A STRANGE WAY TO MARK AN ANNIVERSARY – BUT IT WAS ALL IN A GOOD CAUSE
Sqn Ldr PE HAWTIN RAF Regt
On 1st February 1942, following a disastrous start to the Second World War for the British Army, and at the insistence of the Prime Minister Winston Churchill, the RAF Regiment was formed by Royal Warrant as a Corps in its own right. Drawn from men serving with the wartime raised RAF Anti-Aircraft units, RAF Armoured Car companies and other ‘available’ airmen, this new force of 79,000 was trained by The Brigade of Guards and The Royal Marines. Training was tough and many fell by the wayside, however the calibre of instruction gave this force a unique espirit-de-corps and professional pride. Other distinctions, such as khaki battledress with blue badges and blue berets (first introduced into the RAF Regt in August 1942) set these men apart from the rest of the RAF, but their role has been intrinsically linked to the ‘mother’ Service ever since. Indeed, the freedom of air operations / control of the air has to fought for on the ground as well as in the air.
In February 2010, as a way of marking the 68th Anniversary of the formation of the RAF Regt, two serving officers from RAF Honington set out on a 68 mile charity walk, but a walk with a bit of a difference. To make the 68 year contrast, one officer (Sqn Ldr PE Hawtin) was dressed and equipped as a WW2 Gunner and the other (Flt Lt M Ashe) was dressed and equipped for modern, desert based operations. The route chosen was along the National Trail of The North Norfolk Coastal Path and The Peddars Way, starting at Holkham and finishing and Honington, giving the walk the coded name of H2H4H4H&RBL (Holkham to Honington for Help for Heroes and The Royal British Legion). To add to the challenge of distance and weather, it was decided to ‘bivy out’ over the two night stops on the walk – a potentially grim undertaking in February.
One of the biggest challenges for Sqn Ldr Hawtin, the organiser behind the event and ‘good ideas - honest’ man, was to source authentic looking WW2 uniform and kit. Some articles, such as 1937 pattern webbing and Lee Enfield .303 Rifle came from his battlefield tour props box, but the uniform was a different matter. Eventually, through the good offices of the RAF Regt Museum, surplus supplier Sabre Sales and a few successful bids on E-Bay, a fully equipped RAF Regt Gunner emerged; looking not unlike a member of the parachute trained Cely Force which operated with The Royal Marines in The Balkans in 1944/5. As both officers are parachute trained and both had served in The Balkans in the mid-90s, this seemed an appropriate representation. For Flt Lt Ashe, recently returned from Afghanistan, kit was no problem, other than perhaps what not to take.
With the backing of the Station Commander RAF Honington, Gp Capt N Bray the pair began training in late November 2009. The heavy snow of December and January gave a taste of what was to come on the walk itself, but at least provided Sqn Ldr Hawtin with the opportunity to thoroughly test his woollen uniform and cotton canvas webbing. Unsurprisingly, the webbing absorbed water when raining and was prone to stiffening in the cold, and the 1940s dated battledress had the pungent aroma of wet dog, but the addition of a poncho and steel helmet provided a modicum of weather protection. The less said about Flt Lt Ashe’s nylon assault vest, duvet jacket and gortex suit here, the better! One of the biggest lessons that came from constant use of the 1940s kit was the amount of husbandry needed to keep it serviceable. The webbing needed to be ‘blancoed’ with a water based chalk like substance to colour it green (and to keep it that way), the brass cap badge quickly dulled in the damp, the wooden furniture of the rifle went white in sweaty hands and the camouflaged ‘Denison’ smock weighed almost double when damp....and that was just in training! By contrast, the modern, windproof desert equipment proved to be light and quick drying, the nylon webbing water resistant and the fleece lined hat and gortex suit ideally suited to a wet Norfolk winter.
The public reaction to the uniform contrast was fantastic as the pair made their debut in Bury St Edmunds at the coming home parade for No 27 Sqn RAF Regt the day before the march. Veterans from all services, and young and old alike stopped to talk to the officers and wish them all the best for the walk, as well as contributing a very generous £1385 to the chosen charities too.
At 1000 on 07 February 2010, with the multi-talented FS Johnston in support, the pair set off on their march from a wet, misty and windswept Holkham. Sand-dunes, mud and mist characterised the conditions for the first few miles although in the main the weather stayed dry. Weighed down by kit and with boots caked in mud the walkers made for their night stop location in a wood outside Fring, a point reached after dark. Luckily the rain held off whist the bivvies were established and FS Johnston was on hand with water and ration resupply. That night it rained heavily and dawn bought blowing, wet snow, a condition that persisted for over 20 miles. Conditions underfoot again were bad and progress slowed into the afternoon. After a late stop in Castle Acre, the walkers set off in ‘light scales’ to make up time, which paid dividends when they reached the final RV with the support vehicle before last light, thus enabling bivvies to be established without the aid of candles and torches. Overnight the temperature dropped well below freezing which had the welcome effect of solidifying the ground. A snap snowstorm during final preparations to move off literally caught Sqn Ldr Hawtin with his trousers down as he wrestled with frozen gaiters and trousers with braces, however the sun did shine that day.
The final day of the route took the walkers along the boundary of Stanford Training Area and across the railway line at ‘area Zulu’ familiar to all RAF IRT students of Cat 2 delivered training at RAF Honington. Motorists on the A11 must also have wondered what was going on when a WW2 RAF Regt Gunner crossed the dual carriageway sometime after 1100 on 09 February. With good ground conditions and in winter sunshine the walkers were able to make rapid progress, finally reaching their destination of the main gate at RAF Honington a 1404 that day. A small crowd of well wishers had gathered to welcome them in, which was much appreciated, however the most welcome news was that the walk had raised around £3500 for the two charities.
Whilst 68 years have passed since the RAF Regt was formed, this challenge has proved that little has changed in the mindset and stamina of its members since 1942. The kit may have changed, but ultimately on the day, you go with what you have got. Through Adversity indeed!