Scampton And Linton-on-Ouse Closure
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Don't forget I believe 33 Sqn's groundcrew as well Ken
The decision to withdraw from Hill 107 on the basis of poor intelligence by the NZ company commander gifted the airfield to the Germans who had been on the point of surrendering and allowed them to fly in reinforcements, the loss of Crete was then a given.
It seems to me a sensible provision for the RAF to protect its own airfields rather than rely on the army and gives comfort to the aircrew knowing that the ground forces doing the force protection take their role seriously. There were a few incidents in Iraq & Afghanistan at TLZs were the job wasn’t done properly by the army, in some cases leading to the loss of ac.
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Notwithstanding the thread drift concerning the RAF Regiment and the Army, I cannot help thinking that savings made by 'maintaining' Scampton won't amount to very much, given that such little 'care and maintenance' has been ongoing.
Sad to see Linton is for the chop - one of the happiest years of my life despite the efforts of my primary QFI ( ex Nimrod ) who was a seriously unpleasant man ! Great memories of 36 Course.
Scampton will tug many heart strings despite the state it has been allowed to fall into. Surely something could be done with the Officers Mess to incorporate the museum and associated with the new Bomber Command memorial. I did a course there about thirty years ago and was surprised how little history was evident. As for the grave of Nigger, well there have been so many stories about it over the years, I doubt if anyone knows the truth.
I make no apologies for not being PC above !
Scampton will tug many heart strings despite the state it has been allowed to fall into. Surely something could be done with the Officers Mess to incorporate the museum and associated with the new Bomber Command memorial. I did a course there about thirty years ago and was surprised how little history was evident. As for the grave of Nigger, well there have been so many stories about it over the years, I doubt if anyone knows the truth.
I make no apologies for not being PC above !
Bearing in mind what all of the non 617 squadron groundcrews did to that grave it was never held in that much respect or esteem by the RAF.
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Sad to see Linton is for the chop - one of the happiest years of my life despite the efforts of my primary QFI ( ex Nimrod ) who was a seriously unpleasant man ! Great memories of 36 Course.
Scampton will tug many heart strings despite the state it has been allowed to fall into. Surely something could be done with the Officers Mess to incorporate the museum and associated with the new Bomber Command memorial. I did a course there about thirty years ago and was surprised how little history was evident. As for the grave of Nigger, well there have been so many stories about it over the years, I doubt if anyone knows the truth.
I make no apologies for not being PC above !
Scampton will tug many heart strings despite the state it has been allowed to fall into. Surely something could be done with the Officers Mess to incorporate the museum and associated with the new Bomber Command memorial. I did a course there about thirty years ago and was surprised how little history was evident. As for the grave of Nigger, well there have been so many stories about it over the years, I doubt if anyone knows the truth.
I make no apologies for not being PC above !
https://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/news...118111.article
Hangars are listed BTW
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The loss of Linton will certainly simplify getting airspace for RAFAT practice 'oop there, based at Leeming..
This is about the the future of over 600 personnel, military and civilian. Get a grip. Nobody cares about name calling and who did what course when in the 60s. Seriously, NOBODY cares.
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Is there any advantage weather wise between Valley and Linton? I still think chopping airfields is a drastic measure, once gone you cannot bring them back, far better sticking someone else on them so in the future they can be available.
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https://www.britishlistedbuildings.c...ngars-scampton
Hangars and associated buildings are listed, one would imaging a developer won't exactly be over the moon with that.
Hangars and associated buildings are listed, one would imaging a developer won't exactly be over the moon with that.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Regiment
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Agree MPN11, RAF Regt’s active clearance of the airfield environs was always preferred to the US’s reactive approach which would hit with massive force the area where an aggressor had fired from but only after you had been shot at.
Please pardon the thread drift again, but...
This is not a straight out dig but just a genuine query.
Why are/were RAF AT not more willing to drop personnel straight off at their home base after a detachment rather than making hundreds of people drive the length of the country to arrive and depart via Brize (or wherever it used to be)?
It seems to me that the Army might have been more willing to leave runways unmolested if they thought it might be to their advantage to leave it serviceable.
A company/battalion/battlegroup that has spent several months deployed to somewhere sh1tty might be quite appreciative of a drop off at home. Especially if home happens to be in Scotland.
We always blame the Army for screwing up runways but could the RAF have helped itself a little more in this regard?
I realise people’s immediate reaction will be to tell me to STFU, but do I have a point? Or am I just going to get a chorus of ‘crew duty’?!
BV
Why are/were RAF AT not more willing to drop personnel straight off at their home base after a detachment rather than making hundreds of people drive the length of the country to arrive and depart via Brize (or wherever it used to be)?
It seems to me that the Army might have been more willing to leave runways unmolested if they thought it might be to their advantage to leave it serviceable.
A company/battalion/battlegroup that has spent several months deployed to somewhere sh1tty might be quite appreciative of a drop off at home. Especially if home happens to be in Scotland.
We always blame the Army for screwing up runways but could the RAF have helped itself a little more in this regard?
I realise people’s immediate reaction will be to tell me to STFU, but do I have a point? Or am I just going to get a chorus of ‘crew duty’?!
BV
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Oh dear. Alright, I will concede that they are an aggressive guard force. Still not an appropriate task for the army. Please keep it.
This is not a straight out dig but just a genuine query.
Why are/were RAF AT not more willing to drop personnel straight off at their home base after a detachment rather than making hundreds of people drive the length of the country to arrive and depart via Brize (or wherever it used to be)?
It seems to me that the Army might have been more willing to leave runways unmolested if they thought it might be to their advantage to leave it serviceable.
A company/battalion/battlegroup that has spent several months deployed to somewhere sh1tty might be quite appreciative of a drop off at home. Especially if home happens to be in Scotland.
We always blame the Army for screwing up runways but could the RAF have helped itself a little more in this regard?
I realise people’s immediate reaction will be to tell me to STFU, but do I have a point? Or am I just going to get a chorus of ‘crew duty’?!
BV
Why are/were RAF AT not more willing to drop personnel straight off at their home base after a detachment rather than making hundreds of people drive the length of the country to arrive and depart via Brize (or wherever it used to be)?
It seems to me that the Army might have been more willing to leave runways unmolested if they thought it might be to their advantage to leave it serviceable.
A company/battalion/battlegroup that has spent several months deployed to somewhere sh1tty might be quite appreciative of a drop off at home. Especially if home happens to be in Scotland.
We always blame the Army for screwing up runways but could the RAF have helped itself a little more in this regard?
I realise people’s immediate reaction will be to tell me to STFU, but do I have a point? Or am I just going to get a chorus of ‘crew duty’?!
BV
Timelord
I understand the reasons you say and I guess it might not work everywhere. But take Kinloss as an example. Once upon a time it could handle heavy aircraft. Why would that suddenly stop?
It’s easy to find reasons why not but I bet an Army Garrison CO could have found ways to borrow steps and fire engines if it meant helping his Soldiers out.
I know it’s a simplistic view but the military is meant to be a ‘can do’ organisation, not a ‘can’t do’ organisation.
As an example. A 54 Sqn detachment to Turkey in 2004/5 ended up with many personnel being flown directly into Coltishall in a VC10 with dysentery.
If it could be done then, why couldn’t it be done more often?
BV
It’s easy to find reasons why not but I bet an Army Garrison CO could have found ways to borrow steps and fire engines if it meant helping his Soldiers out.
I know it’s a simplistic view but the military is meant to be a ‘can do’ organisation, not a ‘can’t do’ organisation.
As an example. A 54 Sqn detachment to Turkey in 2004/5 ended up with many personnel being flown directly into Coltishall in a VC10 with dysentery.
If it could be done then, why couldn’t it be done more often?
BV
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Any word on relocation for 1ACC, or in the wonderful new world of the Air Ops Branch will everyone go to Swanwick?