Royal Air Force News Friday, November 14, 2025 P3
News
WORAF homes in on improving conditions CAS right-hand man says his role is to serve all personnel VETERAN: Evelyn with her medal and in uniform when she was in WAAF, inset
Evelyn, 104, honoured by the French WAAF VETERAN Evelyn Armstrong has been awarded the Légion d’Honneur by the French government – France’s highest and most prestigious national order of merit – at the age of 104. As a teenager she started working at the telephone exchange in Blackburn alongside the contralto singer Kathleen Ferrier. When war broke out, Evelyn had to persuade the authorities to release her from her work at the exchange, as it was a reserved occupation, and she joined the WAAF in 1941. During her time in the Service, she worked at Barton Hall, Bawtrey Hall, and Tangmere and at one point was interviewed to work at Bletchley Park, but turned the role down to continue working on flying operations with the RAF. Evelyn’s grandson Robin said: “She served as a plotter with the WAAF during the war, and the medal was sent to her by the current French Ambassador to the UK, Mme Hélène Tréheux-Duchêne, thanking her for her vital role. “It only recently became apparent that Evelyn qualified for the medal, which recognises her role as a plotter at RAF Tangmere during D-Day, plotting 617 Sqn aircraft as they went back and forth over the Channel dropping ‘window’ as part of the preinvasion deception to make the Germans believe that the invasion was at Calais instead of Normandy.” The success of this deception contributed enormously to the success of Operation Overlord, and the eventual liberation of France, Mr Armstrong added. Evelyn said she was “absolutely delighted” to receive the medal and it was “a great honour and a great surprise after so many years.” Soon after the war, she met her husband, Malcolm, who became the editor of the Sunday Sun in Newcastle. Evelyn has lived in the Borders for the past 40 years after moving there from Lancashire.
Tracey Allen THE RAF’S main challenges include infrastructure and retention, says WORAF WO Murugesvaran Subramaniam, known as ‘Subby’. As the most senior Warrant Officer in the Air Force he is right-hand man to Chief of the Air Staff, ACM Harv Smyth, and has his finger on the pulse when it comes to recruitment, retention and morale in the Service. WO Subby said: “We know the challenges with some accommodation that we need to fix, the leadership is very aware and we are doing everything we can. We have some great accommodation at some places – such as Lossiemouth – and some sub-standard elsewhere. But we need patience, you cannot just build accommodation in two weeks, it takes at least three to five years. This is where the current leadership – and Sir Rich Knighton, the
previous CAS – are being very honest with people. It’s not a quick fix, but it’s coming.” Recruitment, the WORAF said, is better than it has been for a while. And morale, he added, is “good, without a doubt.” “Currently we have a lot of people wanting to join the Service, we now see a lot more people graduating and the numbers are getting better, but we cannot rest on our laurels. “We tend to get people joining the Services as they get a longer contract professionally than on Civvy Street, and there is more security and stability in the Armed Forces. “The RAF needs to be in a place where it offers opportunities so that personnel want to stay, including good accommodation, food, opportunities to work overseas and the chance to be able to do what you’re passionate about. “If the motivation is money, where some industries offer higher salaries than we can, we find it quite difficult because we
STATION VISIT: WORAF WO Subby (right) talks to personnel at RAF St Mawgan
cannot compete. But people need to realise that the RAF offers a lot more opportunities than industry does.” He added: “I love the RAF, I came here from Malaysia with practically nothing and I’ve had the opportunity to do a degree, courses, work overseas, meet some great people – I even met my wife through the Service. The RAF is an anchor, why would you not want to stay?” WORAF joined in 1998 after leaving the Royal Engineers. His time in his present post has been extended to March 2027 and he will retire in 2028. He said: “To be a good
WORAF you need to be a people person, understand that it’s not about you, it’s about the people you serve and you have to put the Service before yourself. “People are our most important asset and we need to celebrate our successes. I was at Cosford recently for the Astra Awards and some of the great things personnel are doing at grass roots level, without prompting, to make the Royal Air Force better, are amazing” “Our purpose in the RAF is to always be ready to fly and fight – and our people achieve this by being agile, integrated and always ready.”
REMEMBRANCE FLIGHT: BBMF Dakota and Lancaster are captured from above by photographer AS1 Leah Jones, aboard a RAF A400M
PAST AND present came together when an Atlas flew in formation with the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. The visual representation of the RAF’s journey from its historic roots to its modernday role came when an A400M, which is operated by Brize’s 30 and LXX Squadrons, flew under the callsign ‘Memorial’.
“This event provided a remarkable opportunity to bridge the RAF’s illustrious past with its present-day frontline roles,” said Sqn Ldr Paul Wise. “Many of the responsibilities and values upheld by the RAF today have their roots in the pioneering efforts of the courageous Second World War generation.”
Piloting the Dakota alongside the Lancaster and Spitfire, the formation took shape over Covenham Reservoir with the A400M. The Lancaster is set to undergo a period of depth maintenance, while the Dakota has only recently returned from the same process.