Laying Up Ceremony 08

There were many of them in attendance on the Squadron’s final day, and the President hoped that he would see many of them at the Club for future reunions. It had been a most marvellous aspect of previous dinners to have the youth alongside the old guys with the Association Chapters: the Meteor, Hunter and so on, and it had been the most marvellous aspect of the relationship between the Squadron and the Association.

In the President’s view, the Disbandment Ceremony had been excellent, and that the sermon had been excellent. He particularly liked the use of the Squadron Motto: ‘Vigilant’, and was particularly pleased to see that there were 2 standards up top – 208 was the only Squadron to have 2 standards, and this gave him hope, because if one of the criteria that the Air Force Board might set for reforming a squadron is that it should have a minimum of 2 standards, then 208 would be in!

That remained to be seen. Returning to the Bromet Trophy, he had asked Air Commodore Rick Peacock-Edwards, the Vice-Chairman of the RAF Club that if he ever got the Trophy back under the auspices of the Association, would he please take care of it under the auspices of the RAF Club. Air Commodore Peacock-Edwards kindly agreed to do that, so the Trophy will be held in the Club, hopefully to be displayed somewhere evident. The President had also agreed that, now the Association was the custodian of the Trophy, that it could be displayed in the RAF Club on the Top Table at certain events through the year, just to keep the name alive. He asked Air Commodore Peacock-Edwards that, if he were to have Air Force Board dinners at the Club, please would he put the Trophy in the middle of the table – facing towards the Chief of the Air Staff!

Air Commodore Peacock-Edwards agreed and explained that he would place the Trophy in the Silver Cabinet in the Cowdray Lounge where it could be seen by everyone.

Lastly, the President asked everyone to stand with him and toast 208 Squadron:

“Vigilant.”

The last to speak was Air Vice-Marshal Andrew Turner, Air Officer Commanding No 22 (Training) Group, who had been the senior serving officer present at both the Laying Up Ceremony and the Luncheon.

Click here to read AVM Turner’s biography:

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