Originally Posted by
SirToppamHat
ISTR being told by someone that Greenham was something of a red herring, and that the USAF was quietly shipping far more interesting things into Molesworth via Alconbury.
There is some evidence in the public domain that Molesworth was a nuclear weapons store, but this may have been more akin to RAF Faldingworth and RAF Barnham than a Cruise Missile Site.
Jacko makes a good point though - an example of short-termism at its worst.
STH
I had a colleague worked with in the airline industry near 2 decades ago who was a Scot and former Rock Ape whose first or second tour was based at Molesworth assisting the SFS and GLCM Rangers as well as MoD plod. There were protesters but nothing on the scale that was at GC.
When GLCM deployed here, (bearing in mind I was a mere schoolkid who had an interest in aviation from knee high) all I remember coming home from school, watching the ITV news with family, and GC was more mentioned then Molesworth.
I have been to both the former WSA at Alconbury airfield now Alconbury Weald village/industrial estate and seen the 'igloos' where the buckets of sunshine would have been stored, even though the base in the 80s was more 17th TRW U-2/TR-1 Dragon Lady and 527th TFTAS aggressor F-5E and 1st RS RF-4C Phantoms of course then 10th TFW A-10 Warthogs. At a guess the 'igloos' were for storage of buckets of sunshine probably with the B-66 Destroyer days in 60s and perhaps tactical battlefield nukes for the Warthog (was an idea in 1975 but shelved).
Hand on heart I cannot imagine anything different or additional to the BGm-109 Gryphon at Molesworth inside the GAMA shelters and under the watchful eye of the security control tower. Unless your source was on about other warheads on the Gryphon.
At IWM Duxford inside the American Hangar, there is one of the TEL launchers and missile on display as you walk into the entrance (my pic below from recent visit in summer).
cheers