RAF Historical Property being allowed to waste away...
 

So what I want to know is:

Why are the pongoes letting historical ex-RAF land and property waste away and fall into rack and ruin?? For example and there are lots of 'em:

RAF Upavon - 1st Central Flying School in the World! - Have you seen the state of the hangars? These are listed buildings for christ's sake!! What are you doing about RAF heritage??
RAF Abingdon - RAF Para school - now a dump for bloody tanks! Donkey walloping & jogging is now a priority!! WTF!! Motor bikes are banned!!! What about the rally cars?? Tw@ts!
Let's face it you Army wallas are really a bunch of complete self centered Tw@ts or can you tell me that you really care about the RAF/UK history and in fact, co's you ought to..................co's we are really p'ssed off that you are letting our history go to rack and ruin.

Why???? :sad:

I would love to stay friends but this is stretching the limits somewhat......

There not the only places going to rack and ruin. Although the RAF are still in Scampton the accomodation blocks are condemned. All personnel have to travel from Kirton in Lindsey which is a good distance. Considering this is one of the most important and historical bases in the RAF it has been left to go to ruin while it was in "care and maintenance".

RAF bases which are listed can be found on the heritage website. Absolute disgrace IMO:{

Banter mode on ....
err - history ?? :confused:
What history?
When you have been around or more than half a dogwatch you may have some semblence of history :E
Banter mode off ....
Oggin

Banter mode on..... the fact that a couple of thousand navy wallahs kept out the froggy hordes has kept the RN dining out for centuries and deservedly so. The fact that between 1940 and 1944 the RAF stopped people in this country from loving sausages and pickled cabbage is also a fact and is HISTORY. The Navy has HMS Victory and a load of other historic sites, the Army has untold numbers of "historic sites". The RAF has just as much right to claim ownership of mileposts in history as anyone else.


Stop being so anal!!!

hook, line and sinker

lol

What a surprise...you missed the point. We all have things to be proud of and to commemorate. But once again some have to have the last word and to denegrate the contribution of others.

Oggin Aviator

Quick reminder: aviation, powered flight started on the land, naval aviation followed on and will always be behind aircraft based on land. Too many compromises to being on boats. I think, nay I know, that land based aviation history and tradition is longer than that of any naval aviation history.:)

I thought this thread was about the RAF (and its history, or lack of), not about land based vs maritime aviation. And BTW, have you actually been to Kitty Hawk in North Carolina cos I have and it is pretty bloody near to the sea - the Wright brothers obviously had a premonition of where aviation would eventually go .......

You all need to chill out, it is clearly obvious that you cant take any banter from the Senior Service.

Sorry I was a bit heavy in orig post............
 

Apology mode ON:
Sorry if I sounded a bit heavy in the original post - it may have been alcohol induced :rolleyes:
Apology mode OFF
Now where was I - It may not be history to some of you but it is to us AND more specifically to the Nation!!

So is not the Army honour bound to keep the buildings standing and looking nice? Perhaps DLE own them and I am unfairly slagging off an innocent party(!)?:hmm:
Or are they waiting for the buildings to collapse so they can bulldoze the land to give themselves more space for donkey walloping, jogging or playing polo? :sad:

DunDiggin (a misnomer if ever I heard one)

WTF is historical about RAF Abingdon? So PTS was there for a while, but parachuting wasn't invented there and while some RAF are para trained, parachuting is largely the preserve of the pongoes you hate so much.

Suggest you think more and drink less, or at least don't try thinking when you've been drinking :E

I think the point he was trying to make with Abingdon was the fact that so many RAF bases are left to go to rack and ruin without spending to keep them in ship shape. Although it is now Army i can see where he is coming from.

There is a lot of bases which do hold historical importance such as Upavon, Scampton and such like which are in need of major refurbishment.

Doesn't everything belong to the MOD? When Hospitals and schools are desperate for cash, when the Military is skint where would you rather the money went?

As far as I can see the AAC have done a very good job of looking after MIddle Wallop, most of the buildings you mention were left by your goodselves to move to greener pastures.


I do agree its a shame but the same can be said for a lot of Naval bases around Pompey and Guz.

Go and have a wander around some of the really Old messes at Tidworth left rotting away.

So its not just the RAF

As far as I'm aware none of the former RAF stations now inhabited by the Army were asked for by the Army. As I understand it some politician along with a bunch of civil servants decided to down size the Armed Forces. They also decided to 'draw down' (awful phrase/word) from Germany. That same group of politicals looked around for places to send the units returning from bratty land and spied a load of RAF bases which were going to be closed and made the decision to utilise them, rather than just abandon them. After all, there was nowhere else for the returning units to go to.

So don't go round blaming the Army for 'stealing' all your 'homes'. Blame the people who are the ones guaranteed to shaft all of us - the politicians and mandarins.

If you feel so strongly about it why don't you set up some kind of charity to preserve your heritage?

If the powers that be aren't going to spend the money needed on more troops/aircraft/equipment/carriers.....
Then why would they spend it on old bases that are going to end up as housing estates anyway?

RAF Historical property
 

Why blame the Army. Are the RAF not selling Bentley Priory?

Unless a building gets listed status or funding to maintain it. Then these old hangars and important buildings of RAF history will just end up flattened or left to rot. An airbase is a prime source of real estate which the treasury wants to dispose of. I think RAF Uxbridge is next to go, now the footings have started at RAF Northolt to expand the base to accomodate the posties from Mill Hill and QCS from Uxbridge.
So don't blame the Army when they're strapped for cash and ask them to maintain dilapidated hangers that they have no use for.
At Gamecock Barracks Bramcote nr Nuneaton an (ex WW2 RAF airfield ) at least two hangars have been demolished this year. Why because they had been left to rot and beyond repair and the army has no use for them. But they have maintained the ATC tower which they have turned into a sports pavillion and bar over looking the cricket field that was once the apron.
If it's got real historic value then get Ghryff Rees Jones on the case. Otherwise let it go..

I had the privilige to stay 3 nights in the former O Mess at Farnborough in 82 when the original sign outside said "Officer's Mess Royal Flying Corps"
The room I stayed in had carvings and graffiti dating back to 1912! - mainly wooden buildings - everything creaked, especially through the night - quite eerie!
I was lucky to have made it, because the very young civvy Mess Staff advised me it was due for demolition within months and the sooner it was gone, the sooner they would get a new build and more wages! - no sense of history
Much like Bliar and his mates who have declared they have no nostalgia with by-gone eras regarding our heritage, having just scrapped the post of Lord Chancellor, established over a 1000 years ago
Loving many, Trusting a few, Still paddling my own canoe

I would point out that even if a building is listed there is no obligation to maintain it, only "not alter it's structure", it may be left to rot with impunity.

As is RAF Bicester amongst others ....

Oggin Aviator

As an Ex Naval Aviator myself I cannot see where you have gone wrong... whats wrong with a bit of banter or are people too 'anal' (to quote WIWO Wessex).


Banter on

BTW Kitbag - the RAF was formed when the Royal Naval Air Service (thats water) and the RFC merged and handed over some aircrew to form the RAF.

It was on the 1st April 1918.... longest running April fools joke??

Banter off

:ok: