RAFBEA
Welcome to the RAFBEA 2004 webpage. The reunion was held on the weekend of September 11-12, 2004.
Here's a group picture of the 26th Entry Telegraphists. From left to right (back row): Chris Simpson, Alan Mackay, Bernie Howe, Mel White, Dave Chamberlain, Don Bamford.
Sitting (left to right): Laurie Turner, Bill Shearer and Keith Robbins. Not pictured: Mike Claydon (he's the fella who took the picture!)
The attendees were present at the dedication of the Permanent Boy Entrants Memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas Staffordshire on September 11, 2004. This memorial was erected in memory of the many thousands of Boy Entrants who trained between 1935 - 1965 and to record their singular contribution to the Royal Air Force.
Terry Wilson, 26th Entry Telegraphist, died on 23rd July 2004 after a long illness. On the day of his funeral a congregation of over 200 packed his home church at Longside near Peterhead, spilling over to the grounds outside. Such was Terry's reputation and the respect in which he was held, that the service was attended by so many. The congregation included not only the Station Commander of nearby RAF Buchan and the Chairman of the local Royal British Legion branch, for which Terry had worked tirelessly over many years, but also a group of his special RAFBEA friends who all made the long journey to Scotland to pay their final tribute. Dressed in Blazers and wearing Association ties, in honour of Terry and the memories they all had of being together at many RAFBEA and Entry reunions, they stood together as Don Bamford spoke of their close association and friendship and the bonds that had brought them together. Terry's highly respected reputation in the area in which he had lived for so long, for kindness, caring and dedication, manifested itself in his contribution and perseverance in establishing the "RAF Peterhead (Longside Airfield) Memorial Cairn" the story of which, has since spread far beyond our shores. To Sheila and all Terry's family, we send our heartfelt thoughts. As a further tribute, a fuller story of "Terry and the Longside Airfield Memorial Cairn", will appear in the near future". (The following tribute, written by Mel White, appeared in the RAFBEA Newsletter No 35, November 2004 issue.)
Check out this website for a book penned by ex-Boy Entrant Brian Carlin . Brian wrote about his experiences growing up in the Boy Entrants.
Wanna send us an e-mail? Here's our mailbox. We've tweeked our e-mail address a bit to prevent all that awful spam. We think you'll figure out that AT is to be replaced with the @ with no spaces in between the @ symbol.
