By Melanie Francis, Rushmoor Borough Council Communications Team
Rock icon Bruce Dickinson, the lead singer of heavy metal group Iron Maiden, is using downtime from his band’s world tour to attend the Armed Forces Day National Event in Aldershot and Farnborough on June 27. Dickinson is attending in his capacity as an honorary officer in the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, and will meet serving personnel, Armed Forces families and veterans.
A spectacular series of flypasts, parachute displays and military parades will bring the pride and pageantry of the annual Armed Forces Day National Event to Aldershot and Farnborough on 27 June. The celebrations will include a parade featuring military bands from the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, British Army and Royal Air Force, leading marching detachments of up to 500 military personnel, together with cadets and veterans. Tickets are free to attend the Armed Forces Day National Event weekend but must be booked in advance.
Bruce Dickinson is best-known for his rock credentials but also hails from solid military stock. His great-uncle, Flt Sgt John Booker, joined the RAF through an early apprenticeship scheme and used his skills as an aircraft engineer to enable military operations in Europe and Africa. His uncle also forged a career as an RAF engineer, while his father volunteered for the British Army and served in the Royal Signal Corps. Military life also appeared to beckon for Dickinson, who chalked up four years as an Army Cadet and signed on as a Private with the Territorial Army (now the Army Reserve) in between school and university.
While Dickinson’s musical ambitions set him on a different path, the British military remained a cause close to his heart and ultimately led to his attestation in 2020 as an Honorary Group Captain in the Royal Air Force’s 601 (County of London) Squadron, a Reserves unit. The role involves acting as an ambassador and advisor to the squadron, which attracts Reservists from the worlds of business, industry, and academia. His family roots and experience as a commercial pilot made the RAF a natural fit for Dickinson, who once flew members of the RAF Regiment home from a gruelling tour of Afghanistan. He also maintains an active interest in the aviation industry, founding a Wales-based aircraft maintenance company – Caerdav – that now employs 300 engineers.
Honorary Group Captain Bruce Dickinson, 601 Squadron, said: “The military community is one that will always be close to my heart. The extraordinary men and women who dedicate every day to keeping us safe, and the families who support them, deserve every ounce of our appreciation this Armed Forces Day. Events up and down the country give communities a rare insight into what it means to serve today, from the skilled roles that set up young people for life, to opportunities to work with cutting-edge technology. Join me in Aldershot and Farnborough if you’re nearby or find an event near you.”
Deputy Leader of Rushmoor Borough Council, Councillor Sophie Porter, said: “This is going to be a spectacular weekend of wonderful displays, flypasts and parades, and also an opportunity to thank our Armed Forces community for everything they do to keep us all safe. We are delighted to have Bruce Dickinson at our event in Aldershot and Farnborough, and I’m looking forward to meeting him and hearing about his service. Tickets to our event are free, and in addition to the spectacular military attractions, there is lots of fun for families with a climbing wall, assault course, dive tank, virtual reality buses, a funfair, music, stalls and so much more. Join us there!”
To book free tickets for the Armed Forces Day National Event weekend, visit the official council website at www.rushmoor.gov.uk/armedforcesday.
