Letter to Jack Pittwood from Air Ministry
Title
Letter to Jack Pittwood from Air Ministry
Description
The letter advises that they are setting up the RAF Escaping Society.
Creator
Date
1945-11-17
Temporal Coverage
Coverage
Language
Format
One double sided typewritten sheet
Publisher
Rights
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Contributor
Identifier
MPittwoodJ1291454-220827-030001, MPittwoodJ1291454-220827-030002
Transcription
Air Ministry,
Kingsway,
W.C.2.
17 November, 1945
Dear Pittwood,
When you escaped or evaded capture you probably received assistance from French men or women who shewed [sic] in this way their courage, their belief in our victory and their high regard for our Air Forces. Most of you will remember the names of those persons who gave you this help and you will probably like to be able to renew the friendships made then under stress of circumstances. I know that for their part many of them would welcome the opportunity to keep in touch with you.
In order to give an opportunity to keep these friendships going and to make it possible for those who benefited through them at that time, to shew [sic] now their appreciation of the courage of those who helped, it has been decided to form an association in this country and in France with these objects in view.
Although there are a number of solely French associations already in existence we think it would be better to bring together in one body all those who helped and who were fortunate enough to receive help and to give this body the name of “The Royal Air Force Escaping Society”. Membership would thus be open to anyone, British or French, who has been directly concerned in the adventures of escaping and evading.
“R.A.F.E.S.” would not only provide a link between individuals in this country and in France but might also provide for some assistance to any of these courageous people who may now be in need as a result of the help they or their families gave us.
I have agreed to become President of the Society and there will be a Chairman in Britain, Air Vice Marshal Sir Basil E. Embry, K.B.E., C.B., D.S.O., D.F.C., A.F.C., and one in France. The day to day affairs of the Society will be handled by a secretary in the Air Ministry for the time being.
It is suggested that the following principles should form the basis of the organisation :-
(a) None of those who gave assistance to Escapers or Evaders would be asked for subscriptions.
(b) Officers and Airmen serving with the Royal Air Force and Dominion Air Forces who escaped or evaded would be invited to become members. Subscriptions would be voluntary and would not be expected to exceed a day’s pay a year.
(c) Half the total annual income (obtained from (b) above and possibly augmented by the general subscription list) would be devoted to helping the widows and children concerned.
[page break]
(d) A proportion of the income would be devoted towards annual re-unions.
(e) The purpose of the re-union would be to bring about once more the personal contacts achieved at the time of escape and to this end to arrange reciprocal visits to the homes of members in this country and in France.
(f) The expenses of getting the visitors to and from their homes during the re-union would fall on the Society’s funds.
When the British-French Society is on a sound footing it is hoped to arrange to extend the Society to cover Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Norway and possibly Sweden.
I hope this idea appeals to you. If so, please write to the Director of Personal Services, Air Ministry, Kingsway, W.C.2. and tell him (a) whether you would like to join the R.A.F.E.S. (b) whether you would subscribe annually, and if so how much, and (c) whether you have any suggestions to offer on the broad outlines of the scheme suggested in this letter.
Yours sincerely
Portal of Hungerford M.R.A.F. C.A.S.
[drawing]
Kingsway,
W.C.2.
17 November, 1945
Dear Pittwood,
When you escaped or evaded capture you probably received assistance from French men or women who shewed [sic] in this way their courage, their belief in our victory and their high regard for our Air Forces. Most of you will remember the names of those persons who gave you this help and you will probably like to be able to renew the friendships made then under stress of circumstances. I know that for their part many of them would welcome the opportunity to keep in touch with you.
In order to give an opportunity to keep these friendships going and to make it possible for those who benefited through them at that time, to shew [sic] now their appreciation of the courage of those who helped, it has been decided to form an association in this country and in France with these objects in view.
Although there are a number of solely French associations already in existence we think it would be better to bring together in one body all those who helped and who were fortunate enough to receive help and to give this body the name of “The Royal Air Force Escaping Society”. Membership would thus be open to anyone, British or French, who has been directly concerned in the adventures of escaping and evading.
“R.A.F.E.S.” would not only provide a link between individuals in this country and in France but might also provide for some assistance to any of these courageous people who may now be in need as a result of the help they or their families gave us.
I have agreed to become President of the Society and there will be a Chairman in Britain, Air Vice Marshal Sir Basil E. Embry, K.B.E., C.B., D.S.O., D.F.C., A.F.C., and one in France. The day to day affairs of the Society will be handled by a secretary in the Air Ministry for the time being.
It is suggested that the following principles should form the basis of the organisation :-
(a) None of those who gave assistance to Escapers or Evaders would be asked for subscriptions.
(b) Officers and Airmen serving with the Royal Air Force and Dominion Air Forces who escaped or evaded would be invited to become members. Subscriptions would be voluntary and would not be expected to exceed a day’s pay a year.
(c) Half the total annual income (obtained from (b) above and possibly augmented by the general subscription list) would be devoted to helping the widows and children concerned.
[page break]
(d) A proportion of the income would be devoted towards annual re-unions.
(e) The purpose of the re-union would be to bring about once more the personal contacts achieved at the time of escape and to this end to arrange reciprocal visits to the homes of members in this country and in France.
(f) The expenses of getting the visitors to and from their homes during the re-union would fall on the Society’s funds.
When the British-French Society is on a sound footing it is hoped to arrange to extend the Society to cover Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Norway and possibly Sweden.
I hope this idea appeals to you. If so, please write to the Director of Personal Services, Air Ministry, Kingsway, W.C.2. and tell him (a) whether you would like to join the R.A.F.E.S. (b) whether you would subscribe annually, and if so how much, and (c) whether you have any suggestions to offer on the broad outlines of the scheme suggested in this letter.
Yours sincerely
Portal of Hungerford M.R.A.F. C.A.S.
[drawing]
Collection
Citation
Great Britain. Air Ministry, “Letter to Jack Pittwood from Air Ministry,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed June 14, 2025, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/collections/document/40877.