History 1

It is now known that several former service personnel made private visits to Bad Eilsen in the years following the RAF departure in 1955. However, it was not until 1998 that the first seeds of what has become the "Bad Eilsen Reunion" were sown.In that year Brian Pugh, from his home in California, sent an email to the Bad Eilsen municipal office recalling his days there with the RAF. It's arrival coincided with a visit to Bad Eilsen by Charlie Garrad who was staying at the home of Deputy Mayor Dagma Soehlke. Dagma showed him the message. Before returning home to Canada and getting in touch with Brian, Charlie asked Mayor Horst Rinne, Dagma and others to alert him if they became aware of any other contacts or visits by ex-servicemen or women.Thus, when Terry Maher and Ken Regan visited Bad Eilsen in 1999 they were interviewed by Mayor Rinne and by the local press and Charlie received details.Contact was made between Brian, Charlie and Terry and it was decided to find out whether there were other "Bad Eilseners" who would be interested in forming a "Reunion".

Continued on History 2

Thanks to Mayor Horst Rinne and the Soelke family in Bad Eilsen who looked after local events and to Terry who organised taravel arrangements from the UK, the first "Return" to Bad Eilsen took place in August 2000 when a party of 30 (ex servicemen,wives, spouse and guests, plus German former civi,ian employees) gathered for a very succesful week resulting in an annual "Return" ever since.

BAD EILSEN REUNION