Trust Projects

Royal Air Force Leeming,

by Tim Reid, Engagement Officer, RAF Leeming,

Northallerton, North Yorkshire DL7 9NJ.

Press Release 030/11. Date: 11 July 2011

A monument conceived by the Royal Air Force as a sign of gratitude for the courage and sacrifices made by members of the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War.

NATIONAL CANADIAN AIR FORCES MEMORIAL UNVEILED BY THE DUKE OF GLOUCESTER. A NATIONAL Memorial to Canadian Air Forces was dedicated today, Friday the 8th July 2011 by His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester, at a ceremony at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, England and was marked by a fly-past of an RAF Spitfire and four Tucano trainer aircraft. The ceremony was opened with a flypast of four Tucano training aircraft in a diamond-formation from RAF Linton-on-Ouse, near York, and a Royal Salute to The Duke of Gloucester. The Band of the RAF Regiment and the RAF Choir, The Spitfires, provided musical accompaniment to the ceremony whilst a parade of 48 servicemen escorted the Queens Colour for the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. The memorial – a monolith in red and white granite to identify the Canadian flag, has information panels in English and French on all four sides with the poem ‘High Flight’ by John Gillespie Magee Jnr and a brief history of Canadian Air Force history. The monolith is topped by a stone red maple leaf, and is the centre piece of a large granite Canadian Air Force roundel. The granite making up the outer ring of the roundel has the names of each of the 13 Canadian Provinces and Territories engraved into it, and was itself donated by LaFarge Canada to the memorial. Mr Jamie Kleven is the General Manager for LaFarge Canada had had made the trip to the UK especially for the ceremony. He said: ‘I have been looking after the donation of granite from Sturgeon Falls in Canada, but I wanted to see the finished monument myself and it is fantastic; the stone mason, Nick Johnson has done a fantastic job.’ The memorial was the brainchild of Flight Lieutenant Alfie Hall of 609 West Riding Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force based at RAF Leeming. He said: ‘the weather was a concern for us today but just like for the Red Arrows, the sun came out when we needed it; and this happened as we uncased the Queen’s Colour.’ He went on to say how pleased he was with the final outcome of the memorial: ‘I can’t put into words how very pleased I am with the work of Nick Johnson. He is a genuine craftsman which you don’t see often enough these days. Nick did much of the work in his own time as really believed in our project too.’ Donations came in large and small from the UK and Canada and included donations from the Canadian Air Force 426 Squadron Association, personal donations and many different aircrew groups and associations. The single biggest donation came from the Canadian Province of Alberta. Premier Ed Stelmach of Alberta was sadly unable to attend today’s ceremony but he sent the following kind words of support. Premier Stelmach said: ‘All Albertans are proud of the contributions of Canadians as they have stood and continue to stand beside allies and friends in the defence of freedom and the war against terror. This monument is a fitting tribute to them as well as to their comrades in arms.’ Lieutenant General André Deschamps, Canada’s Chief of Air Staff sent the following words over to us: ‘This is an extraordinary initiative and behalf of Canadian airmen and airwomen, past and present, I thank the organizers who led the creation of this historic memorial’. Colonel Paul Keddy, the Air Advisor to the Canadian High Commission in London, attended today’s ceremony and said: ’today has been a brilliant day. Here in the UK, the people are excellent at recognising the contributions made during the wartime period of other countries, and this is particularly poignant today as Canada and the United Kingdom serve alongside each other in Afghanistan.’ He added: ‘The efforts of the stations of RAF Leeming and RAF Linton-on-Ouse and the small committee that made this memorial possible has been exceptional and these people deserve a debt of gratitude from the people of Canada, the veterans and those that have shown their support today.’ Also present today were over 50 veterans that served during WWII, many of those here today served in 6 Group Bomber Command. One of which was John Morrison, who flew missions on Halifax Bombers from North Yorkshire, he said: ‘My aircraft was badly damaged during our attack on the battleship Tirpitz; and the skill of my pilot, Johnny Roe, who was a Canadian, meant we escaped the Norwegian fjord and crashed into a field, and that is why I am here today’. Also present at the ceremony today was former Wing Commander Mike Warren, who trained with Dambuster Guy Gibson but also flew missions with the elite American 101st Airborne during Operation Market Garden, and Margaret Fick who worked at the top-secret Bletchley Park where Nazi Enigma codes were cracked. Across in Canada, a sister ceremony to the main event at the National Memorial Arboretum was conducted to coincide with timings in the UK; Lieutenant General A Chester Hull , OMM, DFC, CD who was the last WWII Station Commander of RAF Leeming, was presented with a framed stone-core sample from the memorial and some photographs at 8.55 AM Eastern Daylight Time (5 hours behind the UK). Mr Bob Rose, of 426 ‘Thunderbirds’ Squadron Association and Canadian Air Force Representatives held a ceremony at the nursing home in Belville where Lt Gen Hull now resides. The ceremony was concluded with the national anthems of Great Britain and Canada and of course, a flypast by the iconic Spitfire; one of the aircraft belonging to the RAF’s Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. The Spitfire came in low over the memorial and made several passes before returning home; a fitting and spine tingling finale to the day’s emotional and proud events that now give this country a place to remember all Canadian Airman that have served as our allies.

If you would like to contribute to the RCAF Association Trust Fund, it can be as simple as purchasing A History of the Royal Canadian Air Force Police and Security Services. This well-written, well-documented study focuses not just on police and security operations, but also on the process of integration and unification, a consequence of the work of Minister of National Defence Paul Hellyer in the early to mid-1960s. How each service responded to Hellyer’s efforts and exercise is laid bare, thanks to the extraordinary research carried out by authors Donovan and McElrea. A significant part of your purchase will be directed toward the RCAF Association Trust Fund. Phone Rose at the AFAC Kitshop, toll-free: 1-866-351-2322, extension 223. Thank you for supporting the Air Force Association of Canada and the Royal Canadian Air Force Association Trust Fund.


The Last Post Fund is a non-profit corporation whose purpose is to ensure, insofar as possible, that no war veterans, military disability pensioners, who meet the wartime service eligibility criteria are denied a dignified funeral and burial for lack of sufficient funds. The RCAF Association Trust Fund contributed $500 to the latest Last Post Fund Campaign. A “Letter of Thanks” may be viewed here. Thank you Letter

Comox Air Force Museum. The Air Force Association of Canada primary RCAF Association Trust Fund project for 2010, focuses on support to the Comox Air Force Museum. As of 01 June 2010 more than $5,000 in donations had come in. We hope to at least double that figure, because the museum is a first-class presentation in a deteriorating facility. Thank you for giving serious consideration to contributing to our efforts. Aim High!

Snowbirds 40th Anniversary Commemorations. The Snowbirds are celebrating 40 years of service to Canada. Their mission is excitement, and their focus is professionalism. Help the association help the Snowbirds mark this auspicious occasion in the proper way.

On July 3rd, 2010, LCol (Ret) Dean C. Black, CD, CAE, presented a cheque to LCol Maryse Carmichael, Commanding Officer 431 Air Demonstration Squadron, and Major Chris Hope, Snowbird Lead. The presentation was made on behalf of Mr. Ted Mahood, Chairman of the RCAF Association Trust Fund, the Board of Trustees and all members of the Air Force Association of Canada. The $5,925 cheque included a $2,500 contribution made by 600 (Regina) Wing earlier in the year. Air Force unit anniversaries bring young and old, founders and torch-bearers, together – exactly what the Air Force Association of Canada is all about. We bring air force people together to share their common identity and experiences. Public funding is not an appropriate means of funding these important events and anniversaries. Our members realize this, and this is why they gave generously so that the Snowbirds family and the wider air force family of members who admire the professionalism of the Snowbirds could do their part to encourage such an important gathering. Godspeed, Snowbirds. All Canadians are proud of what you do.

St Clement Danes, located in east-central London, was heavily damaged by the enemy, during the Second World War. Once hostilities ceased, it was adopted by the Royal Air Force and fully restored. The insignia of every air force unit in the commonwealth, including all Canadian squadrons, can be found throughout the church. In fact, the St Clement Danes church is a resplendent tribute to the war’s air effort, and all those who perished in that conflict. Restorations were completed in 1958, thereby making 2008 the 50th anniversary. Personnel who served in the RCAF and under RAF command, during the war may be interested in donating to the church, through the RCAF Association Trust Fund. View the web-site here for more information.

Bomber Command Memorial Fund. Members may wish to contribute to a fund the goal of which will see the erection of a memorial in central London to the 55,000 who served in Bomber Command during the Second World War and lost their lives doing so. Visit the web-site here to learn more.

National Air Force Museum of Canada – Home of the Royal Canadian Air Force Memorial Collection and Air Park, Trenton, Ontario. The Air Force Association of Canada raised $30,000 for the museum in the lead up to the October 2009 Annual General Meeting held there. Per Ardua ad Astra, indeed!

Typhoon Memorial Maintenance Trust Fund. To learn more about the Typhoon Memorial Maintenance Trust Fund, please visit their web-site here. Donations may be made through the RCAF Association Trust Fund, and will be forwarded to the president, M. Jacques Bréhin (president@asavn.net).