The Chairman and Committee welcome you to the home pages of
THE STIRLING AIRCRAFT SOCIETY
Below is a brief outline of our objectives and aspirations for the future. Please browse our website, we hope you enjoy your time with us and will consider becoming a member.
We are a legally constituted and democratically administered society with a small committee comprising of seven members, all volunteers. We produce two ‘Stirling Times`, magazines annually and occasional Newsletters. These are free to members and contain many interesting stories and pictures of WWII experiences, also up to date news and items of interest. We hold small informal social get-togethers quarterly. An area organiser manages each geographical area. Most meetings are within the southern half of the country and the Midlands area. These meetings take the form of a pub lunch and give members and friends the opportunity to have a chat to old pals and meet some new faces.
We have the resources to help relatives trace information concerning wartime RAF careers of lost family members via an online archivist with a wealth of experience to facilitate results. This service is only available to members.
We were very proud and privileged to have Air Chief Marshal Sir Douglas Lowe, GCB, DFC, AFC as our President. Sir Douglas had a long and distinguished career in the RAF having joined in 1940 and after pilot training in the United States returned to this country and was posted to 75 (NZ) Squadron and flew Stirlings from Newmarket. He then went to Bomber Command Instructor’s School after which he went to Cranwell. During his career he held many posts, as officer commanding 148 Squadron, Station Commander Cranwell, AOC 18 Group, and finally Controller A/C MOD Procurement Executive. We also enjoyed the patronage of ‘The Forces Sweetheart’, Dame Vera Lynn, CH DBE OStJ who needs no introduction. Both were supportive of our society and for this we express our gratitude.
We are supportive of the ‘Stirling Project` and the valuable restoration work they are undertaking and recommend a visit to their excellent website.
We are attempting to raise the poor profile of the Short Stirling Bomber, the first four-engined ‘heavy` to go operational with RAF and the valuable contribution it made to the war effort. We encourage the camaraderie among the many who flew and worked on it and welcome new members. Anyone may join, membership is twelve pounds sterling annually for members who have joined in the last 10 years (Eight pounds sterling for memberships existing as at 30/09/2012).
For all our Veteran members, i.e. those who served in the Armed Forces or elsewhere in the workplace during the Second World War, Society Membership is free.
Junior members i.e those aged 18 or under at the start of the subscription year, membership will be free (They will receive the regular magazine issues electronically by email).
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