HEY!!!! my painting got presented, to RAF Wittering Station commander, this is especially notable as my late brother was stationed at Wittering. The article does not mention me by name but you can see my signature on the bottom right.
JAMAICAN HISTORY AND SERVICE in the Royal Air Force was celebrated at RAF Wittering as retirees and serving personnel met for a special cultural event.
Among the guests was Mr Albert Jarret, an RAF Driver and weapons instructor during World War Two. He was born in Jamaica and joined the Royal Air Force in 1942, crossing the Atlantic at tremendous risk of attack from U-Boats and Bismarck class battleships.
At 98 years old he has lost none of his enthusiasm for the RAF. He said: “I spent more time on the range with new recruits. I was very small and they couldn’t understand why I was so good at using the rifle so they kept me behind to teach the recruits. It is wonderful, this is the memory. I’m so pleased at 98, not many of my type around and I’m so pleased to be here.”
The visit was a joint venture between RAF Wittering and The Forgotten Generations (TFG). TFG is an initiative to record visual and oral stories of the early and later years of people from British African & Caribbean Countries who would like to share their experiences of their years of separation from parents and children.
Among the guests was the newly appointed Honorary Air Commodore for 7644 Public Relations Squadron, Dr Marcia McLaughlin, founder and editor in chief of the Phoenix newspaper. She said: “The welcome from the officers and people has been amazing, the information I have received has been overwhelming. Today for me as been remarkable.”
TFG was founded by Donald Campbell, a retried Warrant Officer who spent 36 years in the RAF as an engineering, specialising in the maintenance of ejector seats and survival equipment. He said: “It’s absolutely fantastic to be here, for so many different reasons. It means a lot to our community.”
After a visit to the Station Heritage Centre, the visit moved on to the Station’s Golden Lion Leisure facility where Caribbean personnel from all three services gathered for lunch and a special presentation. Music on the steel drum was
