Chairman's Report

December 2025

By Dave Leibrick - Newly elected Chairman

At this year’s AGM in Falkirk, I had the Honour of taking over as AEA Chairman from my good friend Steve Wallis.

I have known Steve since 1979, when I arrived as a fresh-faced young Sapper to 1 Troop, full of trepidation and not a little bit anxious. Steve’s friendly demeanour and non-judgmental attitude helped make those early days slightly less daunting.

I would like to thank Steve on behalf of the Association for the way that he has filled the role of AEA Chairman for the best part of 7 years and to his good lady Mel for the steadfast support she has given to Steve and the Association. His passion and zeal for our Association have been key to driving and maintaining our ethos of ‘service not self’. I definitely have some very big shoes to fill.

I am proud to be a founding member and would like to thank you all for electing me as Chairman of the AEA and I will work hard to ensure that I support the association and everyone in it.

We have an amazing institution, full of fantastic characters from all generations, who make it so special. I am sure that our recent merger with the REA will ensure a steady stream of new ’Characters’ to keep our traditions and our ethos going strong.  The more Airborne Sappers, the better.

I would like to pay tribute to all of the branches for organising the memorials and events, which are so important in ensuring the sacrifices of those who came and went before us are remembered and celebrated; The AGM, Hardwick Hall, Cromwell Locke, Double Hills, Donington, Falklands Service at Pangbourne, Falklands Wreath Laying at Aldershot Cemetery, Falklands Ride of Respect, the Cenotaph Parade and the annual get together in Snowdonia. These are key events in the Association calendar, and I would encourage as many members as possible to support them.

The AGM and Gala Dinner this year were organised and hosted by the Scotland Branch who did an excellent job. The location was breathtaking, and I would like to thank the branch for all of the hard work and effort that went into make the weekend such a memorable event. The trips that were laid on for the ladies (and Bob) ensured that they had a chance to visit some stunning locations and the feedback has been extremely positive.

I had the pleasure of meeting the CO of 23 Engineer Regt, Lt col David Crosbie RE (our new President) and the RSM, WO1 (RSM) Stefan Gloyn, who are both keen supporters of the AEA and are looking forward to forming strong ties between the Regiment and the Association.

The AGM and John Rock Dinner will take place in Nottingham next year and will be organised by Steve Wallis and Dave Raes. I’m sure that Steve will give an update in the not too distant future.

It has been an interesting couple of years for our Association with the Merger at the forefront. After an overwhelming vote in favour of the merger, we are forging ahead and plan to continue maintaining our ethos of camaraderie and support. I truly believe that this is the best option for the AEA, and I know that the Regiment are fully supportive of our aims and traditions. Baz Basset and Phil Taylor have worked tirelessly with their counterparts in the Regiment to ensure that the Association as we know it won’t change and to ensure that the transition will be as seamless as possible. Steve Morris has been pulling out all of the stops to ensure that our membership database has been integrated accurately, which I know has been a massive challenge  John Nichols has worked with the Regimental PRI to ensure that we have the same level of excellent service as we currently have with the shop and Dave Pace has done an absolutely outstanding job of pulling everything together on the Website, at the same time as bringing all of our past journals on line. We have the easy part, all we have to do is take the ball and run with it, but the amount of extremely hard work that has gone into making this happen needs to be applauded. So, thank you to everyone for all of your hard work on behalf of the association and apologies if I have missed anyone.

Looking forward to November we have the Day of Remembrance (Cenotaph Parade) on 09 November. Although Steve Wallis won’t be there this year, I would like to thank him for doing all the leg work in bringing this together and I know that myself and everyone else who is attending will be marching with pride.

In closing, Lorna and I would like to wish you all a great Christmas and a Prosperous New year and I look forward to a great year for The Association in 2026.

Thanks for the Memories

By Steve Wallis - Outgoing Chairman

As you are all aware, at the recent AGM in Scotland I handed over the reins of the AEA Chair to my old friend Dave Leibrick. I have known Dave for over 45 years and am confident that the guidance of the association is in good hands.

It is just less than 7 years since I took over as Chairman from John Ferry, much has happened in that time.

Under the ownership of Dave Pace, the journal has become an online publication. Dave does a fantastic job of producing this twice a year, chasing up branches and the Regiment for articles to include. Having stood down as Chairman I intend to support Dave with the Journal to ensure that what Association members do is communicated far and wide.

After years of sterling service from Dave and Jeannette Rutter the Association shop has thrived under Jon Nichols ably assisted by Dave Pace. With the recent addition of 23 Parachute Engineer Regiment PRI, we now have a very professional and well run online platform which provides a wide range of Merchandise for the Association and the Regiment.

By far the biggest change has been the decision to merge with the REA Airborne Branch and for the Association to become a National Branch of the REA. This was always a delicate subject but was one which needed to be addressed if the association was to survive. Ultimately the overwhelming vote in favour of the merger has enabled the National Committee to proceed with the merger with the full support of the membership.

With respect to the branches, the Association is in a strong place. We have a new branch in Wales and the West as well as two new Social Branches in the East Midlands and at Woodbridge. It is also encouraging to see that the Chatham Branch, which had taken the decision to close, is now considering reforming as a social branch.

I have many people to thank, too many to list here but chief amongst them is John Lee who was the Association President for much of my period as Chairman. John was always a steadying influence and was there with help and advice whenever it was needed. I would also like to thank John Ferry, Baz Bassett and Bobby Matthews for all of the help and advice over the years, and finally I must mention the power behind the throne. Melanie has supported me all of the way, she has travelled up and down the country to very many events, always with a smile on her face and willing to pitch in when needed.

During our tenure, Melanie and I have managed to visit all of the Association Branches, it has been a pleasure for us both to meet up with so many members on their local patch and to experience hospitality at various functions throughout the year.

After 7 years it was time to hand over and wish Dave and Lorna all the best for their period at the helm, and I look back on my period as chairman with pride and with fond memories of the people that make up the association.

From Melanie and I to all of you, Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New year and we hope to see you for the AGM in Nottingham in 2026.

June 2025

Hi everyone and welcome to what is, sadly, my last chairman’s update. I took the decision to stand down some time ago and announced my intention to do so at the last AGM. At the OGM in April Dave Leibrick was voted as the Chairman Elect and will officially take post as Chairman at the AGM in Scotland. I have known Dave for over 45 years and am confident that the Association will be in good hands under his leadership.

During my, nearly, 7 years as Chairman, the Association has undergone massive Change. The Journal has moved to an on-line publication and the shop has evolved to be on online platform that will soon partner with the Regimental PRI to provide both AEA and Regimental merchandise. This would not have been possible without the drive and commitment of Jon Nichols and Dave Pace, and I thank them both wholeheartedly for their efforts.

We have seen one new Branch formed to represent Wales and the West, we will, hopefully, see another new branch in Woodbridge, sadly, the Chatham Branch has closed. As with all branches the Chatham branch was very active until reducing numbers forced the remaining members to call it a day. Mel and I often visited as guests at the Branch Christmas function and their Flagship event the John Rock Dinner. The executive committee believe that the John Rock Dinner is too important to lose and have decided that the Gala Dinner at the AGM will henceforth be known as the John Rock Dinner in honour of the very first Airborne Engineer and the man whose vision did much to mould Airborne Forces at their inception.

Perhaps the biggest change is the decision, by an overwhelming majority, for the Association to merge with the Royal Engineers Association (Airborne) Branch to form ‘The Airborne Engineers Association, a National Branch of the REA. Members of the National Committee have put in a tremendous amount of work to ensure that this merger maintains the unique identity of the AEA whilst giving us access to the resources of the REA and I must make special mention of Baz Bassett, Phil Taylor, and Mike Robertson for their efforts throughout this process. The merger will see the AEA as the largest National Branch within the REA.

During my time as Chairman, Mel and I have managed to visit every branch at least once, we have made many friends along the way, we will continue to be active members of the Association and hope to welcome you all to the 2026 AGM which will be held in Nottingham. We wish you all the best for the summer.
Steve

December 2024

As we come up to Christmas its time to reflect back on what has been a busy year.

Mel and I have once again had a busy time with social and commemorative events culminating in the AGM at Hull and the National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph in London.

Craig Gadd and his team did a fantastic Job of organising the AGM and my thanks go out to him and the 299 Association for providing such a wonderful weekend.

This year at the Cenotaph we were allocated 42 places, the largest allocation the association has ever had, many were attending for the first time and have said how poignant the event is.

During my time as the association Chairman Mel and I have tried to visit every branch for at least one social event, and I am pleased to say that we have managed to visit all of the branches on their own turf.

The last event of the year for us was the Chatham Branch Christmas Lunch. The event was well attended which belied the problems that have beset the Branch over attracting and retaining members. This has now reached the stage where the remaining members have decided that the branch is no longer viable, and they have reluctantly taken the decision to close the branch. This is indeed a sad event for the branch and for the association.

Our difficulties in attracting and retaining members is brought into sharp vision as we ponder the closure of a Branch and also consider that we only attracted two new members in the last year, and it was with this in mind that I reopened the debate on the relationship between the AEA and REA. The current round of this debate has been going on for the last two years and culminated in the Vote of members as to whether we should merge with the REA(A) Branch, you will all know by now that the result of the Vote was a massive majority in favour of the merger.

For those not aware, 296 Association members voted and there were 230 in favour and 66 against. The Executive committee will now engage with the REA to arrange a smooth transition to the AEA becoming a National Branch of the REA. I realise that there are strong feelings over this subject and that not all of you will be happy with the outcome. However, we must now all work together, accepting the view of the clear majority and taking the association forward.

I will work with the committee on the merger, but it is also a sad time for myself as I have taken the decision to stand down as National Chairman at the next AGM. It has been an Honour and a Privilege to have been the Chairman of the Association for the last 7 years, but I feel that it is now time for someone else to take up the reins.

It only remains for me and Mel to wish you all a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy and prosperous new year.

Steve Wallis
Chairman, Airborne Engineers Association

June 2024

Hi to everyone and I hope that this finds you in good health and enjoying the summer, such as it has been.

It’s hard to believe that another six months have passed since the last edition of the Journal, it seems that the older we get the quicker time seems to fly by.

Much has happened since the last edition, not least of which was a near death brush with Sepsis that laid me low for several weeks, it’s not something that I would recommend to anyone and served to show how fragile we all are.

We are now into the planning for this year’s memorial events. Hardwick Hall was again attended by a stalwart group from the Birmingham Branch ensuring that the Corps was well represented at the commemoration to the first ever Airborne Depot, the place where the 1st Parachute Brigade trained before attending Parachute training at Ringway.

This year, being the 80th Anniversary of D Day and of Arnhem, I applied for 42 tickets to the National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph in London, to my surprise the request was granted by the Royal British Legion and so this year will see the largest AEA contingent at the Parade that we have ever had.

Important discussions have been taking place between the AEA Executive Committee, 23 Parachute Engineer Regt and the Royal Engineers Association to explore ways in which the AEA and the REA (Airborne) branch could merge, these discussions have been led by the AEA President Baz Bassett and Phil Taylor the Chairman of the REA(A) and also AEA Yorkshire Chairman, I appreciate that this is a very emotive subject, but it has to be addressed.  These discussions are ongoing, and the results will be passed to all of the Branches and AEA members for consideration. I stress that no decision to merge has been reached and that it will be for the AEA membership to decide in a ballot and I assure you that the executive committee will stand by the decision of the majority of AEA members whichever way the ballot goes. We will distribute updates as and when we get them.

I look forward to meeting many of you at the various events that we attend throughout the summer or at the AGM in Hull in October.

Best wishes from myself and Mel.

Steve Wallis
Chairman, Airborne Engineers Association