SMOG

The SMOG = Squadron Man Of God
Chaplain Essex Wing RAFAC and 295 (Witham & Rivenhall)

Retweets are not necessarily endorsements.

[SMOG @SMOG295]

All Saints Church, Stock Harvard was the venue for the Enrolment of 7 Cadets at 2393 (Billericay) Squadron. The Service was followed by a presentation from the Falklands Team. @EssexWingATC

[SMOG @SMOG295]

1474 (Wickford) I had the privilege of Enrolling 8 Cadets; great seeing the Squadron in good heart and growing! @essexwing

[SMOG @SMOG295]

The beautiful Church of St Peter and Paul, Grays was the venue for the Enrolment Parade of 106 (Orsett Hundred). Welcome to our 10 new members. @EssexWingATC

[SMOG @SMOG295]

@BhattiLaib9960 Yes, do it....he/she will be great company!

[Nick B @cheltcanary]

Happy heavenly birthday to my dad Harry.

24 yrs in the Royal Navy (finished as a Lt Commander) and 30 years as CO on Dereham Air Cadets (finished as Flt Lt) whilst pioneering Anglia Television.

My inspiration and mentor growing up.

Fair winds and Blue Skies.

[SMOG @SMOG295]

Great being with 295 (Witham & Rivenhall) who were making model aircraft of their own design to varying degrees of success. @EssexWingATC

[SMOG @SMOG295]

A great evening, good company and excellent food at the Saxon Hall for the 85th Anniversary Guest Night of 1312 (City of Southend-on-Sea) - Thanks for the Chocolate Digestives!

[SMOG @SMOG295]

@Kristinartz Scott; Faraday; Telford; Livingstone

[SMOG @SMOG295]

@Kinza1278 I think Oscar suits him.

[Mr PitBull Stories @MrPitbull07]

If ever there was a popular actor whose most famous role was diametrically opposite to his own life , surely it was Arnold Ridley. He became famous and very popular for playing Private Godfrey in the hugely popular tv series Dads Army. His character of Godfrey was elderly, doddery, kind, polite, mildly incontinent and a conscientious objector.
But Mr Ridley's life could not have been more different. Born in 1896 he tried to enlist at the outbreak of WW1 in 1914 but was turned away because of a hammer toe. But he was accepted by the Somerset Light infantry in 1915 and sent to the Western Front.

In the space of a year he saw much hand to hand fighting in the trenches He was stabbed in the groin with a bayonet and his legs were riddled with shrapnel. In 1916 at the Battle of the Somme his left hand was rendered forever almost unusable by another bayonet wound , at the same time he was smashed in the head by a German rifle butt which left a legacy of blackouts. He was then medically discharged that year.

He rejoined the army in 1939 as a 2nd Lt, his job was looking after journalists in France attached to the BEF, was evacuated on an overcrowded warship during Dunkirk operations from Boulougne. But by now his WW1 wounds were catching him up and he left the army on medical grounds in 1940.

He immediately joined the Home Guard in Caterham! He did of course go on to write The Ghost Train.

Arnold Ridley passed away in 1984. A true hero who gave so much to our country. R.I.P.

[SMOG @SMOG295]

@aroog1278 Wishing you a very Happy 100th Birthday! 🥂🎂

[SMOG @SMOG295]

@Jassmini2 My maternal great-grandad, and maternal and paternal grandparents.

[Deborah Worboys @DeborahWorboys1]

Can anyone help.xx

[SMOG @SMOG295]

@EmilySm43 Prince (Black Labrador), Max (Choc Lab), Cassie (Cocker Spaniel) and Winston (Cocker Spaniel)

[SMOG @SMOG295]

A return visit to the historic setting of Essex Regiment Chapel for the enrolment of 10 cadets at 1483 (Brentwood) - another encouraging and happy event. @EssexWingATC

[SMOG @SMOG295]

A warm evening and an equally warm welcome from 1207 (Maldon) for an impromptu visit as I was already in the town. @EssexWingATC

[SMOG @SMOG295]

@jasoncrouch Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. Mums are very special people. My Mum died almost 3 years ago and I still miss her.

[SMOG @SMOG295]

@Sabiha1278 Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

[Sabiha 🇺🇸 @Sabiha1278]

With the heaviest of hearts, we share that sweet Drew passed away peacefully at home last night, surrounded by the people who loved him most. He left this world knowing, without question, how deeply cherished he was. Family and close friends gathered around him, holding him close and loving on him, and his pup Snoopy was there to give him gentle kisses one last time. The space Drew leaves behind feels impossibly big, and our hearts are forever broken.

Drew was so much more than a brain cancer warrior. He was an 11 year old full of curiosity, joy, and life. When he wasn’t out catching Pokémon around town, you could find him at ninja classes, horseback riding, playing the cello, participating in his scout troop, or shooting hoops on the basketball court. Above all else, Drew’s favorite person in the world was his little brother, Tyler. Their bond was pure, fierce, and full of love.

Diagnosed in 2019 with anaplastic ependymoma, he faced surgery and radiation with bravery beyond his years and became the youngest patient at St. Louis Children’s Hospital to complete radiation without sedation. When cancer returned in 2021, Drew fought again. When it came back once more in 2023 and was deemed inoperable, he still refused to quit. He traveled across the country for clinical trials, all while continuing to live fully and unapologetically as himself.

Through every setback, Drew remained positive. He often called his cancer a “fun fact” and believed with unwavering confidence that he would beat it, because he had already done it twice before. Drew’s fight may be over, but his love, laughter, and warrior spirit will live on forever in the hearts of his family, his community, and all who were lucky enough to know him.

[SMOG @SMOG295]

@hsalamasiy22296 The cake looks mouth-watering delicious!