RAFA Association Camberley & Bagshot

The Royal Air Forces Association is a forward looking membership organisation and a registered charity.  With 100,000 members worldwide it provides friendship and welfare support for serving and ex-serving RAF personnel and their dependents.  This extended family embraces all ranks, male and female, who have served with the UK, Empire or a Commonwealth Royal Air Force.

The Camberley and Bagshot branch of the Association has a thriving and active membership with members drawn not only from the immediate area but also as far away as the USA and Spain.  All ranks are represented and the branch is fortunate in having as its President, Air-Vice Marshall WJ Herrington.  Members are a cross section ranging from those who saw wartime service through National Servicemen right the way up to ‘lifers’.  The branch also welcomes those who have an interest in aviation and the RAF in particular.  Members have experience with aircraft as diverse as Lancaster, Sunderland, Vulcan, Tornado and Eurofighter.

Please feel free to contact us if you once served or are seeking former comrades who you believe are living in the area.

Prospective members are always welcome and the branch enjoys a thriving social scene with regular meetings, visits to places of interest, social evenings and organised activities.  Recent events have included a visit to the battlefields of Northern Europe and a Poppy Appeal concert.  In the future we expect to be attending a number of air shows, a day at the Brooklands Museum and a tour of a former USAF / RAF base.  All these are in addition to our bi-weekly social evenings at our branch headquarters in London Road Camberely where the drink prices always ensure good attendance !  Close relationships have been made with local MP Nick Hawkins a visitor, and former Mayor Ken Peddar who is also a full member having served with the RAF.    

The branch is an active supporter of the annual ‘Wings Appeal’ when funds are raised to support RAF personnel and their dependents.  During this years collection  the people of Camberley and the surrounding area were once again incredibly generous with a total of just over £5000 being raised.  For many this support is a real life line.  Since the end of the Second World War only one year (1969) has passed when the British Military has not lost a serviceman.  The branch is also closely associated with the local Royal British Legion and joins with them during the annual Remembrance Day parades and standard display.

The highlight this year was the celebration around the branch’s 50^th anniversary.  Curiously it is only three years since the branch celebrated its 40^th!  Members originally believed the branch was first formed in August 1956 however recently discovered documentation shows the actual formation date as July 1949 when World War Two veterans hoping to maintain the comradeship and mutual interest forged in conflict came together to lay down the foundations of today’s organisation.  Initial membership was only nine persons but today the branch has hundreds with more joining every year.