Memories of RAF Benson
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Memories of RAF Benson
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
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
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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.
Just one little gem though ...... there were plenty of hares which was great for the Sporting Gun Club.
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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
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
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.
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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.
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.
The 216 Sqn Comet lands at RAF Benson
The Comet pulls up in front of the dais - and look at that bulled-up shiny finish!
...and Ike disembarks, doffing his hat as he does so.
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
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.
The 216 Sqn Comet lands at RAF Benson
The Comet pulls up in front of the dais - and look at that bulled-up shiny finish!
...and Ike disembarks, doffing his hat as he does so.
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
Last edited by Warmtoast; 25th Sep 2016 at 22:27. Reason: Restore Move Photos
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
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
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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.
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.
Benson Memories
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".
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".
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.
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.
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Never been so happy to leave a place in my life
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Benson 1948
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.
He had a rather privileged seat.
He had a rather privileged seat.
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A closer look at the control tower area
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:
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.
Have a look for yourself. Someone must know the answer:
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.
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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.
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.
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Benson
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.....
DB - Ex F/E 267 Sqdn.....