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

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

Old 4th Apr 2008, 15:49
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where shall I start.
Most memorable......Jever is where I started...4 x Hunter Squadrons & unlimited cheap booze!
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Old 4th Apr 2008, 16:05
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Post RAF Stations Past and Present - Biggest, Best, Bonniest

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)

Last edited by Yellow6; 8th Apr 2008 at 12:16. Reason: Addition
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Old 4th Apr 2008, 16:08
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Biggest = Akrotiri

Worst = Buchan

Best = Benbecula....ahh all that fly fishing for a fiver a year
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Old 4th Apr 2008, 16:22
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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
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Old 4th Apr 2008, 16:33
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Biggest best and bonniest

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
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Old 4th Apr 2008, 16:42
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Worst Cosford (say no more)

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.(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
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Old 4th Apr 2008, 16:57
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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!
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Old 4th Apr 2008, 17:31
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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
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Old 4th Apr 2008, 17:56
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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.
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Old 4th Apr 2008, 18:16
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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...!
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Old 4th Apr 2008, 18:18
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Biggest and Best has got to be Bruggen, there from 91 to 94

Worst is Sealand, avionics grave yard

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

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
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Old 4th Apr 2008, 18:31
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biggest - Lossie 80-83 - busy mix of types

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

bonniest - Coltishall whenever!
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Old 4th Apr 2008, 19:07
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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.
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Old 4th Apr 2008, 19:16
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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
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Old 4th Apr 2008, 19:39
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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.

Many will dine-out of the antics from the Mess for many a year yet !!
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Old 4th Apr 2008, 19:44
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Rej,

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

Remember the Hamster coverup?
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Old 4th Apr 2008, 19:48
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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

and what about the night the dining room nearly burnt down after our Livers-in Christmas bash oops
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Old 4th Apr 2008, 19:58
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Biggest? Got to be Akkers.

Worst? Mahaaraqu (spell?)

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


.
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Old 4th Apr 2008, 20:38
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Rej,

Sorry, was enlisted filth sat on the right hand side of the console.
You have a PM.
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Old 4th Apr 2008, 20:47
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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
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