RAFBEA (North America)
The Sixth Annual 2006 North America RAFBEA Reunion was held in San Diego on Friday October 27 and Saturday October 28, 2006 at the Holiday Inn San Diego Bayside Hotel, a first class hotel on North Harbor Drive in beautiful San Diego, California. There were 19 ex-boy entrants who attended the sixth annual RAFBEA North American reunion. The oldest entry was Gordon Lunn from the 2nd Entry who is 83 years young!
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2006: We held an informal get-together in the Bayside Bar at the hotel. Everyone met at 4:30pm and many who owned RAFBEA NORTH AMERICA sweatshirts wore them as a convenient means of recognition. A good time was had by all as everyone rekindled old memories.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2006: A personally guided tour was given to the RAFBEA group aboard the USS Midway.
Ex-Boy Entrants Mike Claydon (left) and Chris Simpson give a hearty salute from their cockpit after completing their Top Secret Training Mission aboard the USS Midway. Both men were top-notch telegraphists from the 26th Entry at Cosford.
At 6:00pm, everyone met on the first floor in the Holiday Inn Point Loma Room for pre-banquet cocktails and to view the displays of Boy Entrant memorabilia. A great big "thanks" to everyone who brought such great momentos (photographs, letters, etc.)
At 7:00pm, Bruce Allen welcomed everyone and started the banquet. By the way, a big THANK YOU to Bruce for doing such a great job in getting all the details wrapped up and taken care of for this reunion. We all really appreciate the hard work he did in making this reunion such a success! Thanks Bruce!
Bruce Allen held a special toast for the late ex-Boy Entrant Reg Moore (47th Entry ElecAir St. Athan) who sadly passed away in 2006.
After everyone has finished with the banquet, Bruce invited first time attendees to give a brief and informal self-introduction followed by other ex-Boy Entrants who gave a brief description of their years of service.
Our guest speaker for the evening was retired U. S. Navy Commander Harold "Hal" Nemer. Hal soloed at age 16; joined the US Navy in 1945 and earned his wings in 1948; flew TBFs and Grumman Guardians off of ASW carriers; member of EAA Chapter 1 – unofficial test pilot at Flabob Airport – has test flown Bill Turner’s Pete racer, Miles and Atwood Special racer, and others including Ray Stits’ record holding airplane Baby Bird. Hal shared some of his very exciting adventures as a Navy Pilot with the group.
After the banquet, everyone retired to the Bayside Bar where all the RAFBEA attendees gathered together for their AGM to discuss plans and proposals for the next reunion. It was agreed that the 2007 North America RAFBEA Reunion will be held in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
BACK ROW LEFT TO RIGHT: Bruce Allen (46th Air Wireless Cosford), guest speaker Hal Nemer (USN, Retired), John Wynne (41st AR Cosford), David Banyard (41st AR Cosford), John McCauley (34th Airframes St. Athan), John Weatherley (8th Air Radar Yatesbury), Brian Carlin (29th Entry ElecAir St. Athan), John Lawrence (34th AWM Cosford), Dermot O'Mahoney (14th Teleg Cosford), Laurie Malley (38th Ground Wireless Cosford), Eric Robertson (14th Compton Basset), Mike Claydon (26th Entry Cosford), 2nd Entry and 83 yrs young Gordon Lunn (Elec Air Wireless Operator Cranwell. He was a member of the 9BE9B Entry trained as an Electrician in 1938).
FRONT ROW LEFT TO RIGHT: Bob Waddell (13th Radar Yatesbury), Martin Roberts (22nd Entry AirRad Cosford), David Mattingley (44th Entry AirRad Cosford), Chris Simpson (26th Entry Cosford), John Halliwell (30th Entry General Fitter St. Athan), David Williams (27th Entry ElecAir St. Athan), Gorton Lawrence (21st Entry Arm Cosford).
By the way, be sure to check out Brian Carlin's website and the new 396-page book Brian just wrote. It's entitled "Boy Entrant The Recollections of a Royal Air Force "Brat". Brian takes us on the absorbing true story of his first major step on the journey of life that would mould him and his fellow Boy Entrants to become the "backbone" of the 1950s Royal Air Force.
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