Our new Chairman
Welcome to our new Chairman: Philip Wood
At our Annual General Meeting on the 23rd May, the group unanimously elected Philip Wood as our new chairman following the sad loss of our original Chairman: John Rennison earlier this year.
Phil was born and raised in nearby Kirton in Lindsey and has had an interest in military history, specifically that of the RAF all his life. Fourteen years ago he took an interest in Second World War military vehicles and since then has owned and restored a range of equipment from Jeeps to larger armoured vehicles. Through this he became involved in the organisation of the Rauceby War Weekend: a yearly 1940’s event held near Sleaford which raised money for The Royal British Legion, The Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance, and Marie Curie Cancer Care between 2008 and 2015.
Phil became involved with the North Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre in 2019 and quickly earned the nickname “Mil Phil” for his background in military hardware, and a habit of occasionally turning up at the site in his 1943 Ford Jeep! His contacts in military history circles around Lincolnshire have secured us a number of 1940’s era RAF wooden huts which will be erected on the original concrete plinths still present at Hibaldstow. Upon accepting the nomination for the post of Chairman, Phil told our members “It is a real honour to be asked to take up the position of Chairman, and I will do everything I can to carry on the good work done by our founders John Rennison and Clifford Ellis. Without the vision and commitment of these two men we would not be where we are today.”
As COVID-19 restrictions are slowly lifted, we are able to get back to the site and restart our work on restoring our corner of RAF Hibaldstow into somewhere which can be used for both education and remembrance. As it was when we started, the work we do is to commemorate and honour the personnel of all nations who served with the RAF in North Lincolnshire during the Second World War, as well as honouring the memories of Cliff and John.