Bognor Royal Air Forces Association branch helps war heroes

Air crews heading for a war zone have been adopted by a Bognor Regis group.

The personnel of the RAF's 27 Squadron have formally joined with the members of the town's Royal Air Forces Association branch.

The connection is the first in the country among the 500 RAFA branches. It was sealed with a presentation at the RAFA club in Waterloo Square when eight squadron members spent last Friday meeting veterans from the branch.

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Squadron Leader Richard Harris said: "The adoption is a really good idea. Not only does it give the branch members a sense of continuity with the RAF, but it also gives us the feeling the public are standing behind us.

"It is extremely important to our morale for us to know we have that level of support."

Sq Ldr Harris will return to Afghanistan after Christmas for eight weeks flying Chinooks in areas familiar to everyone who follows operations there in the media.

He has already served four months in Helmand Province on jobs such as ferrying troops and equipment around and evacuating casualties under the constant threat of attack from the Taliban. He previously served on four tours of duty in Iraq.

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The adoption with the squadron, based at Odiham in Hampshire, will take the form of whatever support is needed. It could be sending Christmas cards to the servicemen '“ after 150 went last year '“ or holding a party for their families.

Branch chairman Frank Hull said: "We like to think we are one of the more innovative branches.

"The branch and the squadron now have a liaison officer each and that gives us someone we can go to directly. We will do whatever we can to help them in anything that happens in the future."

RAFA national president Air Marshal Philip Sturley said the Bognor branch had taken the lead among the 500 in the country.

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"It is important to make sure the association is relevant to today's airforce, but not forgetting the veterans as well," he stated.

"This adoption is exactly the sort of thing we should be doing. It gives the squadron and the association a direct link to each other."

nMembers of Bognor RAFA branch are taking part in their biggest fundraising event of the year from tomorrow.

The 20 will again be collecting for the Wings appeal at the Spitfire and Hurricane restaurant at the Goodwood Revival weekend.

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Peter Farrell, the branch's Wings officer, said: "We are hoping to collect 8,500 to beat the 7,500 we collected last year. I would like it to be more but I have to be realistic in the current economic climate."

The collectors gather donations from the diners with the permission of the Earl of March.

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