A Day at Duxford
To mark the 90 th Anniversary of both the Royal Air Force and R.A.F. Duxford, Steve Smethurst, editor of the Royal British Legion magazine approached Jim Garlinge on finding our website online, with the idea of doing a feature on the Old Dux Association at the I.W.M. and tying the two together. For those Members who have the capability and have seen online the number of Associations that are allied to Duxford; it will be apparent that we of The Old Dux Association are unique in that almost all of us served at RAF Duxford during our Service Careers.
Steve asked for a cross section of about six people and preferably from different periods, to be photographed and interviewed about their time at Duxford.
Jim contacted a few members that lived fairly close by and some who might be willing to travel. Doreen and I agreed to attend together with Don Chappell, Les Millgate and Wilf Hodgkinson, with Jim making up the six. and a time and date of the 6 th March was agreed.
The weather was really kind that day and we were met in reception at the Guardroom Gate by Steve, Lindsay Cameron, Picture Editor and Brian Harris the photographer. After the formalities and a general rundown of what was going to happen we made our way to the Battle of Britain hangar to start the photo shoot. As we processed slowly around various exhibits and through two more hangars, Brian was shooting continuously, we eventually emerged into the sunshine in time to see Carolyn Grace take off in her dual control Spitfire – a nice little bonus! ….even better, she later agreed to a photo!
After a very enjoyable lunch we all returned to reception and awaited our turn to be interviewed by Steve in S.H.Q. This took place upstairs, in what was once the orderly room - Doreen last set foot in there fifty three years ago and theu] only thing she recognised was the clock!
Copies of the Legion Magazine duly arrived and the double page spread of Les and the Spitfire with the heading ’90 Glorious Years’ is impressive with an excellent write up. Unfortunately, it is not on general sale but copies will be available to view at the AGM. I will also post it on the website in due course and include it in the next newsletter - space permitting.
Les Millgate writes :- Further to Terry Crowley’s item ‘Two Six on the Doors’
Like Terry Crowley (Newsletter Feb 08) I also first encountered "Two Six" on the hangar doors - in my case, No. 4 FTS, RAF Heaney, Southern Rhodesia , in1951.
Asking one of my older colleagues, who already 'had some in' and had remustered as a U/T pilot, he said it was a corruption of the French "Tout de Suite" - 'Hurry up', or 'Quickly'. I think this is as likely a derivation as the 'gun crew' story. I have several Dictionaries of Slang, and oddly enough none of them include 'Two Six'. Thanks for producing such an interesting, and amusing, Newsletter.
Another source says that in early RFC or RAF regulations, clause 2.6 stated "All airmen, regardless of trade or rank, shall assist in handling aircraft
I also (very) vaguely remember being told that it was a RAF movements form 26 ? L.C.
