Memories of RAF Benson

[smithoag]

Could be on wrong section...if so my apologies and feel free to re-locate,but....

Seeing a thread on UKAR regarding a Concorde visit to Benson made me think of all those days in the '80s/early '90s(plus some to a lesser extent more recently) spent on Spotter's Corner and some of the aircraft seen visiting/circuit bashing at Benson

Residents at Benson then included the Andover E3s of 115 Sqn,Andovers and Wessii(and later BAe 146s) of Queens Flt,Wessii of 60 Sqn & 72 Sqn,Slingsby Sedberghs & Ventures of 612 VGS
Regular circuit bashers back then were RAF Hercules,VC 10s,Bulldogs,Shackletons and(usually on post maintenance air test from Abbo)Hawks,Hunters,Jaguars,JPs...& civvies PA28 Cherokees and PA34 Senecas from CSE at Kidlington and assorted Cessnas from Booker
Among the more notable visitors seen were the RAE Varsity(now at RAFM Cosford) and Dakota(now with BBMF),USAF F/EF-111s,A-10s,C-23s...and even a Boeing EC-135,B-52 and a TR-1(the latter doing an approach and overshoot on the disused r/way 24).
(West) German Alpha Jets,VFW614s and HansaJets were fairly frequent visitors while for a French Presidential visit in the mid-'80s we had French AF Falcons,Nord 262 and Caravelle all parked near to where the copper-chopper and Air Ambulance now operate from
115 Sqn once held a Radar Calibration Meet including Spanish AF Falcon and Italian G222(which despite being on a GCA to Benson managed to land at Chalgrove!!!!!)
Warbirds based/lodged at Benson have included ex-Strathallan,later Kermit Weeks Mosquito,ex-John Bradshaw Hawker "Baghdad" Fury and Black 6,the Me 109G now resting at RAFM Hendon(was on the Corner for the first post-restoration flight using a grass strip aligned on r/way 06/24...aircraft hit a clump of something on take-off and nearly didn't get airborne,then while over Chalgrove was heard on the scanner to report unable to lower undercarriage.All rectified she did land safely back at Benson)...other warbirds to have been seen doing fly-bys included the BBMF on many occasions,Lindsay Waltons F4U-7 Corsair,Spencer Flacks' all-red Spitfire(often doing practise displays),M-Bs Meteor(WL419 in those days)
Displays....for a few years late'80s/early '90s Benson held a Charity Fete event the first of which co-incided with Brize Norton and Halton Open Days so the likes of Vulcan,Nimrod,Galaxy etc used Benson as a hold while in later years the Fete attracted the likes of (East) German An-26,a pair of Canadian Hornets and a trio of Canadian Kiowas among others
Then there were the deployments of USAF ANG C130s...eight aircraft each deployments from Georgia,Ohio,California ANGs..........

O HAPPY DAYS..........& I'm sure I've missed some,so come on guys,what memories(tales) of RAF Benson do you have(would love to see some photos too,but should they be on another thread on another section of this parish???)

Colin

[sisemen]

I would love to tell all but then I'd have to kill you ..... or me.

Just one little gem though ...... there were plenty of hares which was great for the Sporting Gun Club.

[smithoag]

Cheers mate...yeah,remember seeing the hares all over the airfield

My brother was a civvie contractor on BCU at about that time and I recall him saying there was a big problem with birds(esp lapwings IIRC) on/near the runway and approach/climb-out lanes
Colin

[Thud_and_Blunder]

As a 5-year old (which would make it around 1959) attending my second-ever primary school at Benson, we were all allowed the day off to see President Eisenhower's arrival over the road at the airfield. Also remember a Battle of Britain Day with more white-painted V-bombers and other serious bits of kit in one place than would be found in the entire orbat today. Probably.

[gsxrww]

In the early 80's, gliding in Kirby Cadets and Ventures, and was the quickest to go solo on a Venture. Late 90's/early 00's (cant remember which year) had to declare an emergency in the Auster and landed at Benson, and became a resident for a few months. Great hospitality by all the staff and especially the ground crews. Even had an audience for the test flights before we departed.

[Warmtoast]

President Eisenhower Arrives at RAF Benson in a 216 Sqn Comet

A couple of photos taken at RAF Benson on Saturday 29th August 1959.

The occasion was when President Eisenhower was on a visit to the UK for talks with prime minister Harold Macmillian. During his visit Ike flew up to Scotland to see the Queen and rather than flying in Air Force One (or whatever it was called in those days), he was flown to Aberdeen and back by an RAF Comet of 216 Sqn.

At the time I was at RAF Abingdon awaiting my posting to 99 Sqn at RAF Lyneham and was in touch with one of my drinking friends who worked in ATC at Benson who told me that President Eisenhower was due to land at Benson to have talks with prime minister Macmillan at Chequers on his return from a visit to the queen at Balmoral and would I like to see a real live US president?

Nothing ventured nothing gained I grabbed my Rolleiflex camera, hopped on my motorcycle and drove over to Benson. Wearing uniform and with a rather large "professional" camera around my neck it was assumed I was an "official photographer" and I was ushered to the scaffolding erected for photographers and duly took my photographs.



http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/RAF%20Abingdon/Notthatone-Thisone.jpg
The 216 Sqn Comet lands at RAF Benson



http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/RAF%20Abingdon/Ike1a.jpg
The Comet pulls up in front of the dais - and look at that bulled-up shiny finish!



http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/RAF%20Abingdon/Ike-2a.jpg
...and Ike disembarks, doffing his hat as he does so.


http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/RAF%20Abingdon/IkeatBenson.jpg
Above's the itinerary as published in the press.

A visit to the National Archives at Kew and a look at 216 Squadron’s Operations Record Book for August 1959 provided the itinerary and crew details as below:

Comet XK 715
Flight No. Spec 1416

Crew:
S/Ldr P. E. Pullen
F/O J. Byrne
F/S D. Rance
F/S J. Hayley
M. Eng J. Clark
Sgt M.C. Wendler
Sgt (W) M. Wood

Routing:
27th August 1959 Lyneham — LHR 1600 - 1620
28th August 1959 LHR — Dyce (Aberdeen) 0845 - 1005
29th August 1959 Dyce — Benson 1045 - 1205
29th August 1959 Benson — Lyneham 1305 - 1400

[Commander Taco]

My dad was on squadron in Benson, flying the Argosy from 1963-1965. I remember one lovely summer afternoon standing at the bottom of the "Olde London Road" right where it ends next to the airstrip, and watching dad taxi by in an Argosy. He opened up the window and gave me and my brother a wave.

Thud and Blunder - we must have gone to primary school together for a time. There were no PMQ's available when we first arrived in Benson, and so we lived in "Corner Cottage" on the Old London Road. During that time my brother and I attended the primary school in the village. I can still remember mucking about with the Binks boys (whose dad ran the "Chicken In The Basket" on the corner) on countless little adventures.

'Taco

[esa-aardvark]

I was there circa 1948-52. Memories of sitting in the cockpits
of scrapped Spitfires (in the scrapyard off course). Also photoflares going off all night sometimes. Air displays with ejector seats demonstrated. Went to school in Ewelme,
then off to Jever (Germany), and school in Wilhelmshaven.

[PlasticCabDriver]

Is Oz still there or has PAYD finished him off?

[TheWizard]

PAYD isn't fully in yet so Oz is very much alive and thriving. Well, his wagon is at least. As for the man himself, he seems to have several stand-ins these days!:ok:

[Beancountercymru]

I recall two weeks ATC Camp in 1974 when over the middle weekend Cyprus was invaded and a WO in our mess who was Orderly Officer (?) spent most of the weekend to and from the Comcen reading signals.

Benson housed the Tactical Communications Wing (TCW) who "happened" to be in Nicosia Airport I believe, so our man was kept busy.

Our cadets nearly had to be sent home as families were being evacuated back to UK and our block might have been needed, but we stayed on.

I scrounged an afternoon on the Argosy Simulator. The guys running it let me and a mate get on with it and using the old style scenery (camera running overhead a large model) we were able to spend an hour or two pretending to do a 617 Squadron on the model lake in the scenery: "OK M for Mother , attack now".

[Wiretensioner]

Ah yes RAF Benson. Never been so happy to leave a place in my life. Arriving there made me realise it was time to leave after 30years of RAF life.

Wiretensioner

[Thud_and_Blunder]

Commander Taco,

Ta for that - we'd moved on by then. Dad (who'd been 2i/c on TCEU) went off to Tangmere to do his Russian language course in 1962.

I've been back since - once to attend a christening and once as a floater pilot on the HEMS unit based there. Apart from the MQs all having street numbers now (ours was just '40 OMQ' when we lived there) and the trees having grown exponentially, it was just as I remembered.

[sisemen]

Never been so happy to leave a place in my life

...and that would be when? Hopefully I didn't have a part to play with your disenchantment. :}

[Two's in]

Warmtoast - isn't it weird how the front shot of that vintage 1959 Jet looks just like the brand new MRA4?

[Marbles]

I wasn't there in 1948, but my parents were there for the Air Show. He took some photos, and I have posted them on: Benson Air Display - 18 Sepember 1948 (http://www.deadrock.co.uk/benson/benson01.htm).

He had a rather privileged seat.

[Could be the last?]

Was that a memorial of some kind in front of the ATC tower? More or less where the feds fly from now.

[Marbles]

Looking at an enlarged scan of the photos, I still can't make out the function of the mound in front of the control tower. It could be a bomb-shelter, but the brick structure doesn't look right, unless the earth mound under which these things were normally buried has become worn away. It looks as though long grass has been allowed to grow on the top of the edifice. In between the mound and the edge of the airfield is a set of markings like a giant smiley which I assume was the Station identification. In front of the mound a row of folding chairs is laid out with the ends turned in, but no-one is sitting on them.

Have a look for yourself. Someone must know the answer:
http://www.deadrock.co.uk/benson/benson0104sm.jpg

I also remember looking at the ORB for Benson for V-E Day 1945 a few years back. Apparently during the celebrations that night a substantial proportion of the camp's transport was hijacked and raced around the airfield. Whether any damage was done I can't remember. For V-J Day a few months later someone had the presence of mind to immediately order that anything and everything possessing wheels should be rounded up. The whole lot was corralled under guard in the centre of the airfield to prevent mischief.

[Onceacaptain]

I was an RAAF exchange officer with 267 Squadron ( Argosy) 1966-68.

I have very fond memories of the Base, the local area and all those I served with. While the aircraft was "different" the flying was great.

I have been back for a visit but it was not quite the same.

[David Billings]

Would you then be "Cobber" Edwards, whose trips to the simulator were characterised by "Aborts" caused by miniature kangaroos being stuck on the runway of the rolling map ?!?!:}

DB - Ex F/E 267 Sqdn.....

[sisemen]

Have a 1947 and a 1991 aerial pic of Benson. Both pics show the peculiar dot dash marking (although the 91 version is hard to see). If you also have a look at Google Earth you can still see the vestiges of the 2 dots and the top of the dash.

The only explanation I can come up with the small building behind is an air raid shelter or a blast screen. No trace of the building remains now as a concrete hardstanding now covers the site. It does show up on the 47 pic though.

[aviate1138]

I was stationed there in 1960/1 as a National Service type Junior Tech [Ground Wireless] and spent most of my time in the Glideslope hut surrounded by hares and leverets and plovers nests. A good place to watch the active runway and see such excitement as a Swift taking off [with lots of airframe and engine mechs watching with fingers crossed as reheat was engaged] and the Swift avoided splashing into the watercress beds at Ewelme as others had done in the past. There was a Ferry Flight there because we had quite a few Swifts, Hunters, Javelins, Meteor NFs and Lightnings staging through to various overseas airfields. The Argosy was going to be taking residence [shortly after I left] and Queens Flight were always bulling their aircraft late at night. I remember them polishing a Dakota until it shone like a silver dollar as it had to transport Her Maj and Consort when in Nepal in 1960.

One of my duties was to keep the ILS in good shape and we had quite a battle with Queens Flight pilots who complained the ILS was badly maintained. In the end it turned out to be a huge deposit of ironstone in a farmers field on the hill behind the approach which was somehow 'bending' the beam.
Watton sent a Signals Varsity to check and I was shown how close the Varsity came to the field while the pilot kept the two needles glued to their required position. We did about four approaches and for me it was great to be airborne with those Hercules engines throbbing away. Not long afterwards the latest [Plessey?] ILS set up was fitted to keep Queens Flight happy. Air Commodore Fielden was the Big Boss.
We had two Meteor T7s for local desk types to keep their currency and some of these guys were a bit rusty and whenever a 'Meatbox' was doing a flying pay flight the edge of the airfield would have plenty of spectators ready for a dramatic 'event'. Only once, when a T7 undercarriage refused to lower and the pilot did such a soft landing on the grass that the T7 was back in the air within a month. Just the underside of each nacelle was 'kissed'.
A Lightning on an engine run had a WAAF driven 3 Tonner blown over as she stupidly ignored the sign to avoid the Lightnings rear end and she was lucky not to be badly injured.

For me the best moment was when sheltering in the Glideslope hut and listening to the approach frequency I heard a Vulcan call up for an ILS approach. Outside it was raining buckets from a huge CuNim and as the sun was setting and the resultant light very pink, the runway very wet, the sight of the pink/white Vulcan emerging from a wall of pink water and
then briefly touching down and suddenly those Olympus engines blasting the spray in all directions, the hut vibrating and my chest doing likewise and mighty Tin Triangle hurling itself over the setting sun was just the most amazing sight and one I will never, ever forget.
Our outer marker was sited at Martin Bakers airfield at Chalgrove. The perimeter track was also used by British Leyland to test the then new Mini and 1100s. I remember an F-100 Super Sabre being tested and also many low level Two Seat Hunter flybys.

Bring back National Service I say!

[zetec2]

Varsity's had Bristol Hercules (not Centaurus) sorry to nit pick, PH.

[Onceacaptain]

"Cobber Edwards" not I.

While I have fond memories of the high tech roller board I wish I had been that smart.

I was part of a threesome - Captain, every girls version of Tab Hunter - Navigator, a cousin to Ned Kelly and myself a bi-metaled Vietnam Veteran who became a Captain.

Great memories of flying with Master Engineer "Knocker" Knowles

[aviate1138]

Senior moment! Hercules Doh! Thanks - corrected now.

[David Billings]

Ah, "Knocker", I remember him well. I did a Caribbean Trainer with Knocker as it was his "swan song".

When well on the way... one side of Knocker's face would fall asleep while the other side would insist on speaking in a sort of strangled slurry !!

Two bottles of "Orange Squash", innocently ordered from the Line Supplier in the Bahamas (who had a three wheeled bicycle with a basket full of booze) ... suddenly turned into two bottles of Cutty Sark "Scwotch"... which Knocker promptly hid in the Accessories Bay behind the Flight Deck.

We got stuck in Barbados for about a week with very rapid Hydraulic Cycling and Knocker formed a friendly association with a lady from Vancouver Island B.C., and he claimed his "cycling" was almost as rapid as the Wheelbarrows Hydraulic system... It was one hell of a trip all the way around and when they arrived in Barbados with big smiles on their faces, the beers were on the Hercules rescue crew !

I can see Knocker now, sitting on his bed in the Royal Caribbean Hotel in Barbados after our foray into "Harry's Nitery" (the theme song there was "Stick your finger in !!!"), glass of Scotch in hand, extolling the praises of the lady from B.C. with one side of his face frozen. Henrietta thought Knocker was unique as did we all.

Knocker bought a Hardware Shop in the Midlands somewhere (might have been Crewe). He was 55 in 1969 so he would be 95 now if still "flying".
He was a pleasure to be with.

Those were the days....

DB

[Wander00]

Spent happy fortnight with 114 Sqn in 1965 (self arranged visit, the Towers course showed you everything but the RAF). memories of SEAC packs at Watchfield, MSPs going out the back and the crew lending me a loadie's flying suit so I could attend on the Towers Junior Entries returning from King Rock in Germany - got some VERY funny looks. Years later, like 30 odd, when I was at the Royal Lymington a guy came round flogging gismos to put on gas and water pies to reduce usage and save money (no I did not buy it either); turned out he was the captain I had done most of my 114 flying with. Sorry, name won't come

[rolling20]

Spent a very happy 3 weeks there in the summer of 82. Lovely place, you can't beat an RAF airfield on a fine summer morning, the smell of fresh grass and aviation fuel was a heady mix. I wasn't too impressed at being told off by the NCO in the guardhouse for not returning the key to the gym ontime, I had left it in my flying suit. I did however perfect my Staish salute, as he seemed to be everywhere in his Austin 1800.

[Dundiggin']

I'd forgotten all about Oz and his wagon. Just the job after night flying. I was at Benson several times and latterly as the first full time Reservist Crewman in the mob to be offered a 10 year contract. Years' ago, I did the Wessex course with 60 Sqn (WCU?)during which we had a pilot who had been working the Nigerian oil fields for sometime in a Wessex, so he thought he was a highly experienced Wessex operator until he got to 60 Sqn! The poor bloke was barely cracking it the 'RAF way'and had taken lots of criticism, so off we went, me in LHS night flying outbound on Route 4 (towards the Didcot direction IIRC) and he was fiddling about with the overhead panel trying to sort the Decca out. 'I'll do that for you' I said, but he was rapidly losing his rag. He couldn't see anything because he was wearing his civvy specs and hadn't got the 3 lens aircrew specs which were in their infancy. 'Boll@x to this' he said, 'We are going back I've had enough of this f@cking place'. Sure enough, we shutdown on the pan and he VW'd from the course and hasn't been seen since...sad really...

[oldmansquipper]

I remember looking out of the squippery window and watching a whistling t*t cartwheel down the runway after some sort of aircrew switchery pigs (allegedly). It conveniently ended up next to Passey`s? yard (IIRC) so close he only had to bring his crane up to his back fence to lift the scrap over.......

Must have been 70 or 71 time. I liked Benson and the Argonuts.

[JW411]

I remember it well. XP441 on 04.06.70. In fact, Passey's chain link fence stopped one of the detached engines from ending up in the village. It was a beautiful day and I was inbound from Wildenrath in XN850 when London ATC called us to say that we might have to divert due to a lack of fire cover at Benson. I remarked to my co-pilot that on such a nice day perhaps the only reason for that would be if there had been a prang? We thought about that for a couple of minutes and came up with a name. We were right. I've never forgotten it. Luckily, no one got hurt.

[huge72]

I did 2 tours at Benson, my first in 1981 on 72Sqn when we departed Odiham prior to the Squadron moving on to Aldergrove and second on 60Sqn in 1992/95. It has to be the happiest and most helpful Station I served on in all of my career. It was like living in a small village, everybody knew each other and got on. I have some very happy memories including meeting my wife when I was CMC of the Sgts Mess and as we are about to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary it must have worked. By the way Dundiggin I guess we must know each other though I cannot place the ex Civvie Pilot?

[superplum]

One tour (66-68). I remember getting a b0llocking from the SWO because I had driven to work and onto camp with my uniform jacket (battledress) unbuttoned.
:eek:

[taxydual]

I had a cracking time at Benson in the late '70's. The Shepherds Hut, The Farmers Man etc etc Many a jolly jape.

One in particular. The Oxford Mail were reporting big time about the closing of Oxford Jail. Gripes about overcrowding, Victorian accommodation and so on.

Coincidentally, the chain link fencing around the airfield was being replaced.

Self and pal, drinking in the bar at The Shepherds Hut were asked about the fencing renewal. We couldn't resist. "All because of Oxford nick being closed. Lock, stock and barrel of the prisoners are being transferred to Benson as it's being run down". we responded.

The locals went ballistic. Letters to MP's, questions to the Home Secretary, letters to MoD.

Whoops. We had to drink in the Skinny Dog until the uproar quietened down.

Happy Days.

[VX275]

Anyone here remember the 'day' TQF did Gate Guard?

[Michael Prendergast]

The structure surrounded by Earth in front of the 1939 watch tower (later Customs building) is a machine gun emplacement. Many airfields had them just in case of invasion of enemy parachutist.

[Michael Prendergast]

Hello, I am Michael Prendergast, I am the volunteer who looks after RAF Benson's historical items and wondered if there was a chance of getting a copy of the three photos. We have another three after he had landed but not his actual arrival.

[teeteringhead]

Very much enjoyed our brief time at Benson in '81, same time as Huge 72's first when 72 Sqn were doing their "happy wanderer" year (3 Stations in about 6 months!!)

Certainly our best MQ - until our last (ahem ;)) - was at Benson: a 4 bed semi with gas cooking and gas CH! A wonder having moved from Shawbs with the dreaded "Tardis" storage heaters, which expensively heated one room until about 1000 when they ran out.

9 Baker Avenue it was ....... probably conceived the younger Teeterette there - she's 36 this year!

Benson nicely placed between Oxford and London, both places I had connexions with....

And we were in the quarter for about 5 months! :{

[zetec2]

Going back even further remembering the Attackers, Sea Fury's and assorted Seafires in the mid 50's, used to cycle out from Oxford to watch, then go over to Culham to watch similar there, Benson had the last surviving Firebrand and Sturgeon parked outside the bottom hangar (never saw them fly), along with a York near the scrap yard, which was full of Harvards, used to sneek in and sit in the cockpits,Kings/Queens Flight had the Valetta then, polished silver, little did I know then that in back end of 1961 I would end up there on the Argosy before heading to K/Sar with 105 in early 62, oh joy.