Royal Air Forces Association - Wye Branch

The RAF Association is a membership organisation of serving and former members of the Royal Air Force, their families and dependants and all those supporting the aims of the Association. It is the largest single-service membership organisation in the United Kingdom and has roughly 74,000 members and 500 Branches in the UK, Europe and further afield.

We support the whole Air Force family, providing welfare and care to all serving and former members of The Royal Air Force and their dependants.
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Our local branch meetings are held at 7.30pm on the 2nd Thursday of each month at Wye Village Hall, Bridge Street. Come along - all are very welcome. There is a full programme of events planned - click here for the current schedule. This will be updated regularly, so keep checking!
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RAFA Wye Branch was formed in June 1985 by Ron Akerman (Chairman), John Parker (Secretary) and Ben Gallaway (Treasurer), all members of Canterbury Branch. Ben's wife, Ruby, arranged the refreshment rota.

There was tremendous enthusiasm at the meetings, held in the pavilion of Wye Cricket Club, relocating to Wye Village Hall in 2001. Many successful coffee mornings were held at the cricket club, raising sometimes over £1,000, partly due to the sale of plants grown by Ron and Jean Akerman and also to the input from members and associates in running numerous stalls for the sale of cakes, bric-a-brac, books and various games of chance.

The new Branch held a dedication service in Wye Church (seen here on Battle of Britain Sunday 2009) with the new Standard paraded and members marching behind; the Branch also, for a while, had its own Chaplain.

Over the years Wye Branch has raised over £59,000 for Wings Appeal (the 2007 event seen here and here), often making more money than larger branches in S.E. Kent.

In the mid 90's Ray Collins, a member of Royal British Legion at Brabourne, joined RAFA Wye Branch and was followed by other RAF veterans including Brian Cain (who became part time Standard Bearer) and Ron Smith, other RAF members followed from Brabourne later including George Hickmott who sadly recently died.

Ron Smith took over as Standard Bearer in 2002, at the same time becoming Chairman. Ron has stalwartly paraded the Standard annually at St Clement Dane RAF Church in London and other celebrations, including Chart Sutton and Capel-Le-Ferne, he has also taken it to France. Ron, seen on the right of the group here on Battle of Britain Sunday 2009, brings the Standard with its gleaming brass to the monthly meetings.

Sadly, many of the Founder Members have died (only Geoff Davis - past Secretary, and Ron Davidson - current Treasurer, remain), however, they would be glad to know RAFA Wye Branch still has an enthusiastic and increasing membership, which is quite surprising as Ashford, Canterbury and Margate Branches have closed due to lack of support. We had heard that Herne Bay Branch had closed but now know it is being held together by a dozen or so keen members
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Jim Elgar was honoured in the tiny South of France village of Serralongue during the VE day celebrations on 8th May 2010. Standing alongside a 90 year-old French veteran, Jim was welcomed by the mayor in front of a large crowd.

The ceremony was reported, complete with photograph, in the South of France daily newspaper l'Indépendant.

This is the translation of the article:-

8-May 2010: a former Royal Air Force veteran was present Saturday

Serralongue

A large crowd gathered in front of the War Memorial, around Veterans and flag-bearers, to commemorate the end of the Second World War.

Among them, alongside Jean Marques (honorary mayor and a veteran of 39/45), was British veteran Mr James Leslie Elgar, an electrician in the Royal Air Force during the same period.

After the mayor read a message from H. Falco (Secretary of State for Defence and Veterans Affairs) and made a speech, the schoolchildren Lilou and Julien, along with their sister Océane, placed a wreath at the foot of the War Memorial.

After a minute of silence and under the baton of Madame Millot, everyone sang the "song of the partisans" and "le Marseillaise".

Donations raised the tidy sum of 100 euros.

The ceremony was followed by an aperitif at the Cafe de la Poste, prepared by Pilou and Jean-Pierre.

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© Frank Parkinson 2010.