During a recent Band of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force training weekend at RAF Northolt, the family of Air Specialist (Class 1) (AS1) Anastasia Arnold presented the inaugural award of the Anastasia Arnold Memorial Trophy.
Ana sadly passed away in February 2022 and the trophy is awarded annually, in her memory, to the Band of the RAuxAF reserve musician who has made the greatest contribution to the Band during the training year.
"We decided that the most appropriate way to remember Ana was to award the trophy to the musician who reflects the wonderful personal characteristics and attributes that were consistently displayed by Ana herself. She was a marvellous musician, but also extremely kind and selfless; she consistently displayed everything we expect of our personnel, including: integrity; a strong sense of duty; loyalty; professionalism; and teamwork. She made such a big impression in a short period of time with us, and we miss her immensely."
Squadron Leader Sellers
Officer Commanding of the Band
Dougie Arnold presented the award on behalf of the family.
"The creation of an award in memory of what Ana stood for is such a lovely idea and it was a pleasure to present it to AS1 DeVivo.”
Dougie Arnold
Receiving the award, AS1 DeVivo expressed how honoured he felt.
“I knew Ana, and worked with her before joining the RAF Reserves. She always had such an energy and enthusiasm which will be missed by all those who were lucky enough to have met her. I hope this award will help inspire others to live up to her inspiration and zest for life.”
Air Specialist (Class 1) DeVivo
Band of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force
Following the presentation, Ana’s son, Oli, a Masters’ graduate from the Guildhall School of Music, demonstrated the strong musical talents within the family as he joined the Band’s trumpet section for the remainder of the rehearsal.
By Squadron Leader Sellers
