Friday 2 June 2023

THE FIRST full Beverley Town Council meeting since the recent elections will be held on Monday at East Riding College and will hear of hopes that an historic RAF Squadron, formed in Beverley over 100 years ago and due to be disbanded later this month, can be commemorated in the town.

47 Squadron, currently based at RAF Brize Norton, was formed in Beverley as a Royal Flying Corps unit in March 1916 near to the racecourse and was active as a home defence unit protecting Hull and the East Riding against attack by German Zeppelins. Since then the squadron, from other bases, has taken part in the Berlin Airlift, seen service during the Falklands War, in The Gulf, Iraq, Libya and Afghanistan.

Since 2011 the squadron has been based at Brize Norton, flying Hercules C130 aircraft but, following a decision to withdraw the planes from service, the squadron will itself be disbanded from the end of the month. The Princess Royal will attend a parade there next Thursday to mark the retirement of Hercules aircraft  and the disbandment of 47 Squadron.

Retired Warrant Officer Alistair Macdonald has lobbied the Town Council and MP Graham Stuart for their support in having a plaque or plinth positioned somewhere in the town to commemorate the squadron’s formation in Beverley.

SIX MONTHS after the festive season, Beverley still has its official Christmas tree in place in Wednesday Market. Now, the Town Council has issued an official explanation why. Writing on the council’s website, planning committee chair Alison Healy explained nesting birds in the tree meant it would be an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act to remove it. The council continues to monitor the situation and says once it’s satisfied the nest is no longer in use the tree will be removed.