, which took to the air during their visit, sharing runway and airspace with the modern Typhoons stationed at Coningsby.
For WWII veteran Robbie Hall, who served in Bomber Command alongside her fiancé Frank, the visit was particularly poignant. Frank was killed during the war, and seeing the aircraft brought back powerful memories of those who never returned.
Post-war veteran Ken Orford, who worked as an aircraft maintenance engineer for over 20 years and “has forgotten more than most people will ever know about aircraft,” proudly wore his 1,000-mile tie which symbolises the speed of the Lightning F5 jet.
Dick Goodwin, Vice President of the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans, who coordinated the day with the RAF Coningsby team said:
“A huge thank you to everyone at RAF Coningsby for the incredible welcome. Seeing these magnificent aircraft up close was truly special and brought back so many memories for our veterans. They were absolutely delighted to have been invited, and the timing was perfect with the Lancaster soon to begin its full overhaul.
Diane Law-Crookes, Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Administration Officer, RAF Coningsby said:
“The highlight of working at BBMF for me, are days where we host our veteran friends. The day was filled with laughter, stories, and a fair amount of cake! I am very thankful that the Taxi Charity was able to bring along the veterans. Without them, we would not have met these wonderful people.”
The Taxi Charity for Military Veterans, run by volunteer London cab drivers, arranges outings, events, and trips across the UK and abroad to thank and support veterans from all services and generations.
