Would be grateful for any details of aircraft sightings/movements at RAF Cardington in the fifties . The Station Flight had a couple of Tiger Moths and a Chipmunk. It was used by visiting Anson’s,and was used as a drop zone by the Parachute Test Unit at RAF Henlow and then the RAE from Thurleigh. Also the last remains of two Handley Page Heyfords were on the dump into the fifties.
Thousands of recruits in the RAF did their initial training at Cardington,there must be lot’s of people viewing who have memories of aircraft activities there ?
By: 109pff - 28th December 2008 at 19:01
I used to go to cardington in the 50s to battle of Britain days .There was a barrage balloon with an old caravan attached to it and when taken up parachutist would jump out of it. I do remember one small airplane I believe it was an Auster. Inside one of the huge hangers was a balloon that took one person up to the top of the hanger my father strapped me in it and up I went
10year old magic day eh!
By: Resmoroh - 28th December 2008 at 15:46
T-21,Hi,
Yes, there were a significant number of us who went through RAF Cardington on our induction to RAF National Service. We were not, by and large, concerned with a/c movements at RAF Cardington – I regret if this gives you pain! We were more concerned with where our next haircut was going to come from!!! Or, how long we were going have to do (with our newly issued steel eating knives) chopping cabbage – which was a problem!!
I was better placed than 99.99% of my co-NSA airmen. I had actually spent 1 year (pre-NSA) on an RAF Airfield (Wittering) as a very junior Met Office Scientific Assistant. I knew the RAF rank structure. I knew that a Warrant Officer (particularly the Station Warrant Officer) was more important than Junior Officers.
I do not have many post-nominals. But one I do have -ECMMT (Escaped Court Martials Many Times).
HTH
Resmoroh
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December 28, 2008 at 3:06 pm