Guest speaker at the October meeting was Mrs. Betty George, secretary of the Blenheim Society, which she and her late husband Wing Commander Hugh George founded to raise interest and funds to restore a Blenheim aircraft to flying condition.
Betty explained that the Bristol aircraft company developed their type 142 high speed passenger transport in the late 1930s. With a maximum speed of 285 mph it was faster than any comparable aircraft in use by the RAF at that time. Although not entirely suited to the role of a light bomber, the RAF placed an order for a variant to be known as the Blenheim, the first squadron being formed in 1939.
Her interest in the Blenheim was aroused when, as a young girl living on a farm adjacent to the squadron's airfield, she watched the trainee pilots carrying out 'touch and go' circuits. In later years she married a Blenheim pilot, Wing Commander Hugh George, a Pembrokeshire man.
Betty concluded a most interesting evening with reminiscences of those she called 'her Blenheim boys', the pilots and ground crew who operated the aircraft during WW2 and the ex-pilots and ex-ground crew whose knowledge and expertise are put to good use in the restoration of what will be the only airworthy Blenheim in the world.
Members are reminded that the annual meeting will be held at the usual venue at 7.30 pm on Tuesday, November 13. This will be followed by guest speaker Mr. John Rees, of the Haverfordwest Flight Centre, who has followed the development of Haverfordwest Airfield from its construction during WW2 up to the present day.
Any enquiries regarding the group and its activities can be made to Ron Dann on (01437) 781540.