Latest news with #DanielPope
The Sun
5 days ago
- General
- The Sun
Wills jokes ‘families can be a mixed bag – some of them might not want to see you much'
PRINCE William joked families can be a "mixed bag" when he visited soldiers at an army air field. The Prince of Wales asked a group if their family are okay and if they see them enough, before quipping: "Some of them might not want to see you that much. 8 8 "It's a mixed bag sometimes." It came after he observed a combat PT training session. He visited the Army Air Corps in Wattisham, Suffolk, in his role as colonel-in-chief which he became in May 2024. He also promised he would take up issues with accommodation which was raised by the soldiers, saying: 'It probably hasn't been looked at for a while. There will be a big notebook on somebody's desk.'Whether they listen to me, that's another matter.' He arrived yesterday as a passenger in a wildcat helicopter - a key element of AAC's capabilities - before flying the chopper himself on the way home. During the trip, he was also shown inside planning and comms tents to learn about their operations. And he served bacon and sausage baps at an Archers Breakfast, a weekly social event held by 664 Squadron for its personnel and families. He said as he served the food: 'It's making my mouth water.' And the ladies serving with him praised his abilities, saying he was "spot on" and "had pace". He then spoke with soldiers and their families outside, including Mike and Lorna Pope, parents of Air Trooper Daniel Pope of 664 Squadron who sadly died of cancer in 2016. The squadron and regiment honour his memory through an annual cross country race and by naming Pope's Bar after him, which was the venue for meeting the families. And he spoke with WO2 Matthew Foster and children Archie, six, and Ida, eight. He told the children: "Your dad does a very important job here." At the end of the engagement, he presented Staff Sergeant Kenneth Robert Copeland with an award for his exceptional service in West Africa. He also presented promotions for several soldiers from corporal to sergeant. 8 8 8 8 8
ITV News
6 days ago
- General
- ITV News
Prince William makes accommodation pledge as he visits Army Air Corps regiment in Wattisham
The Prince of Wales pledged to raise soldiers' concerns about accommodation during his first visit to a regiment of which he is Colonel-in-Chief. Prince William visited Wattisham flying station in Suffolk on Wednesday to meet 4 Army Air Corps, which is based at the site, and promised the issue would be landing on a desk. His Royal Highness became Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps i n May last year, when the King officially handed over the role after 31 years in the role. Wattisham is the British Army's main base for the Apache AH-64E attack helicopter, and William arrived in a Wildcat Helicopter, a reconnaissance aircraft also in the AAC's fleet. While there, the Prince served sausage baps and bacon rolls to soldiers and their families at Archer's Breakfast, a weekly social event for the 664 Squadron, quipping: "Nothing worse than the smell of bacon in the room and you can't eat it". The breakfast is held in a crew room named after Daniel Pope, a soldier who died of cancer in 2016 aged 21. After asking one soldier if he spent enough time with his family, the Prince joked: "Some of them might not want to see you that much - it's a mixed bag". During a break in a physical exercise session he was observing, he told a group of servicemen: "I'm going to have a chat about accommodation, make sure they look at that", and added: "If they listen to me, that's another matter". When another group only smiled in response, William said, "I'll take that away, a lot of smiles going on, that's all you need to say." Staff Sgt Megan Chasney, who has been stationed at Wattisham for 15 years, said it was "fantastic" to host the new Colonel-in-Chief, who said he would "do his best" to help improve the site's infrastructure. She added Archer's Breakfast is "hugely important" in keeping the memory of Daniel Pope alive: "It's really important to the soldiers here - some of them served with him on tours of Afghanistan. It's important to make sure he's not forgotten." The Prince of Wales is a former RAF helicopter search-and-rescue pilot and later spent two years flying with the East Anglian Air Ambulance - and flew himself back home after Wednesday's visit. His brother, the Duke of Sussex, spent three-and-a-half years in training and operational service with the Apache helicopter force when he was attached to the Army Air Corps,. He undertook an operational tour of Afghanistan as an Apache pilot between September 2012 and January 2013. The Army Air Corps was formed in 1957 as the combat aviation arm of the British Army. It is made up of several regiments known for their blue berets and, as well as bases in Suffolk and Hampshire, it also has locations in Shropshire and Somerset.
Telegraph
6 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
Prince of Wales brings home the bacon as Colonel-in-Chief
The Prince of Wales travelled in style as he made his first visit as Colonel-in-Chief to the Army Air Corps. He arrived at the base in Wattisham, Suffolk in a Wildcat helicopter, a reconnaissance aircraft in the AAC's fleet. The Prince wasted no time in getting stuck into learning about life at the flying station, serving up bacon and sausage baps for breakfast, which he admitted made his 'mouth water'. He was told about the 664 Squadron's operational lessons from overseas tours and how soldiers were adapting to the new capabilities of the recently acquired Apache AH-64E. The Prince watched a tough combat physical training session before meeting groups of soldiers and their families including Mike and Lorna Pope, the parents of Air Trooper Daniel Pope of 664 Sqn who died of cancer in 2016. The squadron and regiment honour his memory with an annual cross country race and named the on-site Pope's Bar after him. Before piloting a Wildcat helicopter home, he presented the King's Commendation for Valuable Service and Promotions from Corporal to Sergeant. The Prince became the AAC's Colonel-in-Chief in May 2024 when the King officially handed over the role to his elder son at the Army Aviation Centre in Middle Wallop. The Prince completed an intensive four-month flying course at RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire in April 2008, receiving his wings from his father. He went on to complete a one-year advanced helicopter training course at RAF Shawbury in Shropshire, before training as a search and rescue helicopter pilot at RAF Valley in Anglesey, North Wales. He qualified in September 2010 and immediately began operational service as the co-pilot of a Sea King Mk3 helicopter, working as part of a four-person crew. His active service ended three years later, having conducted 156 search and rescue operations and helped rescue 149 people.
