RAF Bruggen, 1979- 81

Harrier Deployment 1981 – Sunrise over Bergen-Hohne Ranges , watching out for wild boar…

I recall a Canberra there in 79, we used it as a prop in an exercise we under took with an RAF Regiment unit. Even though the station was home to several Jaguar squadrons it still had the Phantom simulators on site, which they let us play with a couple of times.

Like you Wessex I got drunk in Roermond on several occasions. However we made it back to camp in one piece. Our tents we adjacent to the Fire and Rescue unit, who took us under their wing so to speak, so long as the cadets let them have any illicit magazines picked up in Holland when we left.

I also have memories of a visit to Overloon and the Phillips exhibition in Eindhoven

spot on with the acronyms.

PBF is as stated Pilot briefing Facility.

sjwmoore,

Do you have any pics or knowledge of the HP Hastings that was on the dump at the east end of Wildenrath during the late Seventies?

I actually have a pic of the canberra, il post it when i find it

Its taken a while, but here we are…..

Nice Pictures, I was there on ATC Summer camp in ’87, spent all week as tyro flight-line tech on 31 sqn Tornados. Of course I was made to stand just where the jet blast would knock me off my feet, my brand new RAF issue coat and blue overalls went ‘missing’ and the TV crew trying to interview me in front of the crew-room kept having to stop and restart due to the lewd messages being held up in the windows…..

We went to Roermond most nights for a drink (just before the IRA shooting there) and I was picked up by the RAF Police late one night wandering around AMQs, drunk, after spending the evening with a Brat who fed me her absent father’s Carlsberg Special Brew all night…my first night spent in a guard room….A week of new experiences! 😀

2x Bruggen, 2x Wildenrath

Just a few pictures; taken on August 21, 1980.
Bruggen : WT232
Bruggen : XH208
Wildenrath : XN735/U, XN777/K, XN782/H
Wildenrath : XN778/A, XN793/X

brilliant pics !!! worth a look !

great stuff, nice to see!

Bruggen ? Bruggen? wheres that???? will NEVER be as good a camp as BFPO43 .Laarbruch!!!!!!.. believe the grunts have destroyed Bruggen and the good name the RAF had in Germany and the Netherlands. Its called “javelin barracks” now I believe.

Hi,

Bruggen and Wildenrath were the first ‘foreign’ destinations as a spotter for me in those days. Lot’s of activity and I do also remember the Lightning and Canberra-wrecks at the far end of the (east) runway.

I actually have a pic of the canberra, il post it when i find it

Great pics.

Scary to think it’s history… 😮

Perhaps you might like to explain some of the acronyms? Not everyone speaks Raff.

Thanks for sharing.

James,

I haven’t seen a reply to your request so I’ll try. Not sure which ones you aren’t aware of, so I’ve covered all.

MT – Mechanical Transport
PBF – I’m not sure of that one. Pilot Briefing Facility possibly?
HAS – Hardened Aircraft Shelter
MU – Maintenance Unit
AMQ – Aiman’s Married Quarter
Rly Sqn RCT – Railway Squadron, Royal Corp of Transport (Pongoes)
ATC Air Traffic Control

Regards,

Laurie.

I was a Forces Brat in Germany 1970-80 and cycled on, off and all over both RAF Bruggen and Wildenrath ‘plane spotting’ with total impunity. Great pics! Any more?

Visited Bruggen for 17 Sqn 75th. Damn good bash. Good band on the stage in the HAS as well. Don’t remember much else. Do remember the scenery looking much like the photo’s above. Unfortunately, some politician forced the RAF to replace their excellent aircraft (Phantoms) with something far more inferior. Think they tried calling it a good aircraft name. Still didn’t make it as good as an F4.

Fantastic stuff, before my time there (98-01), but memories of a good time all the same. I have some pictures at http://airfieldspast.fotopic.net/c422885.html

Excellent Cold War pic’s, any more Phantom shots?

What no Jaguars ???

That brings back memories, I was there in the late 70’s, 79 I think, with the ATC on summer camp. I have some very grainy shots taken with a 110 pocket camera of Jaguars and decoy Lightnings.

Great pics.

Scary to think it’s history… 😮

Perhaps you might like to explain some of the acronyms? Not everyone speaks Raff.

Thanks for sharing.

Bruggen; Dutch spotters

Hi,

Bruggen and Wildenrath were the first ‘foreign’ destinations as a spotter for me in those days. Lot’s of activity and I do also remember the Lightning and Canberra-wrecks at the far end of the (east) runway.

brilliant! – cold war quality.
like the flares infront of the bucc!