Not really an issue, the extended runway runs parallel to the railway, the cross runway might have been affected had it been lengthened but has been disused for a long time.

At Ballykelly the track ran across the end of the runway:

.
(Source: Wikipedia).

That's a weird one really, It's the only British Army establishment in the UK called 'somethingf' Station. It's usually Barracks or occasionally Fort, Lines or Camp.Apparently due to the population being larger than a barracks but smaller than a garrison, and to reflect the fact there was still an RAF presence.

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news...iven-new-name/

Presumably to allow for the fact that not all Units are based on Stations, or that many Stations may have more than one Unit?

The 1945 Google Earth image of Wyton contains the V Bomber dispersals, the V Bomber runway extension across the old Ramsey Road, and at least 7 Canberra aircraft. Suspect its much later than 1/1/1945

Ah-ha … my trust in Google Earth is destroyed! Thanks for that input.

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

I'm loathe to contribute to these Jet Blast threads that keep appearing in the Mil Aviation forum, but in the Rock Ape world isn't Honington referred to as the Depot?

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....e6e69dd6d0.jpg

York appears to have been a destination on the Brize Norton & Bampton to Carterton section of the Fairford Branch Line some 75 years ago.....

Really you can see photos of 1945 stations?? please tell how do you do that. That is fascinating !

Hollywood influence..

For example emergency phone numbers around the world are different (eg 000 in Australia), however most countries have also 911 redirected to their local numbers, because kids watching movies and that's the only number they know.

There’s a button on the toolbar (desktop version) that loads a slider/Time Machine) Can’t recall what it’s called … about 6 buttons in from the left. Not universal coverage, as you will see!

Regarding "Staish". in use in RAFG in my Gutersloh prime c. 1970 but not before in Cyprus or UK.

My wartime RAF father 1939-45 used "Groupy".

I think SWO or Swo-man has been around for yonks.

But then yonks has had its day I suppose.

Another rail company excuse: "delays due to ailerons on the line" :D

I lived at R.A.F. Marham for five years and never heard it described as a "base"; there was a large U.S.A.F detachment there, so maybe that`s where the description "base" came from. R.A.F Lakenheath, Mildenhall etc. were totally U.S.A.F bases and descibed as such.

Re naming of airfields and the nearest village. When I first went to Wattisham in 1970 the lady we rented a house from in Lavenham called it Ringshall airfield. As far as I remember the airfield was in an area halfway between the two villages. Only heard two or thre other people call it that and they were the older ones.

I always thought that Watton was a rotten name.

Abingdon in ‘58! 47 or 53?

Seven years there ... nice Station, uninspiring village! I wonder where the railway went?

The line ran from Swaffam to Thetford

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoo...&layers=10&b=7

Ah, I've also been stationed at stations which had on- and off-base married quarters and where a lot of people ended up being confined to camp...:rolleyes:

Sometimes even more upsetting for the railwayman, though!

https://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/do...efford1950.pdf

Gotcha ... thanks! There are some hedge-lines on G Earth that show that orientation, and are strongly indicative.

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.

Wildenrath while I was there in the 80s was often referred to as the "Camp".....

In the sixties in the Ship Inn in Narborough, Norfolk, Marham was often referred to (by the locals) as 'the Drome' !

In the 60s,70s and 80s my father used to refer to anywhere I was stationed as the "the drome".

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.

I guess 1945's satellite coverage of Kent was a bit lacking ;-) ;-)

Probably lots of photo recon photos though

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!

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

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....4c08cd1906.png

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

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.

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”.

Great Bev pic, looks like returning/taking off from/for a heavy drop, as clam shell doors are removed. 👍

"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!
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...

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!:sad:

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

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!

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!

Butlins Skegness, otherwise known as "HMS Royal Arthur" - even by Lord Haw Haw !