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ALREWAS BRANCH
BATTLE OF BRITAIN' SERVICE AND WREATH LAYING
Alrewas Branch Group 1held their annual 'Battle of Britain'
service and wreath laying ceremony on Sunday 17th September,
at St Stephens Church, and RAF Memorial, Fradley,
Staffordshire.
St Stephens’s church is home to the war graves of the
Australian aircrew and one German Luftwaffe pilot who lost
their lives in the Second World War.
Service representatives from
RAF Stafford, Royal Australian
Air Force and the
 German
Luftwaffe were Sqdn
Ldr Kevin Corby.. RAF Stafford,
Flt.Lt. Nick Paucina.. Royal
Australian Airforce, Oberleutnant Sascha Olschewski.. German
Luftwaffe took part in the church
service and the wreath laying ceremony in the churchyard
afterwards.
Rev John Allan vicar of St. Stephens and the Lichfield
West Mercia Air Cadet Force Chaplain Tim Rutter read the
Roll Call of Aircrew buried in Fradley Churchyard.
Also in attendance; Colin Greatrex Lord Mayor of Lichfield, Councillor Dr
Bill Hassell and Mrs Hassell Chairman of Lichfield District
Council and Gwyneth Boyle Sheriff
of Lichfield, David Butcher... Vice-Chair manParish Council,
Councillor Terry Finn President ARBL Branch
Ray Leighton President ARBL Club, Area Commander Phil
McFarlane.. Staffs Fire & Rescue Service, Derek Hopkins
Chairman of Alrewas RBL who read the Lesson, and Ken Compton
the County Chairman.
Lichfield West Mercia Air
Cadet Force provided the Guard of Honour
and a good turn out of Legion Standards from both North and
South Staffordshire, and local association standards.
After the main service and wreath laying there was another
short service at the recently built RAF Memorial to
commemorate all those who served at RAF Litchfield.
Notes:
Reproduced from the
RAF Lichfield Association web site a short
history:
RAF Lichfield known locally as Fradley was constructed in
1939 and early 1940. The first residents were 51 M.U. on 1st
August 1940 whose role was to receive aircraft from the
manufacturers and carry out any modifications before
delivery to Squadrons. When hostilities ceased large numbers
of aircraft were broken up and the Unit remained active
until the closure of the airfield.
On the 23rd April 1941 27 O.T.U. was formed and this became
the largest unit on the airfield, its role was to train
Aircrew on Wellingtons and here the crews mainly from the
Commonwealth Countries were formed before going on to their
Squadrons. Operational Bombing Missions were flown in
1942-43 and a considerable number of 'Nickel' sorties were
flown. The Unit was disbanded in June 1945.
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