WRAF Cathy Weston lays a wreath at her wartime Station
Cathy Weston celebrated her 99th birthday in February 2018, and as a former Leading Aircraft Woman (LACW) stationed at RAF West Raynham during the Second World War, became Guest of Honour at an Event marking the 100th Anniversary of the Royal Air Force.
Paul Lloyd, Chairman of RAF West Raynham Association, shared his feelings of the day:
‘What a great day. Our little celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the RAF, in which we all served and played a small part. Cathy Weston laid the wreath and cut the cake. She served here from 1941 until 1943. After a short ceremony, and wreath-laying at the Memorial, we retired to the building that was the Fire Section by the ATC Tower for food, drinks and entertainment provided by Richard Tree. Our Association provided and cooked the food and we raised funds via a raffle and donations.
One of the aims of our day was to sponsor the Signal Square which depicts the current state of the former Station from the air. Jon and Shelly Booth, current owners of the Control Tower, allowed us to use the former crash bays as a place to celebrate festivities, for which we are very grateful. Guests were invited to tour the Tower to see the work in progress.’
West Raynham opened in 1939 as a permanent Station with Blenheim light bombers. Losses were heavy in the many raids carried out over occupied Europe in the early years of the war. In 1943, the Mosquitoes of RAF 100 Group moved in, flying night intruder and bomber support operations.
After the war, the Station became the base for the Central Fighter Establishment and later fighter Squadrons included Hunters and Javelins.
In 1964, the Kestrel Evaluation Squadron arrived, and from the 1970s Bloodhound surface-to-air missiles were based at the Station for air defence.
The airfield closed in 1994 and a Memorial was unveiled in 2014.
**Thanks Eddy Tomblinson for bringing this Event to our attention and sharing the Eastern Daily
Press article published about it on 8 April 2018.
This article is from the Spring 2019 issue of Confound and Destroy
