Where is your spiritual RAF home?

[Buphoonery]

Swinderby - '81 for me - OMG - Still have my hair though!! - 1 month 3 days at work to go............. can't come soon enough!!

 

[Wing boy]

Swinderby Jul 1991, doing the Thor Run in 30+ degrees.
Spiritual Home is, sorry, was Coltishall.

I hit Swinderby in july 91 also. I was on intake 16MP91 what about you?
am an 8421

 

[budgie]

Swinderby for me 1989. I loved that place in the way a man loves a dog

Don't you have to be a lecky or appo to love a dog?

 

[flintwich]

Swinderby Oct 78

 

[Dave-exfairy]

I hit Swinderby in july 91 also. I was on intake 16MP91 what about you?
am an 8421

Same intake then, see PM.

 

[the_crab]

Swinderby 3 flt Dec 1979. Been out 8 months. DT_Xtremez_08:

 

[tommo9999]

Swinders Aug 86. 2 Flt.

 

[mad_collie]

Went to Swinders, but my spiritual home is Locking.

 

[Major Geek]

Swinderby for me too, May 1985.

Eee them wer days!

Have you looked back at any photos recently?
Christ we looked like a bunch of spotty Air Cadets!

 

[airframe doctor]

Doesn't feel that long ago

Doesn't feel that long ago

Swinderby Apr 90......in the words of Phil Tuffnel.....Happy Days!!!!DT_Xtremez_28:

 

[Get Tae]

Swinderby 28th Sept '86 Sgt************and Cpl ********, pair of gits!!

 

[rugby then work]

7 Oct '86 at Swinderby, Get Tae will have be one of the old sweats taking the p1ss while we still walked around in issue jumpers and jeans waiting for the tailor to sort out the rest of our uniform.

 

[Ex-Stacker]

Swinditz for me, Nov 1 88 - Dec 15 88. Loved it there, spiritual home for any Stacker must be Hereford....what a she-ite camp, but what a social life!!

 

[wolfy]

Swinderby for me 17 flt mar 79, but Locking will always be my real spirtual home.

 

[Blue Van Man]

I still have my original brass belt buckle. None of this stay-bright crap.

Swinderby 3 Flt April 1993.

I'm getting on as well now.

Studley DT_Xtremez_28:

I joined some time before you and I have a stay bright belt buckle. Are you sure you didn't polish the stay bright elements off of itDT_Xtremez_35:

 

[Blue Van Man]

You need to add one to your list.

Hereford.

When I joined we still had YTS entrants. They conducted their basic training at Hereford. A few still remain in the RAF today.

I on the other hand did MY basics at Hereford. We were supposed to do our training at Swinderby but there was an outbreak of meningitus and swinderby was closed down essentially for somtime. I was not a YTS entrant though, let me make that clear. In those days there was no way anyone would have got me to work for £17.50 a week.

Hereford was great. I have fond memories of my basic training.

 

[Rothgar]

Swinderby Dec 76, can't remember what Flt, too long ago.

 

[wyton]

Swinderby

Swinderby

Yeah I went there in May 1977, I think we were number 14 flight - we had carpets in our rooms!! Aside from that little luxury it was --- well ok I suppose

 

[Get Tae]

7 Oct '86 at Swinderby, Get Tae will have be one of the old sweats taking the p1ss while we still walked around in issue jumpers and jeans waiting for the tailor to sort out the rest of our uniform.

Ferk me you have got a good memory I cant remember that! (then again i cant remember what went on last week never mind 21 years ago!)DT_Xtremez_28:

 

[Bluntend]

Well, for me Coltishall will always be close to my heart. I spent most of my RAF career there (if I say it like that it sounds like a long time). Arguably one of the most chilled out, enjoyable but at the same time productive bases in the RAF. Its a crime they closed it. But when it comes to the spiritual home of the RAF, surely Biggin Hill's got to be strong contendor. Perhaps I'm missing the point but despite being an officer, I don't regard Cranwell as the spiritual home of the RAF - not by a long shot.

Perhaps though, and I'm in serious danger of getting a bit deep here, if you really want to find the spiritual home of the RAF you won't find it at Swinderby, Halton, Cosford, Cranwell, Coltishall or any other base. In my mind, the real spiritual home of the Royal Air Force is St Clemany danes:

"For over 1000 years, Christian churhes have stood where St Clemant Danes now stands. Gutted by fire in 1941, this fine wren building was rebuilt by the Royal Air Force to become their central church, commemorating RAF personnel killed on active service.

Its isolation in the middle of the Strand is curiously symbolic, for here an atmosphere of peace and quiet prevails, quite set apart from the noise and traffic outside. St Clement Danes is a living church, prayed in daily and visited throughout the year by thousands seeking remembrance and solace."

"Along both sides of the church are shrines of remembrance, containing the books in which are enscribed the names of those men and women who have died on active service with the Royal Air Force...every year the latest book is brought up to date".

Sadly, the books continue to be updated with the names of our friends and colleagues who have given their lives in recent years. Deep, but worth a mention all the same.

As you were...