Pilot William signs off after two years air ambulance duty

Prince William has penned a heartwarming letter thanking his colleagues at the East Anglian Air Ambulance as he clocks off on his final shift.
FILE PICTURE - Prince William in his East Anglian Air Ambulance in Wisbech Park, Cambs.  July 16, 2015. See MASONS story MNLETTER: Prince William has penned a heartwarming letter thanking his colleagues at the East Anglian Air Ambulance as he clocks off on his final shift. The Duke of Cambridge leaves his role as a pilot for the East Anglian Air Ambulance today (thu) after two years of service. As he departs to begin full time Royal duties, he sent a letter to a local newspaper telling of his pride at doing the job with the charity. In the letter, Prince William said his two years in the role had exposed him to 'moments of extreme emotion' and he promised to continue to support emergency services staff after his time with the charity is up.FILE PICTURE - Prince William in his East Anglian Air Ambulance in Wisbech Park, Cambs.  July 16, 2015. See MASONS story MNLETTER: Prince William has penned a heartwarming letter thanking his colleagues at the East Anglian Air Ambulance as he clocks off on his final shift. The Duke of Cambridge leaves his role as a pilot for the East Anglian Air Ambulance today (thu) after two years of service. As he departs to begin full time Royal duties, he sent a letter to a local newspaper telling of his pride at doing the job with the charity. In the letter, Prince William said his two years in the role had exposed him to 'moments of extreme emotion' and he promised to continue to support emergency services staff after his time with the charity is up.
FILE PICTURE - Prince William in his East Anglian Air Ambulance in Wisbech Park, Cambs. July 16, 2015. See MASONS story MNLETTER: Prince William has penned a heartwarming letter thanking his colleagues at the East Anglian Air Ambulance as he clocks off on his final shift. The Duke of Cambridge leaves his role as a pilot for the East Anglian Air Ambulance today (thu) after two years of service. As he departs to begin full time Royal duties, he sent a letter to a local newspaper telling of his pride at doing the job with the charity. In the letter, Prince William said his two years in the role had exposed him to 'moments of extreme emotion' and he promised to continue to support emergency services staff after his time with the charity is up.

The Duke of Cambridge leaves his role as a pilot for the East Anglian Air Ambulance today, which saw him covering Bedfordshire, after two years of service.

As he departs to begin full time Royal duties, he sent a letter to a local newspaper telling of his pride at doing the job with the charity.

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He said his two years in the role had exposed him to ‘moments of extreme emotion’ and he promised to continue to support emergency services staff after his time with the charity is up.

He announced he would be leaving the role in January this year and his last shift is due to take place tonight.

The letter read: “As I arrive for work at East Anglian Air Ambulance this evening, my last shift with this incredible team, I wanted to say thank you to my colleagues, team mates and the people of East Anglia who I have been so proud to serve.

“Over the past two years I have met people from across the region who were in the most desperate of circumstances.

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“As part of the team, I have been invited into people’s homes to share moments of extreme emotion, from relief that we have given someone a fighting chance, to profound grief.

“I have watched as incredibly skilled doctors and paramedics have saved people’s lives.

“These experiences have instilled in me a profound respect for the men and women who serve in our emergency services, which I hope to continue to champion even as I leave the profession. I am hugely grateful for having had this experience.”

The Duke of Cambridge also thanked his workmates for treating him as just another member of the team, and not as a member of the Royal Family.

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He said: “From the moment I joined, when that phone rang at the base for the first time, it was clear that I was a fellow professional, a pilot with a job to do - in such a team there can be no other option, but still I am grateful to my colleagues for accepting me so readily.”

He’s been based out of Cambridge Airport, responding to emergency call outs across Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. He worked a four-day-on, four-day-off rota, with his call-outs often attracting attention.

“As I hang up my flight suit, I am proud to have served with such an incredible team of people, who save lives across the region every day.”

From September the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will primarily be based in London at Kensington Palace.