There were cheers of joy and tears of emotion yesterday as the Dambusters flew home to RAF Lossie-mouth for the last time.
It was a day of reunions at the Moray airbase after the 617 Squadron’s three-month mission in Afghanistan.
It was also the end of an era as the Dambusters will be disbanded at the end of next month – for the third time in its long and illustrious history.
A TriStar aircraft ferrying the squadron back from Afghanistan touched down on the Lossiemouth runway around 3pm.
The station’s commanding officer Group Captain Mark Chappell shook the hand of all the 119 personnel as they stepped off the transporter aircraft and back on to Scottish soil.
Thy then lined up in formation outside an nearby hangar and as the stirring Dambusters March began to play over the tannoy its doors were opened to reveal their loved ones who had been waiting inside.
Among those reunited with their families was Senior Aircraftman Malcolm Nicoll, who was returning from his second tour of duty in Afghanistan.
After hugging his wife Becky and their three children Grace, 6, Evelyn, 4, and 10-month-old Alfie, he said: “I’m very, very glad to be back. Being apart as a family at Christmas was especially hard.
“Alfie especially has grown up a lot in the last three months. He was a baby last time I saw him face-to-face. He’s getting to be a little boy now.”
For Squadron Leader Mike Beesley his homecoming was a case of a calm between two storms.
The 33-year-old, who was reunited with daughter Alice and wife Debra, has a holiday planned.
However, the family will move from their Elgin as he takes up his new posting in Buckinghamshire.
Debra said: “I’d love to stay in Moray. It’s the perfect place to bring Alice up. But that’s life in the RAF.”
Senior Aircraftman Andy Fowler was met by his parents, Alan and Marilyn, as well as his girlfriend Christine Bernath.
Speaking about his first tour of duty, the ex-Banchory Academy pupil said: “Some nights it was as cold as -9C, which put the Taliban off fighting.”
At the other end of the scale was Squadron Leader Darren Lownds for whom the mission was his fourth tour in Afghanistan.
The 40-year-old, who lives in Elgin, said: “I’m delighted to be back. To be coming home now feels just perfect.”