Memorial plaque unveiled at RAF Marham

A long serving squadron commander memorial plaque to Wing Commander John ‘Tommy’ Tucker, who died last year has been unveiled at RAF Marham.

Tommy died after a long illness during lockdown and therefore his funeral was severely restricted in attendance so a memorial service was recently held at All Saints Church in Marham.

Given his long association with the airbase, his widow, Angela, felt that it would also be fitting if tribute were shown at Marham by the placing of a memorial plaque on the station's aviation heritage centre’s memorial wall.

On leaving the RAF Tommy first settled in Swaffham where he was, for many years, president of the Royal British Legion, before moving to Lynn where he occupied himself in renovating the historic Lath Mansion in Nelson Street.

A well-known member of the town community he also served for many years as welfare officer to the Royal Air Forces Association.

Tommy served at RAF Marham on four separate occasions, finishing as squadron commander of 214 Squadron which, at the time, flew Victor refuelling tankers.

It was therefore appropriate that he should now be remembered by a place on the station’s Memorial Wall, which sits outside of the Aviation Heritage Centre.

The wall was constructed from bricks recovered from one of the original station hangars which was demolished to make way for the introduction of the Lightning aircraft, this also seeing the return to Marham of 207 Squadron, as the operational conversion unit squadron responsible for the training of the aircraft’s aircrew.

The squadron, on which Tommy served as a pilot when it was based at Marham in the 1960’s flying Valiant aircraft, was represented at the unveiling.