EMAIL
There are quite a few names listed on the Contacts page of those with email addresses that are no longer valid. If you have contact with any of those, please get them to send me their new addresses. Please remember to update me if you have changed your contact details. That is if you wish to receive updates.

Veterans win fight for cards
Four million former servicemen and women are to be given veterans' cards to ensure they get priority treatment for NHS healthcare and housing, and discounts for services such as transport.
The Ministry of Defence plans to introduce the cards at the beginning of 2010, The Independent has learnt, in an attempt to begin repairing the damage done to the military covenant between nation and armed forces under New Labour.
The launch is expected to be formally announced this autumn with the first veterans' cards handed to new armed forces leavers in spring next year, before being rolled out to the country's four million former service personnel.
The aim is to ensure that those who have risked their lives in combat get front-of-the-queue treatment and financial benefits. Similar systems in the US and France offer veterans subsidised travel and discounts from private companies.
At a time when the armed forces have been stretched to breaking point in two bloody conflicts, there has been mounting anger that the priority treatment promised by the Government 18 months ago has failed to materialise. "We now need to make it happen," the Defence minister Kevan Jones told this newspaper. "We will provide veterans' ID cards so the person can say 'I have served in the services' and get priority access to treatment." Mr Jones spoke in response to this newspaper's campaign to get better mental health treatment for traumatised troops, launched after the Victoria Cross winner Johnson Beharry the country's most decorated serving soldier revealed his own combat-related trauma and urged the Government to stop failing his fellow soldiers with sub-standard or non-existent care.
Lieutenant General Sir Freddie Viggers, who until last year was Adjutant-General in charge of personnel, welcomed the veterans' card. "It is about value and self worth, not about a piece of plastic," he said. "We carry these cards for the whole of our service and when we leave we are required to hand them in. Psychologically, it is a bad thing. It is a little bit of plastic but it represents who you are and what you did."
The Conservative MP Patrick Mercer, former commanding officer with the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment, said: "It is about bloody time. At last, a reasonable, sensible minister [Mr Jones] who listens to ideas from across the political spectrum."
The categories in the Forces Discount Scheme currently include some retraining, sports clubs, childcare, insurance, holidays and travel.
Veterans and senior soldiers have called on the Government to acknowledge a predicted "explosion" of traumatised troops from recent conflicts and provide specialist mental healthcare. "No one is suggesting there is not a problem," Mr Jones said, "but we need a grounded debate to understand it."
He admitted that many former servicemen were "lost" in the NHS system and vowed to ensure every GP was made to record whether or not a patient had served in the forces.
However, he refused to concede that former service personnel needed separate, dedicated care and risked the wrath of charities by suggesting they should fund provision of military health advisers. "Combat Stress [the charity] gets £3m of taxpayers' money. I don't think the Government should do it all. It is not about money. It is about the system working better."

Source: The Independent.

Mike Brown has kindly presented the plaque from 881 Squadron, Malaysian Army Air Wing, to the Museum of Army Flying. Click on pix below for the full size image.

To contact Jo, go to her posting on the Kluang Revisted Bulletin Boardl

At midday on 21st May, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith made the announcement to the House of Commons that the Gurkha Justice Campaign have been fighting for for years. All ex-Gurkhas who have served more than 4 years in the British Army will have the right to settle in the UK if they wish.

Thanks for your support.
http://www.gurkhajustice.org.uk/ 

Armed Forces have been advised that the BFPO facilities in mainland Europe will be shut from September 2010. Personnel, and their families, deployed in Europe currently enjoy the same postal rates as the UK. Withdrawal of this long established tradition will further erode personnel's ability to communicate with their families in the UK and safe receipt of parcels etc through a secure network.
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/SaveBFPO/

Petition closes 9th June 2010

That's all I have for now. If you have copies of "The Craftsman" from this era, please send me the articles on 75 A/C Wksp for publishing here.

Maurice Haynes has been contacted by a number of your members who have asked if they are eligible to join our Association. I'm delighted to say that, after a quick poll of our committee, the unanimous result was a firm 'Yes'.

Would you please send a message to all your members advising them that they are welcome to join us. Visit, www.656squadron.org where they can join on line or obtain a membership form from me by email at heyesjohn@googlemail.com

40 rooms have been block booked at the Prime City Hotel and prices will be published once the 2011 web page gets published.

Mini Reunion 2010
A small gathering was held in York on the 10th July at the Golden Fleece. View pictures here or here  and video here. The event was attended by the following: Alan Harrison, Dave Martin, Geordie Fairclough, John Forwood, Gunter Webster and JohnTully.

Mini Reunion (2) November 2010
A second mini-meet is planned for November 2010 in Nottingham. Emails have been sent to all.

Major (Ret'd) KENNETT BEM Eric Charles (Ken) Passed away suddenly at home on Sunday 25th July 2010. Aged 76 years. Loving husband of Sue and father of son and daughter, Paul and Susan and grandchildren Hannah and Oliver. Funeral service at Basingstoke Crematorium on Friday 6th August at 12.30pm. Family flowers only, but donations if desired by cheque Payable to Canine Partners (dogs for the disabled) To Halcrow and Sons, 6A Bridge Street, Andover, SP10 1BH

Extracted from the Andover Advertiser.

 Send in your items of interest for posting here......