The 2025 Reunion 9th - 11th May
The 2025 Reunion weekend kicked off with a Meet & Greet in the bar of the Officers’ Mess at RAF Waddington on Friday 9th May. Numbers were a little down this year although the decibel level belied that as old acquaintances were renewed and old anecdotes repeated. There was a minor hiccough on arrival when it was discovered that the self-service barrel of beer in the Lincoln Room hadn’t been tapped and the bartender, helpful though she was, didn’t know how to do it. Luckily one of the residents came to our rescue and the precious amber fluid was soon flowing freely.
"The following photographs are all courtesy of ‘Monty’ Montgomery, who did an excellent job of covering the reunion from start to finish.”
Please Click on Photos to Enlarge
Saturday dawned bright and clear and a number of members and guests took the opportunity to enjoy a guided tour of the International Bomber Command Centre (IBCC). May 8th was, of course, the 80th anniversary of VE Day and an added attraction this year was the Lincoln VE Project, a magnificent display of ceramic poppies surrounding a Lancaster bomber. In all 20,000 flowers were used to create the image.
On Saturday afternoon there was a visit to the RAF College at Cranwell. The original intention had been to lay up the Squadron Standard. However, this couldn’t happen because repairs to St Michael’s Church, its final resting place, had not been completed. Instead we were treated to a guided tour of College Hall Officers’ Mess (CHOM). Mr Andy Thomas gave us the benefit of his encyclopaedic knowledge of all things Cranwellian, past and present, conducting a most interesting tour of the imposing building and its most famous artefacts.
“Detail from the painting The Sinking of the Tirpitz by Gerald Coulson.”
The Association’s annual dinner was held in the Officers’ Mess on Saturday evening. Fifty three members and guests enjoyed arrival drinks in the foyer, followed by a three course dinner in the dining room. After port, coffee and the President’s speech, there was time to continue postprandial mingling in the bar before the coach arrived.
A Service of Remembrance was held at Dunholme Lodge Farm on Sunday at 11 am, conducted by the Reverend Paul Maple. The setting and the weather could not have been better. Musical accompaniment was provided by nine members of the RAF Waddingtom Voluntary Band, to whom we are most grateful. We are also indebted to the Wykes family for hosting us at Dunholme Lodge Farm. Their continuing support to our Association is invaluable. This Sunday morning event was an enjoyable and fitting conclusion to the reunion weekend.
The very last event was a pay-as-you-go lunch in the IBCC cafe. The proximity of our reunion to VE Day meant that the staff of the IBCC cafe were exceptionally busy and we were most grateful to them for accommodating those of us who elected to take lunch there.
Dates for the Diary
In the warm glow following this year's very successful get-together, now is the time to make an indelible note of the dates for our 2026 Reunion. They are Friday 8th May 2026 through to Sunday 10th May 2026. More details will be released as soon as the Committee has been able to put a programme together and make the necessary arrangements.
