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RAF Base or Station?

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Old 17th Nov 2021, 10:20
  #61 (permalink)  
 
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Sometimes even more upsetting for the railwayman, though!

https://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/do...efford1950.pdf
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Old 17th Nov 2021, 10:45
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Originally Posted by ZH875
The line ran from Swaffam to Thetford

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoo...&layers=10&b=7
Gotcha ... thanks! There are some hedge-lines on G Earth that show that orientation, and are strongly indicative.

Last edited by MPN11; 17th Nov 2021 at 13:16.
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Old 17th Nov 2021, 11:35
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LB - I understand RAF Station Honington is also the RAF Regiment Depot now? (A role previously fulfilled by RAF Catterick - now Marne Barracks as part of Catterick Garrison)

I believe Valley was briefly RAF Rhosneigr, the eponymous railway station being closer to the aerodrome. If I recall correctly, anyone alighting there would have risked waiting for the tide to go out on their journey between the two types of station.

It was simpler idea being on one of 'HM ship's books' be it a steel, wooden, glassfibre or concrete one.
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Old 17th Nov 2021, 19:35
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Wildenrath while I was there in the 80s was often referred to as the "Camp".....
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Old 17th Nov 2021, 19:44
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In the sixties in the Ship Inn in Narborough, Norfolk, Marham was often referred to (by the locals) as 'the Drome' !
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Old 17th Nov 2021, 23:31
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In the 60s,70s and 80s my father used to refer to anywhere I was stationed as the "the drome".
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Old 17th Nov 2021, 23:49
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Not got my copy to hand, but I'm pretty sure that AP3003 (an official history of the RAF issued in the early 2000's) covered the naming of RAF Stations and it stated normally the Station was named after the parish within which the Station HQ was located. There were exceptions like Coltishall or Lindholme, The naming of RAF Stations after Train Stations is a myth.
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Old 18th Nov 2021, 06:49
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Wink

Originally Posted by MPN11
But then go to Kent, and the entire county seems to be covered with 'cut and paste' imagery!
I guess 1945's satellite coverage of Kent was a bit lacking ;-) ;-)
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Old 18th Nov 2021, 10:29
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Probably lots of photo recon photos though
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Old 18th Nov 2021, 14:46
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Sincere thanks to contributors: entertaining and informative.

I conclude that if granddaughter rock reservist rookie calls RAF Honington a base, I shall relax.
She has been warned by me about "raff" and "plane" so I think we are OK there!
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Old 18th Nov 2021, 15:30
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Originally Posted by Shackeng
Abingdon in ‘58! 47 or 53?
VHF/DF operator in mobile DF vehicle (RV105) that provided cross bearings to Benson for aircraft on approach to Benson
for landing. I remustered as an AQM (Loadmaster) in the summer of 1959 and was posted to 99 Sqn at Lyneham in September of that year.
WT


Last edited by Warmtoast; 19th Nov 2021 at 15:03.
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Old 22nd Nov 2021, 00:50
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Originally Posted by Tengah Type
And it was nearly always "RAF Stations", or American "Air bases". However RAF Marham was frequently termed "Mar-ham Air Base" in a mock American accent.
Almost certainly from the well-known (at the time) Peter Sellers parody of US travelogues "Bal-ham, Gateway to the South", likewise done in a ludicrous US accent.

Balham, Gateway to the South - Wikipedia
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Old 22nd Nov 2021, 09:48
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The R.A.F declined to name Odiham after its nearest railway station.

The RAF also declined to fund Odiham, probably why it’s more of a state of disrepair than a base.
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Old 23rd Nov 2021, 12:56
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Always a Station! I was stationed was how I introduced my past life, never I was based!

Although most non military punters tend to ask “where was you based”.
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Old 22nd Jan 2022, 18:28
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Originally Posted by Warmtoast
VHF/DF operator in mobile DF vehicle (RV105) that provided cross bearings to Benson for aircraft on approach to Benson
for landing. I remustered as an AQM (Loadmaster) in the summer of 1959 and was posted to 99 Sqn at Lyneham in September of that year.
WT

Great Bev pic, looks like returning/taking off from/for a heavy drop, as clam shell doors are removed. 👍
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Old 23rd Jan 2022, 14:34
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Originally Posted by Warmtoast
My Record of Service (RAF Form 543R) that I requested a copy of quite a few years ago shows that I was posted to a "Unit" - not a Base or Station- see attached.

"Unit" referred to the fact that a Squadron is a Unit which can be moved to a new station; ditto there are/were non-flying units which "lodge" at stations. If a Unit moves, I don't think there are any posting notices for each individual. My first tour was at the Radio Engineering Unit which lodged at Henlow with our own Group Captain who was not Station Commander. But I don't really think there were any hard and fast rules for this sort of thing. A Flt Lt friend was OC RAF XYZ (I forget where) which turned out to be a shed with an aerial in a field with no permanent staff!
Originally Posted by Tengah Type
Ken Scott #17 & MPN11 # 22
The name of the railway station by the South East (Brittania) gate on the RAF Brize Norton airfield boundary at the time the airfield was built was "Bampton" even though Bampton is 5 miles away. Carterton at that time was merely a crossroads with a shop and a few smallholdings established by Mr Carter. Brize Norton Parish and Village were well estabished centuries before. I have a map of the area dated 1828 showing Brize Norton and Bampton, but No Carterton. The railway station was renamed "Bampton and Brize Norton"in 1944 to reflect the new importance of the RAF station.
The railway station closed in 1962.
More recently (1980s?) RAF Bampton was opened (I think something to do with radar) and that caused confusion with RAF Brampton, so the former was renamed "RAF Bampton Castle". (I don't know anything about a castle there.) RAF Brampton, of course, was never even an airfield at all...
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Old 23rd Jan 2022, 17:56
  #77 (permalink)  
 
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Originally Posted by Coltishall. loved it
Not sure if true or not, But allegedly RAF Coltishall was originally going to be RAF Buxton but "they" were worried many would rock up in Derbyshire
Rather like the way in which young sailors apparently often arrived on the last train of the day at Gillingham in deepest darkest Dorset when they should have ended up at Gillingham in Kent for Chatham, thereby rendering themselves AWOL!

On a slightly different tack, there was evidently a lot of confusion between HMS LEANDER and RFA OLEANDER, which was finally solved by renaming the latter as OLMEDA.

Just don't get the dark blue started on whether you serve "in" or "on" a ship. Very broadly speaking, officers tend to say "in' and sailors "on", but for some reason no one referred to being in AISNE or in OPPORTUNE!

Jack

Last edited by Union Jack; 23rd Jan 2022 at 18:07.
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Old 23rd Jan 2022, 18:21
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Nice dit, UJ and yet another fine example of Andrew Speak! During my brief time with the RN I constantly struggled with the language and conventions. At BRNC the concept of the Liberty Boat before being allowed to Go Ashore had me silently sniggering every time!
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Old 23rd Jan 2022, 19:25
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When my father who had never left Sussex was called up to the RN in WW2 he was given a rail warrant to a training base. He suffered from a stutter, so when he got to London and said he was off to join the navy at Sss he was put on a train to Scotland, to Scapa Flow. He arrived at his true training base a week late, Butlins Skegness!
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Old 23rd Jan 2022, 21:05
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Butlins Skegness, otherwise known as "HMS Royal Arthur" - even by Lord Haw Haw !
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