Sunday 5th Aug 2018 @ NASAM

RAFA Day at Flixton 5^th Aug 2018 …

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Sunday the 5^th Aug 2018 saw the RAFA Day at the Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum with fine, warm weather from the start. This fine weather continued throughout the day, and it is thought that the warm weather caused the attendance figures to be slightly down on the previous year as people made their way to the coast instead; presumably looking for a cooler breeze.

In addition to RAFA, we had a number of other organisations and events throughout the day as below.

Royal Air Forces Association:

We had the Royal Air Forces Association (RAFA) marquees from both the Diss branch and the Harleston branch present on site. The RAFA stalls were selling items during the day to raise funds for the sterling work that RAFA and the branches do to support ex RAF members of the armed forces and their families.

During the day a RAFA Member and veteran of WWII, Norman Gregory, spent some time in the Diss marquee talking to visitors. Norman, who hails from Bury St Edmunds, was a Bomb Aimer who flew in Wellington, Lancaster and Halifax bombers during the conflict. He was with 101 Squadron flying in Lancaster bombers when he was shot down during a raid on Dortmund in May 1944. Taken into captivity, he survived the notorious “death marches” to Berlin in 1945 and eventually made his way to the advancing American lines.

RAFA is a membership organisation and registered charity that provides welfare support to the RAF Family. The RAF Family includes all serving and ex-serving personnel and their dependents. To be eligible for welfare support, for both themselves and those who depend upon them, service personnel need to have served a minimum of one day in the RAF.

RAF Marham Heritage Centre:

Also present at the event was the RAF Marham Heritage Centre marquee, with items on sale to help support this charity.

The Heritage Centre tells the story of RAF Marham and aviation in East Anglia, from its beginnings as a Royal Flying Corps Home Defence Airfield in 1916 through to the Second World War, the Cold War, today’s modern operations and the Tornado GR4. It also looks forward to the arrival of the F35 Lightning with No. 617 Squadron ‘The Dambusters’.

Heritage Centre staff are currently creating an archive of material, capturing, archiving and referencing photographs, documents and artefacts from the base and the RAF in Norfolk. This archive is available to be viewed on request.

Norwich Vintage Motorcycle Club:

During the day the Norwich Vintage Motorcycle Club had its annual Waveney Valley Run. The run started and finished at the Museum and involved around 30 motorcycles.

The Norwich & District Section of the VMCC is a group of sociable, like-minded people with interest in 2 & 3 wheeled vehicles that are over 25 years old. The Section members organise runs predominately on a Sunday from Easter through to November. The average run is about 70 miles with a lunch stop on-route. The Section has celebrated its 50th Anniversary in October 2017.

At the end of the day, prizes were awarded for the “Highest Combined Age of Machine and Rider” and also “The Young Rider Award”.

Historic Weapons Display Group:

The Historic Weapons Display Group were present again at the Museum.

With their Vickers gun displayed just outside the Canberra compound so that children and adults could have their photos taken. There were demonstrations of field stripping various weapons, and the team were answering lots of questions throughout the day. This was a popular demonstration especially amongst the public, both young and old.

A great deal of nostalgia was present, as were stories of military service.

Norfolk Military Vehicle Group:

A couple of vehicles from the Norfolk Military Vehicles Group were present during the day.

Apologies were given that there were not more vehicles. However, the group were booked in at three different events and had to split their resources between the Museum and other sites.

We look forward to welcoming them all back again next year. Next years NASAM event schedule will be published in October.