My own guess at the locations in The Shepherd
Most of the names have been slightly changed from real RAF base names. The locations are not associated directly with the names, or the aircraft types.
RAF Merriam St George - the name is a slight change from RAF Middleton St George (now Teeside Airport). Actual location RAF Horsham St Faith (now Norwich Airport)
Horsham St Faith was the base for 105 Sqn Mosquito Pathfinders (B MkIV)
RAF Minton - the name is a slight change from RAF Milton (near Abingdon), a supply depot which closed shortly after the date the book is set. Actual Location RAF Coltishall.
Colt was a Vampire base, though not in 1957 (neither was Celle by this time).
Reasoning. An approach to Horsham St Faith (Norwich Airport) from the coast is about 15 miles, and the approach path for RWY 22 goes pretty much over Colt. The book states that the mosquito pilot dropped him short of the GCA airfield (H St F) due to lack of fuel.
Things which don't fit with the book.
H St F main rwy was 09/27,but there's no airfield on this approach path from the coast.
H St F was the real pathfinder base, not Colt, but this wouldn't fit with the approach from the coast bit of the plot.
Colt is about halfway in from the coast to H St f, not a 5/10 split as per the book.
Given FF was a Vampire pilot, I would imagine he originally plotted the story on an air chart, which means the coast - Colt - H St F path was the basis, then names and aircraft types were shuffled to fit this.
Thoughts?
p.s. FF did his training with 4 FTS(?) at RAF Worksop, which until early 1956 had been at...RAF Middleton St George.
When he left the RAF in 1958 he became a reporter in.....Norwich!
Last edited by Fox3WheresMyBanana; 2nd Jan 2014 at 00:08.