I was there in the 80s when it was on the front line of defence against the USSR. 85 Squadron was a Bloodhound missile unit, and there was a maintenance and testing system called the MOTE, of which there were four in the large hanger. The whole place was a live, active, front line station with all the trappings of any fighter base such as Coltishall (also sadly gone now) and was part of UKADGE - the United Kingdom Air Defence Ground Environment, which linked radar stations, fighter stations, missiles, and control centres in a coordinated defence system.
Please check out the RAF West Raynham Association. They are an informal group with a reunion here every year. We love hearing all about the CFE here at the tower. We don't get many Javelin stories.👍
1:39 I wonder if that siren's still there now. A few other former/derelict RAF sites also have/had sirens, so this base isn't alone. RAF Newton and RAF Coltishall are two good examples. I suppose they were used due to the presence of ammunition at such sites, as I've not heard of many other bases having sirens. Fascinating stuff!
The siren is still there. Seized solid though, probably due to corrosion build up behind the rotor housings as the motor is the same as my GP12, which suffered the same issue before I restored it.
@@al66class59 It is a Carter & Co siren, I believe. The motor is the same as the GP12 though as the siren manufacturers only cast their own rotors/housings, and outsourced the motors from somewhere like Brooks/Crompton/Hawker-Siddeley.
@@ChrisRichmond aye, few manufacturers (if any) made their own motors. We've got a Secomak GP6 with a Brooks motor (we think, but it didn't have a motor plate when we bought it). Sirens have always fascinated me!
I was there in 1974. It was my first summer camp with the Air Training Corps i was 14 at the time. What i remember they had a Gloster Javelin on the gate. Canberra Aircraft painted Green Grey on top and Yellow and Black stripe underside 100 sqn Target tugs who are now based at RAF Leeming Flying Hawk T1's. As i recall they also had Hawker Hunters FGA 9's and T7's also Bloodhound missiles. It's a shame to see it like this it was full of life when i was there, very sad.
Having been stationed at R.A.F.West Raynham,I feel very sad to see it broken up,as many who were there will.My name is Michael Peet,and I was stationed here from 1954 to Feb 1956,when I was demobbed.Our C.O. was Wing Commander Bird Wilson,friend of the great Douglas Bader.Anyone still alive during that time,I'd be glad to hear about them on this page.
My father was the last baby to be born in the original village before it was bought by the MOD and turned into a RAF base. It was a village called Paxfield. He will be 78 next birthday.
I Lived here in the mid 60s . At that time the early harrier jets were there it was a off limits area for kids like me and friends with our bikes but we used to watch these planes going up and down a cool technology to see as a kid and also I belive there were HAWKER HUNTERS.
The site is looking much better now. All the grass is neatly cut and several small businesses occupy the original buildings. All the OMQs and AMQs are now occupied.
The hangers have exposed metal framework. On one of the frames is evidence of bullet strikes when the Luftwaffe attacked the airfield early in WW2. Saw these for myself when I did my rapier course in 1984.
Michael, I am the daughter of Sgt. James McGarity (Jim) and we lived at 76 AMQ. My father was stationed there from 1954 to 1957. I was only 2yrs old when we first went, having lived at RAF Bonn for approx. 18 months. However, I can remember being here and being pushed in my pram until I started school (The Head Teacher was a Mr. Woodcock). I can recall white gates (like old railway crossing gates) and I can still envisage an open-air swimming pool on my right. I can see a rectangular spot on Google Earth where it may have been sited, all filled in, of course. We backed onto the airfield and I have frightening memories of being in bed and my mother telling me not to look out of the window, following the most awful bang. An American plane had crashed and hit a tree, killing an airman. My father was very friendly with a chap called Chas Underwood, whose wife was called Nora (?) and they had two daughters, Santia and Andrea, who went off to Famagusta and we lost touch. Ring any bells? Katherine.
Sadly in time It will be gone and back to farm land or it will be developed into housing estates as the property is to valuable to let sit with just a few old buildings from the past on it, Not like us older folks the younger generations growing up now will not be able to understand or appreciate the history and how important these Airfields was in the Battle of Britain of World War 2 when the theat of German Invasion was possible, I was at R A F Burtonwood , Warrington Lancs, all gone now.
Always enjoy your videos, thank you for posting.
Good effort,enjoyed it.Well done.
No worries :-) Thanks for the positive feedback!
I was there in the 80s when it was on the front line of defence against the USSR.
85 Squadron was a Bloodhound missile unit, and there was a maintenance and testing system called the MOTE, of which there were four in the large hanger.
The whole place was a live, active, front line station with all the trappings of any fighter base such as Coltishall (also sadly gone now) and was part of UKADGE - the United Kingdom Air Defence Ground Environment, which linked radar stations, fighter stations, missiles, and control centres in a coordinated defence system.
Hi Bill.
Check out the RAF West Raynham Association on Facebook.
Missed you by a bit Michael, I was there 1956 to 1958 Nat service .served with all weather fighter leader squadron (awfuls) sad to see it now.
Please check out the RAF West Raynham Association. They are an informal group with a reunion here every year.
We love hearing all about the CFE here at the tower. We don't get many Javelin stories.👍
1:39 I wonder if that siren's still there now.
A few other former/derelict RAF sites also have/had sirens, so this base isn't alone. RAF Newton and RAF Coltishall are two good examples. I suppose they were used due to the presence of ammunition at such sites, as I've not heard of many other bases having sirens. Fascinating stuff!
The siren is still there. Seized solid though, probably due to corrosion build up behind the rotor housings as the motor is the same as my GP12, which suffered the same issue before I restored it.
@@ChrisRichmond is that one shown a GP12 then? or some obscure early castle or other similar siren? would be nice if someone restored it!
@@al66class59 It is a Carter & Co siren, I believe. The motor is the same as the GP12 though as the siren manufacturers only cast their own rotors/housings, and outsourced the motors from somewhere like Brooks/Crompton/Hawker-Siddeley.
@@ChrisRichmond aye, few manufacturers (if any) made their own motors. We've got a Secomak GP6 with a Brooks motor (we think, but it didn't have a motor plate when we bought it). Sirens have always fascinated me!
I was there in 1974. It was my first summer camp with the Air Training Corps i was 14 at the time. What i remember they had a Gloster Javelin on the gate. Canberra Aircraft painted Green Grey on top and Yellow and Black stripe underside 100 sqn Target tugs who are now based at RAF Leeming Flying Hawk T1's. As i recall they also had Hawker Hunters FGA 9's and T7's also Bloodhound missiles. It's a shame to see it like this it was full of life when i was there, very sad.
Having been stationed at R.A.F.West Raynham,I feel very sad to see it broken up,as many who were there will.My name is Michael Peet,and I was stationed here from 1954 to Feb 1956,when I was demobbed.Our C.O. was Wing Commander Bird Wilson,friend of the great Douglas Bader.Anyone still alive during that time,I'd be glad to hear about them on this page.
There's a few chaps. Get in touch with the RAF West Raynham Association. There is a web page and Facebook Group.
My father was the last baby to be born in the original village before it was bought by the MOD and turned into a RAF base. It was a village called Paxfield. He will be 78 next birthday.
I Lived here in the mid 60s . At that time the early harrier jets were there it was a off limits area for kids like me and friends with our bikes but we used to watch these planes going up and down a cool technology to see as a kid and also I belive there were HAWKER HUNTERS.
The site is looking much better now. All the grass is neatly cut and several small businesses occupy the original buildings. All the OMQs and AMQs are now occupied.
The hangers have exposed metal framework. On one of the frames is evidence of bullet strikes when the Luftwaffe attacked the airfield early in WW2. Saw these for myself when I did my rapier course in 1984.
It's still there.
Michael, I am the daughter of Sgt. James McGarity (Jim) and we lived at 76 AMQ. My father was stationed there from 1954 to 1957. I was only 2yrs old when we first went, having lived at RAF Bonn for approx. 18 months. However, I can remember being here and being pushed in my pram until I started school (The Head Teacher was a Mr. Woodcock). I can recall white gates (like old railway crossing gates) and I can still envisage an open-air swimming pool on my right. I can see a rectangular spot on Google Earth where it may have been sited, all filled in, of course. We backed onto the airfield and I have frightening memories of being in bed and my mother telling me not to look out of the window, following the most awful bang. An American plane had crashed and hit a tree, killing an airman. My father was very friendly with a chap called Chas Underwood, whose wife was called Nora (?) and they had two daughters, Santia and Andrea, who went off to Famagusta and we lost touch. Ring any bells? Katherine.
Catherine, please check out the RAF West Raynham Association on Facebook.
The American aircraft was a B-45 from Sculthorpe
What's there now
Sadly in time It will be gone and back to farm land or it will be developed into housing estates as the property is to valuable to let sit with just a few old buildings from the past on it, Not like us older folks the younger generations growing up now will not be able to understand or appreciate the history and how important these Airfields was in the Battle of Britain of World War 2 when the theat of German Invasion was possible, I was at R A F Burtonwood , Warrington Lancs, all gone now.
I'm currently staying on the site if you are interested they are building a solar farm on the old runway
round the corner from me chris u could of popped in
kenneth paul halliwell