Where is your spiritual RAF home?

[Dave-exfairy]

Swinderby, July '91, where one of our intake was sectioned and sent to a room with rubber walls for something he'd done before joining up. Made us wonder about the RAF vetting process I can tell you!

I think I know you. If i'm right you were in Cosford with me.
Who was that then? Can't remember that.

 

[Dixie68]

I think I know you. If i'm right you were in Cosford with me.
Who was that then? Can't remember that.

Yes Dave it's me DT_Xtremez_30:
I can't remember his name but he was in my room at Swinderby. One day he got called to the Med Centre and never came back - it took a week to find out that the reason why was because he'd told his ex just before he left for training that he would kill himself and her if she didn't get back together with him.
If I remember rightly, (and it's not often I do nowadays!), he got the nickname Hannibal, from Hannibal Lector in Silence of the Lambs and was one of the 'M.I.A.' names on our flight T-shirts.

 

[Hoof_Hearted]

old . . . and very grey

old . . . and very grey

Swinderbimble square bashing for me - 31 Jan 84 - for my <cough> 7 week stay (failed TOETS . . .) DIs Cpl 0ni 0rrison (and his musings of black mens d!cks), Sgt Gar$tang. Fooked if I can remember what flight I was on, nor the colour of my scarf, nor what block I was in. Luffers MFT, in the snow IIRC. Flypast was a couple or four Chipmunks (top kit, eh!) DT_Xtremez_19:

4 S of TT at Saints for my trade training (DE MT Tech - civ-qual, so that didn't last long). Utter shyte Eglis Brewys mess - fookin gopping scran - Sandys van filled my tum. Oh, diving boards in the swimming pool were kool - used to do a wee bit of high diving before I joined up (went onto a different kind of diving DT_Xtremez_06. Valley Commandos were . . . an 'education'!DT_Xtremez_35:

Spritual home . . . OK, I claim two. First would be Avon Club Gadhaffi (and the 'underground' Rugby Club - underground, so no one could hear your screams) at RAF Upavon (they owe me three years worth of J/Ts wages!). DT_Xtremez_34: Upavon was an awesome camp, small, but superb social. Gibson block (pre referb) > Ward block (much closer to the Colonel) > Gibson block (after the singlies referb - but longer to lay Pavement Pizzas from the Colonel). One of my best mates there was a slop jockey - and oddly, he was the only one who passed the course (he could actually fcuking cook!). Often on the p!ss in Golddiggers in Chippenham when a certain Richard Branson owned it. Raffles private members club in Salisbury, Moonrakers in Pewsey, Busbys in Bath (or was it Brissol), and occasionally Brunel Rooms in Swindon

Then my second home would be Colt - some good times, but some fookin aweful times too at Colt (real nasty ba$tard Jock SNEC who utterly detested DEs - yet NEVER once picked up a spanner or donned overalls - unlike the 4 other SNECs) - but it claimed five years of me. Colt Bowl was a fun and friendly place - now probably a pile of matchwood. Did Colt have a 'Rockey Club' or sommat similar, near the MT yard??? Oh, and gained me my better half. DT_Xtremez_38:


Probably time to stfu

 

[Rambling Sid]

Have to agree with you about Upavon, loved my last year in the RAF there. I was in those single room blocks just over the road from the Naafi, or the Avon Club as you correctly named it.

 

[Hoof_Hearted]

Have to agree with you about Upavon, loved my last year in the RAF there. I was in those single room blocks just over the road from the Naafi, or the Avon Club as you correctly named it.

Scarfe block was the nearest, then Ward, and then the next - can't remember its name, but it was used as a transit block, hence filled with Spaceys during the summer.

When were you there? I was there 84-87, and was very sad to go when posted out!

 

[Rambling Sid]

Must have been 10 years before you were, I never made it into those brick blocks, did my whole time there in the one story blocks opposite the Avon Club. When I was there everyone was either on their last posting or their first. Somehow it made a great combination, very social station I found.

 

[Omar]

Cow & Gate

Cow & Gate

Well boys I was on the main gate when you were on Cow & Gate. Cosford 223 CA entry June 29th 1971.

 

[colin_murphy]

2 Flt, Nov 83 under the heal of the Foz

Me too, 22nd Nov 83, 2 weeks off for xmas didnt help much as we got it in the neck when we got back DT_Xtremez_26:

 

[LuckyJim1002]

Jesus, I passed out ( and not for the last time after going to 721SU) in Sept 83 from Swinderby.

My better half asks me why I remember it all with so much fondness.

I loved it from the minute I joined. To this day I do not know what possessed me to leave. Well not quite true, I do know but looking back wish to the Big man I had stayed in.

Glorious memories of being 18 years old and the biggest decision I had to face was what Kettle to buy.

And not to get too gay about it but about 10 of us all going to see Top gun in Carlisle on a Friday night before hitting the Howard Arms and many pints of Old Peculiar, followed by Chips, pie and Gravy waiting for the transport home.

Saturday night was the Pagoda or the Malt Shovel.

Fecking Malt Shovel - what name is that for a night club

 

[backscuttler]

Get some in !!!!

Get some in !!!!

DT_Xtremez_34:I remember being invited for a hair cut at Swinderby in July 1966 and summer in your hairy blue. The rest is a blur except for the weekly bus trip from Spitalgate for the Thursday Sh-g and shuffle. All that entertainment for £3.00 a week with a compulsory £1 in your POSB.
Happy days? some were.

 

[smoggy26]

Where did you cut your teeth?

Swinderby Jan 69 now that makes me old

 

[Perrin]

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.

I also training at RAF Hereford, regular not YTS, when they took 2 entries from Swinderby to easy the numbers after 2 people died of meningitus the credenhill run was a killer, then the exercise at morton on lugg or something like that.

Probably Odiham was where i cut my teeth thou, DT_Xtremez_35:

 

[exraf]

Swinderby basics 78, Hereford trade 78 - 79, but I think for me it has to be Scampton.

 

[TARDE85]

Swinderby, March '84. Then off to Cosford, should have been for 3 years but the apprenticeship didn't seem so appealing after starting it. Got chopped and went DE, hence my user name.

Spiritual home? Got to be Brawdy, 4 years on 202 Sqn, the best posting ever.

 

[D Jeffhugh]

My Spritual Hone is RAF St Mawgan

My Spritual Hone is RAF St Mawgan

Was there from 1978 - 1982. Was a Supplier. Worked in Nimrod Line Flight and Supply Sqn. Loved Cornwall.

 

[passedoverat46]

2 MP85 remember the number must be sad. Apr 16 1985 and Neil Boyd was the Cpl DI.DT_Xtremez_32:

 

[corsair]

Coningsby is my spiritual home, 5Sqn F3's 95-98, F3 mod team after that, and various other sections since, I must have an affinity with Lincolnshire.

 

[grollie]

Raf Lossiemouth

Raf Lossiemouth

Basic at Swinderby Jan 1980. Then Halton Then Lossie

 

[LightningMk6]

Basic at Swinderby 1971, many postings along the way, but best unit was 5 Squadron RAF Binbrook

 

[grumpyoldb]

Basic at Swinderby 1971, many postings along the way, but best unit was 5 Squadron RAF Binbrook

Nah it wasn't. It was 8 sux at Lossie............ Gin/silver sands/band on the run! DT_Xtremez_14: