Happy birthday! Aircrew Association Costa Blanca member celebrates his centenary
Former aircrew member of the RAF, John Russell, a resident of the Port in Javea, was the Guest of Honour at a celebratory lunch to acknowledge his 100th
Birthday, held by the Aircrew Association, Costa Blanca, on the 22nd July at the Canali Restaurant in Javea. John is also a Life Member of the Royal Airforces
Association and the Chairman of RAFA, Wing Commander Bob Hunt MBE, his wife Margaret and other members of RAFA also attended and added to the uniqueness of the occasion.
John was actually born on the 25th July in Sheffield and on leaving school in 1937 worked for the Post Office at the HQ of the Engineering Department in the City of London. He was evacuated to Harrogate in 1939 and subsequently volunteered for aircrew training in June 1940. He was just 19. Then followed a varied career in the RAF during which John flew many operational sorties throughout the war including two sorties in support of the famous Dieppe Raid on the 19th August 1942 and one of the last, key operational sorties, to drop equipment and supplies to the resistance just to the North West of Cannes in France. This sortie took place on the 4th September 1944, during Operation Dragoon. During 1943/1944
John, who was then based in North Africa, flew on many operational sorties in support of the SOE, as a member of 624 (Special Duties) Squadron, in support of the partisans in Italy, Greece and Yugoslavia. John celebrated VE Day 1945 in Egypt.
Having demobilised in February 1947, John later re-joined the RAF in June 1951 and continued his RAF career, including instructional and training appointments and intelligence duties. He retired from the RAF in December 1969. He then worked as an executive for a company in East Anglia and Cambridgeshire before retiring to Javea in March 1986.
During the lunch, John, who joined the Association as a Founder Member in May 1988, was presented with a Certificate of Achievement and a giant birthday card by the Aircrew Association President, Henry Horth who then proposed the Toast to John, the Association’s newest Centenarian!
John is still going strong and continues to enjoy his retirement, participating actively in all of the Association’s functions!
Many congratulations John from your many friends who salute you on reaching your 100th!