Lou meets Nev and John

A Day to Remember

20th August 2011 after driving sixty three miles from home, I pay my entrance fee and park my car at the Sherburn Aero Club Open day and Fly-in. It's a charitable event in aid of Help for Heroes, an organisation I support but not my primary reason for being here. The object of this exercise, is to meet up with Lou Rex, a man I have not seen in forty five years since leaving Operation Crown and 59 Fd Sqn RE in 1966. As I wandered around the stalls and displays of Classic and Vintage cars, Military vehicles and memorabilia, some Bi-planes strutted their stuff overhead to entertain the visitors. My phone rang, "Where are you" I enquired into the phone? "By the yellow ice cream van" replied John Hamnett who'd flown up from somewhere in Staffordshire with co-pilot Bob Neal. Pleasantries exchanged we set about finding our quarry, I had no idea what Lou looked like after all this time, John had got a sideways glimpse of Lou on Youtube and was confident he would spot Lou. Bob not having any connection with Crown, indeed never having heard of it before the start of the day, was faintly puzzled by these two old timers he was with. We wandered around with no sign of Lou until Bob enquired if a certain plane he was looking at could be Lou's plane and if the chap standing on the wing looking into the cockpit could be Lou? " I don't think so" said John "That's not the colour scheme of Lou's plane and he doesn't look like Lou to me". "Well how come it's got Lou and his son's name painted on the fuselage then" enquired Bob with a satisfied grin on his face? He'd sorted us geriatrics out already. Having got our man, Lou recognised me (must be the youthful good looks) and off we went for a cuppa and some 'chewing of the fat'. the stories, memories and laughs flew think and fast. Tales of 'Yakker' and up ended beds (Yakkers), busted equipment, and trips to Bangkok finished with Lou recounting the ten year saga of his son and himself building their magnificent Jodel D140E aeroplane. Bob and John being pilots were drooling as we looked around the plane which we could see was built by craftsmen. Our hats are off to you Lou and son John, for such a fantastic achievement. It won't be another forty five years before I see Lou again, in fact there's a chance he might be in Lichfield for this years reunion. He has a flight over the sea to France pencilled in but, if the weather is bad and he can't go, he'll be joining us on the 9/10/11 of September. I'm hoping the weather from Birmingham southwards takes a turn for the worse on our reunion weekend!

Cheers Nev Wareham