MONEY RAISED FOR MEMORIAL FUND

Over £1,000 has been raised for the RAF Newton Memorial Fund after a highly successful raffle at David Wilson East Midlands’ Newton Park near Bingham. The committee, which is made up by residents, enthusiasts and former RAF personnel, are planning to construct a memorial at the development for the thousands of servicemen that passed through the airfield that stood on the site between 1940 and 2001. The proposed design is a brick memorial with the station badge in the centre which will encompass the Polish eagle. The station motto and dates will be engraved into stone and there will also be an overview of the site’s history.
Tim O’Brien, local aviation artist, who is also a committee member, said: “The raffle was a huge success with many people turning up in support, with the winning tickets being chosen by councillor Neil Clarke.”
Mr Clarke, leader of Rushcliffe Borough Council, added: “It’s a fantastic project that will mean the history of RAF Newton will be remembered and I was thrilled to be asked to help with the day. David Wilson Homes have done a great job at preserving the heritage of this site already and it’s great that they’ve backed this project too.”
Tim added: “Amongst the onlookers were two former veterans who served at RAF Newton; Richard Drury of Woodborough, who served at Newton in the early 1950s and Bart Luckhurst of Bingham, who served with No 9 School of Technical Training in the late 60s and early 70s and it was great to see them there.”