- then back to the UK, up to Scotland, and back down to Wales where the Squadron's history finished, 3 months short of a hundred years, which was a bit sad, but hey-ho.


The President reflected on the theme that had been introduced to the Reunion dinners where Chapter members were asked to give 10-minute chats about the spirit on 208 at the time in which they served, and these had been fascinating records of the Squadron's history. He recalled the one by Ken Pugh, Cotswold farmer, Spitfire pilot, who told of flack going off alongside his cockpit at 30,000 feet on a PR mission, and he said in his 10-minute speech that the most two frightening things in his life were being told that there was no flack at 30,000 feet, and that he would be quite safe taking his reconnaissance pictures, and then experiencing flack going off alongside his cockpit; and the second thing was being asked by the President to give a little chat about 10 minutes long to the Reunion. He recalled 'Twinkle' Storey of the Meteor Chapter, who came into work one morning and 'A' Flight were flying with 4 Meteors doing aerobatics. He asked: '"What's going on?" They said: "Well, 'A' Flight Commander's just got airborne with 4 Meteors doing aerobatics." He said: "Right, 'B' Flight, let's go," and they did the same thing. That was the spirit on the Squadron at the time.


The President had served for only 2 years on 208 Squadron, but they had been two memorable years. He had been privileged, having come back from America, to join the Buccaneers, and was then told that his Boss was to be a Navigator (Graham Pitchfork), the first fast-jet Navigator Squadron Commander, to which he thought: "Oh, dear, we have an issue here." But it went very well, until he dropped the Boss's suitcase on Cowden Range. They had been on the way to Lossiemouth for the Tactical Bombing Competition (TBC) and they agreed between them that, on arrival, that they would keep quiet about the fact that he had dropped the Boss's suitcase on Cowden Range (apparently, it was '50 at 6,' which wasn't bad, for a suitcase!). So they walked into the bar, laid back and cool about the whole thing, and there were about 300 aircrew in the bar and, all around the walls, there were cartoon pictures of him in a Buccaneer with his head sticking out of the cockpit, and suitcases falling out onto the Cowden Range.


Then, Sandy Wilson, who was the Station Commander at Lossiemouth at the time, came in with a flight bag that was dripping with water and he announced (in an obviously low-key approach) that "Squadron Leader Wright has dropped a suitcase on Cowden Range, but luckily the SAR boys have recovered it, and here it is."

2024 Reunion - 06

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