BMW Car Club Eastern Region is excited to announce this new event for 2025. We have been granted special permission by the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre owners to park our pride and joy’s inside the museum near the hangar for all to see.

We have been given a reduced entry rate of £10.00 per person (not car) which we have been asked to collect in advance of the visit, this is a request from the venue for a one off group booking. Please mark as going so we can get an idea of numbers in advance. If you would like to attended please message Chris Lake directly on Facebook to arrange payment or email eastern@bmwcarclubgb.co.uk with your contact details so that we can contact you to arrange payment.

The venue opening times are 09:30 – 16:00 however we would suggest we aim to meet there for 09:00 so we can get inside and parked up before the general public arrive. We know you all love a good breakfast so fear not there is a great on site café serving hot food and drink all day.

The reason for us creating this event is down to long time member Andrew Everett who kindly donated his uncles Distinguished Flying Cross to the Heritage Centre. When we attend this event on the 3rd of May 2025 it will be the 80th anniversary of Andrew’s uncles tragic death during the war. Here are a few words from Andrew about his Uncle………..

Pilot Officer Robert Catterall DFC was the last allied airman killed in action in Europe in WW2. Born in Newton Le Willows, Lancashire, he joined the RAF as a fitter but quickly learned to fly. By 1941 he was flying bombers – mainly Wellingtons and Short Stirlings and took part in many raids over Germany and occupied France.

By 1944 he had transferred to Mosquitoes for precision bombing and pathfinding at 169 Squadron at Great Massingham, Norfolk. Awarded the DFC in 1944, there was no time to actually be presented with the medal. As the war drew to a close in April 1945, Robert and his co pilot Flight Sergeant Donald Beadle of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve were demobilised and letters sent home informing their families that their war was over.

However, there was one more job to do, namely destroying a build up of German aircraft at Jaegel airfield near Kiel. There were fears that an element of the Luftwaffe might fly to Norway and continue the war from there. Volunteers were needed to napalm the planes and both Robert and Donald did. Six Mosquitoes flew out  on May 3rd 1945 and five came back. Their aircraft, MM680, was hit by anti aircraft fire and crashed. They were given a temporary grave by the Germans, and reburied later in the War cemetery in Kiel.

Robert’s parents Robert Snr and Adeline Catterall were invited to Buckingham Palace in 1946 where they were presented with Robert’s DFC by King George VI.

We really hope you can come to this event and make it as big and the best it can be.