Dambusters2013 at the RAF Lossiemouth Annual Reception and Friends and Families Day, 21st and 22nd June 2013.

This last weekend past I had the privilege to be invited to RAF Lossiemouth as guest of Station Commander Gp Capt Ian Gale and his wife Sally to be a part of the 2013 Annual Reception Ceremony and the Friends and Families day which was held the day afterwards on Saturday 22nd June 2013.

Ian and Sally are two of the nicest people that you could meet and it was wonderful to finally meet them both in person after talking on twitter with both for nearly 12 months now! RAF Lossiemouth and the people who serve there are lucky to have a commander who is both disarming and good company on the one hand but very clearly in command with a clear vision of the future at the same time.
 
The Annual Reception was held at the RAF Lossie' Officers Mess on the Friday Evening with drinks from 18.45hrs. My wife Jo and I were hosted by the team from 617 Sqdn, the Dambusters, and I will post my thanks here to Sqdn Ldr Mark 'Jacko' Jackson and squadron 'boss' Wg Cdr Dave Arthurton for their time and conversation. The ceremony finished after a short and interesting speech by Ian with the Royal Air Force ensign being lowered to the haunting sound of a lone Scottish piper closely followed by the thunderous and very sudden roar of a XV Sqdn Tornado GR4 on full afterburner as it came from behind the mess and went vertical into the gathering clouds! The noise was enormous and coming from behind without warning made all who were not expecting jump to say the least. Brilliant. Wonderfully done as only the British military know how.
 

 
What was also wonderful was Wg Cdr Dave Arthurton who unlike me was not trying to recover his composure after the sudden and awe inspiring appearance of the Tornado  - but instead simply observed "20ft to the left of centre"!! Perfect!
 

The Friends and Families Day started on the Saturday at midday. The weather which had threatened heavy rain for days was largely kind and held off until just after the curtailed flying display (the wind had forced the Spitfire and Sea Fury to cry off!). In one of the large hangars there were stalls for each of the Squadrons on the base ( I bought some 'Dambusters Cuff Links') and many other things but one in particular was my target. The RAF Benevolent Fund stand and my chance to meet Karen and Rob Cox who again I had been talking with for months on twitter but never met face to face. Karen & Rob - it was wonderful to finally put this right and meet you face to face.... and for the record, after some discussion with both Karen and Ian Gale I am now a convert to the RAF Benevolent Fund cause!!
 
As you would expect there was a static display as well as a flying display and the pictures below will hopefully give a flavour of the afternoon.
 

Above, the RAF's Typhoon and below my wife Jo without whose support dambusters2013 would never have taken place! 

 Dambusters70 Tail Art Tornado GR4 of 617 Sqdn ....

 

 

 OC XV Sqdn in the stocks!

 Sea King SAR in the flying display .... brilliant.

 Probably the last time I will see the iconic VC10 as she comes to the end of a long a distinguished career - to me one of the most beautiful large jets ever made.

 ... and from the flying display a diamond made up of two Tornados from each of 617 and XV sqdns including Flt Lt Oli Payne of 617 Sqdn who kindly collected us from the main gate and escorted us to our room in the Officers Mess when we arrived on Friday lunchtime.

 

 
 The afternoon was completed with a guided tour of the 617 Sqdn facilities on the far side of the airbase by 'Jacko' and his Sqdn colleague Flg Off Richard Hartley, the junior WSO on the team. Thanks very much to you both!

What a completely top weekend!

Dambusters2013 - The Mohnesee Vice Mayor's Welcome speech ....

Before we set off there was a lot of debate on FB, Twitter and othet sites about whether the whole idea of a charity motorcycle ride to the Mohne Dam as part of the Dambusters 70th commemoration was in good taste, a good idea or whether it would be misinterpreted by the locals who live around the Mohnesee.

The reality was that the locals absolutely 'got it', that our ride was a commemoration of ALL the lives lost as well as the bravery shown by the airmen of 617 Sqdn on the night of May 16th/17th 1943.

They also understood that the event was worthy of commemoration and the Mohnesee area's Mayor joined in our ceremony at midnight to lay wreaths on the waters of the Mohnesee to remember all the lives lost, as did German mainstream TV.

Two bits of film to follow which illustrate this. The first is of the Vice Mayor who was on hand to welcome the Dambusters2013 riders when we arrived at the Mohne Dam car park at 3pm on 16th May before he personally led a joint rideout around the Mohnesee lake.

The second is the TV report filed by Geoff Meade of BFBS who rode with us all the way covering not only the welcome we received but the extra-ordinary privilege that Dambusters2013 enjoyed by being allowed to ride our bikes across the Mohne Dam itself at midnight just before the wreath laying ceremony and also film of Craig and the Mohnesee Mayor both laying wreaths on the water. Just click on the link to go direct to the relevant BFBS webpage.

http://www.bfbs.com/news/germany/bikers-mark-beginning-dambusters-raid-63586.html

No doubt at all - we were right to go and our German hosts both welcomed us and fully understood and agreed with our motives and event.

Simon - 17th June 2013

Ypres .... May 15th 2013 ... and the Peace Village

On May 15th we travelled into Ypres for the Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate. A moving and wonderful event.

After the ceremony we travelled back to where we were staying at the 'Peace Village' near Messines.

Ypres itself, despite the devastation of the First World War is now a quite beautiful place. Take a loom a this short film as we ride out of Ypres along cobbled streets.

 

Then it was a short ride along some lovely roads in the evening sunshine back to the Peace Village. I have to completely recommend the Peace Village as a place to stay if you are visiting the area around Ypres. The accommodation is done as a series of small two storey units with a small bathroom and living area downstairs and four bunk beds upstairs. Basic but clean and more than adequate and at a rate of about €30 a night per person including a continental breakfast simply amazing value!! There is even secure on-site parking for your bike right outside your room! Google 'Peace Village Ypres' and give it a try.

 

This video shows Al Hunter and I returning to the Peace Village ..... check it out.

 



 

 

 

Paying homage to Johnny....

One of the privileges of being involved with Dambusters2012 and Dambusters2013 has been meeting and getting to Sqdn Ldr George 'Johnny' Johnson DFM seen in the pic below with Flt Lt Sarah James of RAF Scampton.

 

Johnny was bomb aimer on 617 Sqdn Lancaster AJ-T and attacked the Sorpe Dam on the night of the 16th/17th May dropping his Upkeep weapon on their 10th run along the Sorpe Dam from just 30ft!!

I was not able to visit the Sorpe Dam in 2012 and so making sure that I was able to visit the Sorpe this year was central to my own trip plans. I wanted to stand in the middle of the Sorpe Dam and look back to see the church which Johnny and his pilot, Joe McCarthy, used as their line up point on the runs into attack - and which is so wonderfully captured in Mark Postlethwaites painting of 'An American Dambuster':

 

So on the morning of the 18th May Craig and Barbara on the 1200GS led the way for Al', David and Charlie and myself away from the Mohnesee and on to the Sorpe Dam about 35 minutes ride away. It was an extra-ordinary experience for me to stand where Johnny had been in Lancaster AJ-T 70 years before .... what an extra-ordinary attack, piece of bravery, airmanship .....the Dambusters truly deserve the accolades they receive! The short film below shows us arriving at the Sorpe Dam ...

Simon. 12th June 2013.

How wet was it as we rode around the Mohnesee with our German hosts?? Dambusters2013 - 16th May 2013...

A short piece of film taken as we rode around the Mohnesee - 16th May 2013 ...

More to follow!!