RAF Stations (past and Present) - Biggest, Best and Bonnieist??

[Cubanate]

Having lived/served at Seletar, Bruggen, Khormaksar, Headley Court, Chivenor, West Raynham, and Aldergrove to name but a few, was wondering what the candidates would be. Mine?

Biggest - Khormaksar/Seletar
Best - Bruggen
Bonnieist - Headley Court

Discuss?

[Mr-Burns]

Best - Aldergrove early nineties when the shooting match was still on. 230 V 72 - you had to be there.

[HugoFirst]

Best: Has got to be Gutersloh - late 70s to early 80s (puffer jet years). There was a whole thread on it here recently.

[Al R]

Headley Court: Most heart warming and genuine. Staff were (presumably still are) utterly superb and completely dedicated.

A few more which spring to mind.

Akr: Most heart wrenching to leave.
Spadeadam: Most interesting.
Hullavington: Sleepiest.
Kinloss: Most Scottish.
Witt: Best Friday night (the Mally!).
Bruggen: Most forgetable.

[forget]

No competition - Changi. The RAF's very own Hawaii. :ok:

[airborne_artist]

I should think Mount Batten must have been pretty good, so long as you were not attending a survival course....

[TMJ]

A few more which spring to mind.

Akr: Most heart wrenching to leave.
Spadeadam: Most interesting.
Hullavington: Sleepiest.

Sleepier than Swanton Morley? Blimey...

I supose most units get sleepy as they wind down; I found it bloody disturbing visiting places like Church Fenton with now't but the UAS there, overgrown and ghost-townly. I suppose West Malling was similar when I did my BGT there, but not having spent so much time on living stns, it didn't really strike me so much.

[Maxibon]

Best: Brawdy - Great flying, partying etc
Friendliest: Church Fenton - Small, everyone knows everyone
Biggest: Finningley - So many people, so many good times, so many slappers
Worst: Coningsby - Arse end of no-where
Scruffiest: N Luffenham - Just a mess
Fattest: Lyneham - Great food, great jollies, great holding post
Most bollockingest: Bentley Priory - nice AVM, nice carpet, not nice words
Finalest: Leeming - :(

[airborne_artist]

Leeming was what you made of it, though. Five months of fun when I went there in 79 on RN EFTS. Lock-ins at pubs every Friday and Saturday night, totty at Ripon Teacher Training College (and the guys from Linton were no competition :ok:), great countryside for a Sunday lunchtime pub crawl.

We left the Horse and Jockey, (just down the A1) after we took the groundcrew out for the end of course p!ss-up, at 08.30 am :E

[forget]

There are those who knew Changi in the '60s - and those who didn't ;)
(Hope this is readable.)

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b270/cumpas/FULL_MAP_OF_CHANGI.jpg

[A2QFI]

Biggest(?) - RAF Akrotiri

Best - RAF Eastleigh, or RAF Laarbruch in the early 70s

[dakkg651]

Gan was ok for stopovers.

Boring after more than a couple of days though.

[C130 Techie]

First - St Athan
Best Tour - Binbrook (XI Lightnings)
Bleakest - Binbrook in winter
Worst visited - Marham and Conningsby
Most spoiled - Wyton - Used to great in the Canberra days on Tatty Ton
Longest Tour - Lyneham
Biggest - Akrotiri or MPA

[Top Bunk Tester]

Biggest - Akrotiri - Also quite a bit of fun
Best Job - Lyneham
Best Social ;) - Finningley
Worst - Halton

BUT by far and above the best all round, and you can only say this if you were there as permanent staff was:

RAF(U) GOOSE BAY

[Two-Tone-Blue]

Biggest ... Tengah, late 60s. 1 x Lightning, [+ 1 x Javelin for a while] 2 x Canberra, 1 x Hunter, Flt of Single Pioneer ... plus nascent Singapore AF, endless visiting RAAF Mirage [we had 2 sqns for months while Butterworth resurfaced], endless visiting AT/AAR ...

Best ... Tengah. Infinitely superior to Changi in every way, for a start :)

Bonniest ... Sopley. All Nissen huts and cosy and small and friendly and full of local service WRAF who were cosy and small and friendly as well.

Worst ... West Drayton. In every conceivable respect.

[Gainesy]

Biggest (and my best anyway) Akrotiri, 70-72, probably the busiest then too, 365/24.

Most soul destroying, Saint Athan, see look you.

Most carefree in UK, Boulmer.

A tad tedious, Honington. Always seemed to be on a TacEval, MiniVal, SomebloodyVal or other.

[Rev I. Tin]

Worst:
Aldergrove/Bessbrook

Best:
Wildenrath - late 80s early 90s watching Phantoms from the Runway Caravan

[2Planks]

Can't believe Chivenor hasn't had a mention as the best. "Heaven in Devon".

But the nightlife (or was it wildlife?) was better at Finnington Robin hood

[soddim]

Have to offer Leconfield when 19 and 92 were there. Even the Cpl in the General Office welcomed you on arrival and meant it.

Great Station morale and unity with everyone working together.

[Rather be Gardening]

Best - Coltishall: brilliant camaraderie, beautiful area, great flying, a real taste of what the RAF was all about.

Worst - High Wycombe .... where shall I start.......

[NutherA2]

where shall I start.

Most memorable......Jever is where I started...4 x Hunter Squadrons :ok: & unlimited cheap booze!:ouch:

[Yellow6]

Best Training School - RAF Newton - free flight every lunch time!

Bonniest - RAF Bawdsey - birthplace of radar

Biggest - RAF Gutersloh

Most desolate - Mount Kent

Noisiest - Wattisham (sleeping off nights while 56 & 74 warmed up their F4's)

[Northern Circuit]

Biggest = Akrotiri

Worst = Buchan

Best = Benbecula....ahh all that fly fishing for a fiver a year

[mike_alpha_papa]

Biggest and worst - St Athan
Best - Tengah (64 - 66 during confrontation), Very busy, but great social and sport.
2nd Best - Bruggen - for same reasons as above.
Friendliest - Bovingdon - Southern Comm Sqn.
Quiet & dreary - Swanton Mortuary

[mckelvey]

Hi All

Biggest: Bruggen in the mid 90's, fantastic camp (Glen was Staish then).
Best: Got to be Brawdy 1979, football training on Newgale beach (apart from the run back up to camp) and I met Mrs McK there.
Bonniest: Sorry, Brawdy again, beautiful Pembrokeshire. I have seen nice places o'seas but Pembs and NI take some beating.



****t**st: Swanton Morley and Marham (which I only visited playing football)

Wettest: Aldergrove!

Place I would like most to go back to: BRAWDY


Regards

McK

[cliver029]

Worst Cosford (say no more):mad:

Biggest, Lyneham Early 60's That really was a busy first posting.
The variety was almost overwhelming, I just regret I took no pictures
at the time.
Best, Tengah EARLY to MID 60's, virtually every type of plane through
there that you could imagine and from many and various countries
and so much to do:D.(ummm Tengah Bar, 249 east coast road. ooop's,)

Sleepiest, West Raynham late 60's, try flying in on a (wet) Friday afternoon
enroute to Andoya just to have your Hastings go U/S until Monday:ugh:

[goudie]

In spite of it's splendid history Scampton was a dreary place when it re-opened in the late '50s. Perked up a bit when the Vulcans arrived.
Akrotiri in the mid '60s was a good tour during which a detachment to Tengah was an added perk, for those who liked to travel!

[peterperfect]

Side Bets are on for how long before every Station since the formation of RAF eventually gets a mention ? Isn't that the total beauty of nostalgia and personal choice ?

ps my call for Best is Sek Kong in the late 70s when it was operating tri-service both in the air and on the ground.
Bonniest being Brawdy
Biggest being Akrotiri

[woodring]

Best and happiest Tengah 69-70

Most exausting Spitalgate 67
(WRAF initial training station ,I was one of about 5 young and single blokes)
Only there 14 days went back to Bzn (biggest) nackered.

Bonniest Gan, especially if you were in to water sports.

[Beatriz Fontana]

Best: RAF Leuchars. Great social scene.

Worst: RAF Digby - now THAT'S the middle of nowhere....

Special award: RAF North Front, Gibraltar. Ah, happy memories...!

[Seldomfitforpurpose]

Biggest and Best has got to be Bruggen, there from 91 to 94

Worst is Sealand, avionics grave yard :sad:

Most Fun was in Belize in 91 although tinged with melancholy as 33 were in the Gulf and I was was in the Gulf of Mexico:sad:

Just remembered even worse than Sealand was Valley, fantastic location but an island full of tw@ts :}

Most financially rewarding was Laarparts from 91 to 94..... with LOA at over 30 squid a day, wife working full time and a new tax free car every 6 months.........happy days:ok:

[BlackIsle]

biggest - Lossie 80-83 - busy mix of types

best - Coltishall 74 -77 last of the lightnings first of (sqn) jags

bonniest - Coltishall whenever!

[Saintsman]

RAF Chilmark was very pretty (and unusual)

Manston was fun in the days of the foam runway.

Leuchars has good transport links.

At Akrotiri we used to have alternate Monday afternoons off because nobody knew why we should work all day when the rest of the week we finished at one.

[buoy15]

Cubanate
Your going back a "wee whiley" and your post suggests your an ex-medic
Are you still living with your parents?
These places are dead and gone
As Tony Bliar said as he was abolishing the post of Lord Chancellor after 1000 years of history, " I have no nostalgia for by-gone eras"

Akrotiri has always been the biggest
Brize Norton has always been the worst
Little Snoring in the Wold has always been the best (or probably Biggin Hill)

However, the lads in the Sandpit right now might have other suggestions and how many have ever been to, or heard of, those places, excepting Headley Court
Sorry, this is a rumour, not a nostalgia thread

God Bless, say hello to your mum

[rej]

Two Tone Blue - you say that West Drayton was the worst in every way.

The Officers' Mess accommodation was definately the pits but mess life was pretty damn good. In the early 90s the job in the MASOR was the best and the views of the CASOR , from the balcony, (particularly in the summer) were definately worth a second look:E.

Many will dine-out of the antics from the Mess for many a year yet !!

[Rev I. Tin]

Rej,

Aaaah, the delights of West Drayton. Eastern Radar, Premier Radar Unit!

Remember the Hamster coverup?:E

[rej]

How can I forget it. I was chatting about said event with an ex-Eastern Radar colleague only last week.

ps do you own a pair of Daffy Duck boxer shorts:p

and what about the night the dining room nearly burnt down after our Livers-in Christmas bash oops

[Beeayeate]

Biggest? Got to be Akkers.

Worst? Mahaaraqu (spell?)

But by far the best RAF posting - Gan! In every respect. :ok:


.

[Rev I. Tin]

Rej,

Sorry, was enlisted filth sat on the right hand side of the console.
You have a PM.

[JAVELINBOY]

Enjoyed my visits to Aberporth in the late 70's
Chilmark is still there but a bit overgrown these days, the Officers Mess is like a ruin now
Manby and Strubby in the 70's were also ok places managed a day out from Strubby to Kinloss in a Varsity during my stay got turfed out at Kinloss to load a Navs bags and golf clubs on board before heading back South overflying Leuchars on the way down bringing back memories of a plesant stay there in 1968 when 23 and 11 Squadrons operated there with Lightnings, interesting exchange going on with Starfighters from the Red Barons Squadron in 68, remember their Groundcrew being carried out of the back of a 3 ton truck following their Distillery visit:)

[mcdhu]

I'm with Forget:
Best - Changi
Worst - Masirah
Best kept secret - Northolt!

Cheers
mcdhu

[threeputt]

Largest: Lyneham '68-71'; 24 and 36 Sqn (C130), 99 and 511 Sqn (Britannias), 216 Sqn (Comet). Plus detachments of the Brize wing before the hugemungus hangars were built; i.e.10 Sqn (VC 10), 53 Sqn (Belfast). Commanded by an Air Commodore (Larry Lamb). Gp Capt Admin once told me that the station was the 4th largest town in Wiltshire at the time.

Best: Bruggen 85-97. Fan-bloody tastic. Probably the most professional RAF station ever. Taceval one's across the board every time; even the USAF, BAF, DAF and GAF admitted that we were the best.

Most Fun: Bruggen (close second Waddington 74-80-4 Vulcan Sqn's).

Worst: High Wycombe-a record that it is unlikely to give up.

Quaintest: Woodvale before the new mess was built.


3P:ok:

[XL319]

Best/Bonniest - Northolt (before any redevlopment)
Worst - Lossie (nightmare of a drive in terms of hours)
Biggest - Waddo
Scruffiest - Lyneham
Friendliest - Leeming

[BEagle]

Best - Brize in the early days of the VC10K or Sunny Scampton in the late 1970s. Closely followed by Wittering, Abingdon and Chivenor.

Bonniest - Brawdy in the Summer of '76!

Worst - Honington after the Summer of '76. OM accommodation was in horrible little 'Orlit' huts for OCU students, whilst bean-stealers lived in the main Mess. Station was run by a tyrant; the OCU graduated about 33% of its students yet flew 100% of its hours. As an example of the way the staff treated the students, a notice once went up on the board stating:

"Ladies' Guest Night places are limited. The following priority will therefore apply:

1. Those who didn't go last time.
2. Those who did go last time.
3. Others.
4. Students."

Honington. Awful b£oody place and I was glad to see the back of it.

[Krystal n chips]

The most enjoyable: Bruggen and / or Gutersloh ....happy memories of both:ok:

Best in the UK: St Mawgan, Colt and Abingdon

Worst: Brawdy and St Athan.....ok, the first is in a nice area, but other than that and like Saints, it was an unadulterated s£$thole.

The "one that got away"... Tern Hill...only ever passed though the place sadly, but always struck me as being a nice, casual sort of place in a nice location.

The quaintest...RAF Grantown -on- Spey...where I lay the blame entirely for forcing me to become acquainted with delights of a single malt...thankfully !.

[Farfrompuken]

Biggest and least friendly: Brize

Bonniest: Y-Fali. awesome beaches & fun

Best: St Mawgan/ Wideawake

[Truckkie]

Best: Finningley late 80's till closure - Doncaster fighting order on a Thursday in Seventh Heaven!!! 50p with your F1250 and always wearing an aircrew watch:ok:

Busiest: Aldergrove in the early 90's. 230 still in RAFG. 72 Sqn:- 26 Wessex, 3 Puma and a Chinook on the pan. 9 Tasking lines a day plus 813 standby and training. The street, Swift Retreat, Rugby Club and Ally Pally on a Friday - plus the 'Crumlin Commandos':)

Worst: Brize Norton - what a sh:mad:hole!

[BEagle]

I'd have to admit that Brize is looking very scruffy and run down these days. Nothing like what it was in its heyday. But that's the effect of underfunding and woefully inadequate defence budgets.

When, for example, the Officers' Mess was strictly for officers...:(

I'd forgotten Valley! Thoroughly enjoyed my Gnat, Hunter and Hawk times there. People rarely went away at weekends, well, not much further than Bangor as the roads were so congested and the only route off the island was over the old Menai bridge, then through Bangor and along single carriageways all the way to England... And Hunter Beach on a summer's morning was superb!

[ORAC]

Best? 280 SU at Oly in the mid 70s, we used to pity those down in the heat at Akrotiri and Episkopi.

Cool in the summer, skiing in the winter and everyone down at the bottom of the mountain clamouring to come to the weekend long gluwein parties with the saucepan of wine and eau de vie bubbling away on the bar.

All the VC-10 crews used to book their rooms and a party on the radio on their way in because we didn't split the crews and let the whole crew come along.. :O

[KPax]

Best Bruggen, late 70's. Johnny Walker, hero.
2nd best, Pitreavie Castle.

[preduk]

Best: Leuchars
Worst: Waddington (got stuck in some porta cabins for awhile after a building was damaged prior to my arrival! :{)

[Old Ned]

May I offer the following:

Most quaint: RAF Hartland Point (accom in local pub) ;)

Most interesting: RAF Ajax Bay (accom in refridgeration plant and who remembers "Smokers' Rock"?) :ok:

Most memorable: RAF Buchan (between builds, accom in portakabins) :)

Most Forgettable: RAF Neatishead (flat and boring) :yuk:

The One That Got Away: RAF Ash (ah, but what it could have been) :oh:

ON

[814man]

Can’t believe no one has mentioned Gatow yet as one of the best, it’s certainly top for me out of 10 postings in 22 years service. Where else could you get a free bus from the main gate into the centre of one Europes most vibrant cities?

High Wycome and Honington would be at bottom, but honourable mentions for Bruggen as the biggest, Ash the smallest and Belize the most fun!;)

[goudie]

Strange, no mention of Luqa either!

[soddim]

RAF Stanley wasn't that bad either. The need to scrounge and barter to get running water and decent grub made life more interesting and even life on the coastel had its' moments - shame it was condemned as a prison ship.

[idlethrust]

What about Gatow early 80s, height of the cold war, it doesnt get any better than that!!;)

[Lurking123]

Friendliest - Shawbury before students became so keen to study.
Biggest - either Spade or one of the megaliths in the Middle East
Most professional - any of the RAFG places in the 80s.
Bonniest - Biggin Hill

[forget]

Now; and once upon a time. :{

Current Royal Air Force Stations
England

Bedfordshire
RAF Henlow - now part of the combined RAF Brampton Wyton Henlow

Berkshire
RAF Welford
RAF Woodley

Buckinghamshire
RAF Halton
RAF High Wycombe

Cambridgeshire
RAF Brampton - now part of the combined RAF Brampton Wyton Henlow
RAF Wittering
RAF Wyton - now part of the combined RAF Brampton Wyton Henlow

Cornwall
RAF St. Mawgan
RRH Portreath

Cumbria
RAF Spadeadam

Devon
RAF Chivenor - now Royal Marines Base Chivenor
RAF Hartland Point (RADAR Station)

Gloucestershire
RAF Fairford
RAF Innsworth

Hampshire
Defence CBRN Centre, Winterbourne Gunner (managed by Strike Command)
RAF Oakhanger
RAF Odiham

Lincolnshire
RAF Barkston Heath
RAF Cranwell - home to the RAF College Cranwell
RAF Digby
RAF Coningsby
RAF Donna Nook
RAF Holbeach
RAF Scampton
RAF Waddington
RAF Wainfleet
RAF Woodhall Spa

London
RAF Bentley Priory
RAF Northolt
Northwood Headquarters
RAF Uxbridge
RAF West Drayton

Merseyside
RAF Woodvale

Norfolk
RAF Feltwell
RAF Marham
RAF Neatishead
RAF Trimingham

Northamptonshire
RAF Croughton

Northumberland
RAF Boulmer

Nottinghamshire
RAF Syerston

Oxfordshire
RAF Bampton Castle
RAF Barford St John
RAF Benson
RAF Brize Norton
RAF Weston-on-the-Green

Rutland
RAF Cottesmore

Shropshire
RAF Cosford
RAF Shawbury
RAF Ternhill

Staffordshire
RAF Stafford - now called MoD Stafford

Suffolk
RAF Honington
RAF Lakenheath - occupied by the United States Air Force
RAF Mildenhall - occupied by the United States Air Force
RAF Wattisham - now known as "Wattisham Airfield [1] used by a number of units, including the British Army (AAC Wattisham)

Surrey
RAF Headley Court - the Defence Medical Services (DMS) Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC)[2]

Wiltshire
RAF Boscombe Down - now called MoD Boscombe Down
RAF Lyneham
RAF Rudloe Manor

East Riding of Yorkshire
RAF Holmpton
RAF Leconfield

North Yorkshire
RAF Church Fenton
RAF Dishforth - also used by the British Army (AAC Dishforth)
RAF Fylingdales
RAF Leeming
RAF Menwith Hill
RAF Staxton Wold
RAF Topcliffe
RAF Linton-on-Ouse

Scotland
RRH Benbecula
RAF Buchan
RAF Kinloss
RAF Leuchars
RAF Lossiemouth
RAF Prestwick
RAF Spadeadam
RAF Tain

Wales
RAF Mona
RAF Saint Athan (South Glamorgan)
RAF Valley (Anglesey)
RAF Pembrey Sands
RAF Sealand

Northern Ireland
RAF Aldergrove - also used by the British Army (AAC Aldergrove)

Overseas

Ascension Island
RAF Ascension Island

Cyprus
RAF Akrotiri
RAF Troodos

Falkland Islands
RAF Mount Pleasant

Germany
RAF Nordhorn

Gibraltar
RAF Gibraltar

Qatar
RAF Al Udeid


Former Royal Air Force Stations.

England

Bedfordshire
RAF Bedford (RAE Bedford) - now Bedford Autodrome
RAF Cardington
RAF Chicksands
RAF Cranfield
RAF Gransden Lodge
RAF Podington
RAF Stanbridge - now part of the combined RAF Brampton Wyton Henlow
RAF Tempsford
RAF Thurleigh
RAF Twinwood Farm

Berkshire
RAF Aldermaston
RAF Greenham Common
RAF Grove
RAF Hampstead Norris
RAF Membury
RAF White Waltham - now White Waltham Airfield

Buckinghamshire
RAF Booker (High Wycombe) - now Wycombe Air Park
RAF Daws Hill
RAF Denham
RAF Finmere
RAF Oakley
RAF Thame
RAF Westcott
RAF Wing

Cambridgeshire
RAF Alconbury
RAF Bassingbourn
RAF Bottisham
RAF Bourn
RAF Duxford - now Imperial War Museum Duxford
RAF Fowlmere
RAF Glatton
RAF Kings Cliffe
RAF Little Staughton
RAF Mepal - now Mepal Airfield
RAF Oakington
RAF Snailwell
RAF Steeple Morden
RAF Upwood
RAF Warboys
RAF Waterbeach
RAF Witchford
RAF Wratting Common

Cheshire
RAF Burtonwood
RAF Calveley
RAF Hack Green
RAF Handforth
RAF Hooton Park
RAF Ringway - now Manchester Airport
RAF Wilmslow

Cornwall
RAF Cleave (GCHQ CSO Morwenstow)
RAF Davidstow Moor
RAF Perranporth
RAF Portreath
RAF Sennen/RAF Skewjack
RAF St Eval
RAF St Mawgan / RAF Trebelzue
RAF Treleaver

Cumberland
RAF Crosby-on-Eden
RAF Kirkbride
RAF Millom

Cumbria
RAF Carlisle (RAF Kingstown)

Derbyshire
RAF Ashbourne

Devon
RAF Babbacombe
RAF Dunkeswell
RAF Exeter - now Exeter International Airport
RAF Harrowbeer
RAF Mount Batten
RAF Winkleigh

Dorset
RAF Brandy Bay
RAF Christchurch
RAF Hurn - now Bournemouth International Airport
RAF Tarrant Rushton
RAF Warmwell

County Durham
RAF Croft - now Croft Circuit
RAF Greatham
RAF Middleton St. George
RAF Usworth

Essex
RAF Andrews Field
RAF Birch
RAF Boxted
RAF Bradwell Bay
RAF Chigwell
RAF Chipping Ongar
RAF Debden
RAF Earls Colne - now Earls Colne Airfield
RAF Fairlop
RAF Gosfield
RAF Great Dunmow
RAF Great Sampford
RAF Hornchurch
RAF Little Walden
RAF Matching
RAF North Weald - now North Weald Airfield
RAF Ridgewell
RAF Rivenhall
RAF Rochford - now London Southend Airport
RAF Stansted Mountfitchet - now London Stansted Airport
RAF Stapleford Tawney
RAF Wethersfield
RAF Wormingford

Gloucestershire
RAF Aston Down
RAF Babdown Farm (Relief Landing Ground - RLG)
RAF Bickmarsh
RAF Boddington
RAF Down Ampney
RAF Filton
RAF Honeybourne
RAF Kemble
RAF Little Rissington
RAF Long Marston
RAF Moreton-in-Marsh
RAF Northleach
RAF Pucklechurch
RAF Quedgeley
RAF South Cerney
RAF Southrop
RAF Staverton
RAF Stoke Orchard

Hampshire
RAF Andover
RAF Bisterne
RAF Beaulieu
RAF Blackbushe
RAF Calshot
RAF Eastleigh - renamed RAF Southampton
RAF Farnborough
RAF Flowerdown
RAF Gosport
RAF Hamble
RAF Hartford Bridge
RAF Holmsley South
RAF Hythe
RAF Ibsley
RAF Lasham - now Lasham Airfield
RAF Lee-on-Solent
RAF Middle Wallop - now used by the British Army, AAC Middle Wallop
RAF Sopley
RAF Southampton - formerly called RAF Eastleigh
RAF Stoney Cross
RAF Thorney Island
RAF Thruxton - now Thruxton Motor Racing Circuit
RAF Ventnor (Isle of Wight)
RAF Worthy Down

Herefordshire
RAF Hereford - now occupied by the British Army (AAC Hereford)
RAF Madley

Hertfordshire
RAF Bovingdon
RAF Chenies
RAF Hatfield
RAF Hunsdon

Huntingdonshire
RAF Graveley
RAF Kimbolton
RAF Molesworth

Kent
RAF Ash
RAF Biggin Hill (covered London area) - now Biggin Hill Airport
RAF Detling
RAF Eastchurch
RAF Gravesend
RAF Hawkinge
RAF Headcorn
RAF Lympne
RAF Manston - now Kent International Airport
RAF Sandwich
RAF West Malling

Lancashire
RAF Barton Hall
RAF Kirkham
RAF Longley Lane
RAF Padgate
RAF Salmesbury
RAF Speke
RAF Warton - now Warton Aerodrome
RAF Weeton
RAF Warrington

Leicestershire
RAF Bitteswell
RAF Bottesford
RAF Bruntingthorpe - now Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome and Proving Ground
RAF Castle Donington - now East Midlands Airport
RAF Desford
RAF Husbands Bosworth
RAF Leicester East - now Leicester Airport
RAF Loughborough
RAF Market Harborough
RAF Melton Mowbray
RAF Nuneaton
RAF Ratcliffe
RAF Rearsby
RAF Saltby
RAF Woolfox Lodge
RAF Wymeswold

Lincolnshire
RAF Bardney
RAF Blyton
RAF Coleby Grange
RAF Digby
RAF Dunholme Lodge
RAF East Kirkby
RAF Elsham Wolds
RAF Faldingworth
RAF Fiskerton
RAF Folkingham
RAF Fulbeck
RAF Goxhill
RAF Grimsby (aka RAF Waltham)
RAF Hemswell
RAF Ingham
RAF Kelstern
RAF Kirmington
RAF Kirton in Lindsey
RAF Ludford Magna
RAF Manby
RAF Metheringham
RAF North Coates
RAF North Killingholme
RAF North Witham
RAF Skellingthorpe
RAF Skendleby
RAF Spilsby
RAF Spittlegate
RAF Stenigot
RAF Strubby
RAF Sturgate
RAF Sutton Bridge
RAF Swinderby
RAF Wickenby

London
RAF Regents Park

Middlesex
RAF Hendon
RAF Heston
RAF Stanmore Park

Norfolk
Further information: Norfolk airfields
RAF Attlebridge
RAF Bacton - First World War "Landing Ground"
RAF Barton Bendish - Second World War Landing Ground
RAF Bircham Newton - technical site now the Construction Industry Training Board School
RAF Bodney
RAF Burgh Castle - First World War Landing Ground
RAF Bylaugh Hall - Second World War Landing Ground
RAF Coltishall - now "MoD Coltishall", awaiting formal disposal
RAF Deopham Green
RAF Docking
RAF Downham Market
RAF East Wretham
RAF Feltwell
RAF Fersfield
RAF Foulsham
RAF Great Massingham
RAF Great Yarmouth - First World War
RAF Hardwick
RAF Harling Road - First World War
RAF Hethel - now owned by Lotus Cars
RAF Hingham - First World War "Landing Ground"
RAF Holt - First World War "Landing Ground"
RAF Horsham St Faith - airfield site now Norwich International Airport
RAF Langham
RAF Little Snoring
RAF Ludham
RAF Matlaske
RAF Mattishall - First World War
RAF Methwold
RAF Mousehold Heath - 1914 under RFC, became first Norwich Airport in 1933
RAF Narborough
RAF North Creake
RAF North Pickenham
RAF Old Buckenham
RAF Oulton
RAF Pulham - used for the development of British airships between the wars.
RAF Rackheath
RAF Sculthorpe
RAF Sedgeford
RAF Seething
RAF Shipdham
RAF Snetterton Heath - airfield now Snetterton Motor Racing Circuit
RAF Swannington
RAF Swanton Morley
RAF Thetford
RAF Thorpe Abbotts
RAF Tibenham
RAF Watton
RAF Wendling
RAF West Raynham
RAF Weybourne

Northamptonshire
RAF Chelveston
RAF Deenethorpe
RAF Desborough
RAF Grafton Underwood
RAF Harrington
RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges
RAF Polebrook
RAF Silverstone - now Silverstone International Motor Racing Circuit
RAF Sywell

Northumberland
RAF Acklington
RAF Brunton
RAF Eshott
RAF Milfield
RAF Ouston
RAF Tranwell
RAF Winfield
RAF Woolsington

Nottinghamshire
RAF Gamston
RAF Hucknall
RAF Langar
RAF Misson
RAF Newton
RAF Watnall
RAF Wigsley
RAF Winthorpe
RAF Worksop

Oxfordshire
RAF Abingdon
RAF Akeman Street
RAF Bicester - now Bicester Airfield
RAF Broadwell
RAF Culham
RAF Edgehill - now Shenington Gliding Club
RAF Enstone - now Enstone Airfield
RAF Harwell
RAF Kidlington - now Oxford Airport
RAF Mount Farm
RAF Upper Heyford

Rutland
RAF North Luffenham

Shropshire
RAF Atcham
RAF Bratton
RAF Bridgnorth
RAF High Ercall
RAF Sleap - now Sleap Airfield
RAF Tilstock

Somerset
RAF Culmhead
RAF Locking
RAF Lulsgate Bottom
RAF Merryfield
RAF Rudloe Manor
RAF West Myne
RAF Weston Zoyland
RAF Whitchurch

Staffordshire
RAF Abbots Bromley
RAF Fauld - see RAF Fauld Explosion
RAF Hednesford
RAF Hixon
RAF Lichfield
RAF Stafford

Suffolk
RAF Barnham
RAF Bawdsey
RAF Beccles
RAF Bentwaters - now Bentwaters Parks, home to Bentwaters Cold War Museum
RAF Bungay
RAF Bury St. Edmunds
RAF Debach
RAF Eye
RAF Felixstowe
RAF Framlingham
RAF Great Ashfield
RAF Halesworth
RAF Hopton
RAF Horham
RAF Knettishall
RAF Lavenham
RAF Leiston
RAF Martlesham Heath
RAF Mendlesham
RAF Metfeld
RAF Newmarket
RAF Rattlesden
RAF Raydon
RAF Shepherds Grove
RAF Stradishall
RAF Sudbury
RAF Tuddenham
RAF Woodbridge - now called Rock Barracks, occupied by the British Army's 23 Engineer Regiment (Air Assault Brigade)

Surrey
RAF Croydon - now Croydon Airport
RAF Dunsfold - now Dunsfold Aerodrome, and Top Gear studio and race track
RAF Gatwick - now London Gatwick Airport (formerley Surrey, now West Sussex)
RAF Hanworth
RAF Horne
RAF Kenley
RAF Redhill - now Redhill Aerodrome

East Sussex
RAF Beachy Head
RAF Friston
RAF Newhaven
RAF Pevensey
RAF Rye
RAF Wartling

West Sussex
RAF Ford
RAF Tangmere
RAF Westhampnett - now Chichester/Goodwood Airport

Warwickshire
RAF Ansty
RAF Baginton - now Coventry Airport
RAF Bramcote
RAF Church Lawford
RAF Elmdon
RAF Gaydon - now home to the Heritage Motor Centre
RAF Honiley
RAF Wellesbourne Mountford

Wiltshire
RAF Blakehill Farm
RAF Castle Combe - now Castle Combe Circuit
RAF Cherhill
RAF Chilmark
RAF Clyffe Pypard
RAF Colerne
RAF Compton Basset
RAF Cricklade (Radar site)
RAF Hullavington
RAF Keevil
RAF Melksham
RAF Netheravon - now occupied by the British Army, (AAC Netheravon)
RAF Upavon - now called Trenchard Lines, occupied by the British Army
RAF Watchfield
RAF Wroughton - now a depository of the National Museum of Science and Industry
RAF Yatesbury
RAF Zeals

Worcestershire
RAF Defford
RAF Pershore
RAF Worcester

Yorkshire
RAF Bawtry
RAF Bempton N.Yorks
RAF Bircotes
RAF Breighton E.Yorks
RAF Burn
RAF Carnaby
RAF Catterick
RAF Catfoss
RAF Cowden E.Yorks
RAF Croft
RAF Dalton
RAF Danby Beacon N.Yorks
RAF Doncaster - formerly RFC Doncaster (1914) Royal Flying Corps
RAF Driffield E.Yorks
RAF East Moor
RAF Elvington
RAF Finningley - now Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield
RAF Full Sutton N.Yorks
RAF Goldsborough N.Yorks
RAF Holme-on-Spalding Moor
RAF Hutton Cranswick
RAF Lindholme (aka RAF Hatfield Woodhouse)
RAF Lissett
RAF Marston Moor
RAF Melbourne
RAF Norton
RAF Patrington
RAF Sandtoft
RAF Scorton N.Yorks
RAF Seaton Snook N.Yorks
RAF Skipton-on-Swale
RAF Snaith
RAF Tholthorpe N.Yorks
RAF Thornaby N.Yorks
RAF Wombleton
RAF Yeadon - now Leeds Bradford International Airport

Scotland
RAF Abbotsinch
RAF Aird Uig (Lewis)
RAF Ayr (Ayrshire)
RAF Balado Bridge (Kinross)
RAF Banff (Aberdeenshire)
RAF Benbecula (Benbecula)
RAF Dalcross
RAF Dallachy
RAF Drem
RAF Dronehill (Berwickshire)
RAF Dumfries
RAF Dyce (Aberdeenshire)
RAF Dundonald (Ayrshire)
RAF East Fortune (East Lothian)
RAF Errol (Perth and Kinross)
RAF Edzell (Angus)
RAF Evanton (Ross and Cromarty)
RAF Faraid Head (Highland)
RAF Findo Gask (Perth and Kinross)
RAF Fraseburgh Aberdeenshire
RAF Fullarton (Ayrshire)
RAF Gailes (Ayrshire)
RAF Grangemouth (Falkirk)
RAF Grimsetter Orkneys
RAF Hatston Orkneys
RAF Heathfield (Ayrshire)
RAF Inverness
RAF Kilchiaran (Isle of Islay)
RAF Kirknewton (West Lothian)
RAF Machrihanish (Argyll & Bute)
RAF Macmerry (East Lothian)
RAF Milltown Moray
RAF Montrose (Angus)
RAF Pitreavie Castle (Fife)
RAF Prestwick (Ayrshire)
RAF Saxa Vord (Shetland)
RAF Scarnish (Argyll & Bute)
RAF Scatsta (Shetland)
RAF Skitten
RAF Stornoway (Lewis)
RAF Sullom Voe (Shetland)
RAF Sumburgh (Shetland)
RAF Tealing
RAF Tiree
RAF Turnberry (Ayrshire)
RAF Turnhouse (City of Edinburgh)
RAF West Freugh (Wigtownshire)
RAF Wick (Caithness)

Wales
RAF Angle Pembrokshire
RAF Brawdy (Pembrokeshire)
RAF Caerwent (Monmouthshire)
RAF Fairwood Common Glamorgan
RAF Haverfordwest Pembrokeshire
RAF Hawarden Flintshire
RAF Holyhead
RAF Llanbedr
RAF Llandow
RAF Manorbier Pembrokeshire
RAF Pembrey (Carmarthenshire)
RAF Prestatyn (Denbighshire)
RAF Sealand (Flintshire sometime Clwyd)
RAF Stormy Down
RAF Talbenny
RAF Towyn
RAF Wrexham

Northern Ireland
RAF Sandy Bay

County Antrim
RAF Langford Lodge
RAF Long Kesh
RAF Maghaberry
RAF Murlough
RAF Nutts Corner
RAF Toome

County Down
RAF Ballyhalbert
RAF Belfast
RAF Bishops Court
RAF Greencastle
RAF Kirkistown
RAF Newtownards, Newtownards
RAF Sydenham

County Fermanagh
RAF Castle Archdale
RAF Killadeas
RAF St Angelo

County Londonderry
RAF Ballykelly
RAF Eglinton - now City of Derry Airport, Derry
RAF Limavady
RAF Maydown
RAF Mullaghmore

County Tyrone
RAF Cluntoe, Ardboe

Isle of Man
RAF Andreas
RAF Jurby
RAF Jurby Head
RAF Ronaldsway (HMS Urley, RNAS Ronaldsway)
Hall Caine Airport

Ireland (now Republic of Ireland)
RAF Baldonnel (County Dublin)

Overseas.

Aden (now Yemen)
RAF Khormaksar - now Aden International Airport
RAF Steamer Point
RAF Hospital Steamer Point
RAF Hospital Khormaksar Beach

Algeria
RAF Maison Blanche

Azores (Portugal)
RAF Lagens

Bahrain
RAF Muharraq

Belgium
RAF Ursel

Belize
RAF Belize

Bermuda
RAF Darrell's Island
RAF ATC/USAAF Fort Bell

Borneo
RAF Labuan
RAF Tawau

Sarawak
RAF Kuching

Burma (now Myanmar)
RAF Hmawbi
RAF Meiktilla
RAF Mingaladon
RAF Pegu

Canada
RAFU Goose Bay

Ceylon (now Sri Lanka)
All former RAF bases in Ceylon were transferred to the respective Government upon independence from British Empire. Many are now used by the Sri Lanka Air Force, see also List of Sri Lankan air force bases

RAF China Bay - now SLAF China Bay
RAF Colombo - now Colombo Racecourse Airstrip
RAF Kankesanturai
RAF Katunayake was RAF Negombo
RAF Koggala - now SLAF Koggala
RAF Negombo - now Bandaranaike International Airport
RAF Ratmalana - now SLAF Ratmalana
RAF Shigiriya - now SLAF Shigiriya
RAF Sigiriya
RAF Trincomalee
RAF Vavuniya

Cocos (Keeling) Islands
RAF Cocos Islands

Cyprus
RAF Episkopi
RAF Nicosia

Egypt
RAF Abu Sueir
RAF Abu Sultan
RAF Almaza
RAF Amriya
RAF Cairo West
RAF Deversoir
RAF El Ballah
RAF El Hamra
RAF Fayid
RAF Gianaclis
RAF Heliopolis
RAF Helwan
RAF Ismailia
RAF Kabrit
RAF Kasfareet
RAF Shallufa

Faroe Islands
RAF Vaagar

France
RAF Istres

Germany
RAF Ahlhorn
RAF Blankensee
RAF Bruggen - now a British Army Garrison, called "Elmpt Station, Javelin Barracks"
RAF Buckeburg
RAF Butzweilerhof
RAF Celle
RAF Fassberg
RAF Fuhlsbüttel
RAF Gatow
RAF Geilenkirchen
RAF Goch
RAF Gütersloh - now a British Army Garrison, called "Princess Royal Barracks, Gütersloh", (AAC Gütersloh)
RAF Hambuhren
RAF Hehn
RAF Hustedt
RAF Husum - a remote radar station on the coast near Husum, Schleswig-Holstein
RAF Jever
RAF Laarbruch
RAF Lubeck
RAF Luneberg
RAF Oldenburg
RAF Plantlünne
RAF Rheindahlen - now occupied by the British Army, as HQ United Kingdom Support Command (Germany) (HQ UKSC(G))
RAF Schleswigland
RAF Sundern
RAF Sylt
RAF Uetersen
RAF Wahn
RAF Hospital Wegberg - now occupied by the British Army, as HQ British Forces Germany Health Service (BFGHS)
RAF Wildenrath
RAF Winterberg
RAF Wunstorf

Gold Coast (now Ghana)
RAF Takoradi

Hong Kong
RAF Little Sai Wan
RAF Kai Tak
RAF Sek Kong

Iceland
RAF Kaldadarnes

India
RAF Agra - now Agra Air Force Station, Uttar Pradesh
RAF Alipore
RAF Allahabad - now Bamrauli Air Force Station, Uttar Pradesh
RAF Amarda Road
RAF Ambala - now Ambala Air Force Station, Haryana
RAF Agartala - now Agartala Air Force Station, Tripura
RAF Arkonam
RAF Asansol
RAF Bangalore (aka RAF Yelahanka) - now Yelahanka Air Force Station, Bangalore, Karnataka
RAF Barrackpore - now Barrackpore Air Force Station, West Bengal
RAF Bhopal
RAF Car Nicobar - now Car Nicobar Air Force Station, Nicobar Islands, Indian Union Territory
RAF Chakeri - now Chakeri Air Force Station, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh
RAF Cholovaram
RAF Delhi
RAF Dhubalia
RAF Digri
RAF Dum Dum - now Dum Dum Air Force Station, Calcutta, West Bengal
RAF Hakimpet - now Hakimpet Air Force Station, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh
RAF Imphal
RAF Jessore
RAF Jodhpur - now Jodhpur Air Force Station, Rajasthan
RAF Kalyan
RAF Kanchrapara
RAF Kohat
RAF Kolar
RAF Lahore
RAF Maharajpur - now Maharajpur Air Force Station, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh
RAF Palam
RAF Poona - now Pune-Lohegaon Air Force Station, Maharashtra
RAF Secunderbad
RAF Srinagar - now Srinagar Air Force Station, Jammu & Kashmir
RAF Tambaram - now Tambaram Air Force Station, Tamil Nadu
RAF Vizagapatam

Pakistan
RAF Chaklala - now Islamabad International Airport and Pakistan Air Force Base Chaklala
RAF Jiwani - now Jiwani Airport
RAF Karachi - now Pakistan Air Force Base Faisal
RAF Mauripur (used after partition by RAF) - now Pakistan Air Force Base Masroor
RAF Peshawar - now Pakistan Air Force Base Peshawar
RAF Quetta - now Pakistan Air Force Base Samungli
RAF Risalpur - now Pakistan Air Force Base Risalpur
RAF Sargodha (??? Sargodha#Origin of name) - now Pakistan Air Force Base Mushaf

Iraq
RAF Basrah
RAF Dhibban (renamed RAF Habbaniya in 1938)
RAF Hinaidi
RAF Shaibah

Italy
RAF Cagliari, Sardinia
RAF Decimomannu, Sardinia
RAF El Mas, Sardinia

Japan
RAF Iwakuni

Jordan
RAF Mafraq

Kenya
RAF Eastleigh
RAF Kisumu
RAF Mombasa
RAF Nairobi
RAF Thika

Libya
RAF Benina
RAF Castel Benito
RAF El Adem
RAF Idris

British Malaya (now Malaysia)
RAF Butterworth
RAF Kota Bharu
RAF Kuala Lumpur

Maldives
RAF Gan - now Gan International Airport
RAF Hithadhoo (domestic site for RAF Gan)

Malta
RAF Hal Far
RAF Kalafrana
RAF Luqa
RAF Safi
RAF Ta Kali (Ta' Qali)

Netherlands
RAF Eindhoven

Nigeria
RAF Ikeja
RAF Maiduguri

Oman
RAF Masirah
RAF Salalah

Palestine (now Israel)
RAF Aqir - now Tel Nof Israeli Air Force Base
RAF Ein Shemer - now Ein Shemer Airfield
RAF Gaza
RAF Haifa - now Haifa Airport
RAF Kolar
RAF Lydda - now Ben Gurion International Airport
RAF Petah Tiqva - now Kfar Sirkin Airfield
RAF Qastina - now Hatzor Israeli Air Force Base
RAF Ramat David - now Ramat David Israeli Air Force Base
RAF Ramleh

Singapore
RAF Amoy Quee
RAF Changi - now Changi Air Base and Singapore Changi Airport
RAF Chia Keng: a GCHQ radio receiving station and a satellite station to RAF Changi.
RAF Kallang - Old Kallang Airport (Status: defunct, closed down in 1955).
RAF Seletar - Seletar Airport
RAF Sembawang - also known as HMS Simbang in the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm service, now Sembawang Air Base.
RAF Tengah - now Tengah Air Base

Sudan
RAF Khartoum
RAF Summit

Transjordan (now Jordan)
RAF Amman

United Arab Emirates
RAF Bahrain
RAF Sharjah

[Lurking123]

I think you'll find that Innsworth, Nordholz and West Drayton are on the wrong list.:zzz:

[serf]

Kept the same amount of senior officers though.

[ArthurR]

Biggest and Worst.....Khormaksar
Most desolate (UK)....Marham
Another worst...........Sealand
My best...................valley (MR) & Scampton

[forget]

Picky picky. :8

Royal Air Force (RAF) Innsworth closed on 31 March 2008. There has been an RAF station at Innsworth since June 1940.

[John Purdey]

Some of you haven't lived! What about RAF Westerland (not so far even mentioned) on the island of Sylt in Schleswig-Holstein? The was once upon a time the APC for RAF Germany, and a so-called punishment attachment for naughty lads (target-towing, and intensely boring) BUT Sylt had the most splendid restaurants, bars and nudist beaches in Europe! Some punishment!

[Double Hydco]

Here's my tuppence worth......

Chivenor - or "RAF Butlins" as the locals called it. Small, friendly, with little night flying, and no weekend ops, plus in a great part of the world. Also, more back seat Hawk flying than a 19 year old LAC could cope with!

Gutersloh - I was there in the late 80's. A magic time, with what seemed just about every NATO aircraft seen in the Radar pattern, visual circuit, or on the flight line most weeks. Very social too, what with a pint of "wobbly" in the "Mally" club being 50p a pop!

Cheers, DH

[Two-Tone-Blue]

Delighted to see former Tengah guys here .. indeed, those were the days. :ok:

I worry about the Eastern Radar supporters though ... are you REAL Eastern Radar persons? When we handled 51% of the traffic of MATO's 12 ATCRUs in the 70s? ... or one of the LATCC MASOR clones of the real thing?




ooops ... I've admitted to having been an ATC person once upon a time ... :ooh:

[Old Hairy]

Best....Overseas,Seletar,Changi,Kai-Tak.Iwakuni
UK. Calshot, St. Mawgan

Worst..West Drayton

Quaint..Sopley.Labuan,China Bay

Best fogotton.. Ballykelly

[Two-Tone-Blue]

Best....Overseas,Seletar,Changi,Kai-Tak.Iwakuni
UK. Calshot, St. Mawgan
Worst..West Drayton
Quaint..Sopley.Labuan,China Bay
Best fogotton.. Ballykelly

Iwakuni ... and West Drayton on the same list?
And another FEAF "Best location" , even though Changi and Seletar were seriously subordinate to Tengah :ok:

Still, who's going to argue about WD being awful, or Sopley being quaint! :)

[BEagle]

(Sylt) was once upon a time the APC for RAF Germany, and a so-called punishment attachment for naughty lads (target-towing, and intensely boring)

But wasn't RAF Sylt also about the last place where you could be posted to fly the Tempest V - even as late as the mid-50s?

Some punishment!

[John Purdey]

BEAgle. Right on!!

[Seldomfitforpurpose]

JP,

Are you the same John Purdy from the Chinook thread that I am still awaiting an answer from?

[Samuel]

What? Only one mention of RAF Eastleigh?

The very best overseas station there was, very friendly, and lots of visiting aircraft, plus the two [in 1958] resident squadrons; 21 with its four Twin Pins, and 208 with Venoms [and later Hunters]. Fantastic climate at 5000', beautifully kept gardens with manicured geraniums, and lots of flowering trees and shrubs everywhere. Ground-breaking technology from the tower when they wanted to clear the runway of the works and bricks who were constantly out there; someone simply leaned out of the window and yelled "Clear the runway" at an ancient African who then beat hell out of a CO2 cylinder suspended on a frame. It worked every time, not a single systems failure.:D

Then Tengah in the mid 1960s. Two squadrons of Javelins, one of Hunters, one of Wessex, three of Canberras, one of which was Kiwi, and visits of every other type imaginable. Great atmosphere, great bar in Tengah village, and the best curry sauce known to man.:ok:

[SRENNAPS]

forget

That is an amazing list; thank you for that.:D

However, one name that I don’t think is on the list is Penang Hill, Malaysia. My dad was stationed there between 1968 and 1971 (plus a bit of time at RAF Butterworth). It was a radar unit. We, as kids, knew it as Penang Hill, but it may have had another name. Does anybody know?

[spekesoftly]

forget,

Another to add to your comprehensive list. RAF Llandwrog - former RAF Station in Wales, now Caernarfon Airport. And RAF Sealand (now closed ?) appears in both your current and former list.

You also might like to add RAF Tymbou (now Ercan International) to the list of former RAF Stations in Cyprus.

Thanks for the memories.

[AARON O'DICKYDIDO]

[COLOR="Red"]....Then Tengah in the mid 1960s. Two squadrons of Javelins, one of Hunters, one of Wessex, three of Canberras, one of which was Kiwi, and visits of every other type imaginable. Great atmosphere, great bar in Tengah village, and the best curry sauce known to man.[/COLOR



Dont forget the V Bomber dets 9 and 35 Squadron. JC's Kima Roti/Macan stall opposite Charlie's clothes shop in the village.

[forget]

Don't forget the V Bomber dets 9 and 35 Squadron. JC's Kima Roti/Macan stall opposite Charlie's clothes shop in the village.

I did several of these from Cottesmore, then Waddington. That's why I can't understand the preference for Tengah over Changi. :confused: One had great beaches, great swimming pools, a terrific local village with lots of bars, WRAFs; ---- the other didn't. Although entertainment from the RAAF and RNZAF partly made up for the deficiencies. :ok:

[Fareastdriver]

A few additions in Rhodesia/Zimbabwe from when I was a kid.
A couple of FTSs. I've fogotten their Nos.
RAF Heany, Tiger Moths/Chipmunks and Harvards. now an army camp. I was there when I was a Rhodesian army squaddie.
RAF Thornhill, Ansons and RhodAF Spitfire 22s. Now ZAF.???(fuel)
RAF Kumalo. Became Bulawayo airport until they built a new one, now army.
RAF New Sarum, Now ZAF and Harare Intenational.
RAF Mount Hampden. Became a flying club but must have expired by now.

[Yellow Sun]

Best: Gaydon & St Mawgan. Both made up of an assortment of temporary buildings and huts, but both in great areas.

Biggest & Smartest: Waddington late 60s

Most miserable: Kinloss by a country mile

YS:)

[mike_alpha_papa]

forget

Thanks for a great list. Few more to add to closed list:

RAF Hospitals Ely (Cambs) & Nocton Hall (Lincs), and RAF Freckleton (Lancs) - medical training school - remember the nurses used to come to the Weeton dances and vice, versa.

Using your list within 20 mile radius of home are 3 currently operational and 17 closed:D

[forget]

I have to confess - the list wasn't from memory :hmm: I borrowed it from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_RAF_stations

Perhap if we leave this a few weeks for more additions then someone who understands editing Wiki could do just that.

....... and I've just noticed RAF Bahrain (Muharraq) under United Arab Emirates. Not so.

[Doctor Cruces]

Prettiest, Lyneham in the spring. The main drag with all the flowering cherries is awesome to behold.

Best Job, 39 Sqn Marham

Worst job, Eastern radar height finder!!

Most miserable, SCATCC Mil late seventies

Doc C

[mystic_meg]

Binbrook was obviously a figment of my imagination then... :hmm:

[D120A]

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... :sad:


Mystic Meg beat me by five minutes...

[forget]

I agree - a serious oversight :confused: 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. :rolleyes:

[Oldlae]

Forget
One more in Devon RAF Okehampton/Folly Gate.

My best stations St Mawgan and Manston with 22 Sqdn in the sixties.

[buoy15]

Two-Tone-Blue
Were you at Bukit Gombak? (Sp) - if so, do you remember Dave King - circa 69-70 ?

[Papa Whisky Alpha]

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)

[klubman]

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!:ok:

[Buster11]

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.

[Pink&Ginger]

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 !!!

[flown-it]

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!:O

[Samuel]

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.

[Roland Pulfrew]

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........:ok:

Stations (http://www.griffon.clara.net/rafh/station.htm)

Squadrons (http://www.griffon.clara.net/rafh/sqns.htm)

Units (http://www.griffon.clara.net/rafh/badge_a.htm)

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

[John Purdey]

Roland Pulfrew. Well done! What nostalgia! JP

[PTR 175]

I cannot see RAF Hospital Cosford on the list. Closed in 1977 ? Due to it being a major fire risk, a bit like all the other wooden huts on the camp across the road.

[bravolima80]

Topcliffe with the Neptunes, 1953 to 56, then Changi with the Shacks 58 to 61, Great times, great people, great aeroplanes, Great!!

[Arclite01]

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

[NP20]

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

[petermcleland]

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 :D

I suppose I had the most fun in my 12 years service at Eastleigh, Nairobi :)

Seven detachments to Westerland, Sylt were pretty amazing too :ok:

[LXXIV]

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

[forget]

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.

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b270/cumpas/sel.jpg

[Whenurhappy]

Possibly the msot quirkiest 'station' was RAF 'the White Ox', a pub in Penrith, Cumberland - home of the regional relations officer or some such. The MOD leased the building and then sublet the ground floor as a working pub.

[wub]

Happiest: St Mawgan
Best: Chivenor (before it was closed the first time)
Most Depressing: Henlow
Most unhappy: Henlow
Least satisfying: Henlow
Most Fun: 280 SU Troodos mid 1970s
Hardest Work: Locking
Biggest and most soulless: Lyneham
Nicest atmosphere: Hullavington
Best detachment: Machrihanish
Worst detachment: Valley
Best overseas: Akrotiri
2nd best overseas: Gutersloh
Best detachment overseas: Nordhorn
Best short visit: Mountbatten
Worst short visit: Brize Norton

[Irish Tempest]

Most fond/blurred memories: RAF Sydenham, mad Adj and big Alex serving jellybabies into the wee hours...:yuk:
Most tri-Service fun: RAF Colerne
Most sneaky beaky and UFO ridden: RAF Rudloe Manor;)
Most Soul destroying (work) & best social (well it was about 5 yrs ago!): RAF Wyton/Brampton/Henlow

[C130 Techie]

Best detachment: Machrihanish

Don't know about the best but it was certainly up there. Campbelltown nightlife in the 80s was quite something.

Worst detachment: Valley

Spot on!

[ricardian]

Not surprised on the votes for Akrotiri...stopped over dozens of times and it always seemed to be run on a part time basis, purely for the benefit of its inhabitants. Great for the "locals", not so much for the "customers".


There was an obituary for AirCdre North-Lewis in the Daily Telegraph last week. He was Station Commander when I worked in the Akrotiri commcen 1965-67. I never saw him, even from a distance, but would have recognised his diminutive form from the "know your enemy" photograph displays.

[effortless]

Combined services at Old Sarum, a great load of blokes but someone kept waking us up with "Would you like to fly in my beatutiful balloon" every bloody morning. Salisbury wasn't a great night out though.

[The Nip]

I apologise if I missed it but RAF Nordhorn has not been mentioned.

[wub]

I apologise if I missed it but RAF Nordhorn has not been mentioned

See 5 posts up (best detachment overseas)

[aw ditor]

I missed' Nordhorn a lot!

[GGR]

Got posted to RAF Upavon from Shawbury in 1970. First thoughts having just completed AATC training with top marks were not good to be posted to a grass strip with no aircraft! My totally absorbing job in ASC ops was the best ever made even more bearable by the fact Command HQ was staffed by lots of secretary/typist/etc.400 WAAF and only 200 blokes! Cried when posted out:ok:

GGR

[buoy15]

Forget
You lived on the edge of a Golf Course - that has to be a super posting, similar to Tengah, but which is the norm for US bases:ok:

[buoy15]

C130 Techie
I suspect you were a frequent visitor to the "Parahandy" Bar who consoled the fisher wifeys on a Thursday night when all the husbands had just gone to sea for the weekend and was merely looking for accommodation for the night and to get your end away - yeh right :ok:

[PARALLEL TRACK]

Biggest laugh - Finningley early 80s

Best Fun - Finningley late 80s

Bonniest - Finningley both times

//trk

[C130 Techie]

C130 Techie
I suspect you were a frequent visitor to the "Parahandy" Bar who consoled the fisher wifeys on a Thursday night when all the husbands had just gone to sea for the weekend and was merely looking for accommodation for the night and to get your end away - yeh right

I may have visited the Parahandy on occasions but I was still young enough to be chasing fresh talent back then:p

[forget]

aw ditor I missed' Nordhorn a lot!

Cracker aw ditor, cracker; joke of the week. :ok: ..... but wasted - unless they know what Nordhorn did. :)

http://www.geocities.com/cornfield12000/Nordhorn.html

[jerryl]

Anyone remember the german address for nordhorn ? Trying to find the camp (NOT the range) on google earth.

[1.3VStall]

You chaps need to be very careful. If too many people identify a current RAF station as "the best" the fun detectors will come along and ensure it suffers the same fate as Thorney Island, Chiv, Little Riss, Colt and all the other stations that were in nice places.

[AR1]

Best = St Mawgan. From a grubby factory in the north, suddenly I'm paid twice the money to live by the seaside in holiday season - kiss my face.

Biggest: probably the same place but maybe St Athan. Geometry not my strong point.

Bonniest: Sad I know, but Wittering was nice, at least the building's all appeared to be built in the same era - most other stations looked like a Buccaneers cockpit!

Worst: St Athan by a huge margin. I've never been more miserable in my life.

[Ali Qadoo]

Surprised no mention of Wattisham. Super place - lovely countryside, good pubs, excellent flying and not too far from the Smoke. Took a bit of a downturn in the mid to late 80s on both a squadron and station level as a result of 'regime change' but still a great place. Worst by far has to be Valley. I'm sure that somewhere on Angelsey there were friendly, pleasant people who didn't loathe the English (but just lurve their taxes) on sight - pity I never got to meet any of them

[Hymie65]

Best, and friendliest - has to be Colt. Fantastic 2 tours in the Tower and on 54. Summers were great, sit on the beach at Sea Palling all day and head into Norwich for beers in the evening, or any of the great local pubs. Pity it's now an intern camp for illegal immigrants, or summink?

Busiest - Gutersloh in the late 80's. Ironically a bit quiet these days as I understand. Loved Harrier deployments to ex-Nazi death camps in the middle of nowhere! Well not quite loved them ;-) Obviously the busy bit didn;t apply to 18 even though they'd display the entire inventory on the ramp, but couldn't get 'em in the air!

Worst - Honnington. Full of nobby, macho, not been anywhere, thick as pig-sh1t rock apes. Was pleased to depart the place. Oh yeah, and those big fin things were incapable of anything.

[BEagle]

Ali, yes, I agree about Wattisham! A lovely part of the world indeed!

I don't know why so many people seem to hate Valley though - I had a great time as a student.

Talking of nice places, I was driving back from Dover on Wednesday when I saw a sign for West Malling. Garden of England on a sunny day - it must have been a marvellous place to which to have been posted.

[Turbo542]

The best Westonzoyland in the late 50's
The worst Coningsby when it was the BCHU for Canberras
The biggest Akrotiri there with Bomber Wing in the early 70's
The happy place was the jewel in the Arabian Sea Masirah.:sad:

[mike_alpha_papa]

Hymie65

Worst - Honnington. Full of nobby, macho, not been anywhere, thick as pig-sh1t rock apes. Was pleased to depart the place. Oh yeah, and those big fin things were incapable of anything.

Don't know Honnington, but do know HQ Rockery is at Honington. Perhaps that's where you were, but it must have been long before current ops as I can assure you that they are not as you describe and they do go anywhere. Perhaps you missed some of the threads on here about their recent losses and bravery!

[BEagle]

I often went to Weston Zoyland in the 1950s as a lad. My only real memory of the RAF there was the impressive pile of aluminium painted aircraft wreckage in the station scrap compound!

[buoy15]

If it's fresh or young in Campbletown, it still smells fishy:D

[NRU74]

If it's fresh or young in Campbletown, it still smells fishyRemember the old saying :

"If you can stand the smell you've got it licked !"

[Ali Qadoo]

Did a gliding course there in summer 1974 as a CCF cadet - loved every minute. It was pretty run-down even then but absolutely steeped in history - must've been a lovely posting when it was an active station. Sadly, it's now an enormous housing estate - a fate that seems to await a large number of disused airfields if the socialist occupying power get their way.

[CounterSunk]

Best: Fondest memories of Turnhouse/Pitreavie Castle. Before the airport was completed.

Worst: High Wycombe. 2 years of purgatory in the old bunker.

Bonniest: Benbecula (in the summer).

Worst Short Stay: Marham, how depressing.

Best Short Stay: Goose Bay. Everyone seemed genuinely welcoming, high summer, BBQ's & Cold Beers every evening. Was the bar called "The Dog" ?

[Captain Sensible]

Anybody mention Oakington and Thorney Island? Great jobs both, lovely stations and nice people to work with, fondest memories. Most depressing MQ's - Marham; my ex-inlaws lived at 5 Chalkpit Close, name says it all.

[CharlieJuliet]

Anyone remember Strubby - 2 pairs of shoes outside the door meant 2 cups of tea in bed?

[Alber Ratman]

Best camp - Colt. Still live 10 miles from it and will not move.

Worst camp - Marham, different world, 5 months left and leaving will not be regreted.

[El Mirador]

Worst area Coningsby/Uxbridge...in that order!
Best area but not MQ's, Marham...surrounding area gorgeous!
also Cottesmore. Lovely area nice MQ's

[nipva]

Best for job, location (apart from the horizontal fog) and one's fellow workers has to be Brawdy in the late 70's.

Biggest - Akrotiri in the early 70s. Great mix of units - pity about all the visitors!

Bonniest - how about Kemble? Pretty little laid-back station in lovely area but Coltishall comes a close second.

Worst - and by miles, has to be miserable Coningsby in the early 80s headed by that execrable unit 228 OCU which, fortunately for all those that passed through it, took on a new life when it moved to Leuchars.

As a follow on to the above perhaps we could also name the best and worst units!?

[BEagle]

Worst - and by miles, has to be miserable Coningsby in the early 80s headed by that execrable unit 228 OCU.


Count yourself lucky! 228 was a holiday home compared to that utterly dreadful outfit of the late 1970s, 237 OCU at Honington.

The only place where I ever encountered total contempt, bordering on hatred, towards students.

Fortunately I was chopped and went to the delights of 230 OCU at Scampton, then 3 happy years on the Tin Triangle.

[Scribbly520]

Impressive effort but a couple of corrections. IIRC Hittadu (or however it was spelt) was the comms base for RAF Gan. Everyone but the communicators lived on Gan itself. Wattisham and Dishforth are AAC airfields - they are not RAF airfields also used by the AAC. Wattisham does have an RAF SAR Flt but Dishforth has only one unit on it - 9 Regt AAC.

[Scribbly520]

RAF Hospital Cosford closed in Dec 1977. I had to send a working party from RAF Stafford to help dismantle it. Although it was in wooden huts, my understanding from the time was that it was closing due to the 1975 Redundancy having reduced the potential patient numbers. By 1977 it was mostly used as a maternity hospital for Wolverhampton, with the NHS paying for the privilege. The current Officers' Mess is built on the site - in a design similar in shape if not materials to the 1940 hospital.

When the Engineering and Radio training moved from Halton and Locking in the 1990s most of the wooden huts were demolished to make room for the new buildings. The only ones remaining now are the old Sisters' Mess with 4 accommodation huts on the Officers' Mess site, the old church and ancillary buildings over by the fence line and an MT garage opposite the gym.

[Grys Dweizelschidt]

Wattisham and Dishforth are AAC airfields

Scribbly, given your handle I guess you could be forgiven for not noticing that the title of this thread includes the words 'past and present'.:ugh:

[CounterSunk]

Impressive effort but a couple of corrections. IIRC Hittadu (or however it was spelt) was the comms base for RAF Gan.

Close. However, both Hittadu and Gan are islands in the Addu Attol. The main base, RAF Gan, was a fully functioning RAF station. Hittadu, a long narrow island, was where the transmitter site was located. Personnel (mainly Comms Techs and Aerial Erectors) were detached to Hittadu (9 months to a year unaccompanied was the norm back then) to support and maintain the transmitters, masts, aerials and associated equipments. The Hittadu guys were affectionately know as the 'Hittadu Hermits' by the rest of the Comms trades who worked on the main base on Gan island.

[Moversrus]

Biggest - Has to be Akt, a rather large 18 square miles and beautifully hot today (28C).

Worst - Marham - local area great if you want to buy any six fingered gloves, but that's about it. 10 miles to the nearest road with lines!

Best - Wildenrath - mid eighties. Local peacey folks marching around the village demanding the RAF leave....move forward 6-7 years and same people marching demanding the camp stay open to keep the lcal economy going!

[Sempre 206]

Hittadu, wasn't that were the Nurses home was?

Oh, the ledgendary dances they used to hold there on a Saturday night.

IIRC the RAF launch used to leave from the jetty on Gan at around 18.30...:E

[GengisKhant]

Biggest..., had to be Khormaksar...., smallest (and quietest) had to be RAF Bawdsey...., but the best was definately JSPU (RAF) Famagusta..., where we regularly took the Landing Craft (LSL - Landing Ship Logistic) out for a quick trip down the coast and ran her up onto the beach for a few hours sunbathing ..., this was long before Aya Napa and Nisi beaches were discovered by the beer swilling lager louts that inhabit these places nowadays......

:ok:

GK

[forget]

IIRC the RAF launch used to leave from the jetty on Gan at around 18.30...

Ring a bell?

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b270/cumpas/jetty.jpg

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b270/cumpas/launch.jpg

http://www.gan.philliptsmall.me.uk/index.htm

[thatscaptaintou]

For me, best would be Kemble.

One of the largest (now) GA airports, former home of the Red Arrows, still see the Hunters, Gnat, Canberra and Spitfires buzzing around.

[Wannsee]

It hs to be "Rissy" Little Rissington, Happy day's

[Rigga]

Sleepiest: Tern Hill - espescially on that last long hot summer.
Most Enjoyable: Shawbury - and starting a new Eng Wing after they'd had so many years without one!
Most enlightening: Honington Bucc's
Most Sociable: Laarbruch, Bucc's, Chinooks & Harriers
Busiest: Gut
Best ever: Gut

[galaxy flyer]

An amazing list...to think of the history!

GF

[aw ditor]

Rissy was great, but if you were you were a stude.' on the course................ .

[NUFC1892]

Best - RAF Benson, arrived during the hot summer of 76 and I am sure the sun shone for the whole 2.5 years I was there.

Worst - RAF Odiham by far, I am sure it rained for whole 18 months! The social side was good (it had to be!) but everything else about the place was the pits.

Biggest - RAF Brize Norton. Big, impersonal, busy as :mad:, crappy housing and crummy location.

Best Overseas - Choose any one from Belize, Ascension or Aki, all fun in the sun.

I have often thought I joined up 20 years too late (1976), reading through this thread and reflecting on what used to be just convinces me I am right

[wellsfargo]

Best 60 MU Leconfield 68-74/92 SQN Gutersloh 74-77
Next Best 60 MU Leconfield 65/Shawbury 79-82
Worst(by a country mile) Beverly reconditioning flight Dishforth 64 (they trained kiddy coppers there in those days).:ugh:
Second Worst Lyneham 77-79
Best Location uk Wattisham/Leconfield
Best detachment Bitburg/Deci from Gut with 92:)

WF

[forget]

After the Sixties Best has no meaning. All the Best ones (those that didn't need heating in your room) had long gone. :) And I with them.

('I' in case Rainboe comes on here.)

[Dundiggin']

Biggest:
Khormaksar :ouch:
Cosiest:
RAF Upavon in the '60s - 270 WRAFs to 28 Living-In blokes! - it
was cosy! :rolleyes:
Best Det:
Majunga - living right on the beach in a bamboo hut with a straw roof! Belize and Rhodesia. :cool:
Best Camp:
RAF Coltishall - just wonderful! :)
Busiest:
RAF Long Sutton in the '70s showing the World the wonderful new Puma........aaaaaah :suspect:

[Ayla]

http://www.ciderspace.co.uk/photos/pubs/doncaster-salutation.jpg
Finningley where else!

[Occasional Aviator]

Haven't been out in Doncaster for nearly 20 years..... Wonder what it's like now? Can you still get pints of Old Horizontal in the Northgate Inn?

Mind you, I'd say Shrewsbury was a better night out - friendly and fun....

[ATCO Fred]

Two Tone Blue - you say that West Drayton was the worst in every way.

The Officers' Mess accommodation was definitely the pits but mess life was pretty damn good. In the early 90s the job in the MASOR was the best and the views of the CASOR , from the balcony, (particularly in the summer) were definitely worth a second look.

Many will dine-out of the antics from the Mess for many a year yet !!

Ahhh yes........donning the waders first thing in the morning to clear the pond of the beer bottles thrown from the top floor.

[1.3VStall]

Wellsfargo, I was at Gut then too. Ninety-blue - what a fantastic squadron!

[Padhist]

Yes if you enjoyed drinking, Changi/Butterworth would rate high on my list. But if you wanted flying, may I be cheeky and add RAE Bedford. Where else could you do some aerobatics in a Meteor in the morning,followed by a trip to Farnborough In a Devon for lunch and return, then some automatic landings in a Vulcan for dessert. Should you be late returning in the evening. Open the bar and record your purchases on a bar chit, lock up and dream up your next adventures...Happy days.

[Krakatoa]

Never been to Marham but seem to remember it was known as El Adem
with grass

[Melchett01]

Never been to Marham but seem to remember it was known as El Adem with grass

That's a bit harsh. What did El Adem ever do wrong to be compared to Marham?!

[Gainesy]

Marham was aka Masirah with Grass.

Funny that Finningley was so popular, having been born there, I joined up to get away from Donny.:confused:

[Random Bloke]

I felt that Church Fenton was always a happy and well kept little station where everybody knew everyone else. Only 2 flying training sqns when it was 7FTS in the late 80s so there was a good social life in a cozy little Mess. Not as impersonal as Linton and it didn't have the feeling of being a sausage machine. Pity it's gone to rack and ruin now after it closed with the Mess having being buldozed so that the pikeys wouldn't hurt themselves when they broke into the building to steal the pipes etc.

For a station with a good view it was hard to beat Mountbatten with excellent views over Plymouth Sound to accompany your egg and bacon in the morning or a G&T outside the Mess bar in the evening.

[OKOC]

Does Kelly's Garden count? 1983 and 1986 memories of Larry the "lamb" and dining in nights with ladies from down town Stanley reminding us of what females were. :oh:

[L J R]

You guys obviously havent visited the RAF's little spot in Vegas recently...

[cliffnemo]

I,M.H.O must be R.A.F Deidlesdorf near Hanover circa 45/46 .The war just won. Every one was either "flak happy" or "doolally tap", or otherwise , couldn't care less
. Steinhager and schnapps two and sixpence a bottle (about thirteen new pence). Every one living on the black market, except the chaplain. No need to pay out money in the mess, the barman had a big dustbin full of marks which had been thrown in by those going on demob.
Food excellent. No one touched their pay, it all went in to a post office savings account, so no pay parades Can't tell you any more the wife has a computer.

[goudie]

You guys obviously haven't visited the RAF's little spot in Vegas recently...



Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Glenn Torpy took the opportunity to meet RAF personnel from 1115 Flt who are attached to the Combined Joint Predator Task Force.

This is it I presume. Nellis AFB

[OKOC]

I don't think it's been mentioned yet but RAF Mount Wise (ex RCC near Plymouth) had a fabulous location and superb Mess. It's now Naval offices I think-shame. It was a great nite-stop if RAF Mountbatten was full--now that was a TOP station, both my little 'uns were toddlers when I was posted there from 18(B) at Gutersloh (Kellarbar-sigh) and it was lovely seeing them play on the many beaches at Mount B. Talking of beaches does anyone remember the "Officer's Beach" at Gib, G & Ts watching the sun go down at Mess prices prior to popping round to the marina for a few. Sighhhh.

[November4]

Talking of beaches does anyone remember the "Officer's Beach" at Gib, G & Ts watching the sun go down at Mess prices prior to popping round to the marina for a few. Sighhhh.

The Officers gave the mess up and moved down town into the Navy Officers mess so that became the GOM....Gib Officers Mess. The vacant mess then became the Gib SNCO and WOs mess.

[energy2]

Best definitely Gatow
Worst Digby, without doubt!

[forget]

Seeing as this thread has been resurrected - Binbrook is now on the (ex) list at -

List of RAF stations - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_RAF_stations#Lincolnshire)

Question is - does Wiki now have a complete list?

[Cornish Jack]

Biggest, by a country mile, Habbaniyah - Two airfields, Main and Plateau, plus a flying boat alighting area plus a hospital plus two Sgt's Messes, two Officer's messes, two cinemas, a swimming pool, a shopping centre and, last but not least a Zoo!!!
Best - Dishforth on Valettas and Bevs, Thorney on Varsities, Marathons and, much later, S&R.
Worst - Kirton-in-Lindsey, El Adem, Khormaksar and Luqa
Best posting - Bangkok (in the 60's when it was still civilised)
First - Kirton-in-Lindsey (cold beyond belief)
Coldest - Cliffe Pypard(sp?) in January.
Last - Brize -'nuff said
Where did all the time go?:(

[The Oberon]

Biggest, Akers '67 - '70

Worst, Stanmore, freezing accomodation and the commute to Main Building.

Best by a country mile has to be Goose Bay, 12 months on a 18 - 30s holiday.

[goudie]

Coldest - Cliffe Pypard(sp?) in January.

CornishJack I thought I'd heard of most RAF Sations but that was a new one on me. Some interesting stories about it on the 'net.

[Lurking123]

Question is - does Wiki now have a complete list?

Nope, a quick scan tells me that RAF Peplow isn't there. The airfield is about 5 miles east of Shawbury and was used by 83 OTU for Wellington bomber and Hurricane training in 1943-44 before the Royal Navy moved in. Some interesting stuff on Google.

[The Real Slim Shady]

Biggest: Finningley
Best: Gatow or Lossie
Worst: Turnhouse - The OM was dead!
Sleepiest: Hullavington
Bonniest: RAF Det Hickam AFB when Hawaii Holmes was in charge

[Barksdale Boy]

Best: Waddo under Des

[Bob Wyer]

Waddo under Mike D'Arcy was very civilised.

[Lyneham Lad]

Coldest - winter night/swing shifts on E Dispersal, Scampton '64 to '66.
Best time - toss-up between Seletar ('66-'68) or Brüggen ('70-'73).
Best Detachment - Kuching '66. River trips on Tiger-laden dug-outs, football games against the locals in Dyak villages (oh, and sorting out 66 Sqn Belvederes).
Most Tyrannical CO - at sleepy Swanton Morley around '80-'81, courtesy of Little Hitler, aka Gp Cpt B**nt.
Friendliest - Valley '73-'77 (don't know what other posters have against Valley but I suppose it depends whether or not people tried to integrate - after all, it was an overseas posting :rolleyes:
Largest - Brize (also most decrepit infrastructure and very impersonal).

[Co-Captain]

There are those who knew Changi in the '60s - and those who didn't http://static.pprune.org/images/smilies/wink2.gif
(Hope this is readable.)

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b270/cumpas/FULL_MAP_OF_CHANGI.jpg

Great post. Brings back memories - spent my early youth in Singapore. Days down at the swimming club, long evenings at the sailing club in the restaurant on the beach. Great setup - must've been quite something in its RAF days :ok:

[Pontius Navigator]

Best, tied -

Lindholme - number 2 mess at weekends, the Barnsley Witch, number one mess - stick your head round the door of the bar after a year away - go back, warn in, back in bar and pie and paint waiting.

The continuous kirkie (sic?) school - start on the hastings Sqn after met brief, move to the bar at ceas work.

And Finningley with the Vulcan OCU. Into the bar at lunchtime - midnight blue, subdued lights, exit at 1330 and sleep off the after noon in the OCU shack.

[bazzacat]

As Changi is mentioned, heres some pics from last week ive had put on the "Memories of Singapore" website. Great to see the place again!

Changi 2008 - Simon Moore.* Page one (http://www.singas.co.uk/HTML/changi_2008_page_1.html)

[Echo 5]

Had a drive out there one Sunday morning last month for old times sake.

The domestic site has gone, NAAFI, Messes, Barrack Blocks---------flattened, just a few piles of earth left. Bloody sad:sad:

[Wander00]

Watton in the 60s (I was the only Plt Off/first tourist pilot in Signals Command/90 Gp for ages) was great for comradeship and experience, but accommodation was AWFUL. Binbrook 80-82 had its moments - usually at 2am when the hooter went - and Mount Pleasant (MPA when I arrived) was interesting, taking over Death Star at 1400hr to serve breakfast the next day - and the Ghurkas bless them helped empty 42 x 40ft containers of furniture. Neatishead under Joan Hopkins was pretty good, if hectic. Anyone have contact details for her.

Wander00

[ian16th]

Biggest and Worst. Yatesbury in the 50's. No flying thingies but 7,000 bodies, most of them were National Servicemen who simply weren't interested. A steady diet of Harris Pork Pies and sausages. After Yatesbury and Compton Basset closed, so did Harris'.

Best; RAF Liaison Party at Istres and then Orange 1957/58, it was tough but someone had to do it :)

In between, Cosford, Lindholme, Coningsby, Dishforth, Marham twice and Akrotiri. Marham can't have been too bad, nearly 4 years there the 1st time and I asked to be posted back there after Akrotiri.

Worst detachment: Pak Air Force Base Mauripour, the whole detachment, including the M.O. that we took with us, went down with dysentery. :E

Best detachments; 6 weeks at Luqa and 3 weeks on Gan, any longer on Gan would have been unappreciated.

[Tankertrashnav]

Marham can't have been too bad, nearly 4 years there the 1st time and I asked to be posted back there after Akrotiri.



I agree about Marham, Ian, I never understood the "El Adem with grass" thing. I had nearly 6 years there and had a really good time.
When I was a rockape I had 2 years at Catterick and contrary to expectations enjoyed that too - in the mid 60's it still had a real 1940's feel to it. I can remember we had to have a mess meeting to approve purchase of a washing machine as the older chaps thought that officers shouldn't do their own laundry as it was "unbecoming to the status of an officer" Talk about a different world!

[Farfrompuken]

Last time I saw RAF Yatesbury (last summer) it was looking very sorry for itself. Apparently the mess is being developed into a hotel.

RAF Compton Basset now a landfill site.

[ian16th]

I understood that the only building left standing at Yatesbury was the Gym, where someone was rebuilding a Meteor.

Besides the Gym, the 'boilerhouse' and two toilets in the School Area all of Yatesbury's buildings were wooden huts!.

[ian16th]

WRT Catterick, I never had the pleasure :) but I know a former Ground Wireless Fitter, that says the worst of his time in the RAF was when he was attached to the Regt. at Catterick.

He says it was impossible for a Rock to operate a radio without breaking it :bored:

[minigundiplomat]

Best (Fun) - Gutersloh by far. MPA a close second.

Best (Work) - Odiham.

Good - Lyneham/Shawbury.

Indifferent - Akrotiri (Fine in summer, not so in winter)/Cranwell.

Worst - Brize/Valley.

By way of dets to RAF bases,

Wildenrath - Great.

St Mawgan - Great for winching/Summer

Leuchars - Ideal geography.

Goose Bay - Not a fan.

Gibraltar - Went once, had a bollocking within 5 mins of the APU winding down. Cest la vie.

[Tankertrashnav]

He says it was impossible for a Rock to operate a radio without breaking it http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/wbored.gif


Tut, tut, Ian, another unwarranted rockape attack - and in 4 years in the Regiment I heard them all. I found the non-rockapes who served alongside us fell into 2 categories. Those who thought they were in some way superior and trotted out the tired jokes inevitably had a hard time and probably didnt enjoy their tour, those that mucked in alongside us usually enjoyed the experience. I personally found my gunners resourceful, cheerful and if not necessarily in possession of a bag of O and A levels could normally be relied on to get on with the job without moaning.

By the way the C42 and A41 radios we had to use were rubbish anyway - even when fully serviceable!

[Farfrompuken]

Ian

on the Technical site next to the old airfield there are quite a few brick/hard buildings. 2 large ones still stand: One definately a mess style building, a second looks like an old education block. Many more others, Inc a very sad hangar.

On the other site little stands.

Will take a trip up there soon to gave a look.

[BEagle]

He says it was impossible for a Rock to operate a radio without breaking it :bored:

Excellent - in which case let the RAF Regiment test all new radios! If they can demonstrate sufficient robustness to survive in the Regiment environment, they would seasily cope in less demanding environments. Adequately 'soldierproofing' bits of kit has always been a challenge for manufacturers - so if they're 'rockproof', they'll be fine!

I always found the main problems with military radios (anything from the '18 set' to the A43) were the batteries and antennae rather than the sets themselves.

Although a small piece of wirewool connected to a couple of pieces of wire stuffed into the HT part of an '88 set' battery made a useful survival firelighter!

[ian16th]

In my time at Yatesbury, some part of every year from 52 to 59 :eek: what you call the 'Technical Site' we called 'ASH', the Aircraft Servicing Hangers, or similar. We went there to be shown the sort of places where the wireless and radar kit was hidden in an airframe.

I had forgotten about that part of Yatesbury. My previous about the brick structures is only relevant to the 'Main Camp'.

Having originally said that Yatesbury didn't have any flying thingies, I once saw a Tiger Moth land and take off on the Square! It was also the largest Square I ever came across in the RAF. For us Boy Entrant's, doubleing around it with a .303 was a common punishment for minor missdemeanors.

I wish I could do that now :)

[BEagle]

A late family friend once got himself into rather deep and smelly stuff after one particular antic.....

He acquired a dead pig, squeezed it into a flying suit, then turned upside down over a parade square in a Tiger Moth...

Said pig-in-flying suit plummeted to earth and made a spectacular mess upon impact. Several recruits passed out at the shock of having seen the 'pilot' fall to his death.

Officialdom was Not Amused..... Chum was already serving a bad boys posting after getting up the nose of Fighter Command.

[ColinB]

It was without a doubt the most depressing place one could ever go to, especially when the sheets of rain swept over the scarp and dip slope on Wednesday, which was reception day. Taking your blue card round the acres of the site and hiding under your bedding on the long walk back to your billet, which was to be your new home for many weeks really got through to you.
This is a note I wrote some time ago.

"Attached is a link to the most stunning collection of pics on the Yatesbury development, the site is run by Shaun Churchill and he is being invited by the developer to take later pictures. The ceiling on the hangar on the corner as you enter the site was totally collapsed the last time I was there. I do recall marching in all weathers from the main camp to take the workshops phase of a Fitters Course there. There were Lancasters and Lincolns on the the pan and Canberras and mock-ups of the cockpits of V-Bombers inside the hangar.
There was a prototype Meteor in the collapsed hangar which is now at Cosford
The large trees on the corner used to have rookery in them and when the NAAFI van came you could easily loose your bun to a rook who had obviously watched Spartacus. The complete rookery occasionally took off and practised carpet bombing on the NAAFI queue.
The hangar area was guarded by airmen from the Yatesbury main camp at night and it was repeatedly rumoured that a local girl "Sweaty Betty" came round after the pubs had closed and gave solace to lonely guards in the Lancaster. I didn't benefit from this service but I always looked out for her.

Yatesbury Redevelopment (http://worldwar2airfields.fotopic.net/c1594441_1.html) "

The work on the development has now stopped because of the recession.

[ian16th]

Colin,

I think what made Yatesbury seem to desolate was that it had so many people and was so big and spread out. If it wasn't cold it was wet or both. As a result you always seemed to be walking/marching a long way to the School Area, the mess, the NAAFI or worst case the Gym and AGRS, in the said cold and/or rain.

Then there were the queue's, in the mess, the NAAFI, the two telephone boxes at the Post Office or anywhere, there were so many bodies everything was swamped.

It was the only camp I was on were we were issued with 2 extra blankets.

Transport to and from the place was also a problem. In those days when car ownership was but a dream. It was 5 miles to Calne to catch the 'Calne Flyer' on its single line track to Chippenham to get a train to anywhere civilized. Having the North East as my home, I had the added problem that rail warrents were routed via Bristol and a slow route through B'ham to Leeds and York, when the fast route was via Paddington across London to Kings Cross and then go north. This used to cost me about 7/6 extra, which was significant money to me in those days.

In the pre-Suez days when we had classes on Saturday morning and a weekend '48' was a once a month event, thousands were stuck on camp for the '36' weekends. Come the '48' weekend, which because of the travel problems I normally spent on camp, only one mess and one NAAFI was open, so it could be a very long cold/wet walk for a meal of even a cup of tea.

Not my favourite camp. I don't think that the none Radio trades really understood why we hated going on courses so much.

In 58 I did a 1 week Eureka VII course at Locking, it was a holiday camp :)

I've just reviewed the above, and realised that for those of you that never knew Yatesbury I should point out that it was so big it had, 5 Airmen's Mess' and 4 NAAFI's. The building that had been the 5th NAAFI became the Sgt's Mess. There was also a YMCA and a Malcolm Club.

[forget]

Yatesbury! 1963, coldest winter since 1740. I remember it well. I was into the tenth month of a one year course at Yatesbury, Wiltshire. Home to Durham for Xmas and New Year and, then the time came to get back, 250 miles away. TV wasn’t what it is now and I had no idea that Wiltshire was under 3 feet of snow. Sunday morning came and I set out, hitch hiking from Durham which, in uniform, was by far the most reliable transport.

The closer I got to Yatesbury the more I saw that things weren’t normal and I was soon relying on Army four wheel drive Bedfords running mercy missions.

I got to Yatesbury at around 8 o’clock Monday morning. The A4 was just passable with 13 foot drifts (true!) running alongside it. I decided to get dropped off at a side gate rather than check in at the guard room. I eventually got to my shed/billet (after wading through knee deep snow) - empty!

B*gger this I thought, I’ll be snow clearing for a week if I stay here. Solution. Hot bath, back onto the A4 via the side gate – and a 250 mile hitch back to Durham.

24 hours later a telephone call to the guard room told me not to bother coming back - for a week.

Yoof of today - :hmm:

[Blacksheep]

Biggest : Changi. So big the station had its own taxi service to get about the place.

Best: Changi. Though not without its onerous tasks. We were forced to consume the whole Duty Free ration by no later than the 25th of every month - and at an outrageous 7 pence a pint too!

Bonniest: Changi. Palm Trees waving gently in the breeze, the China Sea Beach Club, the scent of Frangipani wafting over the padang by the Yacht Club, bronzed beauties lazing by the pool, watching the weekly Netball games from the Malcolm Club verandah. Utterly fantastic scenery at every turn!

Ah, it was hell out East I tell you and tough work, but somebody had to do it.

[Lightning Mate]

Coltishall "home drome".

Pre-Jaguar that is: Lightnings.

[Progman]

In the two years before Changi closed, my colleagues and I in the Corporals Club tried very hard to drink the entire duty-free amount of Tiger before the married types (POSBs) could get their grubby hands on it. Quite a few months, we were successful!

[NUFC1892]

Progman I think you may have your nicknames a little mixed up. POSBy was/is an acronym for Post Office Savings Book, of the type recruits were talked into opening and paying part of their wages into. This left them with less money for beer chits so they are/were therefore considered a little tight. Married perrsonnel are SCALIES, which I believe comes from the fact they were in Pay Scale "E" some years ago.

By the way, the most picturesque RAF Camp was 11MU Chilmark - but you had to travel around all of the sites to get the full picture. The best view I ever had was from my office in Fuels at ASI, directly down to the beach and out over the Atlantic.

[alisoncc]

forget wrote:

Yatesbury! 1963, coldest winter since 1740. I remember it well. I was into the tenth month of a one year course at Yatesbury, Wiltshire. ......... Sunday morning came and I set out, hitch hiking from Durham which, in uniform, was by far the most reliable transport.

With a name like "forget" what can one expect? You forgot the Calne Flier. A single-line milk train that took ages to get anywhere, particularly from Calne to Yatesbury. :)

Did a Red Steer course there Christmas 1964. I have distinct memories of the dance at the NAAFI being the last ever, as it was closing down.

[jrmcubby]

muhharraq? a breeze compared to what was the nearest thing to hell on earth,,,,,,,SHARJAH. A TOTAL NIGHTMARE AND ONE OF THE UNHAPPIEST RAF STATIONS ANYWHERE.:(

[Shack37]

muhharraq? a breeze compared to what was the nearest thing to hell on earth,,,,,,,SHARJAH. A TOTAL NIGHTMARE AND ONE OF THE UNHAPPIEST RAF STATIONS ANYWHERE


Can't agree with this. Detachments to Sharjah from Khormaksar in the 60's were great. Pissups in the Khunja Club and New Years Day rugby match between permanent staff and KC imbibers worthy of world cup status.:ok:

[forget]

With a name like "forget" what can one expect? You forgot the Calne Flier. A single-line milk train that took ages to get anywhere, particularly from Calne to Yatesbury.

alisoncc. You mock my name :eek: and then claim that the Calne Flyer ran to Yatesbury. Wrong my man, wrong. The Calne Flyer, as the name sort of implies, ran to ........ let me get this right ............ Calne. :hmm:

[minigundiplomat]

If it was going to Calne, it's no wonder it wasn't in a hurry!:E

[Lightning5]

Best -Tengah Early 60's
Bonniest - Leuchars (St Andrews golf courses)
Worst - BINBROOK IN WINTER !!! Was it cold or what!:ugh:

[alisoncc]

muhharraq? a breeze compared to what was the nearest thing to hell on earth,,,,,,,SHARJAH. A TOTAL NIGHTMARE AND ONE OF THE UNHAPPIEST RAF STATIONS ANYWHERE.http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/sowee.gif


Muhharraq - commonly known as Muckrack was the smelliest place on earth. They used to pump the sewerage out over the sand and at low tide did it smell. I have distinct memories of being awoken my first morning there by a cannon in Manama calling the faithful to prayer.

As for Sharjah - magic place, loved it. But that was before the massive expansion that took place when they closed down Aden. They were just starting the build for the K'sar evacuation when I left Jan '67.


If it was going to Calne, it's no wonder it wasn't in a hurry!http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/evil.gif


Did it run between Calne and Yatesbury? or between Cheltenham(??) and Calne? Memories are getting foggy.

[Mamfe]

The Calne flyer ran from Chippenham to Calne I think it was about
7 miles from station to station.:)

[ian16th]

From Wikki:
Calne's former railway station (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calne_railway_station) opened in 1863, the terminus of a branch line (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Branch_line) of the Great Western Railway (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Western_Railway) from Chippenham. There was initially one intermediate stop - Stanley Bridge Halt (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Bridge_Halt_railway_station). The opening of another quite late in the line's history - Black Dog Halt (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Dog_Halt_railway_station) - was not enough to slow the inevitable decline. The branch closed as a result of the Beeching Axe (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beeching_Axe) in September 1965, having achieved the dubious distinction of making the biggest loss per mile of track of any line in the country.What was really amazing was how many people could get into the two coaches for the last run on 'home' to Calne on Saturday nights.

My last journey on The Flyer must have been in early '59, did the gas lights last till the end?

[Alber Ratman]

Best - Colt :ok:

Worst - St Athan :{

Biggest - the last .. Marham :ugh:

[kapton]

My godness, Alber Ratman certainly got around the RAF.

[Top West 50]

Happiest - Acklington
Friendliest - Church Fenton
Most Sectarian - Luqa (Transit Mess segregated dining area for V Force and PR 9 aircrew)

[Trainspotter]

Happiest-Kinloss
Friendliest-Church Fenton
Saddest-High Wycombe!;)

[Alber Ratman]

Kapton.

Lossiemouth

Bruggen (with lots of time spent at Laarburch and Gutesloh.. 431 MU)

Abingdon (RSS, I spent over a years worth of time at Wittering!)

Cottesmore

Coningsby

Plus the other 2 and the 2 tours I did at Colt, that makes 9 tours in the 24 years I did. That is about 2 1/2 to 3 years per tour.. I forgot to mention my OOA deployments, but nobody would really care. Permenantly employed.. I do know people who spent their entire careers at one station!

[Cows getting bigger]

Pity you never learnt to spell Gütersloh though. ;)

[EngAl]

If anyone is really nostalgic for the Calne Flyer, the route from Chippenham to Calne is now part of National Cycle Route 4, with a nice bridge over the A4 near Blackdog Halt. As you'd expect it's pretty level too - so "get on your bike"?

[Alber Ratman]

Spelling police really piss me off. Get a life.

[blaireau]

Alber is spelled Albert...

[Cows getting bigger]

:):):):):):):):)

So, so tetchy. :rolleyes:

[Cubanate]

Shame this thread has to die like that. Come on folks, keep them coming (the comparisons, I mean)!

[rockape2k7]

Best - GUT :ok:

Bonniest - BRAWDY :E

Worst - BASRA :\

Hardest - Catterick :ouch:

Most Operational - KAF :D

[oldpax]

Out of 220 posts no one has mentioned the best ,BALLYKELLY!!!
Possibly because it belonged to another air force in another era!!Mind you I came straight from training at St Athan so anything had to be better.There were six of us who arrived in December and all under 18 years old so a Cpl Doyle was put in charge of our barrack room!Needless to say we soon had a tour of the village drinking holes and then on to Limavady, Guinness at a shilling a bottle!!Yes Coastal command was another air force ,alas all gone!
Worst,Khormaksar long hours (8 sqdn) and only booze to keep you entertained.Look at www.radfan hunters .com for some nostalgia!!

[Lightning Mate]

RAF Wattishall, late 60s - early 70s

biggest - Lossie 80-83 - busy mix of types

best - Coltishall 74 -77 last of the lightnings first of (sqn) jags

bonniest - Coltishall whenever!


Lossie 80-83 - except for limited shagging....

Coltishall 71-73 - lots of it...

Bonniest - Coltishall - lots of it....

[RedhillPhil]

I'm really in thrall reading this thread. I was never in the R.A.F. My Pa was. It would be interesting to see a child of the R.A.F.'s version of this. I was too young to remember much of Usworth and Ouston, Acklington was a bit hazy.
Leuchars was great, all those Hunters and Javelins. Then it was Malta. Back to to North Weald (no-one's mentioned North Weald) in 1962 just in time for the coldest winter in living memory, brrrrrr! Then it was Gaydon. I liked Gaydon 'cos I liked Victors - pity they got swapped for those other V-planes Varsities and Valettas. Off we went again to Sopley - married quarters in Bransgore, very pretty. Then off to Gibraltar, that was nice until the border was closed then it got a bit claustrophobic. Then I went off on my separate way leaving le famille to (eventually) return to live in Uxbridge (Pa was at West Drayton), then they went to Waddington, then Lyneham then finally Sutton Bridge (Pa was at and retired from Holbeach).
For me, Malta was definately tops, Leuchars was great because of the different types af aircraft that would appear.

[Geehovah]

Biggest: Nellis AFB - over 10,000 people on base if you include civilians
Best: RAF Wildenrath in the late 70s, early 80s; height of the Cold War, fight hard but play hard.
Bonniest: Now I'm struggling but Wattisham was always a homely place. If detachments count, Dal Molin was in amongst the nicer ones.
Bleakest: Stanley just after the war without a doubt; even with the Coastels in place.

[penny59]

can any of you gentlemen help me at all, im looking for pictures etc of the above raf station as my dad will be 80 next month, and im doing a memory book for him, he was stationed there in 1950, with my mum and my brother was born there, i have tried everywhere poss to get info, but i keep hitting a dead end, any ideas chaps, i would be most grateful,

penny59

[Archimedes]

Penny - there's some info, and a few photos - not many - of the place just post the RRAF taking over in 1955 here (http://www.rhodesianforces.org/ThornhillGallery.htm).

There are quite a few photos at a website run by a chap called Tony Hawes who was at Thornhill from 1951-63 - see here (http://tonyhawesraf.multiply.com/photos/album/8/RAF_Thornhill_1951_-_1953)

There are quite few photos which aren't of Thornhill, but you'll find a few, including an aerial view or two. (I have a suspicion that this chap might be the ppruner 'warmtoast', who's put some photos of Thornhill up before).

There are some photos in a Flight article about the 1953 centenary event, which are on pdfs here (http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1953/1953%20-%200808.html) and here (http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1953/1953%20-%200809.html) (the fatal mid-air being dealt with in a very brief, matter-of-fact line on the first page).

You might (I can't recall) find some info and photos in Beryl Salt's Pride of Eagles book.

You'll also find some info here (http://www.rhodesianforces.org/ThornhillAirBase.htm) and http://rhodesiaandtheraf.********.com might help - you'll need to replace the asterisks by taking the words 'blog' and 'spot', and putting them together to form a single word and cutting and pasting into your address bar for that one though, as the word formed by this amalgamation gets filtered by Pprune.

[Finningley Boy]

For Bonniest and est St. Mawgan and Leuchars.
For biggest, I think Akrotiri is in with a shout. Also, Bruggen?

FB

[William.Fde Riecroft]

Swanton Morley,my first posting as Direct Entry Air Crew to join an Air Sig course. So So, in 1949 but I was young and unmarried then, however there was always Hairy Mary down in Dereham.
Said bye bye to RAF, day prior to passing out parade.never wanted to be a Sig any way.

On returning to the fold in1957 posted to Melksham,Yuk.
Next Posting Valley,married now with one son. Great hiring own tennis court,240 acres of rough shooting,landing stage and boat at the bottom of field. Best so far.Life was easy
Best.
Next posting Akrotiri. Lived out in Limassol. This was 1959
and Cyprus was not yet a tourist destination.Great restaurants and great sight seeing.Loved it.Further Son born on base.One of the best

Back broken in 6 places and returned to UK,posted to Watton.Tech Wing HQ. A good posting,excellent Officers, and staff.

Posted to St Athan as Instructor. Worst without any doubt,
Became paralised due to spinal injuries and transferred to RAF Hospital Wroughton. On and off for many months until discharge. Very kind staff at all levels despite being unable to operate and fix problems. As an hospital. Very good

[kaikohe76]

Ok Folks,

-4 me, South Cerney springs to mind, my first taste of the RAF, it had a lovely Officers Mess Building too.
- Leeming. Nice part of the UK, bloodly hard work completing the wings course on the JP, but certainly well worth it. I was once instructed to extend downwind as a Vulcan was on finals & ended up half way to Brum!, don't tell.
- Oakington - A lovely station & also in another lovely area, right next door to Girton Ladies College. My QFI had a Lotus Cortina, super car. Great pity to see most of the airfield is dug up & I think going into the real estate business.
- Sharjah - First operational posting, sand in almost everything, but super atmosphere.
- Thorney Island - A bugger to get in & out of if you lived off camp & it was rush hour on the A27.
- Northolt- Rather compressed & the end of the runway approached rather quickly when landing the 125 in the wet, no reverse for us.
Overall, I am so very sorry to see so many old RAF stations & airfields being closed down, I woder where we will be in ten years or so.

[Q-RTF-X]

For me, with two three year tours there, best simply has to be Akrotiri. I was mostly living down in Limassol, great food and drinking, nice place to live and great places up in the mountains to visit. I did an unaccompanied tour at Masirah and have to say that apart from the troublesome aspects of being unaccompanied, I greatly enjoyed my tour there, the esprit de corps was tremendous and the time simply flew by. Best in UK for sheer ambience was Chivenor, worst; Cosford as a Boy Entrant

[NutLoose]

1st
RAF Bruggen............... minus the damn exercises per week, lovely camp and lovely local women, topped off with lovely alcohol and a lovely Ratty outside the gate.

2nd
Raf Brize Norton..... bar the accomodation (Then and knowing the RAF probably still now) one of the best, but lacking in the above, great shifts and place to work, with cracking workmates ( LSS) bet that section hasn't been mentioned much.

3rd
RAF Odiham
Again really pits accomodation, Farmers Weekly recommended less pigs accomodated in the dimensions of the billet blocks than there were airman living in it....... we know, someone wrote in asking how many pigs could be kept in a well lit, heated room, xyz in area and it was published!!!
Basingstoke...... a place that would make one want to commit suicide...
Area nice and work great, but no women, except 2 married WRAFS ( when I was there), and the W~king makes you blind poster on the ceiling in the Dental section where they put you under....... Bet that has gone!!


Worst
RAF Halton...... nuff said..... on Par with Colditz, except Colditz you had a chance of escaping...

[albatross]

Probably not the correct thread but:
Can anyone tell about Labuan Malaysia- I saw a photo of F-86s in Labuan and can find no record of RAF F-86s based there. Canadair built I believe.
Probably an interesting history of that base both WW2 and after.
I can only assume it was a good base to work at.

[forget]

F86s at Labuan. Probably Australian ?? out of Butterworth.

[Wander00]

Neatishead in the mid 80s under Aunty Joan Hopkins was pretty good. Worked hard, played hard, and the lightest of touches on the helm

[Ascot 5999]

New catagory: Hardest to find entrance of. And the winner is ..................Wattisham. Could be seen for miles, but the the h*ll is the bl**dy main gate!


Most fun: Stanley before the "Normalisation" and Buchan with the Newton Farm Lodge OM. Wow, the parties in the blocks hm hm!

Or the smallest and liveliest, Ajax Bar (FI) . Smokers' Rock on the way up to the radar from the refigeration plant anyone? Bar made from copper coffin linings. "Is This the Face of Concern?"

Or even Cara Cara Radar where they auctioned off the sheets slept in by the CSE girls for RAFA?

Ah that reminds me of the collection for the RNLI before the porn show in the cinema of MS Keran on the way to the FI.

Happy Days sigh

Ascot

[Wwyvern]

Ref Sabres in Labuan - The Royal Malaysian Air Force operated 10 of them between 1969 and 1975.

[BEagle]

Hardest to find entrance of...I nominate RAF Mountbatten!

[Sempre 206]

Beags

Might have found it quicker if you had looked for RAF Mount Batten. :)

S206

[taxydual]

Sempre

Beags is making a sly joke. Think about it.

A clue, forget RAF and think of RN.

[Squirrel 41]

Hardest to find entrance of...

Bl:mad:dy Digby on a dark, cold & stormy night!

Quite nice once you got there, though...

S41

[BirdController]

For me "No contest":

Biggest: Brize Norton 1978-1979 (Still the biggest and I see it getting bigger everyday)

Busiest: Toss-up between Valley 1980 & Gutersloh 1975-1978 (probably RAFG with two squadrons of Lightnings, then 3 Squadrons of Harriers + NATO planes of many nations just a stones throw from the East german border! Anyone remember the Harrier Force detachments?)

Bonniest: absolutely no contest - RAF Sopley (Southern Radar) 1971-1973. No airplanes BUT about 16 living-in airmen and 60+ living-in WRAF, for a 19 year old from the sticks on his first posting after training this was bliss, and I still cant believe my luck:ok:

[Wander00]

Sopley domestic site looks pretty sad now

[Jan Bonnett]

Hello
I am interested in Robert NEILL who went to LLanelly in 1947, after serving 5 years in RAF. His number was 1680431 Rank A.C.I. Fitter IIA
He lived at 53 Llandafen Pemberton Llanelly.
By some wild chance did you meet or know of this man ? He was said to have been born in Belfast and had an Irish accent. In 1954 he moved to New Zealand.

Any information would be gratefully accepted
Sincerely
Jan Bonnett:confused:

[mtoroshanga]

Penny59Ref Thornhill,go on the Old Rhodesian Air Force Sods website,should be a lot about it then.I trained there from 1961 to 1963 with the RRAF.Ysed to be a great place with Gwelo as the town.

[jindabyne]

Very bonnie, and along with Khormaksar, Valley and Chivenor one of the best RAF OM pubs (30 seconds from my office) - Bawtry.

[26er]

During "Confrontation" Labuan and East Malasia was considered an operational area. Consequently any Australian serving there for "x" nights would be entitled to various goodies on return to Oz. I was told it meant go to the top of the waiting list for council houses etc but don't quote this as gospel. Anyhow the Sabres from Butterworth made occcasional deployments there for short stays i.e. long enough to qualify. I believe they also went to Kuching and possibly Tawau.

[goudie]

RAF Idris. Went there on detachment a couple of times, in the '60's. Seemed a peaceful backwater at the time, compared to the intense activity at Akrotri.
Nearby Tripoli was very pleasant too.

[Hampden]

In fact RAF Mount Hampden became Charles Prince,
I have a problem, my late father negotiated the purchase of the land on behalf of the RAF, Converted it to an air field and assembly plant for Tiger Moths, RAF personel actually cut the grass with grass knives. Due to sub attacks on convoys carrying parts from Australia, many parts were made locally including piston rings - it is thus that history was made in that aircraft engines were effectively manufactured during ithe war.
They had a simple quality control system the engineer flew on the test flight with the pilot. One nose dived into the air field and my late father buried the crew on a hill at the ege of the airfield.
Aces such as Douglas Bader visited RAF Mount Hampden.
These graves deserve and need attention. Unfortunately the flying club will not accept that it was a RAF Air Base and require proof.
I need help, can any one assist with some proof. As second generation RAF i should like to take care of this.

[Waddo Plumber]

Smallest and oddest RAF Theddlethorpe. A unit supporting the bombing ranges. It had a combined mess with a huge nightclub/disco which attracted girls from as far as Nottingham.

Best Officers Mess, Waddo in the mid 70's. 101 thought they were wonderful, 50 thought they were better. 9 had a Tirpitz bulkehead that some outfit up the road thought was theirs. 44 had a couple of interesting bosses. I was a neutral, on Eng Wing.

[Twon]

Biggest KAF if you count allies, Kinloss if not.

Best Gibraltar. Great food, Spain & Portugal on doorstep, sunshine, beer, wine etc etc...... Top people and, despite recent press, always busy.

Bonniest Ascension. 4-bed beach villa with 3 patios, 2 beer fridges and a turtle in a big pit! Green Mountain was pretty impressive too and temp was always 30 degrees.