RAF Uxbridge Memorandum of association Presented to Officers' Mess

On 13th November 1992, Group Captain Cynthia Fowler, Station Commander of RAF Uxbridge, signed a Memorandum of Association between RAF Uxbridge, RAF Music Services, the Queen’s Colour Squadron and The Worshipful Company of Gold and Silver Wyre Drawers (GSWD).

The Worshipful Company of Gold and Silver Wyre Drawers are one of the ancient City of Livery Companies and, this year celebrate the 400th anniversary of being granted their first charter by King James. Of the 110 Livery Companies, GSWD are the 74th oldest so, despite being 400 years old, they are relatively new! The Livery Companies are the old trade associations of the City and are key institutions within the infrastructure of the City of London. The trade of the GSWD was to draw out gold and silver bars into fine gold thread for use in military uniforms and clerical vestments. Most Livery Companies have affiliations with units of our armed forces.

When RAF Uxbridge closed in 2010, RAF Music Services and the Queen’s Colour Squadron relocated to RAF Northolt. At the start of 2022, RAF Northolt, QCS, RAF MS and GSWD set out to try to find the missing Memorandum of Association, which was a grand, illuminated and framed document. After much searching, it was eventually located at the Battle of Britain Bunker at the former RAF Uxbridge site which is run by Hillingdon Council. Hillingdon Council were reluctant to release the document as it formed part of the history of RAF Uxbridge and, due to their environmentally controlled archival processes, they were better placed to preserve the original document – the signatures having already faded. However, they were most helpful and provided high resolution scanned copies of the document, which GSWD printed and framed.

On 9th November 2022, almost 30 years to the day after the original signing, Brian Turner, Master of the Worshipful Company of Gold and Silver Wyre Drawers, re-presented a framed copy of the Memorandum of Association to Group Captain Toria McPhaden, Station Commander of RAF Northolt. This is now displayed in the Officers’ Mess alongside a similar document from the Worshipful Company of Fletchers, with whom RAF Northolt have an affiliation. Copies were also presented to the King’s Colour Squadron and to RAF Music Services.

Phil Egerton RAF Liaison Officer Worshipful Company of Gold