Lyneham Old Boys Dedicated to New Standard
28th September 2009
With over 1800 years of military service between them, the finest former servicemen and women, who have equally contributed to the long illustrious history of Royal Air Force Lyneham, gathered in St Michael and All Angels Church to have their new standard dedicated.

Royal Air Force Lyneham Old Boys Association (L.O.B.A.) were left a legacy by one of the former members, Flight Lieutenant David Davies A.F.C. a Lyneham Pilot of No 511 Sqdn between 1942-46. The money, in excess of £1,000, was spent on a L.O.B.A. Standard, and a dedication and blessing service was held in St Michael and All Angels Church Lyneham on Monday 28th September 2009 at 11.30am. The service was officiated by Reverend Thomas Woodhouse, the Dean of Wiltshire and Lyneham parish minister Reverend Jesse Holland.

The new claret blue double sided standard was carried by Mr Jim Semple, secretary to the Lyneham Old Boys association and a former aircraft propulsion mechanic who served at the Wiltshire airbase between 1952 and 1955. Emblazened with the union flag in the top left hand corner, and a Royal Air Force roundal beneath to the right is an embroided station badge. The Station badge consists of a comet spanning the globe and terminating in the Antipodes. RAF Lyneham’s motto, which reflects our raison d’être is: 'S U P P O R T - S A V E - S U P P L Y'. Above the station badge is the initals L.O.B.A. the acronym for the Lyneham Old Boys Association. Bordering the standard is an edging of golden bullion fringe with two golden tassle tiebacks attached to the tip of the standard pole.

Escorting Mr Jim Semple as standard bearer party were Mr John 'Curly' Beauchamp and Mr Gerry Tripp both former servicemen from RAF Lyneham. Mr Beauchamp was one of the early tue triple tradesmen who served at Lyneham between 1949 - 1965. He was the tri-tradesman of airframe engines and electrics. Mr Gerry Tripp, from Chippenham Wiltshire was a former Aircraft Engine mechanic serving between 1954 and 1957.

RAF Lyneham Old Boys Association Standard Dedication Service 2009 - Gallery
A full gallery has been published of the dedication service held in St Michael and all Angel's Church Lyneham, to view the photographs click here.

Flight Lieutenent David Davies AFC RAF
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve No. 147350, commissioned 19th April 1943 as Pilot Officer, final rank Flight Lieutenant and he was awarded the AFC in 1945.

He transferred from the Army in 1941 when there was a call for more pilots and the first entry in his log book was 23rd June 1941 (which coincidentally was his future wife's birthday 23rd June, but they hadn't met at that time)

He trained at Shawbury and Cranwell went from Tiger Moths, to Oxfords, to Wellingtons at Harwell. July 1942 saw him in Albemarles at FTU Lyneham No. 1 Flight. December 1943 started flying Dakotas for B Flight 511 Squadron.

July 1944 transferred to Yorks for the remainder of his service.  The last entry in his log book is July 1946, by which time he'd clocked up 2916 flying hours. There are several signatures in his log books by Squadron Leader Leader G Lane, later to become Lord Chief Justice.

No 511 Squadron
No. 511 Squadron was formed at Lyneham on 10 October 1942 from No. 1425 Flight, which had been operating a service between the UK and Gibraltar with Liberator transports since November 1941. These were supplemented in November 1942 by Albemaries and a detachment based at Gibraltar maintained a link with Malta.

On 16 February 1943, C Flight was formed to look after the Albermaries and the squadron had an establishment of twenty-five transport aircraft. In October 1943, a service to India was opened and in November the squadron's first York arrived. A new establishment issued in July 1944 indicated that No.511 was to concentrate only on long-range flights, as this allowed for thirteen Yorks for A Flight and twelve Liberators for B Flight, the Dakotas being withdrawn.

On 1 October 1944, nine Liberators were handed over to No. 246 Squadron and by the end of the year only Yorks remained on strength. Trooping to the Middle East and Far East continued until the squadron was disbanded on 7 October 1946.

On 16 October 1946, No. 511 reformed again with Yorks, and took part in the Berlin Airlift before converting to Hastings in 1949. These it flew on Transport Command routes throughout the world until it was renumbered No. 36 Squadron on 1st September 1958.

On 15 December 1959, No. 511 reformed as the second Britannia squadron in Transport Command, a type which it operated on the trunk routes to the Near and Far East. In June 1970 it moved to Brize Norton to join the other long-range transport squadrons of the Air Support Command until disbanded on 6 January 1976.