Shropshire veterans on song for RAF's 100th anniversary

"It should have been in March but we had to cancel it because of snow," said treasurer Mrs Georgina Wheeler as members of the Shropshire branch of the National Service (RAF) Association gathered for a centenary meal and entertainment from Hadley & District Orpheus Male Voice Choir.

"We have 47 members, and we are for anybody who was in the RAF, although we have a few Army people now as well as it gets them out of the house."

The gathering was at Christophers restaurant in the Swan Hotel at Wellington, where the branch meets on the third Monday of every month.

The group, which is only a few years old - it met for the first time in January 2013 - gives the veterans a chance to forge new friendships and maintain old ones.

Musical entertainment from the choir included songs which were familiar to those RAF pioneers of 1918, like Pack Up Your Troubles and It's a Long Way to Tipperary, and ended with Vera Lynn's We'll Meet Again with all joining in.

A lot of the veterans are post-war National Service conscripts, but one who volunteered to join up is 81-year-old Mrs Joan Jones, nee Heaton, of Madeley, who served in the Waafs - that is, the Women's Auxiliary Air Force.

"I was working on a farm hoeing sugar beet, on my own in this field at Charlton, near Wellington. I stood and watched a Chipmunk doing aerobatics. I thought: 'Dear God, I would love to fly.' And then when I got home, lo and behold there was an advert in the newspaper saying Join The Air Force and See the World. That's what I did," she said.

"That was in 1956. I joined as a Waaf airframe mechanic, and worked on that beloved little Chipmunk. I was based at RAF Shawbury. I loved flying that much that I learned to fly. I went with a particular pilot who taught me to fly and do aerobatics. It was not official. Whenever this pilot was going solo, I would go with him and he would let me take over.

"I did a lot of sport in the air force which I absolutely adored. I held the record for the shot put for the Waafs at the time. I was in the Waafs fencing team and did discus and javelin."

Back in civvy street, the last 24 years of her working life was as a lifeguard at Madeley Court Centre.

Colin Hough of Shrewsbury, who is 85 on June 27, joined at 18 and served in the RAF Regiment - the unit tasked with defending airfields. His job was driving a lorry which towed a 40mm Bofors anti aircraft gun.

"The RAF Regiment was a very different division compared to the RAF. We were known as Rock Apes. We were close-knit and to be honest there were times we didn't get on very well with the RAF lads. We were more like the Army than the RAF."

During service in Germany he went to Belsen, site of an infamous concentration camp.

"You will never see a bird in Belsen. I went back there three years ago."

A Leading Aircraftman, he used to box as a welterweight.

"In the Army, navy and air force, if you were reasonably good at any sport it made life a lot easier. I used to compete against the Army and the Yanks. I still run a club in Shrewsbury today. I had 157 bouts and lost 17."

Usually at the meetings, but missing today, is the oldest branch member, 98-year-old Wilf Roberts of Wellington. Other members said Wilf had the unusual distinction of having two service numbers, one for the RAF, and one for the Fleet Air Arm for which he volunteered to serve in the Far East after the end of the war in Europe, although the atomic bomb drew a close to proceedings before he went.

All at one table were the branch secretary Norman Morris, together with Ivor Parish, and Dennis Norris, who are all from Oswestry.

Norman, who is 82, was called up in January 1955.

"There were times when you thought to yourself, what the hell have I done to deserve torture like this? Looking back, once the agony of marching and all the rest of it has faded, it's something I'm very pleased I did."

Ivor, who is 85 and was a driver-mechanic, said: "I wouldn't like to say that I enjoyed it. After the first eight weeks or so you settled down. I lived with it, and afterwards I was quite happy I had done it."

And Dennis, who is 89, said: "I joined up 71 years ago today, on May 21, 1947."

He served in Aden and is still in touch with one of his old pals from those days.

"I've still got my Air Ministry sunglasses. They're at home. They're like the John Lennon ones."

Mrs Wheeler said anybody interested in the joining the branch can simply come to one of its monthly meetings. Generally the veterans have a speaker, followed by a meal from 1pm to 2pm.