RAF Stations (past and Present) - Biggest, Best and Bonnieist??
Best/Worst Stations
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
Wander00
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: South Africa
Age: 87
Posts: 1,329
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
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.
Best detachments; 6 weeks at Luqa and 3 weeks on Gan, any longer on Gan would have been unappreciated.
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.
Best detachments; 6 weeks at Luqa and 3 weeks on Gan, any longer on Gan would have been unappreciated.
Marham can't have been too bad, nearly 4 years there the 1st time and I asked to be posted back there after Akrotiri.
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!
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Puken
Posts: 358
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Yatesbury
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.
RAF Compton Basset now a landfill site.
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: South Africa
Age: 87
Posts: 1,329
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
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!.
Besides the Gym, the 'boilerhouse' and two toilets in the School Area all of Yatesbury's buildings were wooden huts!.
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: South Africa
Age: 87
Posts: 1,329
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
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
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
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.
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.
He says it was impossible for a Rock to operate a radio without breaking it 
By the way the C42 and A41 radios we had to use were rubbish anyway - even when fully serviceable!
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Puken
Posts: 358
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Yatesbury
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.
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.
He says it was impossible for a Rock to operate a radio without breaking it
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!
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: South Africa
Age: 87
Posts: 1,329
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Farfrompuken / Yatesbury
In my time at Yatesbury, some part of every year from 52 to 59 
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
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
Of Tiger Moths, recruits and parade squares....
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.
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.
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Lixwm,Flintshire
Posts: 262
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It's Got to Be Yatesbury
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 "
The work on the development has now stopped because of the recession.
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 "
The work on the development has now stopped because of the recession.
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: South Africa
Age: 87
Posts: 1,329
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
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.
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.
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: 58-33N. 00-18W. Peterborough UK
Posts: 3,040
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
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 -
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 -
Cunning Artificer
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: The spiritual home of DeHavilland
Age: 76
Posts: 3,127
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
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.
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.
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Bedford
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
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!
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Up where we belong
Posts: 92
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
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.
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.
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: On the Bay, Vic, Oz
Age: 80
Posts: 415
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
forget wrote:
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.
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.
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.