What interest me though,is if people were getting their passes by post on Saturday morning,and the closing date for applications was Friday,when/how did they manage to get names and addresses from people who were successful,AND get them in the post that day?

I can’t believe that 400 people were sat at their pc’s waiting for the call,as there was no closing time for applications,just a day.

I smell a rat.

Ken.

You are not as surprised as us at actually getting a pass quinny..I can assure you of that!
I will check with my mate as to when and how he applied,meanwhile I must get on me way to sheffield, its 18:15 already. Hopefully pics will follow, no1 son wont lend his dear old dad his camera:mad:, so I shall provide the best I can over the weekend.

A mate of mine received his Car park pass in the post last Saturday. We are off up to Sheffield after work Thursday to stay with friends of his. Trying to borrow my sons digital SLR with telephoto lens,the tyke is reluctant to let his old Dad borrow it!:rolleyes:

Now this is just an opinion,but target people who actually live near Weston Zoyland to help.

You may find that some local people have the same vision as yourselves, after all, it is an airfield near to them to be of an interest. We found most of our support for the Hunsdon and Sawbridgeworth airfield memorials, to have come from the towns and villages around us. Not too many people from outside the ‘catchment’ area may appreciate what you are trying to do.

It is true that there will be some from outside the area who have an interest, but for practical help you should try the airfields local community. Try running an article on your wants and needs, in a local paper. most local rags have a journalist who handles the historical content, ask for an article to raise interest locally and see where it goes from there.

The latest news, is that the Royal Navy disposal team have…err..ahem..mislaid it:o .

Much as I despise new housing developments, and the gradual eating away of my beloved Essex/Herts countryside and being a “local” myself, if I had to choose between Hunsdon or North Weald being built on, I’d have to support preserving North Weald every time as it is still a live airfield.

There are also plans to build on Boreham airfield too now that Ford Motor Company has sold it and it is no longer required for Team RS testing.

In some respects I would agree with you about North Weald. However, The government look upon places as Coltishall, Wyton, Alconbury and North Weald as ‘brownfield’ sites ripe for redevelopment.Is this because the transition from active airfield, to housing estate, is a swift clean move in redefining land use?.

Hunsdon, and almost all other hostilities only airfields, were born from agricultural use . The land was requisitioned from the land-owner for the building of airfields. Having had their four to five year life as an airfield, they quickly returned back to agriculture once more. To some of us, these old sites that barely show the outline of their former use, are emotional places. Maybe it is people like me who are the selfish ones?. We want to preserve and hang on to these places because of its former use,when in reality we are probably the only ones who care!

Last Saturday, I was in on the last part of filming for an upcoming documentary film about Canadian Nightfighters and intruders based at Hunsdon. I sat in on the interview of an 88 year old former 29 Squadron pilot who was based at Hunsdon. Afterwards I asked him if he wanted a look at his former airfield where he spent quite some time at. ‘Oh no’ he replied, ‘what do I want to to see a load of old fields for, there nothing there to look at is there, I think I will just go home’
But people do care…. dont they?, why else would nearly 400 people turn out to see the dedication of an airfield memorial…they couldnt all have been there to see the BBMF Lancaster, and Maurice Hammonds P51 could they?:)

Hello XH668
For Matching airfield you can try http://www.b26.com Their messageboard often has veterans from the 391st BG(M) posting there. As for Sawbridgeworth, precious few survive from the many squadrons who were posted there. We tried to contact as many as we could two years ago for the Memorial dedication day. I could sort you out some addresses to which you could write, the same same for Hunsdon veterans.

By the way, a forthcoming documentary programme is being filmed about Hunsdon and the Canadian night-fighter and Intruder squadrons based there. The final interviews with some of the aircrew involved, is being filmed on the 29th of March at Hunsdon.
The website you refer to is my own site, you can use anything you need for research material if it is for a personal thing.

A single word…..Aercoupe!:)

I foresee a bucket load of private messages heading your way Cees:p