Abingdon

[Neil Porter]

Hi all, haven't posted on here for ages but any tales from RAF days would be nice to hear (& if allowed by the poster, to copy off and put in our archive book of the old days! - but please let me know via a PM).

Also, any photos / tales from past BofB Airshows etc would be welcome.

The airfield today is still very much active, RAF Benson still using the airfield for Helo's (Merlin / Puma) during the weekdays frequently, and resident 612VGS at weekends mainly,aswell as the odd Apache etc.

The airfield itself is still in reasonable shape, and we meet quite a number of ex RAF guys / women who were stationed at Abingdon over the years at our annual airshow held early May which that has grown somewhat. we have via our website a Facebook page to which we are going to start adding some photos from the past.

Two questions: I hear rumours when the C130 move to Brize, that a few C130s may end up at Abingdon for storage due to possible lack of space at Brize..???

Does anybody have any recollections of the display team (possibly 'Green March', or Royal Jordanian Falcons prior to an Air Tattoo at Abbo(?) mid 80s, of a Lightning attending a POW renunion 87ish? And of the multiple Hawk detachment for a flypast mid 80s?

Thanks for reading

[Truck2005]

Don't know about the questions but Abingdon had that feeling of going back in time. I was there when we took the Buccaneer Major there from St. Athan. It was like a time shift. You could almost expect Nigger the dog to appear, expecting the dambusters to appear any minute.

The airtest of the Bucc scarred the living daylights out of Nodds Hill as squadron pilots air tested the aircraft instead of the resident test pilot. Very low under the VC10 tails and then over Nobbs was quite a sight. Shame OCOps took a dislike to that:-(

[BEagle]

In 1973, just before I drove up to Cranwell to start IOT with 14GE, I had a most enjoyable Summer Camp at RAF Abingdon, just after ULAS had been told to leave our happy little site at White Waltham.

"Well, at least we'll be OK here, chaps!" said the Boss, "They'll never close Abingdon...."

19 years later, 26 Jun 1992 and, as a Bulldog QFI, I flew the last ULAS trip from RAF Abingdon before the Army took over and, as they always seem to do, ruined the place by building on RW26 and ostructing the taxiways.

Why does the RAF always have to hand over its better places to others....Abingdon, Thorney Island, Chivenor etc etc

[Warmtoast]

"Any photos / tales from past B of B Airshows etc would be welcome

Abingdon Families Day air display 29 August 1959. 111 Sqn Hunter display team.

I was stationed at Abingdon in 1959 and have other photos taken whilst I was there, including of Brigitte Bardot when when scenes for the film "Babette Goes to War" were shot at Abingdon.

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/RAF%20Abingdon/AbingdonHunter2RAFAbingdonFamiliesD.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/RAF%20Abingdon/AbingdonHunter3RAFAbingdonFamiliesD.jpg


http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/RAF%20Abingdon/HunteratAbingdonFamiliesDay1959.jpg

[larssnowpharter]

'Held' at Abingdon in the early 70s. BEagles time, I think. All a bit of a haze now.

JATE Albert dropping stuff that skidded and bounced across the airfield nearly taking out the UK MAMS HQ.

Nurses at various places in Oxford including one with retractable nipples. "Two greens!"

Foggy and a certain Princess of the Realm and votes at the General Mess Committee that were emabarassing to the CO. (Something to do with porcelain for the 'Love Shack')

The Polish guy in stores who let me fly the RAFSPA Rapide.

Air Day when a flight of USAF F4s did a neat display over Didcot.

Sunday at the bar and the afternoon racing IIRCI an ex works Healy 3000, MGA twin cam and a Tiger roud the peritrack.

Warnings to mess members concerning behaviour when another lady was a guest of the mess.

Great station! I think.

[betty swallox]

Beagle,
I think Kinloss has had enough "poor journalistic" comments elsewhere. Why give it a bashing again? Most up here are very fond of the place. Give us a rest...

[BEagle]

Fair enough - post amended.

Sorry - I wnet back to Abingdon not long after the Army had taken over and was outraged to see what they'd done to the place.....

[Roadster280]

Thank you.

Part of the issue is that the RAF moved from operating comparatively simple machines (ie piston engined, mechanically controlled) aircraft to enormously complex and expensive ones in the space of only 10-20 years directly after the war. More stations or better aircraft?

When the RAF elects the obvious choice, (or it is elected for them), the Army or RM get the opportunity to take over the camp. Mostly not needing the airfield, the Army gets a 1930s build camp with some very large sheds for vehicles and stores. Often, these are already on their way to decay. I remember about 18 years ago, I was on an exercise in the Catterick area. One of the exercise locations was in a C-Type hangar at Dishforth, which had itself relatively recently been taken over by the AAC. It was in absolute rag order. Unlike the one directly adjacent, where the Lynxes and Gazelles were put to bed. I've no idea what it's like now, I suspect demolished or renovated.

Some stations retain their airfield though (Dishforth, Topcliffe, Wattisham, Gutersloh, Colerne, Tern Hill etc), while others are repurposed (Leconfield, Thorney Island, Brawdy etc). Still could be worse, they could end up like West Malling or Tangmere. Basically houses. Or worse still, just derelict (Driffield, Watton etc).

[27mm]

Spent a very pleasant few months in '74 holding at Abingdon on 6 AEF, whilst waiting for an OCU course. Ken Knott was the boss, a scholar and a gentleman of the first water. Great flying (2 trips a day), a clientele composed of fascinating RAF and RAFVR characters and one of the most handsome messes in the service.

[Neil Porter]

A few images from the regular flyers that use Abingdon today ..

Puma
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp293/Oldtower72/IMG_4158.jpg

Merlin
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp293/Oldtower72/IMG_3869.jpg

And heres a few from its past;

Last Jag to leave under the UTP S/L Mike Lawrance - Feb 92
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp293/Oldtower72/lastjag020.jpg

One of the last Buccaneers to leave - Feb 92
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp293/Oldtower72/bucc016.jpg

Following the BBMF Lancaster in, taken from a USAF Minnesota ANG C130 , one of a number on det in 89.
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp293/Oldtower72/LANC010.jpg

One from our annual air & country show - 2005, Polish Navy M28 Bryza
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp293/Oldtower72/FORNEIL.jpg

An aerial pic from the 2009 air & country show
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp293/Oldtower72/NM1I7363.jpg

And the 2008 display Hawk after the 2008 air & country show
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp293/Oldtower72/IMG_4810.jpg

[Warmtoast]

27mm

and one of the most handsome messes in the service

...and in 1959 probably one of the snootist. So much so that they refused to allow Brigitte Bardot dressed probably not to Officer's Mess standards, to have a drink in their Mess. However the Sergeant's Mess obliged as seen in this contemporary press cutting of her drinking in the Sergeant's mess:


http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/RAF%20Abingdon/BabetteGoestoWar-PressCuttings5_393.jpg

[Finningley Boy]

My new book "The Royal Air Force At Home" contains details of participation at some of the Abingdon Battle of Britain "At Homes" among others. Including 1965!:ok:

FB

[glad rag]

Nice shots and info , thanks for sharing.

[Neil Porter]

Czech TU154 landing after the donated Czech Mig 21 arrived.. a week prior to the 1990 BofB airshow
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp293/Oldtower72/TU154021.jpg

Sequence showing a Jag outside F hangar prior to being towed to the Engine test house on the western side - December 1988.

http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp293/Oldtower72/jag1005.jpg
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp293/Oldtower72/jag3007.jpg
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp293/Oldtower72/jag4008.jpg
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp293/Oldtower72/jag5009.jpg

RAF Merlins new side door gunner - at our 2008 Air & Country Show!
http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp293/Oldtower72/IMG_4644.jpg

[Alber Ratman]

The Jag v Jag race of 1990.. Martin Brundle raced his TWR Le Mans winning XJR-12 against a GR1A off a starting start 1 mile race.. The car won. I've got some decent piccies of the car aand aircraft pre race.. However I didn't have enough film to get photos of the race (because nobody knew about it until that morning!) Will try and dig them up..

[Neil Porter]

Heres one taken in 1992, of the remainder of staff from both Supply Sqn and MT section, before they all dissapeared to other stations etc to oversee the final months under RAF control.

http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp293/Oldtower72/scan0002.jpg

[NickB]

Are the 2 WRAF's sitting in the front row leaking oil? ;)

[smithoag]

Does anybody have any recollections of the display team (possibly 'Green March', or Royal Jordanian Falcons prior to an Air Tattoo at Abbo(?) mid 80s


Neil

IIRC these were the Chilean AF "Los Halcones" team of Pitts bi-planes which were air-freighted in to Abbo by Chilean AF Herc and re-assembled and flown from there to Fairford

Looking forward to planning the next Abingdon Air 7 Country Charity Show next May

Colin

Abingdon Air & Country Show 2011 (http://www.abingdonfayre.com)

[Not a Crew Chief]

My first posting in1972 after 2 years at Trenchard's training establishment. My second choice after Brize but quite pleased as in those days I was into sport para and could hitch a ride (no car) to Weston in the Rapide. Seem to remember the pilot as Jerry Shelong but probably something unpronouncable, and thought he was Czech, but it was a lifetime ago.
Remember ULAS arriving and managed to blag a couple of flights on the JATE Herc. The only actual flying units.
2 1/2 very happy years servicing Belfasts before moving to Brize on their demise.Remember well the 9 flight AOCs parades,Battle of Britain at Home days, and the return of Tutankhamen(sp) - or was it the decoy?
Great camp and great people.

[Neil Porter]

Hi all, Happy New Year!

Well have rec'd some photos from Abbo's past so thank you for this, we have an offshoot website from our main Air & Country Show website which wil be up & running soon, and i would like to add pics from its past.
So, am looking for pictures from: No.1 AMS (Jags either inside F Hangar, or outside on test, 2AMS - same thing but with Hawks, Buccaneers in D hangar, RSS,AS&TF , JATE, 1 PTS, No.1 Overseas Ferry Unit, Airdays, AOC parades, Ab Town march thru's & any aerial pics from over the years over the airfield or specific building pics (like a ****, i photographed most of the buildings for archive purposes in the RAF / Army handover in late 92, to any loose the roll of film - Doh!) - all of course will be credited to the owner.. so please send them to me as soon as you can. Please either pm me for my email or to neil_porter at hotmail dot com
I am also looking at doing something within Ab Town museum to have a permanent display of the RAF s past in their too..

Look forward to hearing from you.. oh and the 2011 show is advancing:ok: well

[moggiee]

In the late 70s I went to Abingdon's airshow and vividly recall the chap displaying an autogyro crashing it I don't know if it was Wg Cdr Wallis). He wasn't badly hurt but of course for someone aged 12-13ish, seeing a crash made my day!

[Warmtoast]

Neil


So, am looking for pictures from: No.1 AMS (Jags either inside F Hangar, or outside on test, 2AMS - same thing but with Hawks, Buccaneers in D hangar, RSS,AS&TF , JATE, 1 PTS, No.1 Overseas Ferry Unit, Airdays, AOC parades, Ab Town march thru's & any aerial pics from over the years over the airfield or specific building pics (like a ****, i photographed most of the buildings for archive purposes in the RAF / Army handover in late 92, to any loose the roll of film - Doh!) - all of course will be credited to the owner..

Some more from my album in addition to those above, All date from summer 1959.

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/RAF%20Abingdon/Abingdon-BeverlyLanding_1280x853.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/RAF%20Abingdon/Abingdon-BeverlyTake-off_1200x800.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/RAF%20Abingdon/AbingdonHastingsLanding_1200x800.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/RAF%20Abingdon/1PTSAbingdon2.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/RAF%20Abingdon/1PTSAbingdon1a.jpg

And Brigitte Bardot stars in the film "Babette Goes to War" some scenes from the film were shot at RAF Abingdon in 1959.


http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/RAF%20Abingdon/BabetteGoestoWar-BrigitteBardotinATSUniform.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/RAF%20Abingdon/BabetteGoestoWar-BrigitteBardotParachuteExit.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/RAF%20Abingdon/BabetteGoestoWar-BrigitteBardotinparachuteharness2.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/RAF%20Abingdon/BabetteGoestoWar-BrigitteBardotParachuteLanding2.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/RAF%20Abingdon/BabetteGoestoWar-PressCuttings3_588x600.jpg

Here she is out of her parachute kit for publicity shots taken in London at the time.

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/RAF%20Abingdon/BabetteGoestoWar-BrigitteBardotinLondon1959-2.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/RAF%20Abingdon/BabetteGoestoWar-BrigitteBardotinLondon1959.jpg

[Warmtoast]

A couple more photos from my 1959 album:

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/RAF%20Abingdon/AbingdonILS1959.jpg

An ILS was installed at Abingdon in the summer of 1959. This shows the team from the Radio Engineering Unit (REU) at RAF Henlow who installed the new facility. Also with the team but not shown here was a civilian technician from the manufacturers (Standard Telephones and Cables).

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/RAF%20Abingdon/AbingdonBarrackBlockLarge.jpg

The interior of one of the airmen's barrack blocks.

[4mastacker]

Warmtoast, thanks for reminding me of the accomodation I was in when I done my movers course in late 1967. The "secret" was to occupy the bed two down from the stove as the occupant nearest was responsible for keeping the damn thing burning. If the fire went out, that yellow wax floor polish was pretty good at getting the blaze going again!

After I finished my course, my boss sent me back - "Because I knew where Abingdon was" - to 'assist' with the preparations for the RAF's 50th celebrations; including painting the *****ing coal yard!!

[SMOKEON]

Regarding your post #22, the young lady pictured in the last two photographs is most certainly not Brigitte Bardot.
smokeon

[Warmtoast]

SMOKEON


Regarding your post #22, the young lady pictured in the last two photographs is most certainly not Brigitte Bardot.
smokeon


You are wrong. It most certainly IS Brigitte Bartdot.

Another photo taken in London at the same time (April 1959) when she posed with her co-star in the film and soon husband-to-be Jacques Charrier. Same hair style, similar suit, bunch of flowers etc

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/RAF%20Abingdon/BabetteGoestoWar-BrigitteBardotinLondon1959-AtPressConferencewithfuturehusbandJACQUESCHARRIER.jpg

[SMOKEON]

Agreed,the hairstyle is the same, but I say again, it is not BB. Facial characteristics are quite different, and she is considerably heavier than BB. The suit is nothing like the one in the photograph.
smokeon

[Warmtoast]

Smokeon


But I say again, it is not BB. Facial characteristics are quite different, and she is considerably heavier than BB


See here:

Brigette Bardot 1959 in London Photographic Print - AllPosters.co.uk (http://www.allposters.co.uk/gallery.asp?startat=/getposter.asp&APNum=4077222&CID=4AA820B153F243A48BBABEB7108B24D3&PPID=1&Search=Brigitte) Bardot London&f=t&FindID=0&P=1&PP=9&sortby=PD&c=c&page=1

[SMOKEON]

I would suggest that the London Photographic Print Co.should confirm the provenance of the so called "BB" photograph. Far too much thread drift and waste of bandwith here I am afraid, let us just agree to differ.
smokeon

[Neil Porter]

Warmtoast - smashing photos, ILS piccy is interesting, that building still survives today.
The old Control Tower in the NW corner is possibly being bulldozed due to the vandalism over the years since approx 1999 - up until then after the RAF vacated in 92, the building was good, and the electricity / air conditioning was re-instated i think for the 2 weeks 'Roaring Lion' exercise involving 15 plus C130 & used for other uses.
Tis a shame, structurally i believe it is fine, its just the insides and the most of the windows that have been buggered! Waste of a good building.

[BEagle]

Tis a shame, structurally I believe it is fine, it's just the insides and the most of the windows that have been buggered! Waste of a good building.

One could say the same about the entire aerodrome...

Waste of an excellent aerodrome to use it as some pongo lorry park.

Drove past the place on Honeybottom Lane the other day - sad to see the state of the tower and just a few Vigilants flying. But thank heavens that at least the Air Cadets are still using this excellent, historic aerodrome.

When ULAS moved from White Waltham to Abingdon in 1973, I recall our boss at the time saying "Well, at least they'll never close this place down!".

Sadly he was wrong......:uhoh:

[Neil Porter]

Drove past the place on Honeybottom Lane the other day - sad to see the state of the tower and just a few Vigilants flying. But thank heavens that at least the Air Cadets are still using this excellent, historic aerodrome.


Don't forget the Benson helo's have been using the place since the RAF pulled fulltime out as a training area for them, odd Apaches & the good old Wokkas too amongst others. AVM (?) John Allisons son flies an Extra 300 from there. There is now limited maintenance ongoing and we have done an awful lot too in helping with the upkeep of the runways & general site repairs in consultation with the barracks /DE etc, of course our interest in being the annual Airshow / Country Show we put on each May.. which has seen types from Microlights to the C17 operate over the years ;).. with regular inspections of the airfield now.

As you say Beags a waste really...... Brize bung some of your C130s here!!!!!!!

[Neil Porter]

Chaps & chapesses - i have now permission from Abingdon Town Council to compile an RAF Abingdon archive section which will be permanent feature as i think its important to recognise the value of its past.

The Town Hall is currently undergoing works but will re-open in April - May 2012, but i have been asked to put together the info and carefully selecting past images of its RAF past as soon as possible for possible viewing pre- opening!

So any old photos please email me at: [email protected] together with a brief description and copyright name.

Many thanks