Reunion 2012

550 Squadron Association Reunion 2012

Photographs from the Association Reunion at North Killingholme 29-30 June 2012.

Thanks to all in North Killingholme who as ever did everything possible to make the weekend great. Thanks also to all the Association members and others who turned up, from all over the UK, as well as Canada, Australia and Belguim, to make it a wonderful weekend for all.

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Where there are some pictures available in a choice of resolutions then click on the offered link rather than the thumbnail image.
NB: Most of the pictures are not particularly large (ca. 1Mb or less), but those marked "high res" are a bit larger (2Mb or more) and if you have a slow connection they may take a little while to download.

Anniveraries

This year marked two key events for the Association: the 30th Anniverary of the unveiling of the Memorial Stone in North Killingholme and the 20th Anniverary of the founding of the Association. To mark these events everyone attending the evening dinner received a small memento.

Coverage in the Local Press

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	Squadron Remembers its 353 fallen heroes Grimsby Telegraph, 2 July 2012 (ignore the obvious error in the caption to the main picture)

Reunion Weekend Welcome Pack

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	Reunion Weekend Friday 29th June - Saturday 30th June: Welcome Information

Friday Evening, Dinner at the Ashbourne (formal)

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	Top Table

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	Table 2

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	Table 3

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	Table 4

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	Table 5

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	Table 6

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	Table 7

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	Guy De Braeckeleer, Jack Harris, Brian Petch, Wilfred Burie Jack Harris presents a print of The Phantom of the Ruhr (by the artist Brian Petch) signed by all the 550 veterans present to Guy and Wilfred of the Rebecq Association

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	Wilfred Burie of the Rebecq Association

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	Jack Harris, Wilfred Burie

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	Wilfred Burie presents Jack Harris with segment of tail plane from 550 Lancaster BQ-H (JA712) which crashed in the village of Rebecq on 28th May 1944

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	Wilfred Burie, Jack Harris Segment of tail plane from 550 Lancaster BQ-H (JA712)

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	Wilfred Burie presents Jack Harris with the flag of the Rebecq Association

Photos taken by our friends from Belgium during their visit to the UK for the reunion weekend can also be seen on the Rebecq Memorial web-site: http://www.rebecq-memorial.eu/eveff.php.

Jack Harris, Edgar Pickles

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Anniveraries

In addition there was a showing of a couple of brief video clips from these events. Links to these are shwon below.

Note: the video clips although short are very large (ranging from ca. 70Mbytes to ca. 350Mbytes) and will take some time (up to 3 or 4 mins depending on the speed of your internet connection to download.

1982 Dedication Address
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1982 Lancaster Flypast
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1993 Hendon
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Saturday Afternoon

At the Memorial Stone after three strong showers we got a break in the weather and a tremendous fly-past by BQ-B, the BBMF Lancaster.

Lancaster Flypast

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Photos from George Turner

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Photos from Wilfred Burie

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Memorial Stone Remembrance Service

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Memorial Stone Remembrance Service

Photos from Wilfred Burie

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Laying of the Wreaths

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Veterans at the Memorial Stone

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Photos from Wilfred Burie

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Photos from George Turner

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Medals on Display

Thanks to Matty Cruddas for making the following pictues available.

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	Jack Harris (Pilot) Medals L-to-R: OBE, DFC, 1939-1945 Star, France and Germany Star, Defence Medal (1939-1945), War Medal 1939–45, General Service Medal (Malaya), -

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	Edgar Pickles (Pilot) Medals L-to-R: DFC and Bar, 1939-1945 Star, Air-Crew Europe Star (France and Germany), Defence Medal (1939-1945), War Medal (1939-1945), Australia Service Medal (1939-1945)

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	Bob McLean Medals L-to-R: 1939-1945 Star, France and Germany Star, The Defence Medal (1939-1945), -, War Medal (1939-1945), -, -

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	Wreath laying at the Memorial Stone L-to-R: Wilfred Burie, Guy De Braeckeleer, Don Kentish, Edgar Pickles DFC* (with wreath), John Arnold

Saturday Afternoon, After the Remembrance Service

Sam and Pam Lipfriend

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Saturday Afternoon, Memorial Stone

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Saturday Afternoon, St Denys' Church

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Sunday Morning, Memorial Stone

Northern Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Trail

The North Killingholme airfield is now officially part of the Northern Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Trial along with RAF Elsham Wolds, RAF Goxhill, RAF Grimsby (at Waltham), RAF Hibaldstow, RAF Kirton (in Lindsey), RAF Kirmington and RAF Sandtoft.

Elsham, Kirmington, North Killingholme, Sandtoft and Waltham belonged to Bomber Command, while Hibaldstow and Kirton in Lindsey were both Figher Command airfields. Goxhill was used by Bomber and Fighter Command but its WW2 heritage is largely connected with the American Air Force.

A large Aviation Heritage Trail notice, summarising details about the operational life at the arifield, is now displayed close to the Memorial Stone.

For more information about Aviation Heritage Lincolnshire go to: http://www.aviationheritagelincolnshire.com/

Monday, RAF Coningsby

A number of very lucky folk were able to visit RAF Coningsby on the Monday after the reunion in order to have a special opportunity to see the BBMF Lancaster BQ-B The Phantom of the Ruhr.

S/Ldr Edgar Pickles and our friends from Rebecq were given a close-up view of The Phantom during a personal tour of the hangers.

S/Ldr Edgar Pickles in the Drivers Seat

After nearly 70 years Edgar Pickles was able once again to climb into the pilot's seat.

For those intending to go to the BBMF Visitor Centre at RAF Coningsby this year it cannot be stressed enough - if you have the opportunity then do look into this special opportunity for 550 ex-aircrew and Association members.

RAF Coningsby Visit

Photos from Wilfred Burie

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Elsham Wolds

Photos from George Turner

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