RAF Marham posting
Spent 2 tours there in the late 90s and early 00s. Arrived there thinking "what a ####hole" (had to drive round the perimeter twice to find a way in!). 7 years after that intro and I'm happy to say they were some of the best of my life - if you go there and are determined to be miserable, you'll be miserable. But you are on the doorstep of some of the most beautiful beaches in the land and one of the remaining counties where community means something. Some of the pubs are astounding- but you have to explore to find them.
We ended up living out in Castle Acre (a village north of Swaffham) which has loads of character. We loved it there and hold Norfolk very dear to our heart.
We ended up living out in Castle Acre (a village north of Swaffham) which has loads of character. We loved it there and hold Norfolk very dear to our heart.
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Bloodhounds at Marham
Im surprised to hear that the Bloodhounds were at Marham as late as the 90's. They arrived during my 1st tour, circa 1960.
It was eerie if near them when it was quite, with no a/c movements and several of them would start tracking something.
In my time, the Bloodhounds were 242 Sqdn and part of Fighter Command. This caused me to reach the peak of my 'athletic' career!
On 214 Sqdn, we were very keen on winning things, especially if it meant beating 148 Sqdn. I dunno where the rivalry came from, and 49 and 207 Sqdns weren't involved. As a result we would enter for absolutely any competition/sports event that happened.
Come the Inter-Section Athletics, if we entered and finished an event we scored a point, and we could enter 2 men per event. So we did, skill and/or experience not necessary, just finishing. I enter an event that I could do, and when it came to filling the gaps, I am entered for the odd place in the 2 Mile Walk.
Come the day, I do my best, and to everyone's surprise, including mine, I came 3rd.
The guy who came 2nd was from 242 Sqdn.
As a result, come the 3 Group Athletic Championships, I'm in the Station Team as I was the 2nd guy who was qualified to represent Marham.
I played rugby and cricket for a few station teams, but this was my only 'athletics' at a representative level
It was eerie if near them when it was quite, with no a/c movements and several of them would start tracking something.
In my time, the Bloodhounds were 242 Sqdn and part of Fighter Command. This caused me to reach the peak of my 'athletic' career!
On 214 Sqdn, we were very keen on winning things, especially if it meant beating 148 Sqdn. I dunno where the rivalry came from, and 49 and 207 Sqdns weren't involved. As a result we would enter for absolutely any competition/sports event that happened.
Come the Inter-Section Athletics, if we entered and finished an event we scored a point, and we could enter 2 men per event. So we did, skill and/or experience not necessary, just finishing. I enter an event that I could do, and when it came to filling the gaps, I am entered for the odd place in the 2 Mile Walk.
Come the day, I do my best, and to everyone's surprise, including mine, I came 3rd.
The guy who came 2nd was from 242 Sqdn.
As a result, come the 3 Group Athletic Championships, I'm in the Station Team as I was the 2nd guy who was qualified to represent Marham.
I played rugby and cricket for a few station teams, but this was my only 'athletics' at a representative level
Last edited by ian16th; 1st Nov 2014 at 08:44.
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Im surprised to hear that the Bloodhounds were at Marham as late as the 90's
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I was a first and third tourist at Marham late 80s, and regularly heard the 'El Adem with grass' descriptor - not that I knew wtf they were on about.
As a singly I have lots of fond memories of both tours and retain many friends from that era, probably because we were so relatively remote. That vs my second tour in the middle at Brize, which I found to be impersonal and unwelcoming. The biggest issue is it's not very well connected, so getting anywhere takes an hour, so I don't imagine it's much fun for young wives while hubby is away at the latest war.
As a singly I have lots of fond memories of both tours and retain many friends from that era, probably because we were so relatively remote. That vs my second tour in the middle at Brize, which I found to be impersonal and unwelcoming. The biggest issue is it's not very well connected, so getting anywhere takes an hour, so I don't imagine it's much fun for young wives while hubby is away at the latest war.
No, not the Bloodhounds but rather their technicians from West Raynham who were posted in when the Bloodhounds finally stood down.
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FIDO tanks near the threshold of runway 24
The only 'on the airfield' incident that happened in my time, was a Javelin that landed with the port u/c leg not down. This conveniently happened during the normal day shift and right outside the 214 ground crew room window!
Beautiful landing, held the port wing up as long as possible, when the wing tip eventually touched the runway, lots of sparks and the a/c started spinning. When it stopped, the canopy opened and the pilot and nav exited and ran down the wing, and off onto the grass like something from a Speedy Gonzales cartoon.
If it hadn't been serious, it would have been funny
Said in a Norfolk accent: “I don’t need to go abroad and if I did I’d go to wroxham Broad” That’s why we don’t have motorways here. It’s to keep all you unwebbed types out
The photo of the Valiant was,I think, taken from the balcony of Local Control (ATC) and I stand corrected -it was 242sqn with the Bloodhounds. We had a Valiant parked outside Operations and there was still an airworthy one at Boscombe Down which sometimes used Marham for practise diversions as late as 1968. Again I digress.
Incidentally, and I digress again, my first CAA FLt.Ops.Inspector in JEA was John Mitchell who was on the reserve Valiant at Christmas Island. Quite a character on ferry flights from De Havilland in Downsview.
Incidentally, and I digress again, my first CAA FLt.Ops.Inspector in JEA was John Mitchell who was on the reserve Valiant at Christmas Island. Quite a character on ferry flights from De Havilland in Downsview.
Forgot to mention that the law runs out above Thetford and people start driving faster and faster towards Norwich. Around Snetterton and the Lotus works, you can take the roundabouts on two wheels. The Police are very few and far between anywhere in northern East Anglia, so few in fact that you might even feel lucky bumping into one. 
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5aday
That would have been XD816, it spent most of its life on 214 Sqdn.
I knew it well
It was one of the a/c fitted with both Eureka X and Rebecca X for the trials of said kit.
there was still an airworthy one at Boscombe Down which sometimes used Marham for practise diversions as late as 1968.
I knew it well
It was one of the a/c fitted with both Eureka X and Rebecca X for the trials of said kit.
Victor B1a
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The Lotus Eaters.
Whilst on 232 OCU '73-'74 I met an interesting assortment of co-jos and navs (radar) who used to play in Lotus cars around Norfolk.
Black flag days meant either a "Downex" or a "Swaffex" would be "on" with very expensive outcomes in some instances. Hence the name Lotus Eaters. There are vague memories of runs through the grounds of Sandringham.
I can also remember that winter and that Siberian wind blowing off the North Sea.
Pity about the pubs. we loved them.
Black flag days meant either a "Downex" or a "Swaffex" would be "on" with very expensive outcomes in some instances. Hence the name Lotus Eaters. There are vague memories of runs through the grounds of Sandringham.
I can also remember that winter and that Siberian wind blowing off the North Sea.
Pity about the pubs. we loved them.
I don't mean to sound deliberately negative, but in my 16-year career so far, having served at or visited every (active!) RAF station from St Mawgan to Lossie...Marham was the worst 2 years of my life.
Perhaps my opinion is coloured by the fact I was married but unaccompanied, (my wife lost her patience with the RAF and DHE the previous year)...but the total absence of a pub, a pool, transport links, a decent restaurant and any hint of decent mess accom meant that I couldn't wait to leave.
Yes indeed, the best times at Marham were spent southbound on the M11 or in the Gulf!
Perhaps my opinion is coloured by the fact I was married but unaccompanied, (my wife lost her patience with the RAF and DHE the previous year)...but the total absence of a pub, a pool, transport links, a decent restaurant and any hint of decent mess accom meant that I couldn't wait to leave.
Yes indeed, the best times at Marham were spent southbound on the M11 or in the Gulf!
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Aaah, happy memories. Spent 9 years of my life there as a scaley. The Bell pub knocked down - I went to school with the Landlords son, I even remember his name, not bad going for a forgetful old knacker like me. TTN & PN you mist have known or even flown with Pater who is still living the dream in the Alps. 'El-Adem with grass' Dad told me that there was an entry in SSO's that forbade calling it that. I visited a while back and not a lot had changed, the swimming pool behind the NAAFI had been filled-in, our old OMQ hadn't changed a bit. Nowadays, being a bit better travelled I'd think twice about living there but that's a purely personal observation - shopping trips were to Swaaaaaffum or Downham market, Lynn was a once a month treat. The freezer was full of Pheasants that were regularly mown down on the road, my Mum being the worst culprit with a kill ration of at least two a month, and I remember the storms when the Valiant near the Ops Block nearly got airborne, the wind-speed was that high. Many other memories have come back form my dim & distant past, all good ones thankfully.Autobahnstormer