Salisbury (Sarum) Probus Club
Sarum Probus Club is an organisation for retired men living in the Salisbury Area.
Previous Meetings 2023
On 27th January 2023 Sheila Hart presented a
wonderful array of “Holiday Photos”, ranging from the Jewish
Quarter in Prague, through Norway & the Arctic Circle,
North Cape taking in the Northern Lights, South America
and a trip to the Falklands which proved so informative. The
wonders of Singapore certainly deserved further viewing. The
highlight was without doubt the magnificent close-up shots of
the whales while cruising the inner passage to Alaska. Sheila’s
obvious enthusiasm for her holidays certainly left us wanting
more.
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On
Februay 11th John Hart gave us 2 video presentations
Video 1 was about
the funding of the Spitfire manufacture during World War 2
In addition to those manufactured under government funding, donations to fund and name Spitfires were made by individuals home & abroad plus various crowd funding organisations.
The
aircraft did not have any armaments when they left the
factory,This was carried out by the Air Ministry and the RAF
Video 2 (Due
to time constriction’s this was not completed)
This
was about the origins of the spitfire particularly the Wing
shape. and the influence of the Schneider Trophy winning
seaplane
On February 25th 2023 Probus Club of Sarum welcomed author David Bickerton who had a riveting as well as heart-warming story to tell.
The actors were his father and mother against the
backdrop of World War II. David put the story together based on
their surviving 143 love letters.
His father Don was a civil servant who joined the Navy
as a 22 year old volunteer in 1939. He took part in the Dunkirk
evacuation as member of
RNVR. This was followed by
the sinking of the
Bismarck on the cruiser Dorsetshire.
David’s mother, Linda, joined as a 20 year old volunteer
the WAAF in 1941. She became a radar operator serving eventually
at five different RAF stations.
Don and Linda first met briefly in 1942and could only
keep in touch through correspondence.
After promotion to Lieutenant Don took command of a
minesweeper joining the 25th
Flotilla bound for Gibraltar. Minesweepers had to form the
spearhead for beach landings. During his war service Don was
therefore part of six allied landings from the first in North
Africa to the last in the South of France. There he and his crew
were welcomed and celebrated by the local resistance who
provided the ship’s crew with a ”Pact of Friendship”. Many years
later David was able to retrace his father’s steps and provided
the mayor and town with a copy of his book.
Throughout these tumultuous times Don and Linda were
only able to keep in touch through their letters and quite
sporadically during the last year of the war until July 1945.
Don was able to propose marriage via telegram to Penzance. Their
marriage last 65 years until Don’s death aged 90.
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For more previous meetings 2019-21 2021 2021-2 2022
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