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Roy Howe
Roy sadly died on the 10th of December 2015. He was a great friend and supporter of the group who will be very much missed (see article at bottom of page).
Trevor Edwards
The HAMG were very saddened to hear of the death of our friend Trevor recently. He did a great deal to raise money for the Roll of Honour Memorial and took part in the unveiling ceremony in June 2012. A keen member of the Hunsdon Microlight Club, every Remembrance Sunday Trevor would lay a wreath on behalf of the Lodge of the Legion. Our condolences go out to his family.
New plaques fitted to RAF Hunsdon memorial
Two new plaques have been fitted to the RAF Hunsdon Roll of Honour memorial. One is to commemorate RAF Regiment dispatch rider LAC Thomas Grizzell who was killed in November 1943 after his motorbike skidded on ice and collided with a tender. The other plaque is to clarify the that the names on the memorial are those who were killed on active service while flying from or serving at the airfield.
Remembrance weekend 2014
There will be services at both memorials - on Saturday 8th November at Sawbridgeworth and Sunday 9th at Hunsdon.
Amiens Prison raid 70th anniversary
On Sunday 16th February a service attended by at least 100 people was held at the memorial site at Hunsdon.
Maxwell Sparks
The last surviving pilot of the Amiens Raid sadly passed away in June 2013.
Tom Bennett
Sadly Tom passed away in February 2013 at the age of 93. He gave a talk on life in Bomber Command on the second of our fundraising evenings at Hunsdon Village Hall in April 2005.
Fred Hitching
We were sad to hear of the passing of Fred Hitching, the co-author of 'The Royal Air Force at Hunsdon 1941-1945', who died on 30th October 2011. Along with his wife Vera, he wrote the highly informative and interesting book of the history of RAF Hunsdon published in 1990.
Fred took part in the Hunsdon memorial dedication in 2005.
Eric Atkins
Flt Lt Eric Atkins DFC* KW* sadly passed away on 22nd November 2011 at the age of 90. Serving at Hunsdon with 464 (RAAF) Sqn in 1944, Eric was the founder and chairman of the Mosquito Aircrew Association. He led the Act of Remembrance at the unveiling and dedication of the Hunsdon memorial in 2005. To read Eric's obituary click HERE
Bunty Anderson
We were sad to hear that Bunty Anderson passed away on 20th December 2009 at the age of 93.
Bunty drove and worked the YWCA canteen van at RAF Hunsdon throughout the war and took part in the memorial dedication in 2005.
Canadian Film crew at Hunsdon UTB Productions Inc were filming at Hunsdon on Friday the 5th October 2008 for the documentary series Battlefield Mysteries
Breakthrough Films & Television sent a crew to shoot scenes for a film about the exploits of 418 Squadron RCAF, who were based at Hunsdon from August to November 1944. HAMG member Denis Sharp showed historian Norman Christie and the film crew around to explain the airfield layout.The film was shown on Canadian television in 2009.
Amiens Gaol raid anniversary / Remembrance Day
On the 18th of February 1944, 19 de Havilland Mosquitos lifted off from Hunsdon's main runway on a mission that would go down in the annals of RAF history.
In what was later known as (but never officially called) 'Operation Jericho', 21, 464 (RAAF) and 487 (RNZAF) Squadrons raided the prison at Amiens in an operation contrived at short notice to breach the walls of the gaol. The raid was carried out at an extremely low level; the Mosquitoes flying as low as 10 feet. Two of the aircraft failed to return.
Every year a few people gather at Hunsdon airfield to pay their respects to the three airmen lost on the raid. Group Captain Percy 'Pick' Pickard (RAF), Flt Lt Alan Broadley (RAF) and Flt Lt Dick Sampson (RNZAF).
Flt Lt Sampson was navigator to the Australian Squadron Leader Ian McRitchie, McRitchie survived the crash landing with serious injuries.
Each Remembrance Sunday there is a gathering at the airfield memorial to remember with gratitude those servicemen from ground and air-crews alike, who lost their lives at Hunsdon during 1941-1945.
For several years the RAF has been represented through the Nazeing RAFA association by members Roy Howe & Fred Sewell. Roy is a Second World War veteran who served with 38 Group as an airframe fitter working on Stirling and Halifax aircraft. He is also the Standard Bearer for the Nazeing branch of the RAFA. Roy and Fred have supported the HAMG since we began and for this we thank them wholeheartedly.
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