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Reunions Through the Ages |
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At the wedding of the first Commanding Officer, Major Babington, on January 1918 it was agreed to hold an annual reunion of Squadron aircrew. On the 15th of July that year, the officers met at the Grosvenor Hotel which was, technically, the first Reunion although tradition counts the wedding as the first. It matters not as you can only have one annual reunion a year! At the second Reunion in the Café Royal on the 29th of March 1919, it appears that the tradition of signing menu cards was begun. The date when an other tradition of sending out a “Call to Arms” was first instigated is uncertain but the first copy we have is dated 1926. Chaps Marchant and his successor as Secretary, Peter Gifkins, were extremely creative in producing Calls to Arms many of which reflected social or political issues of the time. Successors to these two stalwarts are very much duller and Calls to Arms after 1979 are straightforward information documents. The majority of pre-war menus and Calls to Arms were donated to the Association by the family of the late George Bullman (click here as well) in 2009. Below are copies of all the table plans and newsletters (Cheeeriooo) in the Association archives. The are quite a few missing menus and Calls to Arms, if you have any of the missing items, please either sent them to the Secretary for inclusion in the Reunion Scrapbook or send a jpeg copy by email. Indeed, if you have any memorabilia, then please contact the Secretary. Any contribution will be gratefully received and treasured. |
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