On Saturday 21st September, we held our reunion at Elvington’s Yorkshire Air Museum & Allied Air Forces Memorial after a gap of two years and with a new organising committee. As our much-loved Van Wilson passed away in the summer of 2023, there was a period of regrouping of the committee and then we were able to plan another reunion.
Forty members and their guests arrived during the morning with two, pre-booked, parties of four having a special tour of the Halifax before a group photo and a moving chapel service conducted by our chaplain, Taff Morgan. Paul Leforte (nephew of Raymond Leforte), ably carried and presented our Association standard as in previous years; Alec Brown turned the page of the Roll of Honour; Chris Garside (daughter of Ralph Tailford) read a lesson and so did David Matthews (son of Ted Matthews).
Taff read out the names that those who were present specially came to remember, reminded us of the high casualty rate of the squadron in the 1940s and that all were volunteers. A retiring collection raised £140 (with gift aid to come) for the museum.
A short ceremony followed at the squadron memorial with wreaths laid by Margaret Pritchard, (widow of William Kenneth Pritchard), with her son, Keith, and by Jonathan Brewer the museum director. Andrew Brown spoke the Exhortation and bugler Bruce Jackson from the York RI Golden Rail Band played the Last Post and Reveille. A few more photographs and then we all sat down to a splendid buffet lunch provided by the museum’s catering staff in the Halifax Suite. Before lunch chaplain Taff toasted Absent Friends and the traditional raffle for Association funds raised the magnificent sum of £164.
Paul Markham, our new historian researcher then talked about some of his findings in a fascinating presentation. How incredible it was to be able to see close up on the big screen the characterful and cheerful faces of the young aircrew, with mugs of tea in their hands before an op. and then to hear of their fates that night and in the ensuing nights of February 1944. He told us about how he has been tracing the family descendants of those in the photograph. With the resources of the museum’s Collections department, and following up leads and hunches with the aid of the Internet and postcards to last-known addresses, he has been rewarded with some spectacular successes. See the story of the Galletly crew which resulted in Malcolm Galletly (son of the pilot, and his wife Denise, coming from Australia specially in time for the event and to visit the crew’s navigator,101 year old John Dean in Kent.
We then held the Association’s AGM for members and heard reports from Membership Secretary Maxine, and Treasurer, Rachel. Alec, the Editor of the Nickel, urged everyone to submit articles for the magazine and it was agreed that the membership dues be increased to £12 a year for the UK £17 for overseas and due on the 1st January, with donations always welcome. Rachel outlined the expenses that are incurred over and above the magazine which include the maintenance and security for the website (though kindly sponsored by Castlegate IT) and some extra expenses of the reunion. Members and supporters have been very generous, so the Association is self-sufficient and the surplus we plan to put toward the maintenance of the Squadron History Room which is in a 1940s building at Elvington and needing repairs very soon. All the committee received thanks for keeping the Association going and organising another successful day.
It was a day of meeting old friends and making new ones. A day of remembering the past but also of bonding over the memories and exploring the museum on the site where history actually happened. We trod the paths and met in the buildings where your fathers, grandfathers and uncles served in those momentous years. The reunions used to attract a hundred or so veterans. Many veteran associations like ours have folded but 77’s memory is kept alive by the means of the community of the internet, social media, the lasting memorials at Elvington, the determination of your committee and the support of members. Everyone asked for another event next year and the date to remember is 4th October 2025.
On Sunday, a few of us were able to attend the parish church of Holy Trinity in Elvington where there is a beautiful stained glass window commemorating the squadron, funded by the Association back in the 1990s and another Roll of Honour. Chris Morgan was invited to turn the page during the service. The vicar, Jacqueline Doyle Brett, told us that the church PCC at Elvington is planning to rearrange the area around the window so that it can be a quiet place of reflection. Do go and visit next time you are in Elvington. It’s a typical little country church and special to 77.
Reunion booking from rev ’24
Our Reunions are great opportunities to meet like-minded people who share an interest in 77’s history. Many are descendants of the veterans who are sadly no longer with us. This year we are getting together at Elvington on the 21st September for a day exploring the museum, holding a chapel service, sharing a special buffet lunch and organising the AGM of the Association for you to meet the new committee and plan the way forward.
The museum contains the 77 Squadron History Room and the squadron’s memorial as well as wonderful exhibitions and aircraft including the Halifax and the Dakota. You may want to visit the parish church of Holy Trinity Elvington, to see the beautiful stained glass window dedicated to the squadron.
It costs just £16.50 per person. Please register before the 1st September but we’d love to hear from you earlier! If you need to book accommodation, we recommend you do this as soon as possible.
With the mighty Halifax 2022
Ceremony at the Memorial 2019,
Our film about 77 squadron, featuring unique footage of veterans’ stories and the history of the squadron, is available on DVD and with specially-designed and donated cover art by Brian Gaunt.
Tracing the history of the squadron through both world wars and afterwards, the film includes scenes of the association’s reunions and ceremonies, family memories and moving interviews with veterans describing their time with the squadron.
The cost of making the film was financed by family members of our association and the narration is by radio announcer, narrator and presenter, Richard Clegg who gave his services free of charge. He says: “It was such a pleasure to be able in some small way to contribute to the memory of the brave and selfless Second World War veterans to whom we all owe so much.”
Most of the former aircrew interviewed for the film over the past decade have now passed away, but we were determined that their voices and memories were captured for posterity. A Heritage Lottery funded extract of the interviews will be used at the Yorkshire Air Museum to help tell the story of the airfield, the aircraft and the people who flew and serviced them.
Chairman of the air museum, Martin Withers DFC, said: “At the museum, situated on the site of Elvington Airfield, you will see examples of both the Halifax and the Dakota aircraft as flown by 77 Squadron. Watching this film one realises how valuable are recordings such as this and must recognise the forethought of 77 Squadron Association for organising and funding the filming.”
The film was compiled and untiringly edited by Van Wilson, whose father was a pilot with the squadron, with filming by Rachel Semlyen and York company, Parashoots. It was produced by Ollie Bostock of Hewitt and Walker of York.
To obtain your copy of this 45 minute DVD, The Story of 77 Squadron, at £12 to include postage and packing, £15 for overseas, contact info@77squadron.org.uk
New on the website
The collection of Operational Record Books (ORBs) of 77 Squadron from Sep 1939 until Dec 1945. Included in these records are the monthly RAF Form 540 – Summary of Events (a daily diary of events at the Sqn), RAF Form 541 – Detail of Work 
Carried Out ( a record of what aircraft and personnel took part in Operations) as well as various appendices with supplementary information including Ops Orders, bomb camera pictures etc. Each year has its own named folder with individual monthly documents of the types listed above.. The ORB copies are of various levels of quality based on the available content from National Archives. (Some of the original typing is very faint!). Feel free to download and use the information for non-commercial uses as you see fit in order to research family members or those connected to 77 Squadron.
Our thanks to Canadian member Mike Anglin for this tremendous work. Mike also compiled the Canadian Roll of Honour. His father was F/O William Anglin, J28695 RCAF who completed 35 Ops with the Tarling crew and made it safely home to Canada.
He writes: It is my hope that the information is helpful as a resource for all researchers of 77 Sqn, whether they be families, or historian alike. The information in this drive is also provided in Remembrance of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in defence of freedom.”
The weekend of 14th and 15th September saw our 30th Annual Reunion at Elvington. It was lovely weather and around fifty guests came to remember their fathers, grandfathers, friends and uncles who took part in the most dangerous missions of WW2, flying in their hundreds from all along the east side of England mostly at night to Germany, many never to return. Some were lost at sea, others buried in known or unknown graves in the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark. Some survived a crash but died in captivity or whilst evading or escaping.
An Act of Remembrance was conducted at the memorial (completed 30 years ago by the Association on September 16th 1989), by the Revd Geoffrey Garside, whose father-in-law was Ralph Tailford who served as a flight engineer with 77. Keith Baker (son of veteran Ron Baker), movingly delivered the Exhortation: “They grow not old as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we will remember them.”
We are so pleased that our President, veteran pilot, 96-year-old Bill Ballantyne, was able to be with us again. Bill flew 22 missions from Full Sutton and later became an eminent Arabic lawyer and professor. He came with his partner, Caroline, his son, Brian, and daughter, Binty, who had never seen a Halifax up close before. Together with nine other guests, they enjoyed the privilege of a tour to the interior organised by the museum’s guides. (more…)
2018 Reunion dinner
77 Squadron Association’s Reunion 2019 takes place the weekend of 14th and 15th September at the Yorkshire Air Museum and Allied Air Forces Memorial at Elvington, near York.
We are expecting that our President, Professor and former pilot, Bill Ballantyne, will be with us again. On Saturday we will as usual have a short wreath-laying ceremony at our memorial followed by a reception and dinner. The after-dinner speaker this year is Dr John Wright, honorary archivist at the Yorkshire Air Museum and he will be telling us the stories of “Some Unsung Heroes of 77”. On Sunday we are pleased that museum chaplain, the Revd Taff Morgan (a former RAF Tornado and Vulcan navigator), will be leading a service for us in the chapel at 10.30. Taff is always a delight and speaks with relevance and insights into the experience of aircrew. (more…)
With the mighty Halifax
October 8th 2022 What a wonderful day at Elvington!
The sun shone and the Yorkshire Air Museum and Memorial organised a splendid day for fifty members and friends gathered to remember 77 on the 80th anniversary of the squadron’s arrival at the newly- opened airbase in 1942.
Andrew, chairman of the Association greeted arrivals at the gate and directed them to the renamed Café 77 which is now complete with photos of the squadron, to meet Van who had corresponded with everyone and handed out useful name badges.
Next came an extremely moving service in the lovely station chapel. There was a welcome from Rachel, chair of trustees, followed by a traditional service of remembrance conducted by the museum chaplain and Vulcan veteran, Rev Taff Morgan DFC, MBE. Goose bumps abounded when we decided that the 29 names of those we had come specially to remember should be read out at the service, followed by the resounding exhortation and a beautiful Last Post and Reveille from bugler Malcolm Watson. David Matthews son of flight engineer Ted Mathews read from Revelation, and Van, daughter of pilot Alan May, turned a page of the Roll of Honour kept in the chapel.
A short ceremony at the memorial saw wreaths laid by Ian Richardson, head of memorial and heritage at the museum and Ros Fairburn of the Braund family society who had been invited for the day to receive a copy of The Braund Twins of 77, the latest book by Van Wilson.
There was a very delicious buffet lunch in the Halifax Suite; a showing of the Veterans’ Voices, the Lottery-funded, edited version of the squadron’s DVD; a statement of the Association’s funds and approval of last year’s meeting minutes. Then a group picture by the mighty Halifax which was out on show. The afternoon was greatly enhanced by the presence of the community band Generation Groovewho helped us and visitors mark this significant day.
The air and ground crew who were specially commemorated by their relatives or friends present were:
Ronald Baker; Alan Ball; William (Bill) Ballantyne; John Braund and his twin brother, Paul Braund; Lawrence Bridger; Peter Cadman; William (Bill) Foote; Cyril Heathcote; Alan Hunter; Glyn Jones; Reginald Lambert; Raymond Leforte; Young John Markham; Edward Matthews; Alan L J May; Derek Oakley; Thomas Parsons; Brian Piper; Harold Roots; Albert Sainsbury; H E Smith; Ronald Stewart; Edward Sutton; Colin Sutton; Ralph Tailford; J. Walsh; Eric Ross Wishart; Eric Yates.
Read what York’s Press reported online about the day.
info@77squadron.org.uk
