The 10 Squadron Association is affiliated to No 10 Squadron based at RAF Brize Norton and which currently flies the A330 Voyager tanker/transport aircraft.

Our research has recently found that one of the Squadron’s previous (1929-30) commanding officers who designed the Squadron badge and Motto, lived with his wife in Stratton, Cirencester in the post WW2 era up to his death in October 1964.

Their address was simply ‘The Gate House, Stratton, Cirencester’.

He was wing commander Arthur Thomas Whitelock (1888 -1964) and his wife before their marriage was Frances Mary Bryning (1884 - 1972). They had no children. After Arthur’s death he was buried in the cemetery at Bibury, Gloucestershire and when Francis later died in 1972, although she was cremated in Cheltenham, her ashes were later interred in her husband’s grave.

The 10 Sqn Association have now found that the Whitelocks’ grave headstone at Bibury is in a very poor, eroded condition and they would like to have it replaced in order to preserve with honour, the memory of one of their former commanding officers.

However, permission needs to be obtained from any owner/lessor of the grave before the procedures laid down by the Diocese of Gloucester regulations for altering a grave headstone may be followed.

This is proving to be a most difficult task.

If any of your readers know of the Whitelock’s, who may have purchased or leased the grave, had the headstone later re-inscribed after Frances death, or can advise where in Stratton The Gate House was/is, the association would be delighted to hear from them.

Please visit their website www.10sqnass.co.uk and follow the link to contact the association.

The 10 Squadron Motto which Whitelock conceived in latin is ‘Rem Acu Tangere’.

This freely translates into: ‘To Hit The Mark’.

Please help us to achieve this in his memory.

Richard King

(former 10 Sqn pilot - 1980s)

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