Why did RAF CHIVENOR Close??
you might at least wish to recognise the hard work and sacrifice of Chivenor's current occupants, the Commando Logistics Regiment.
The thread refers to the loss of the RAF's best flying station, that's all.
Hardly surprising that anyone who ever flew fighters from Chivenor feels aggrieved at seeing it covered in green lorries.....
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An enjoyable ATC camp spent there in 1969, pre modernisation so were were in wooden huts! Great Chipmunk flying low level over the moors to the north; Ilfracombe not far away; 'flying' the Hunter sims, trips through Saunton Sands in the DUKWs from Fremington and an airshow on the last saturday.
Our Chipmunk flight got us out of the night exercise but to make up for that, we had an extra go at the assault course.
Chivenor
Those who flew out of Chivenor on the Hunter, might be interested in a very enjoyable article written by Nigel Walpole, entitled "Devon's Fast-Jet Cradle", to be found in the first issue of a magazine called Royal Air Force Salute. Having trained there in '64, under Nigel Walpole ( who can forget his marrow exploding in his room in the E-Lines), and returned on the staff in '70 to serve on 234 and 79 Sqns my memories of Chivenor remain very bright.
Very sad to see it go - for all the wrong reasons !
Very sad to see it go - for all the wrong reasons !
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last days of chivenor
I marshalled off the last of the hunters at chiv in 74, there was a flypast of 25 of them, also lived in the hut in 'c' lines. spent many a legless time in the aggies braunton,williams arms, The bomb in barnstaple and only worked about 2 1/2 days a week. Holiday camp of the air force, wonderfull times,surfing and stuff. lived in ilfracombe after the huts. a marvelous life
keel beam: yes it was OBB Wing camp; I think there was another wing there at the same time.
Sqdn Ldr John Mould was Camp Commandant if I remember correctly; there was another officer (Cyril somebody) who got 'a bought of malaria' during the week; yet another officer remarked that it was amazing what you could catch from a gin bottle!
Although I was only a cadet, I was quite senior so I travelled down in my car with another senior cadet. We left our hometown at 3am thinking we'd beat the traffic, only to discover every caravanner in Bucks had got the same idea, but at least we got there by 9am, the outgoing camp having already left, so we had a few hours peace before the rest of the adult staff and cadets arrived by coach.
It was the only camp I ever attended where the 'knife/fork/spoon/mug' on the list of equipment to take were actually used!
Sqdn Ldr John Mould was Camp Commandant if I remember correctly; there was another officer (Cyril somebody) who got 'a bought of malaria' during the week; yet another officer remarked that it was amazing what you could catch from a gin bottle!
Although I was only a cadet, I was quite senior so I travelled down in my car with another senior cadet. We left our hometown at 3am thinking we'd beat the traffic, only to discover every caravanner in Bucks had got the same idea, but at least we got there by 9am, the outgoing camp having already left, so we had a few hours peace before the rest of the adult staff and cadets arrived by coach.
It was the only camp I ever attended where the 'knife/fork/spoon/mug' on the list of equipment to take were actually used!
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Those were the days !!!
I left RAF melksham (trade training) and was sent to somewhere called "CHIVENOR" IN 1960 IT WAS 229 OCU, I 'joined' 145 Squadron (which was one of two squadrons based there) We were the squadron based in the hangars nearer to the rail line.
The aircraft were the lovely HAWKER HUNTER, I worked on the Mk 4 & T7.
The weather at Chivenor always seemed to lend itself to many flying hours, and not many days were lost to weather conditions, but in my time there - 1960 to 1965 - two bouts of weather remain in my mind.
I believe it was in the autumn of 1960 when we had very bad floods, the rail line to Exeter from Barnstaple was washed out, the river TAW burst its banks and flooded much of the surrounding area.
1963 was more dramatic that was the year of the BIG FREEZE the whole area was under much snow & ice, The 22 squadron helicopters were on mercy missions all over the county, dropping supplies to many stranded communities, farms etc.
I can remember that there was still evidence of snow in the edges of the fields right into MAY.
One abiding memory of that big freeze was a journey from Wrafton to raf beverly & back... I was part of the Chivenor cross country team, to take part in the fighter command competition- even though the country was under severe winter conditions were we tasked to attend. so we journeyed at about 9am until we arrived late at night to have a quick meal before bedding down.Bearing in mind that there was deep layer of snow & very icy conditions all around, the information at this time was that the officer in charge would make a course inspection early next morning. At breakfast we were informed that the competition was off !!! (No surprise to any of us,as you could not even walk around the camp safely !!).
We made a fast exit to catch the train at about 10 am and eventually arrived back at Chivenor at about 1am the next morning....yes the trains were still running although there was much disruption.
Are there any of you guys out there that were in the cross country team/basketball team of that time ?
The aircraft were the lovely HAWKER HUNTER, I worked on the Mk 4 & T7.
The weather at Chivenor always seemed to lend itself to many flying hours, and not many days were lost to weather conditions, but in my time there - 1960 to 1965 - two bouts of weather remain in my mind.
I believe it was in the autumn of 1960 when we had very bad floods, the rail line to Exeter from Barnstaple was washed out, the river TAW burst its banks and flooded much of the surrounding area.
1963 was more dramatic that was the year of the BIG FREEZE the whole area was under much snow & ice, The 22 squadron helicopters were on mercy missions all over the county, dropping supplies to many stranded communities, farms etc.
I can remember that there was still evidence of snow in the edges of the fields right into MAY.
One abiding memory of that big freeze was a journey from Wrafton to raf beverly & back... I was part of the Chivenor cross country team, to take part in the fighter command competition- even though the country was under severe winter conditions were we tasked to attend. so we journeyed at about 9am until we arrived late at night to have a quick meal before bedding down.Bearing in mind that there was deep layer of snow & very icy conditions all around, the information at this time was that the officer in charge would make a course inspection early next morning. At breakfast we were informed that the competition was off !!! (No surprise to any of us,as you could not even walk around the camp safely !!).
We made a fast exit to catch the train at about 10 am and eventually arrived back at Chivenor at about 1am the next morning....yes the trains were still running although there was much disruption.
Are there any of you guys out there that were in the cross country team/basketball team of that time ?
Pilot Officer Rod Dean?
"Embassy Trophy" Jet Aerobatic Competitions 1972-1987, held at Greenham Common:
1972 Fg Off Rod Dean RAF, Hunter F6, 79 Sqn/229 OCU
1973 Flt Lt W. Tyndall RAF, JP T5, 3 FTS
1974 Flt Lt P. Chapman RAF, Lightning F3, 226 OCU
1976 Flt Lt D. Webb RAF, JP 5A, 1 FTS
1977 Flt Lt D. Fitzsimmons RAF, Hawk T1, CFS
1979 Oberlieutnant Wolf Austrian AF, Saab 105E
1981 Capt Hans Hemmelder, R Netherlands AF, Northrop NF5A, 315 Sqn
1983 Flt Lt M.L. Thompson RAF, Lightning F3, LTF
1985 Major Eric Nedergaard USAF, F15C, 36 TFW
How do I know all this?
I am one of the above.
