Originally Posted by
Dundiggin'
So what I want to know is:
Why are the pongoes letting historical ex-RAF land and property waste away and fall into rack and ruin?? For example and there are lots of 'em:
RAF Upavon - 1st Central Flying School in the World! - Have you seen the state of the hangars? These are listed buildings for christ's sake!! What are you doing about RAF heritage??
RAF Abingdon - RAF Para school - now a dump for bloody tanks! Donkey walloping & jogging is now a priority!! WTF!! Motor bikes are banned!!! What about the rally cars?? Tw@ts!
Let's face it you Army wallas are really a bunch of complete self centered Tw@ts or can you tell me that you really care about the RAF/UK history and in fact, co's you ought to..................co's we are really p'ssed off that you are letting our history go to rack and ruin.
Why????
I would love to stay friends but this is stretching the limits somewhat......
As an ex pongo that had the pleasure of serving at RAF Upavon, I can speak with some knowledge of the site in question.
Firstly, the site was only ever temporarily in RAF hands, it started as an Army camp, and has returned to being such. Like most defence sites, it is older than the RAF.
Secondly, the camp itself was an architectural disaster. There were the original buildings, (e.g. Offrs', Sgts' & Cpls' Messes, Scarf block, some MQs, and the lower two hangars (Wyvern Gliding school & MT). Then there was the 30s expansion stuff, the larger hangar (MAOTs, supply & MT overflow) and short hangar used as gym, Middleton & Nettleton blocks, Airmens' Mess. Then there was the 60s carbuncle of the HQ building, & SHQ. It was a complete hotchpotch of buildings.
Thirdly, and finally, the C Type hangar we occupied a third of, was in a terrible state of repair in 93 when I was posted out. I went back in 98 on an Army course, it had become various Army HQs by then. Our hangar was exactly the same as I left it, even down to the painted red hand on the hangar floor. As pointed out, a disgrace, though it had been in RAF hands in that state. Our block, Middleton block, had been converted into the headquarters of the Royal Army Chaplain's Department.
I suppose there is no point in investing in keeping a 70 year old hangar in pristine condition, unless you are going to keep several million pounds worth of aircraft in them. I remember the hangars at Dishforth on an exercise, not long after the AAC took over. One of them was in good order, and the Wokkas were parked in it overnight. The next hangar along was in absolute $hit state. I wouldn't have parked a bin truck in there.
Perhaps the MOD should seek to dispose of the not-so-historic sites and keep the famous ones for posterity.
RAF Driffield is pretty much a complete 30s style expansion period aerodrome, and of immense historic value for architectural reasons. But is it really as evocative as Tangmere, Scampton, etc?
Anyway, back to banter, Trenchard Lines lives once more as an Army site, celebrating one of the most famous of all Army Generals.