St Mawgan - The time has finally come
How would you compare it to stations like Chivenor?
Chivenor on the other hand was much smaller and operated at a more frenetic pace, generating many more sorties per day than St. Mawgan. Station facilities were pretty basic, which pulled people together and made for excellent camaraderie. Barnstaple had good night life and some nice eateries.
Both fondly remembered and sadly missed.
And Chivenor had (and still has) a far better weather factor than St Mawgan or Valley. It's great foresight from our leaders - close all the good bases where people like to work and post them (or try to) to all the sh*tholes and then wonder why we have recruitment and retention problems.
Had 2 tours at St Mawgan in the eighties and nineties and four tours at ISK in the seventies and 00, just a shame i didnt do more time down south. Some of the enjoyment was down to some very good sqn commanders, some the location and the fact that there was only one op sqn.
All the people on the station new that the mission was to get the aircraft airborne when required, storemen, atc, admin all played a part in making it a very happy station.
As for 3rd division south, i do remember flying north to help out ISK when it all got too difficult and busy, and hanging around on SAR because ISK could not get an aircraft serviceable.
I also remember that all the aircraft on the line where fit to fly, they were all turned round, fixed and fueled for the next day regardless of the flying program demands, therefore, there was always a backup and sometimes a third available.
If the RAF was still working in that fashion, i would still be in.
All the people on the station new that the mission was to get the aircraft airborne when required, storemen, atc, admin all played a part in making it a very happy station.
As for 3rd division south, i do remember flying north to help out ISK when it all got too difficult and busy, and hanging around on SAR because ISK could not get an aircraft serviceable.
I also remember that all the aircraft on the line where fit to fly, they were all turned round, fixed and fueled for the next day regardless of the flying program demands, therefore, there was always a backup and sometimes a third available.
If the RAF was still working in that fashion, i would still be in.
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I've heard that the Defence SERE Training Centre is forming at St Mawgan by the end of the year so I think those of us with SERE courses planned will still be able to sample the delights of Newquay / Bodmin Moor for some time to come.
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Sad news for the Mil guys,
I have enjoyed quite a few exercises there and used to stay in the O's mess for long weekends to go surfing.
Luckily still get to night-stop there occasionally in my little BizJet, only the accommodation is a little better, Watergate Bay Hotel
or downtown Newquay.
I have enjoyed quite a few exercises there and used to stay in the O's mess for long weekends to go surfing.
Luckily still get to night-stop there occasionally in my little BizJet, only the accommodation is a little better, Watergate Bay Hotel
or downtown Newquay.
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Beags
I'm not being spiteful
During the holiday season, when sat in the ac waiting for a 0900(L) SAR handover via landline, MHQ and ARCC on 5680 HF, and the response from the other end was - "programme didn't indicate 0900 Zulu or Local, but they are on the way" Handover eventually completed about 1100 (L) - one tends to wonder if we were in a joined up Air Force -"small" things like that pissed people off when they were waiting to hump across to the next bay to go on an 8hr Ops trip
My comments about the Dining Room being full at breakfast are true and there are many other similar stories - former members of Forty Who who were later stationed at ISK still boast about them
I suspect at this time, you were in shirt sleeves flying your FunBus to the next 4* hotel in the States, and you were using Zulu time - and ASCOT Ops were using Local time to ensure you had a lie in? Yeh!
I'm not being spiteful
During the holiday season, when sat in the ac waiting for a 0900(L) SAR handover via landline, MHQ and ARCC on 5680 HF, and the response from the other end was - "programme didn't indicate 0900 Zulu or Local, but they are on the way" Handover eventually completed about 1100 (L) - one tends to wonder if we were in a joined up Air Force -"small" things like that pissed people off when they were waiting to hump across to the next bay to go on an 8hr Ops trip
My comments about the Dining Room being full at breakfast are true and there are many other similar stories - former members of Forty Who who were later stationed at ISK still boast about them
I suspect at this time, you were in shirt sleeves flying your FunBus to the next 4* hotel in the States, and you were using Zulu time - and ASCOT Ops were using Local time to ensure you had a lie in? Yeh!
Join Date: Jul 2001
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Having served - and still serving frontline MR2 - at both St Mawgan & ISK I would say that ISK has better scenery but are still up themselves half the time. As they were in the 80s / 90s.....
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I did 1978 to disbandment on the fine Forty Who, with an odd 3 years in London in between. Had a ball. I think the main difference was that as we only had the one squadron (aside from the OCU who used the same airframes), it was effectively a return to squadron servicing - something else that used to work well.....
Ping
P.S. The breakfasts are still good!
Ping
P.S. The breakfasts are still good!
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Couldn't agree more with all the comments about the great times at St Mawgan. I was lucky enough to spend two tours on 42 Sqn, one on the OCU, and a little bit of time in MAAU, and still managed some Scottish time. Although I enjoyed my tour at Kinloss, the Cornish Air Force will always hold a special place in my heart. During the 70/80s we had some great bosses on 42 Sqn, and it was such a fun place to work with a great bunch of people. I was recently down at St Mawgan visiting an old Nimrod Buddy and it was interesting to see the changes taking place. The airfield now has a brand new security fence surrounding it, probably better than anything that was there when it was a military base. Hate to think what it must have cost to erect, but guess the local council can afford it with the £5 airport development tax to leave Cornwall. Does anybody know what is happening to the 'Shackleton Gate Guardian' that was down by the Atlantic Club. Know a lot of the ex -Shack guys put a lot of time and effort into getting it in place including Billy Margarson (god bless him). Anyway just getting my Sonobuoy Loading Tool to insert into Buoy 15.
Atleast Gaydon is now covered in Aston Martins and heritage Museum - rather than 1000s of japcars in storage....
Beags
- send me postal address and I'll post you some grass - landing there later this month for something Boss has organised.
Beags
- send me postal address and I'll post you some grass - landing there later this month for something Boss has organised.
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Any chance someone will write a station history? Being an aged civvy who only flew in and out courtesey of 'SKYWAYS' (DC3, DC4 and Viscount!!) I would dearly love to read about the early days. I remember Lancs and Shacks of Coastal Command doing circuits over Porth not to mention Vulcans earth shaking departures. One of my friends Dads who was staioned there said it was a great place for duty free. Shacks would come in fully laden, slow down out of sight over the hill to toss everything out to be collected later. I am also old enough to remember St. Eval and standing on the A39 at the end of the runway whilst BOAC was using it as a B707 training base. Great days for spotting the rare visiting aircraft too. As previous posts I thought it would be a great posting but a couple of friend I knew detested it.
Having spent nearly 7 years there the first time I can recall it being a mixture of good and bad. The good, the location and the great summers, the girls the weather, (always sunny I seem to recall !) the parties, oh yes, work was OK too. The bad, poor station masters and an awful SWO, in fact most of the admin was bad.
Returned later, mid seventies to find it changed to a committed to task place, intelligent SWO (funny too, Mr. McNaught) and a lot less frenetic than the sixties, it had lost something, mind you so had I, believe it's called yoof. Still and excellent posting and away from the rule setters and stiff necked arrses at Deadloss! It just seems to illogical to close this place with its huge runway, excellent location and good services, the madness goes on.
P Mills
Returned later, mid seventies to find it changed to a committed to task place, intelligent SWO (funny too, Mr. McNaught) and a lot less frenetic than the sixties, it had lost something, mind you so had I, believe it's called yoof. Still and excellent posting and away from the rule setters and stiff necked arrses at Deadloss! It just seems to illogical to close this place with its huge runway, excellent location and good services, the madness goes on.
P Mills
The glorious Summer of '94 when UBAS went to St Mawgan for summer camp.
Definitely the fondest memories of any RAF station for me. The only PT Flight with surfboards was what I was told at the time and believed. It was a long summer that year.
WWW
Definitely the fondest memories of any RAF station for me. The only PT Flight with surfboards was what I was told at the time and believed. It was a long summer that year.
WWW
Filton is the same - 100 yards. Perhaps they just reflected our once great imperial measurements combined with our imperial ambitions..
WWW
WWW
St Mawgan's Runway
I believe (and if I'm wrong there'll be someone with more/better gen along dreckly) that the runaway was built to accept the larger American aircraft as they were ferried in during the second half of WW2.
The Ancient Mariner
The Ancient Mariner
I remember stepping off the train in June '79 with a kitbag full of dreams, blue skys, heavenly beaches and heavenly(er) bodies on display.
So different to my smog covered Lancashire home, I couldnt believe I was getting paid to live and work there.
God I feel old.
So different to my smog covered Lancashire home, I couldnt believe I was getting paid to live and work there.
God I feel old.