Views of Swinderby

[Radpoe Meteor]

My best Man, sent me these as a reminder of our basic training days. Hopefully giving fond memories.

WARNING, the following images may cause panic to some.::diablo

p.s. there may be more to follow, but if you have any of your own, please share them.

regards Rad

[vampiredave]

No.11 Flight,
Intake 41 / 65
Block 7 'Gray Block'
November - December 1965

I preferred not to take photographs!

[wingcomandrflap]

Crikey, Manser Block! That was me for six weeks Nov 78, my room, first on the right downstairs!!

Ah, and the joy of bulling the Lino floor of a Monday Evening.

The station cinema...been in there a time or two......usually for some religious lesson rather actual films.

Also, take a look at the images in the Google Street Map programme to see this area as it is now. If you haven't already, you could be in for a shock.

I don't remember the Vampire gate guard though.

Great photo's, thanks for posting them. Takes me way back.

[A225HVY]

Went throught there Jan 7th 1975

Floors were hand bumpered every night then!!!!!!!!

[scotavia]

August 1972,seem to recall a Mosquito hidden away.Long runs around the airfield.

[rover]

July - August 1975.
My memory fails me and I can't remember the name of my block! Anyone remember the names of the H blocks?
Seems so long ago, probably because it is!

[wingcomandrflap]

Manser, Nettleton, Leroy (not sure I spelt that right) Chesire....?

[TwinOtter23]

Some previous pictures here http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/sho...ight=Swinderby

[REF]

There is alot of photos and memories here - sad to see the place as it is now. Not one building left standing.

[hurri600]

April 1979.

Nice pictures brings back Great memories of the start of my time in the Royal Air Force.
So sad to know it has all gone, Time marches on i suppose.

Hurri600

[topgun regect]

Manser, Nettleton, Leroy (not sure I spelt that right) Chesire....?

It was Learoyd block,my home April/May 91 Cheshire block was one of the newer high rise blocks in the middle of the domestic site along with Gibson block opposite the Newcomers Club and Reid Block behind the Med Centre and the Junoir Ranks Mess.

There was Ward block down the bottom and allegedly haunted

I don't remember the Vampire gate guard though

Th Vampire was sat opposite the Main gate on the technical site in between SHQ and the Guardroom

Martin

[Moggy C]

I remember furiously buffing the floor in anticipation of an inspection of one of the H block dorms on my ATC camp there back in 1962 / 3

It all seemed rather fearsome.

Moggy

[Last Lightning]

January 91...always in trouble for cruising..if only they had made the six weeks a challenge

[madjock mcgrok]

Ah June- July 73 anyone remember injection afternoon 'You might feel a bit woozy after this!' Or the Lightning on the airfield- XM170 with a total flight time of 14 minutes. The young ladies from Spitalgate?

Many years after leaving I met one of the Cpl DI's, by this time a Flt Sgt, when I was doing orderly dog at Cranwell- we had a bit of a chat about old times during which he was most miffed to discover that someone a couple of ranks below was being paid more and would get a bigger pension at the end- oo er!

Great Days

Cheers
Madus Jockus

[REDBIRD]

Went throught there Jan 7th 1975

Floors were hand bumpered every night then!!!!!!!!

January the 1st 1975 here, with the (infamous) Cpl Smith as my DI

[TwinOtter23]

In view of the topic is anyone a member of S.O.D.S - annual reunion being hosted at NAM on 5 September, 2010?

[alertken]

scotavia, #5: Mosquito was T.T.35 TJ138 now in RAFMus.Hendon.

[Nic]

March/April 1983

Seems like yesterday.

Nic Jackson

[darnsarf]

January the 1st 1975 here, with the (infamous) Cpl Smith as my DI

July '75, I couldn't remember my DI's name but now you mention Cpl Smith that rings a bell..

Gibson block then on to Shawbury for AATC trade training. I remember hearing of bedpacks thrown out of windows for being not of the required standard, did it actually happen to anyone here?

[topgun regect]

Not to me personally but seen it happen

Martin

[rover]

Darnsarf,

We were there at the same time, Shawbury also as I was TG9 too.
What AATC course were you on?

[scotavia]

I was TG 9 AATC, 1973 Shawbury.
I do recall the bedpacks fiascos, people sleeping on the floor to avoid remaking them, and the night we carried a drunk recruit into the drying room , so that if he was sick it would not ruin our floor before the inspection. He awoke in the night, on a dark cold blanket and thought he was in the gaurdroom cell block !

[REDBIRD]

July '75, I couldn't remember my DI's name but now you mention Cpl Smith that rings a bell..

Gibson block then on to Shawbury for AATC trade training. I remember hearing of bedpacks thrown out of windows for being not of the required standard, did it actually happen to anyone here?

TG9 here too! And yes, I clearly remember bedpacks, shoes, webbing and sundry other items being thrown out of the window. 6 weeks of hell, Shawbury was like a holiday camp after that.

[darnsarf]

Darnsarf,

We were there at the same time, Shawbury also as I was TG9 too.
What AATC course were you on?

No idea, I'll see if I can find out when I get home tonight, there's a group photo of our course in a drawer somewhere that might help. Anyway Shawbury was followed by stints at Northolt, West Drayton and North Luffenham (really adventurous eh?) and I left the mob in '82.

Which prompts me to ask when the RAF was first colloquially called The Mob and why?

[wingcomandrflap]

Already posted elsewhere but thought I'd put it here too..



I was TG9 aswell......but not as old as rover!!!!

[Radpoe Meteor]

July '75, I couldn't remember my DI's name but now you mention Cpl Smith that rings a bell..

Gibson block then on to Shawbury for AATC trade training. I remember hearing of bedpacks thrown out of windows for being not of the required standard, did it actually happen to anyone here?

Although they didn't go out of the window, our Cpl found the 1st he inspected to be safety-pinned- in a rage he proceeded to throw the remaining packs all over, only to find mine was the only one that wasn't pinned. Needless to say I was gutted.

[Radpoe Meteor]

Already posted elsewhere but thought I'd put it here too..



I was TG9 aswell......but not as old as rover!!!!

Dunnit take yer back!!!!!

I did "Swinditz" in March '89 with an AATC course after( in which I was Back-flighted twice,) left in Nov '90 & then Re-joined in 1994- basic training at Halton this time, followed by 10 1/2 years as a Mover - Hell I must have been barmy !!!!!

[rover]

I was TG9 aswell......but not as old as rover!!!!

Just remember Flap, you're only as old as the woman you feel!

Can't remember our DIs name, but I can picture him - short, stocky with a crew cut!

Can also remember one of the recruits known as Brains - he was seen putting his dirty laundry in a locker and sprinkling it with washing powder before shutting the door. When asked what he was doing his reply was "Dry cleaning"!


Course Commander at Shawbury was Maggie Haughey - No. 405 Course.

[BeefyBoy]

Went through 'Swinditz' Oct - Dec 1973. Can't remember any DI's names, spent the next 23 years at war with the GD trade in general!

I never forgave the numpties who ran the laundry on the coastel block in Port Stanley for fataly shrinking my best, most comfortable, most warm camo's to the size of an 'Action Man' suit! (Got drenched in avtur emptying a Herc refuelling point)

Still annoy everyone in the house when 'Bargain Hunt' is shown from the airfield informing them for the umteenth time that I did my basic there. :diablo:

BB

[Maple 01]

TAG! I was 1 Sqn 7 Flt 1983 - marched off to 'Thunderbirds'