RAF New Look Quarters

[Sideshow Bob]

Anybody recognise theirs?

British Pathe - RAF NEW LOOK QUARTERS

The kitchen certainly looks familiar.

[Motleycallsign]

What did FS Spray do wrong? I thought the soundtrack ended with him being demoted to Sgt!!!!

[Pontius Navigator]

Bob, good find.

Have a look at this one:

British Pathe - (VULCAN BOMBER)

Gus Walker is the AVM but the pilot, is it Ron Dick? Ron died a couple of years ago and I flew one trip with him almost 40 years ago when he was OC of the other sqn (IX).

[VinRouge]

Cant believe I am living in the equivalent of a knockers house!

[goudie]

The clip with AVM Gus Walker was, I believe, taken at Nellis Field when Gus led a force of 4 Vulcans from 617 sqdn, to attend the World Congress of Flight, held in Las Vegas in '59.The pilot on the right is Sqdn Ldr Davenport 'B' Flt Commander. I was a very young cpl tech at the time and as you can imagine in those days, it was the 'jolly' of a life time. Gus passed himself off to the local press as the original one armed bandit! They loved him.

[Pontius Navigator]

Goudie, thank you.

Vin Rouge, it is too late at night. What do you mean?

[goudie]

Pontius Thank you for posting the clip. Took me back 50+ years and it was a nice surprise to see two officers who I admired and respected, especially Sqdn Ldr. Davenport. He gave me some sound career advice when it was needed.

[Fat Chris]

Vin, I can't believe that they let the bloody O's see what they've been missing for all these years.

You'll all want one now.

[Army Mover]

The quarters hadn't changed much when I moved in to an identical one at South Cerney 20 years later, just the paint was a lot thicker.

[Pontius Navigator]

Originally Posted by Army Mover

The quarters hadn't changed much when I moved in to an identical one at South Cerney 20 years later, just the paint was a lot thicker.

No expense spared in those days. Did the windows open or were they draught-sealed by DuLux?

[philrigger]

I think there is something fishy about this film. I lived in quarters with my father from 1948 and still work on a RAF camp today. I cannot ever remember airmans married quarters, even those designated as WO quarters, with garage attached. Occoasionally there would be a block of garages nearby and in the case of Cranwell in the 1950s there was also a hangar on the north airfield made available to park cars.

Which reminds me of a tale about the station police WO. A man call Edwards. Following reports of damage and theft from the vehicles in the hangar he thought he would catch the culprits red-handed. One night he climbed up onto the outside of the hangar roof in order to look through the (skylights. Unfortunatley the roof gave way and he fell onto a vehicle below. Miraculously he survived without serious injury except a very red face and we kids all took the micky out of him via his kids at school.

I know that some airmen live in officers quarters with garages today but they are still officers quarters.)

[Tankertrashnav]

Interesting seeing the NCO seeing the Valiant off - note the inverted chevrons with the crown above. That rank had gone by the time I joined in '64 - was that a senior technician?

[The Oberon]

Ah, the old technical ranks.

A J/T wore a single inverted chevron
A Cpl/Tech inverted Cpls chevrons
A Snr/Tech inverted Sgts chevrons
A Chf/Tech inverted Sgts Chevrons + Crown.
Master Tech. wore a W.O. Badge.

For 3 years at Locking I looked forward to dumping my apprentice wheel and getting my JT stripe. What happened ? Just before we passed out the stripe was replace with a cut down cloth version of the same wheel we wanted rid of.

[goudie]

Chief Techs (with crown) were gods in the RAF techie world, especially 'V' Bomber Crew Chiefs. Unfortunately by the time I reached this exalted rank the crown had gone in favour of the four bladed prop. It was said at the time that Flt Sgts were not all all happy with sharing their coveted crown with 'upstarts' and it compromised the chain of command.
Apologies for thread drift.

[Blacksheep]

I cannot ever remember airmans married quarters, even those designated as WO quarters, with garage attached.

I lived in Blenheim Crescent in Ruislip back in the 70's in quarters just like those in the movie and, yes, there were some semi-detached quarters with attached garage exactly the same as that shown. They were meant for Flight Sergeants and Warrant Officers but the one next door but one to ours was occupied by the AOC's driver (a corporal) and he would bring the car home at weekends, wash and polish it, and keep it in the garage on standby.

[BEagle]

RAF Valley OMQ of the non-too-distant future after a few years of DHE neglect:

"No mate - not due a re-dec for another few years yet....."

[philrigger]

Blacksheep

and, yes, there were some semi-detached quarters with attached garage exactly the same as that shown.

The point is that when that film was made in the early 1950s that was not the standard AMQ nor even a non-standard AMQ.

When were the quarters that you refer to;

a. built?

b. allocated to airmen?

[Tankertrashnav]

Oberon and Goudie - Thanks both for the info. I've seen those single RAF chevrons before and as we never had Lance Corporals in the RAF I always wondered what they were! Never too late to learn something

[AARON O'DICKYDIDO]

PHILRIGGER

Film made in 1963 but I think your comment still stands.



Aaron

[Pontius Navigator]

Originally Posted by goudie

It was said at the time that Flt Sgts were not all all happy with sharing their coveted crown with 'upstarts' and it compromised the chain of command..

And chiefs were none too pleased either as it suggested managerial responsibilities rather than engineering excellence - ditto for sgt tech and cpl tech. As for J/T, well it made them unique.