RAF Bridlington in the 50s/60s?
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RAF Bridlington in the 50s/60s?
Hi,
I am looking for any information on what RAF Bridlington was used for. My Father (who died just before Christmas) served there, and I am interested to find out a bit about what he did during his 27 year career.....
Thanks,
I am looking for any information on what RAF Bridlington was used for. My Father (who died just before Christmas) served there, and I am interested to find out a bit about what he did during his 27 year career.....
Thanks,
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AFAIK, it was an RAF "Motorboat" base. I remember having a "Trip 'round the Harbour" in 1962, whilst in the ATC. Iwas also "Detatched" there in 1968 as part of the radar trials at RAF Staxton Wold[sp?]. I was also co-erced into being a linesman there...although I knew nowt about "football", still don't, 'cos I'm a Man City fan.....
Hope this helps
watp,iktch
Hope this helps
watp,iktch
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I think you will find that an Air Sea Rescue Launch was based at Bridlington.
Their shore based HQ would probably have been called RAF Bridlington.
I remember seeing the launch as a small boy around 1957.It stood out as the most glamorous boat in the harbour. I thought what a terrific job it would be to sail as part of the crew.By the time I actually joined the RAF there were no vacancies in the marine branch.
Their shore based HQ would probably have been called RAF Bridlington.
I remember seeing the launch as a small boy around 1957.It stood out as the most glamorous boat in the harbour. I thought what a terrific job it would be to sail as part of the crew.By the time I actually joined the RAF there were no vacancies in the marine branch.
http://www.ba-education.demon.co.uk/...idlington.html
Lawrance of Arabia served there as per link above.
Note there was also an airfield at Carnaby (now an industrial estate), which is very near Bridlington. This was host to several Thor nuclear missiles for a few years in the 50s.
Lawrance of Arabia served there as per link above.
Note there was also an airfield at Carnaby (now an industrial estate), which is very near Bridlington. This was host to several Thor nuclear missiles for a few years in the 50s.
Hi Fugazi, there has been some interest in Bridlington and surrounding area, including as it does Flamborough Head and the FIDO equipped Emergency Landing Field at RAF Carnaby, on another thread re a Bomber Command Memorial site.
A particular tale of heroism concerning 1104 Marine Craft Unit, RAF Bridlington is at:
http://www.geocities.com/aj_p_joyce/Bridtrad.html
while info re FIDO and RAF Carnaby is at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fog_Inv...peration_(FIDO)
Both units had one aim, saving the lives of aircrew in crippled aircraft that either ditched or force landed.
A particular tale of heroism concerning 1104 Marine Craft Unit, RAF Bridlington is at:
http://www.geocities.com/aj_p_joyce/Bridtrad.html
while info re FIDO and RAF Carnaby is at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fog_Inv...peration_(FIDO)
Both units had one aim, saving the lives of aircrew in crippled aircraft that either ditched or force landed.
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Excellent - keep them coming Guys... 
I knew he was on a boat of some sort, but for some reason had thought it to do with 'ground' (sea) support for aircraft using bombing ranges. I didn't realise that the RAF operated a RNLI type service.
He was there in at least 61 and 62 so may have been with you on the harbour trip Chiglet!
Apparently some of the training involved a helicopter dropping people into the water and everybody would have to swim back to shore as a 'sink or swim' endurance test. I'm not sure how true that is..... I know he never chose to swim recreationally in later life!
I knew he was on a boat of some sort, but for some reason had thought it to do with 'ground' (sea) support for aircraft using bombing ranges. I didn't realise that the RAF operated a RNLI type service.
He was there in at least 61 and 62 so may have been with you on the harbour trip Chiglet!
Apparently some of the training involved a helicopter dropping people into the water and everybody would have to swim back to shore as a 'sink or swim' endurance test. I'm not sure how true that is..... I know he never chose to swim recreationally in later life!
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RAF Bridlington
My now deceased Father in Law served on 1104 MCU in the early 1930s and met and married my wife's mother while based there. He was there during the time of A/C Shaw and the family still has a photo of Shaw with his motorcycle in their back yard.
The primarly reason the MCU was based at Brid initially, was not ASR, but they were equipped with armoured launches which were bombed by a/c operating from Catfoss.
During WW2, ASR duties were added. Post WW2, in addition to its continued commitment to ASR duties, it was responsible for patrolling off shore at Skipsea to keep fishing boats clear of the firing range on the cliff top. At that time, my Dad worked at the range and, during school holidays, I would accompany him to watch the gunnery and rocket firing from aircraft usually coming from Leconfield. Later, in the 1950s, as a member of the ROC at Brid, I was often invited by the lads at the MCU to go on patrol with them. The unit also worked closely with the local RNLI in rescuing civilians.
The unit had a quite large hangar with a big boat ramp. The hangar was subsequently converted to a small hotel. During WW2, the HQ was located in what is now the Royal Yorkshire Yacht Club's facilities overlooking the harbour and most airmen were billeted in a boarding house next door on Windsor Crescent.
The primarly reason the MCU was based at Brid initially, was not ASR, but they were equipped with armoured launches which were bombed by a/c operating from Catfoss.
During WW2, ASR duties were added. Post WW2, in addition to its continued commitment to ASR duties, it was responsible for patrolling off shore at Skipsea to keep fishing boats clear of the firing range on the cliff top. At that time, my Dad worked at the range and, during school holidays, I would accompany him to watch the gunnery and rocket firing from aircraft usually coming from Leconfield. Later, in the 1950s, as a member of the ROC at Brid, I was often invited by the lads at the MCU to go on patrol with them. The unit also worked closely with the local RNLI in rescuing civilians.
The unit had a quite large hangar with a big boat ramp. The hangar was subsequently converted to a small hotel. During WW2, the HQ was located in what is now the Royal Yorkshire Yacht Club's facilities overlooking the harbour and most airmen were billeted in a boarding house next door on Windsor Crescent.
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I spent some of my early years in the town so the stories of RAF Bridlington were told to me back then.
A couple of pictures for you. These are not my pics so it's probably best that you visit the site rather than me reproduce them here!
This shows the yacht club building:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/moxette/243836241/
And this one shows, towards the right, a red brick building which stands where the old RAF shed used to. The shed went in the 1980s I think:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fizzyimaging/355782942/
A couple of pictures for you. These are not my pics so it's probably best that you visit the site rather than me reproduce them here!
This shows the yacht club building:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/moxette/243836241/
And this one shows, towards the right, a red brick building which stands where the old RAF shed used to. The shed went in the 1980s I think:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fizzyimaging/355782942/
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RAF Bridlington.
I was at Leconfield with the helicopter resque squadron (228) in 1960 and we used to use the Bridlington launch for wet winching.
We lost a Whirlwind (S-55) which had an engine failure while hovering over the boat. The helicopter went in alongside the boat and the crew were immediatly picked up. At least one of them never got wet.
The Marine Craft unit guys lived in a house on the sea front and we used to stay there at weekends whilst sampling the local fare!!
So I would say that your dad had something to do with boats while he was in the RAF.
Happy days.
Speedbird 48.
We lost a Whirlwind (S-55) which had an engine failure while hovering over the boat. The helicopter went in alongside the boat and the crew were immediatly picked up. At least one of them never got wet.
The Marine Craft unit guys lived in a house on the sea front and we used to stay there at weekends whilst sampling the local fare!!
So I would say that your dad had something to do with boats while he was in the RAF.
Happy days.
Speedbird 48.
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Another connection between the RAF and Brid was that during WW2, the town was home to an Initial Training Wing where aircrew cadets learned to march and did lots of PT on the sea front and went to classes in the Spa Royal Hall. They were accomodated in requisitioned boarding houses and hotels. Permanent staff were billeted in boarding houses; my grandmother had several clerical staff WAAFs plus some NCO instructors in her establishment. The HQ was located in the Brentwood Hotel.
Another town connection is with RAF Lissett, which was adjacent to Carnaby. Lissett was home to 158 Squadron and the 158 Sqdn Association still holds its annual reunion at Bridlington, including a parade to the Cenotaph.
Ginger Lacey's last posting was as C.O. of Bempton radar station; he lived in Flamborough and when he retired, he continued to stay there.
Another town connection is with RAF Lissett, which was adjacent to Carnaby. Lissett was home to 158 Squadron and the 158 Sqdn Association still holds its annual reunion at Bridlington, including a parade to the Cenotaph.
Ginger Lacey's last posting was as C.O. of Bempton radar station; he lived in Flamborough and when he retired, he continued to stay there.
Pity I didn't read this before I sat next to an 85 year old ex-wireless op on a recent long haul flight. Having served 39 years, he retired to Bridlington where he had served at RAF Bridlington during and after the war on the launches. There must have been flying from there because he mentioned Humberside airport had been a relief landing ground.
My dad served with 158 Sqn and when he had finished operational flying in Lisset he was made OC of the Air Sea Rescue in Brid for a few weeks. I think the best he managed was a quick trip around the bay!!
1961-63 My father was OC RAF Carnaby which boasted 3 Thor rockets (part of our Nuclear defence) and a bunch of Bloodhounds to defend the base. RAF Driffield down the road had something like 22 [Thors]. Went to primary school in Bridlington (Hilderthorpe). Not a lot of help for someone looking for info on RAF Bridlington, but too close to home not to chip in!
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There was never an airfield at Bridlington, though the post-war small grass flying field at Speeton was sometimes referred to as such. Humberside Airport was a former Lancaster base (550 Sqdn), North Killingholme in WW2.
Prior to the Thors being base at Carnaby, it was sometimes used as a relief landing ground by Meteors of 203 AFS based at Driffield. Not widely known is that Blackburn Aircraft used it as a base for early development flying of the GAL 60 protoype Beverley. It arrived there on June 20, 1950 from Brough at the end of its maiden flight. The Blackburn-built HP88, an Attacker fuselage with scaled down Victor wings, made its first flight at Carnaby on June 21, 1951 and several subsequent flights before going to either Boscombe or Farnbro'; I can't remember which. I had the pleasure of witnessing both events as a keen spotter at the time.
Three Meteors crashed at Carnaby or close by. Later, (I have a photo somewhere) a Sabre of 92 Sqdn. force landed there after running out of fuel. At the time, the airfield was unmanned. Today, the site is an industrial area with nothing to see of its history.
The earliest connection with aviation at Bridlington was the arrival of a Blackburn Monoplane which landed on the beach below the Spa Royal Hall just prior to WW1. Photos do exist of this event.
Prior to the Thors being base at Carnaby, it was sometimes used as a relief landing ground by Meteors of 203 AFS based at Driffield. Not widely known is that Blackburn Aircraft used it as a base for early development flying of the GAL 60 protoype Beverley. It arrived there on June 20, 1950 from Brough at the end of its maiden flight. The Blackburn-built HP88, an Attacker fuselage with scaled down Victor wings, made its first flight at Carnaby on June 21, 1951 and several subsequent flights before going to either Boscombe or Farnbro'; I can't remember which. I had the pleasure of witnessing both events as a keen spotter at the time.
Three Meteors crashed at Carnaby or close by. Later, (I have a photo somewhere) a Sabre of 92 Sqdn. force landed there after running out of fuel. At the time, the airfield was unmanned. Today, the site is an industrial area with nothing to see of its history.
The earliest connection with aviation at Bridlington was the arrival of a Blackburn Monoplane which landed on the beach below the Spa Royal Hall just prior to WW1. Photos do exist of this event.
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Fugazi1000 Bridlington
I did my MN training in Bridlington in 1964.
There where 2 launches there then.
A few years ago the HQ building at the top of the harbour was a chandlers.
I will be going to Bridlington on 13th March to the British Legion with the Hull MN
Association. I can photo the HQ building, the harbour and the sea front in that area.
I can ask the Legion and the local press if they have any information/photos.
If any of this would be any use to you, or anything else, please post a reply
before 12th March.
There where 2 launches there then.
A few years ago the HQ building at the top of the harbour was a chandlers.
I will be going to Bridlington on 13th March to the British Legion with the Hull MN
Association. I can photo the HQ building, the harbour and the sea front in that area.
I can ask the Legion and the local press if they have any information/photos.
If any of this would be any use to you, or anything else, please post a reply
before 12th March.
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Fugazi1000, you need to find a copy of the film The Sea Shall No Have Them which was a story of the RAF Air-Sea Rescue. It has been on the TV fairly recently and is quite a good film. 1955.
Even with SAR helicopters, the launches were still a vital part of SAR in the 60s as the Whirlwind was, I was told, unable to rescue a V-bomber crew if it was more than 10 miles off-shore. In those days we all had SARAH and were briefed to work out when the SAR might reach us and then switch on the SARAH to conserve its battery. If there were 2 or more of us then only one SARAH would be switched on, may be 2 if there were 5 of us. Passengers were not issued with SARAH life-jackets.
If we had gone down in the North Sea we might wait a couple of hours of more before we thought a Shackleton could reach the area and also switch off at night unless we could hear a search aircraft. With an 8 hour battery life we would depend on the ASR Launches more than the Whirlwind.
Even with SAR helicopters, the launches were still a vital part of SAR in the 60s as the Whirlwind was, I was told, unable to rescue a V-bomber crew if it was more than 10 miles off-shore. In those days we all had SARAH and were briefed to work out when the SAR might reach us and then switch on the SARAH to conserve its battery. If there were 2 or more of us then only one SARAH would be switched on, may be 2 if there were 5 of us. Passengers were not issued with SARAH life-jackets.
If we had gone down in the North Sea we might wait a couple of hours of more before we thought a Shackleton could reach the area and also switch off at night unless we could hear a search aircraft. With an 8 hour battery life we would depend on the ASR Launches more than the Whirlwind.
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Nothing to do with Bridlington, but this is an extract from my Fathers' reminisences about being a Spitfire pilot on 72 Sqn, Biggin Hill, 1942. It gives a flavour of the job the Marine Units did and is similar to the story in "The Sea Shall Not Have Them".
On 6th June we were sent down to Manston for an Air Sea rescue job. Apparently a bomber had been shot down just off the Dutch coast or the Belgian coast, somewhere, they weren’t sure and we were supposed to be looking for some chaps in a dinghy. Well we took off and scoured the North Sea as far as we could, couldn’t find anything, and then we came back, landed, ‘B’ Flight took off and searched again and they were just about to return when P/O Kitchen spotted five bomber chaps in a dinghy just off Ostende. So he reported that and we immediately took off to give them cover and at the same time an Air Sea rescue launch shot out from Dover or somewhere to pick up these bomber boys. So we covered the launch until it picked up these bomber boys and it really was exciting to watch them. I don’t know how fast the launch was going but it left a wash about half a mile long, it really was moving. Anyway, it got out to the dinghy, swung round, hooked up the dinghy, grabbed the chaps aboard, all without stopping and then belted for home. Now by this time we thought as we were obviously visible from Ostende we’d be surrounded by 190s and we’d probably have a decent little fight. In actual fact nothing came over to have a bang at us, so we escorted the launch back, landed at Manston, refuelled and went back to Biggin.
Some time later we received a letter from the bomber boys, enclosing £1, and saying please have a drink on us, they were more than pleased at being picked up.
In those days £1 bought an awful lot of beer!!
jf
On 6th June we were sent down to Manston for an Air Sea rescue job. Apparently a bomber had been shot down just off the Dutch coast or the Belgian coast, somewhere, they weren’t sure and we were supposed to be looking for some chaps in a dinghy. Well we took off and scoured the North Sea as far as we could, couldn’t find anything, and then we came back, landed, ‘B’ Flight took off and searched again and they were just about to return when P/O Kitchen spotted five bomber chaps in a dinghy just off Ostende. So he reported that and we immediately took off to give them cover and at the same time an Air Sea rescue launch shot out from Dover or somewhere to pick up these bomber boys. So we covered the launch until it picked up these bomber boys and it really was exciting to watch them. I don’t know how fast the launch was going but it left a wash about half a mile long, it really was moving. Anyway, it got out to the dinghy, swung round, hooked up the dinghy, grabbed the chaps aboard, all without stopping and then belted for home. Now by this time we thought as we were obviously visible from Ostende we’d be surrounded by 190s and we’d probably have a decent little fight. In actual fact nothing came over to have a bang at us, so we escorted the launch back, landed at Manston, refuelled and went back to Biggin.
Some time later we received a letter from the bomber boys, enclosing £1, and saying please have a drink on us, they were more than pleased at being picked up.
In those days £1 bought an awful lot of beer!!
jf