Train named to commemorate RAF centenary
It was held at Holyhead station near RAF Valley on Anglesey, where the RAF’s fighter pilots are trained.
A train has been named to commemorate the Royal Air Force’s centenary.
Two Second World War veterans unveiled a nameplate reading Royal Air Force Centenary 1918-2018 on a Virgin Trains engine.
The ceremony was conducted by Wing Commander John Wynne, who served as a pilot and flying instructor, and Mary Roberts, who was a nurse.
It was held at Holyhead station near RAF Valley on Anglesey, where the RAF’s fighter pilots are trained.
Wing Commander Wynne, 97, from Gwynedd, flew Wellington bombers, Fortress and Mosquito aircraft and the Valiant jet bomber during his career.
He said the train will be a “living reminder of the great service of the RAF to our nation”.
Ms Roberts, whose role saw her based at RAF Hemswell, Lincolnshire, and Flying Training Command at Penrhos, North Wales, said: “I am thrilled to have been invited to take part in this special occasion during the RAF’s centenary year. God bless the train and all who travel in her.”
Air Commodore Adrian Williams, the RAF’s senior officer in Wales, added: “We know that having an engine named after you is a rare and special thing, so the RAF is delighted to be recognised in this way.”
The Class 221 train travelled to London Euston after the ceremony. It will also serve other destinations such as Glasgow, Edinburgh, Birmingham and Shropshire.
