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THE ROYAL AIR FORCE
No 10 SQUADRON ASSOCIATION
Membership of the 10 Squadron Association is open to those who are serving or have served on the Squadron in the past, as well as their relatives. Whilst the majority of the sections on the website require a Username and Password to view and hence may only be visited by paid-up Members, a limited number are nevertheless available to all. We hope that you enjoy your visit here.
Association joining details may be found in the Top Menu.
AIMS OF THE 10 SQUADRON ASSOCIATION
• To preserve the spirit of comradeship formed during service with 10 Squadron
• To sustain a close relationship between the Squadron and the Association
• To provide a focus for contact with other former Squadron colleagues or their relatives, by promoting attendance at Annual Reunions and Remembrance Day Services at the 10 Squadron Memorial
• To encourage the collection and preservation of documents, photographs, anecdotes and memorabilia with which the Squadron’s history may be enhanced
• To encourage Squadron and Association members to contribute to the Association website
• To encourage members of the Squadron to join the Association
Mr John Horton & his wife Rosalyn remind us that:
the 23rd April 2024 is the 80th anniversary of the WW2 death of a former 10 Sqn pilot,
Sqn Ldr Stanley Alan Somerscales, DFC.
Somerscales had left 10 Sqn, where he had been awarded a DFC in 1942 and had later joined 76 Sqn, based at RAF Holme on Spalding Moor, from where he and his crew took part in a raid on Dusseldorf in April 1944. They were to be shot down that day and Stanley (26) was killed when their Halifax was abandoned at altitude after flak had ignited incendaries on board. Also killed was FS Harry R Poole (22) an air gunner on the crew and they are both buried next to each other in the War Graves section of the Maastricht General Cemetery, Netherlands. - Never to be forgotten.
ANZAC Day in Australia & New Zealand, is on Friday 25th April 2024 . We remember those from 'Down Under'.
For some of the various ANZAC traditions such as 'The Dawn Service', 'The Gunfire Breakfast' and other historical facts, especially those of the 25 April 1916, when Commonwealth troops landed at Gallipoli, go to this link:
MAKE A NOTE IN YOUR DIARY ........
This Year’s 10 Sqn Association Reunion Dinner will be held near Swindon on the evening of
Friday 17 May 2024
Members should now visit the EVENTS menu.
March 2024
NEW in 2024 …….. A VETERANS’ ID CARD
HM Government have at last decided to allow Veterans to have an ID Card as shown below.
Whilst it’s full uses are yet to be realised, forthcoming British Armed Forces’ leavers will be issued with the card on their leaving the Service.
Those who have already left may apply for a card now.
Details as to how the Card may be obtained are given on this British Legion website link below:
RBL - Veterans ID Card (britishlegion.org.uk)
It will in turn, will lead viewers to the main Gov.uk website from where an application for the card’s issue may be made.
Before Application You Will Need:
- your service number for your last period of service
- your National Insurance number
- the years n which you started and ended your HM Armed Forces service
- a recent digital passport style photo showing your head and shoulders
Then Apply Here on the Government website:
Do you know about the DEFENCE DISCOUNT CARD which allows discounts in a variety of High Street shops, as well as even more by shopping on-line.?
Scroll down this page to read how to apply for yours. (It's just below the Chairman's Message)
14 February 2024
HOW ABOUT THIS BOOK ? ........
Joining the Association in 2022, Irvin Hanson hoped to learn more about his late father Ronald's war. He had served on 10 Squadron in the early 1940's as a wireless operator and air gunner on Whitley bombers, just as these two trades were allowed to hold 'sergeant aircrew' rank.
Before arriving on 10 Squadron he had already baled out of one aircraft and was later occasioned to ‘hit the silk’ again whilst on the Squadron, before later evacuating his aircraft for a third time. After this last event he was forced to spend nearly four years for the rest of WW2 as a PoW and then to embark on the Long March as the war came to an end.
Irvin has travelled the length of the UK many times researching his father’s exploits and we in the Association are proud to have been able to give him a few leads now and again, to assist his enquiries and Service Knowledge.
Irvin’s book, self-published in February 2024, is the result of much hard work for one never directly associated with the armed forces until now. The book reflects Irvin’s deep respect that he holds for his father’s past activities and is written primarily so that Ronald’s grandson Michael, will have a lasting record of such an important era in the Hanson Family’s history.
It's a very good read but there are still a few unanswered questions particularly those concerning Ron's clandestine activities which were conducted at some time during his RAF time served before becoming a PoW.………… A sequel perhaps one day?
Buy it from YorkBookshop.com :
https://yorkbookshop.com/biography/319-third-time-lucky.html
Cost is £12.99 + £4.95 p&p = £17.94
