RAF Stations (past and Present) - Biggest, Best and Bonnieist??
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forget,
I do hope someone who understands wikipedia soon manages to add 'RAF Binbrook, Lincolnshire', to that long list.
Many of us who served there will remember it with affection, if not actual warmth...
Mystic Meg beat me by five minutes...
I do hope someone who understands wikipedia soon manages to add 'RAF Binbrook, Lincolnshire', to that long list.
Many of us who served there will remember it with affection, if not actual warmth...
Mystic Meg beat me by five minutes...
Last edited by D120A; 6th Apr 2008 at 14:59. Reason: late, as usual
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I agree - a serious oversight 
Which reminds me, not long after I'd left Waddington I was sat in the kitchen of the In Laws not far from Binbrook and, in the late dusk, a Lightning was recovering from the North Sea. I was watching the anti coll beacon about two miles away when there was an almighty flash - followed by a very big boom. I dialed 999 and asked to be put through to Binbrook ATC. I explained what I'd seen and I was asked to hold on. A minute later I was told that the pilot had actually heard the boom from a marine distress flare some w*nker had launched at him as he'd crossed the town. Common occurrence apparently. 
Which reminds me, not long after I'd left Waddington I was sat in the kitchen of the In Laws not far from Binbrook and, in the late dusk, a Lightning was recovering from the North Sea. I was watching the anti coll beacon about two miles away when there was an almighty flash - followed by a very big boom. I dialed 999 and asked to be put through to Binbrook ATC. I explained what I'd seen and I was asked to hold on. A minute later I was told that the pilot had actually heard the boom from a marine distress flare some w*nker had launched at him as he'd crossed the town. Common occurrence apparently.
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Just got around to reading the list of stations but some are missing, four which I have memories of -
Kent RAF Dunkirk
RAF St Margaret's Bay
RAF Swingate (just along the road from the Swingate pub)
Suffolk RAF Trimley Heath (closed 1954 but parts of buildings remain)
Kent RAF Dunkirk
RAF St Margaret's Bay
RAF Swingate (just along the road from the Swingate pub)
Suffolk RAF Trimley Heath (closed 1954 but parts of buildings remain)
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Best fun - Finningley, late 80's, as a member of staff. Downtown Donny! 'nuf said!
Bonniest - Biggin Hill. Went to the OM after the airshow in '90. Stood outside looking at a magnificent panoramic vista of Kent. Beautiful!
Ugliest - Brize Norton. Like living on a run down industrial estate. Dreadful place, dreadful accomodation, dreadful squadron buildings. (and Cartoontown next to it).
Greatest sense of cameraderie - Lyneham. Great squadron bosses who used the squadron fund to make up shortfall in money when squadron bods couldn't get to functions 'cos of ops. John Bell, Brian Poulton, thank you for two great tours!
Bonniest - Biggin Hill. Went to the OM after the airshow in '90. Stood outside looking at a magnificent panoramic vista of Kent. Beautiful!
Ugliest - Brize Norton. Like living on a run down industrial estate. Dreadful place, dreadful accomodation, dreadful squadron buildings. (and Cartoontown next to it).
Greatest sense of cameraderie - Lyneham. Great squadron bosses who used the squadron fund to make up shortfall in money when squadron bods couldn't get to functions 'cos of ops. John Bell, Brian Poulton, thank you for two great tours!
Forget
Another one to add to the ever-expanding list, under Scotland, is RAF Inverbervie, midway between Aberdeen and Montrose. In 1957-58 it was 977 SU, defending the east coast against the red hordes, and keeping an eye on the fishing fleet wandering into the path of gents from Leuchars, intent on other things.
Another one to add to the ever-expanding list, under Scotland, is RAF Inverbervie, midway between Aberdeen and Montrose. In 1957-58 it was 977 SU, defending the east coast against the red hordes, and keeping an eye on the fishing fleet wandering into the path of gents from Leuchars, intent on other things.
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Yep, got to agree....Colt was best, not great for hill walking though.
Headley Court was the most painful, but the staff were superb.
...as for High Wycombe, or Hot Air Command, well.....time to move on !!!
Headley Court was the most painful, but the staff were superb.
...as for High Wycombe, or Hot Air Command, well.....time to move on !!!
Watton in 66. 360 sqdn just formed, mixture of light and dark blue, super night club. if you had to be stuck in the frozen east Watton was the place.
Mind you tengah in ( I think) '71 at the final cockers P prior to handing back to the locals was THE place!!!
How about El Adam (spelling?)in Libya as the worst?
Finally Brawdy has had a lot of votes as a Crab base.Don't know about that era but when it was RN it 'twernt half bad!
Mind you tengah in ( I think) '71 at the final cockers P prior to handing back to the locals was THE place!!!
How about El Adam (spelling?)in Libya as the worst?
Finally Brawdy has had a lot of votes as a Crab base.Don't know about that era but when it was RN it 'twernt half bad!
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One had great beaches, great swimming pools, a terrific local village with lots of bars, WRAFs; ---- the other didn't
WRAF members at Changi indeed, but mostly whisked away by the Kiwis from 14 who had cars! It was amazing the effect my MK11 Zodiac had!
Eastleigh was the preferred holiday destination for all those MEAF Canberras on Lone Rangers, plus the weekly Beverley shuttle from Khormaksar with dazed and sanded refugees looking for greener pastures.
WRAF members at Changi indeed, but mostly whisked away by the Kiwis from 14 who had cars! It was amazing the effect my MK11 Zodiac had!
Eastleigh was the preferred holiday destination for all those MEAF Canberras on Lone Rangers, plus the weekly Beverley shuttle from Khormaksar with dazed and sanded refugees looking for greener pastures.
Chaps and chapesses
If any of you are interested in all of these stations (units and squadrons) you might also like to have a quick look at this site. Who knows? Some of you may even fancy contributing........
Stations
Squadrons
Units
And 'No, I am nothing to do with the project'.
Back on topic...
Friendliest - Fenton in the 80s
Biggest (and unfriendliest) - Brize Norton in the 90s
Best - Kinloss in the 80s
If any of you are interested in all of these stations (units and squadrons) you might also like to have a quick look at this site. Who knows? Some of you may even fancy contributing........
Stations
Squadrons
Units
And 'No, I am nothing to do with the project'.
Back on topic...
Friendliest - Fenton in the 80s
Biggest (and unfriendliest) - Brize Norton in the 90s
Best - Kinloss in the 80s
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Best Station - Probably Odiham
Worst Station - Probably Catterick
Prettiest Station - Biggin on the Bump
Ugliest Station - Lyneham
Happiest Station - Hullavington
Most derelict Station (pre demolition 2000) - Syerston closely followed by Watton)
Arc
Worst Station - Probably Catterick
Prettiest Station - Biggin on the Bump
Ugliest Station - Lyneham
Happiest Station - Hullavington
Most derelict Station (pre demolition 2000) - Syerston closely followed by Watton)
Arc
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Ahh Nostalgia...
My first & the most unrepresentative of the RAF:
Staff College Bracknell - great opportunity for sport where I represented the Unit at Football, Rugby, Swimming, Table Tennis, Basketball (got beat 80 something to 8 by BZN in the RAF Cup), Volleyball etc etc - no talent required (luckily for me), only a willingness to turn up; great location with a 10 min walk into town, great burger van out of the back gate (even quicker if you had a key for the gate) and a bar that was run by the JRs.
Much maligned, but I enjoyed it:
Brize 90-96
Favourite:
Goose Bay as a permie - great social, sport and opportunity to travel (with CAF Herc, not RAF)
Worth a Mention:
Hereford, twice as a trainee - happy days
Staff College Bracknell - great opportunity for sport where I represented the Unit at Football, Rugby, Swimming, Table Tennis, Basketball (got beat 80 something to 8 by BZN in the RAF Cup), Volleyball etc etc - no talent required (luckily for me), only a willingness to turn up; great location with a 10 min walk into town, great burger van out of the back gate (even quicker if you had a key for the gate) and a bar that was run by the JRs.
Much maligned, but I enjoyed it:
Brize 90-96
Favourite:
Goose Bay as a permie - great social, sport and opportunity to travel (with CAF Herc, not RAF)
Worth a Mention:
Hereford, twice as a trainee - happy days
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Leconfield...Yes! I loved it there on my last posting in the RAF...I was on the Mk2 Lightning Simulator unit but flew quite a bit on 19 Squadrons Hunters. In earlier times, when it was Central Gunnery School, I enjoyed my course there 
I suppose I had the most fun in my 12 years service at Eastleigh, Nairobi
Seven detachments to Westerland, Sylt were pretty amazing too
I suppose I had the most fun in my 12 years service at Eastleigh, Nairobi
Seven detachments to Westerland, Sylt were pretty amazing too
Last edited by petermcleland; 8th Apr 2008 at 11:07.
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RAF Stations
My first posting after training: RAF Pembrey, 1948/49. A tiny station with just 595 Sqn, later renumbered 5 Sqn. Spitfires IX's & XVI's plus Miles Martinets, with a station Oxbox. Long summers, can't remember it raining. After Yatesbury, it was paradise. The whole of the Domestic Site was a 'Hats Off' zone, no saluting necessary. The Station Commander, Sqn Ldr Dudley Farmer, would get on the tannoy and announce "Too hot to fly, three tonners will be at the guardroom for those who want to go to the beach". LLanelly (Slash) was nearby, with an absolute abundance of lovely South Walian girls. Far more people lived out than lived in, start work and cease work was governed by the train times to and from Carmarthen, Swansea, and Llanelly. Livers out arrived at Kidwelly Flats Halt, only yards from the guardroom and walked straight on to working parade. What an introduction to the real RAF! Then on to Kai Tak, Iwakuni, Seletar, getting better and better !
LXXIV
LXXIV
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Seletar keeps getting a mention. Definitely my all time favourite, but it can't count here as I was there as a Mr. Ten years in the arrowed bungalow - on a month to month rental! Try Seletar on You Tube. Especially the New Aerospace Park.
PS. Building at the top was the longest Officers' Mess in the RAF. Useless triv.
PS. Building at the top was the longest Officers' Mess in the RAF. Useless triv.
Last edited by forget; 24th Jun 2009 at 21:07. Reason: 1 year old spelling misatke!!