Farewell "RAF Kinloss" - end of an era.
 

BBC News item.

RAF colours to come down at Kinloss airfield

And there goes more of the family silver.

Sad.

Anyone know what is happening to Waterbeach?

Isn't the HQ element of 39 Engineer Regiment only moving to Wittering though? Someone's not stupid.. ;)

I'd be interested to know how/why the army names these hand me downs as they do - whats the protocol? Some (Cottesmore) are now named after dusty Generals, some keep the name of the place.

I have strong memories of Kinloss (just as it will have of me..), I'm glad to see it keep a military presence.

Waterbeach to be "built over", as is Oakington.

Anyone know the future for Moray Flying Club and the local VGS squadron? They must be the only things left flying out of Kinloss??

Spent a couple of happy years flying Vigis and MFC spam-cans out of there, had many a good night in the mess too..... :(

:sad: I have happy childhood memories of Kinloss from when my Dad commanded 120 Sqn. Kinloss Barracks doesn't quite sound the same.

The wonderful outdoor activities lodge at Feshiebridge, near Aviemore, used to be run by the PEdO at Kinloss.

As I remember it had 3 wings which each had room for about a dozen warm bodies sleeping in bunks, and a large kitchen/communal room. There was also a central drying room for wet clothes etc.

It had a ski store, so during the winter you could get boots and skis etc and you also got a ski lift pass.

In the summer there were kayaks and canadian canoes which you could take out to Loch Insh or Loch Morlich.

I seem to remember the cost was about £3 per person per day.

We had some fantastic times there both in the winter and summer seasons.

On one occasion a Rolls Royce rep (male) and a senior civil servant (female) dared each other to get undressed, garment by garment. He went the whole way and waved it about; she, as it turned out, was double bagged and so we never saw her bits. What a shame!

I loved that place. I even took my my wife and 2 little daughters there for a holiday one summer.

But my point is - who is managing it now?

Waterbeach - seems like a cunning plan to convert Cambridgeshire into one housing estate - sad

SOSL - to answe your question. RAF Lossiemouth. The lodge has its own website RAF Adventure training centre Feshiebridge Lodge in Aviemore and veterans can use it as well as those currently serving - great facility at all times of the year even with the midges!

Impressive and moving ceremony at RAF Kinloss today as it transitioned to Kinloss Barracks at 1200. Very well done indeed to the RAF Kinloss pipe band for stirring the memories and a great GR4 flyover at the end of JJs speech. A sad day but the transfer could not have been done in a more fitting manner.

Many thanks for that VMD. Just as I would have expected from RAF Kinloss but it is good to hear. I gather JJ honourably elected to stay in post until the job was done.

It is little enough consolation, but I hope that everyone has found a reasonable billet whether within or outside the service.

Good luck and thanks to all, and welcome to the new arrivals.

Don't forget you can also use Rothiemurchus Lodge and Norwegian Lodge. Not many people seem to know about Norwegian Lodge. It's just when you turn off for Glenmore Lodge, it's on the right. There are also Chalet's at Rothiemurchus Lodge to rent if you want to go with your family. A word of warning about the road up to Rothiemurchus, from the main road, it's not very good, very occasionally it gets graded. I wouldn't try it in winter unless you had a proper off-roader.

RAF Marmite; I loved it, especially as it grew smaller in the rear view mirror. Fond memories nonetheless.

'92 to '99, my last and longest tour in the mob. Fantastic camp, if you choose to be there, or made the most of it if you were a 'pressed man'.

My job there was not my favourite by a long shot, but the social side more than made up for that.

Well there goes the only social club with an airbase on it. Spent a few years there in the early 80's and it was a great posting, though you couldn't really call it work.

Great times, my first holdover post BRNC in 1987. Thanks to 206 crew 6 for looking after me :-)

The only trouble with some of those comments, even though they have some validity as reflecting a place where many enjoyed serving, is that it gives the impression that those involved were not doing the job which the taxpayer was paying for.

The fact is that they produced the goods.

Moose milk!

(And steak sarnies at the Kimberley..)

:ok:

Went to Kinloss in 1969 on first posting just as Nimrods and the 'super techs' were arriving. Got a lift home in a Ballykelly Shack for my Christmas leave. Happy memories indeed.