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October 2016 5001 reasons to celebrate for aircraft hangar construction squadron RAF 5001 Squadron members past and present have been celebrating its 75 th anniversary this year and held a special luncheon to commemorate the occasion. Squadron members and invited guests gathered at RAF Wittering for the event. Attendees included previous squadron members, senior RAF officers, members of the RAF Airfield Construction Officers Association, Airfield Construction Branch and the Honourable Company of Constructors and Industry. Over seventy people attended the anniversary lunch, which was held in the Officers’ Mess at RAF Wittering. It was a rare opportunity for the Squadron, which meaningfully contributes to so many current operations, to catch up with old friends and celebrate its achievements over 75 years. 5001 Sqn is responsible for the rapid construction of Temporary Working Environment (TWE) and the installation of Portable Aircraft Arrestor Gear (PAAG). TWE provides environmentally controlled facilities, including Rubb military structures, for Fast Jet or Rotary assets and has been supporting exercises and Operations in the Middle East, Afghanistan, Europe and the Falkland Islands. 5001 Squadron, which reformed in 1999, is dedicated to the provision of expeditionary airfield capabilities. 5001 Sqn was first formed during World War II as part of the Airfield Construction Branch, tasked with constructing and maintaining airfields. 5001 Sqn delivers the modern equivalent of this capability in today’s expeditionary focused RAF. The Sqn retains the original motto ‘Fit Via Vi’ meaning ‘A Way is Made by Force’. Squadron Leader Colin Green said: “I think what makes 5001 Squadron special is that we’re ‘real-world’ engineers. You can have all the sophisticated equipment in the world, but sometimes the world can stop for the want of a valve – and that’s when you need the skilled hands-on engineer.” Rubb Managing Director Ian Hindmoor said: “We are delighted to be associated and affiliated with RAF 5001 Squadron, and all at Rubb Buildings Ltd congratulate them all on their 75th year anniversary. For many years we have worked closely with the squadron to inform our designs and develop our product range. This relationship remains very strong to this day. They are a very impressive outfit that tirelessly travel to some of the most challenging locations throughout the world, erecting, dismantling and maintaining Rubb military structures and aircraft hangars. There is no better way to continue to improve the engineering of our products and services than maintaining such a good relationship and listening to their feedback. We wish them all the best for the future and look forward to working with them for many years to come." Group Captain Rich Pratley is the Station Commander at RAF Wittering and is head of the A4 Force, to which 5001 Squadron belongs. He said: “This is 75 years of a remarkable engineering tradition in the Royal Air Force, taking a bare patch of land and making it useable for aircraft. Times have changed but, in essence, this is still what 5001 Squadron is about; those essential engineering skills we can’t do without.” Villeroy & Boch designed a commemorative plate for attendees featuring the squadron badge and the logos of the squadron’s main equipment manufacturers, including Rubb Buildings Ltd.
