David Wicks - pledger story
"Why I'm leaving a gift to support the RAF Family."
David Wicks has strong connections to the RAF, both past and present. With his son currently serving as an RAF Aircraft Technician and a family history that stretches back to the Second World War, David has chosen to leave a gift in his Will to the RAF Benevolent Fund – helping to ensure that RAF Family members will continue to receive support, whatever the future may hold.
My son, Philip, is an RAF Aircraft Technician, currently based at Brize Norton. Since signing up for his initial training in 2019, we have watched as Philip continues to excel and grow in confidence – he truly has found his calling and we couldn’t be prouder.
By leaving a gift in my Will, I can continue to support and protect my son, and those who serve alongside him, long into the future. I hope that he will never need to ask the Fund for help, but knowing that the charity would be there in times of need is of great comfort. It was of little surprise that Philip chose to go into the RAF, as we have strong military connections running back through the generations of my family. In fact, my father’s cousin, Norman Hull, died in Bomber Command during the Second World War. Whilst laying mines at the Port of Lorient in Brittany in 1940, his aircraft was shot down by anti-aircraft fire and he and his crew are now buried together in the cemetery at Vannes. We had a family trip to visit and pay our respects in the summer of 2024 and were really touched by the memorial that the locals had built to honour them.
To think that the RAF Benevolent Fund was there providing support to serving personnel back when Norman’s aircraft was shot down, and has continued to be there ever since, is quite remarkable. I know this gets said quite a lot, but the charity really couldn’t have provided that support for so many years if it wasn’t for regular people, like me, donating as and where they can.
I clearly hope that my Will is not opened for many years to come! However, when it is, I know that with my gift I will be part of helping the RAF’s future Norman’s and Philips – and that makes me very happy indeed.
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