Fleet Air Arm Reunion - Wairakei, 23-25 Oct 2009

[Dave Homewood]

As mentioned in another thread I was privileged this past Labour Weekend to attend a reunion of WWII Fleet Air Arm aircrew. I thought I'd add a couple of photos here of the heroes I spent the weekend with. I took these just as they were lining up to hop on a bus for a local day trip tour.



A little closer.

Left to right (where known by me) -
Not sure
Not sure
Sid Vincent (Avenger air gunner and FAA Asociation President)
Murray Richardson (partially obscured, Observer on Swordfish, Walrus, Albacore, Fulmar, Beaufighter, Mosquito etc)
John Rowntree (Corsair pilot, FAA Association Secretary)
Liz Berrysmith (Reunion secretary)
Kath Chapman (widow of a Walrus pilot, and involved in FAA Museum)
Ray Richards (Corsair pilot)
Jan ? (daughter of Lex Aspinall, sorry I have forgotten her name)
Lex Aspinall (Seafire pilot)
Mrs Richardson (wife of Murray Richardson)
Not sure, I didn't meet him I don't think
Ngaire Darby (wife of Ian Darby)
Not sure
Not sure


Left to right above:
Jan ? (daughter of Lex Aspinall, sorry I have forgotten her name)
Lex Aspinall (Seafire pilot)
Mrs Richardson I believe
Not sure, I didn't meet him
Mrs Darby I believe
Not sure
Not sure
Euen Jones (1820 Squadron Pilot)
Mrs Fenwick (widow of 1820 Squadron pilot)
Barbara Jones (wife of Euan Jones)
Alex Falconer (pilot)
Not sure
Not sure
Not sure


Above, left to right
Not sure
Kath Chapman (widow of FAA pilot and very involved in FAA Association)
Not sure
Frank Prosser (Swordfish pilot)
Hazel Fitzgerald (widow of Bernie Fitzgerald, Avenger pilot)
Shirley Ellis (widow of Murray Ellis, a Walrus pilot and also who was on the Hillary South Pole expedition!)
Ian Darby (Firefly Observer and POW)
Val Heffer
Marion Ahearn
Ben Heffer (Corsair pilot)
Don Nairn (RN Test Pilot)