MARRIED QUARTERS UK Germany Aden

[Roger BBCAir]

We are researching the life and times on Married Quarter estates particularly during the period from the late 1940s to the mid 1990s when the majority were sold to Nomura Bank/Annington Homes. Of particular interest are estates throughout the UK and Wildenrath and Khormaksar Aden. Photos would be greatly welcomed. As the son of an RAF navigator with 40 years service I have been closely involved with life on the patch. For the past 32 years my Group have specialised in the acquisition of former MQ sites as well as entire former ex MOD aerodromes and tech sites. We started in 1979 with the NCO MQs at RAF Faldingworth and recently completed our purchase of the Officers MQs at RAF Ballykelly/Shackleton Barracks in NI.To give an indication of our involvement in this field and aviation please visit The Welbeck Estate Group (http://www.welbeckestate.com) and click on 'Management Profile' and 'Aviation' Many thanks
Roger

[jumbojet]

I too was a Rafbrat, with some of my happiest moments spent @ Laarbruch in the early 1970s. It was a part of the UK in Germany. You didnt need to leave the base, sad, but as a kid I didnt care. I fondly remember the house, the woods, the powerstation, the school, the medical centre & much more. The quarter was warm & modern. My career took me to civil aviation, so I was very happy to fly to Neiderrhine/Laarbruch. It didnt last long though. Walking around the ex-base was shocking. The infrastructure that is wasted is huge. The MQ are fenced off, but I contacted the airfield manager & got permission to go any where, with my old man. Very sad. We went to our old MQ, I dont think it changed, but was green with moss, the grass to my knees. Awful waste of time & effort. 2 Sqdrn hanger just a wreck. The cinema, naafi , church, 2 schools 2 messes & swimming pool left to die. Very very sad

[SOSL]

Mrs SOS and I occupied 2 MQs in Cyprus during the mid 1980's.

The first was in Berengaria, down in Limassol, It was a corrugated metal construct, it had 7 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a huge dining room, a huge sitting room, a long corridor which ran the length of the building and a kitchen the size of a large wardrobe!

Berengaria also had an Olympic sized (unheated, but who cared?) swimming pool and a secret all ranks drinking club (well it was a secret from Mrs SOS).

We used to buy our groceries from a little shop, outside the compound, run by a guy called Ginger - he had a tiny shop but somehow or other he always managed to find whatever bits and pieces I wanted.

After about 3 months we were offered a quarter in Kensington Park up at Epi, we moved up and were accommodated in a delightful, but much smaller building, which was much more convenient because I was based at Epi, on the AHQ Cyprus.

Shortly thereafter SOSlet No. 1 arrived in the maternity ward of TPMH and after a few days was introduced to her nursery in the Kensington MQ. She then went on to become a fat and happy baby expat.

After 18 months, on posting, we were marched out of the quarter. By then Episkopi was a garrison and the march out was conducted by a WO1. We had put lots of posters up on our walls with Bluetack. When we took them all down the bluetack pulled away large chunks of the weak plaster, leaving big holes in most of the walls.

The WO1 turned to me and said "lot of holes in your walls, sir" I replied " yes Mr xxxx but I didn't mean to do it"

He then said "You've made a mess of the walls, sir, but I'll put it down to water damage and I suggest you put it down to experience".

Best wishes SOS

[Roger BBCAir]

Interesting to learn about the revisit to Laarbruch which was a somewhat
similar experience to my visit a few years ago to Wildenrath. What a way for
them to go.
Cyprus was well known to me as 'a civvy' as I opened an office in Nicosia and Kyrenia in 1969 before the island was split although I had to take the UN convoy between the 2 locations. I spent most of the time as a resident in the Dome Hotel Kyrenia. Great weekends taking the Cyprus Airways Viscount to and from Beirut - in those days 'The Paris of the Middle East' My last sight of Beirut was after being rescued in a Macedonian Aviation DC3 and escorted by 2 Israeli fighters in 1972 after the Munich massacre back across to Kyrenia.
I am actively seeking information and/or photos on the patch from the 1950s through to the 1980s of RAF Khormaksar, Waddington, Hemswell, North Coates, Driffield, Waddington, Manby, Faldingworth, Scampton, Watton, Marham. Waterbeach, Tangmere, Swanton Morley, Feltwell, Sculthorpe and West Raynham in particular.

[Ron Cake]

I have photos of married quarters you can have. But there is a problem. Despite many attempts, I have never been able to figure out how to post photos on PPRuNe. And are you sure you want to see images of 1950's housing on on rather dreary MOD estates? Doesn't seem very exciting to me.

[Roger BBCAir]

Ron

Rest assured photos of MQs are not boring to me. I am collating all this info as I am closely involved with so many aspects of life on the patch.
If you cannot send them to PPRuNe then if you want to send thne please feel free to send to me at [email protected] and take a look at The Welbeck Estate Group (http://www.welbeckestate.com) looking under 'Mangement Profile and Projects' and also 'Aviation' Then you may understand why.

Much appreciated.

Roger