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Memories of the Twin Bases, contributed in 2002
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25 December 2002 17 December 2002 Note:
2 December 2002
22 November 2002
26 November 2002 Ray contributed some pictures of Wheelus and Shepherds Grove, plus this, which I could not resist posting. I had the NEXT version, which had a red linen cover.
6 November 2002 I was the NCOIC of Base Operations
'90-'92.
October 20, 2002 Linn; the picture in on the Bentwaters Parks Ltd
page, under "Buildings/Runways", then under "Hardened
Aircraft Hangers". The picture is of a HAS with the doors
open. I remember the job of painting that well. There was about
three of us. One supervised; not me since I was only an airman,
and another person who I don't remember, (It's been 15 years).
My job was to trace out the images and paint the doors. I was
using a deicing truck with a bucket to lift me up into the steel
beams to trace out the thunderbolt and roman numeral two. I then
painted the doors brown, then the images. The other guy painted
the doors below me, he had no ladders so just did the ground level
stuff. If you want to use my name that is great, but I did have
help, I was just one of three. I was there from August 1985-Aug
1988.
April 18, 2002 Hi Linn, Linn, as far as I am concerned, my 5 years with the 81st were
the best years of my air force career. When people ask me where
I am from, I tell them I was born in New Jersey, but raised in
the 81st Fighter Wing. Thanks for all your effort in keeping the 81st alive and well. Warmest regards, Joe Williams
March 16, 2002 ...terrific memories of our years in England.
March 14, 2002 You have created an incredible site that I know is bringing back many wonderful memories for those who lived there. My first husband, (Phillip Webster) was stationed at Bentwaters from Dec. 1979 thru Dec. 1981 and was part of the 81st AGS as an aircraft armament systems specialist (462x0?) for the A10 aircraft. We married in Sept. 1980 so I became the young Air Force bride. We did not live on the base but rather lived in Great Horkesley, a little village on the outskirts of Colchester so that we could be near the great Church my husband had found previously. We had great fellowship with other Christians there, as well as really enjoyed living "the English life" with the coal man every two weeks, the milk man daily, the messy coal burner in the kitchen, etc. and having English neighbors all round about us. We were 20 at the time, and I'm sure our English friends talked about the "young American lovers" at the end of Exeter Close! We "grew up in England." They just "adopted" us as their own, and when our first daughter was born (at Lakenheath) they loved and "adopted" her too. Now, almost 21 years later, my daughter and I are
planning a return trip to England in mid-May. Her father and I
were divorced in 1987 but have remained very good friends.
After all this time, I doubt that much (if any) of it will even
look familiar to me, especially since I didn't live on the base
but only went there for events and groceries, etc. But, it would
be wonderful to see that "part of my life" again, and
to show what remains of the base to Julia.
February 1, 2002 A photo (c.1965) of a small, thatched-roof cottage in Melton, at the fork of the road (left Bentwaters, right Woodbridge) was posted on your site. When I hitched a ride to base from Ipswich it seems I was always picked-up by someone going to B/W who dropped me in front of that house to wait for a ride to W/B. Your snapshot reminded me of a special place in my past which had become completely forgotten for over 35 years. With your photo to prod my memory, in the fall of 2001, I completed a watercolor painting of the building as I remember it. I would like to thank you for your efforts in beginning and maintaining what has become my favorite trip back in time. [Linn Barringer: ...and now folks, here IS that watercolor]
January 29, 2002 One of the best assignments possible during the Vietnam
War.
January 10, 2002 I have located some old orders (April, 1951) assigning us to gunnery training at Wheelus Field, Tripoli. I have found a picture of our hut (#394) and one of the Hawker Hunter at Dunsfeld when we were there running comparison test between it and the F-86's. As soon as I get the names of personnel I have on the orders and post them in hopes someone can make contact.
January 5, 2002 Served from Sept. 1965 to Dec. 1966 at RAF Woodbridge. Sent TDY to Lakenheath where I was subsequently permanently assigned. Stumbled onto this web site this evening and have been transported back four decades to one of the most enjoyable times of my life. I have mentioned to my wife on so many occasions how much I wanted to get back to Woodbridge someday. Your web site may be the push I need to do so. Thanks for the memories!!! I can practically smell the JP4!!!
Dan Scott scott_retired(a)hotmail.com Hi Linn, We initially lived in Thetford (when my wife arrived) then later moved to a place called "The Rookery" just outside Bury St. Edmunds and later into a "Caravan" (Mobile House Trailer) just outside the back gate of Shepherds Grove on the way to Stanton, onto some old foundations of Quonset huts that was just behind the farmhouse adjacent to the NCO club and enlisted Quonset huts. Several of your pictures were buildings that I was familiar with. While stationed there, I had the opportunity to be on a team that went to DeHavilland to phase-test the 110 Fighter (later known as Sea Vixen) and to Hawker to phase-test the Hunter fighters. I also got to personally meet one of you famous Test-Pilots, Neville Duke and was at two of the Battle of Britain airshows with our fighters. We were also there when Queen Elizabeth was crowned and got to see the event. England is such a pretty country and I thank you for taking time out to bring memories back to us via your photos. Dan Scott, TSgt (Retired)
AWOL for a Thatcher (but not Margaret...) Larry Pegg l.pegg(a)worldnet.att.net I was telling war stories the other eve with a couple of old buddy's and ole BUSTER reminded me of how I almost got charged with being AWOL from WOODBRIDGE. I was on my way to work one morning leaving DEBENHAM and as I drove thru one of the smaller towns, I seen this crew of men installing a new THATCH ROOF on a BUNGALOW. I pulled over to watch for a few minutes and I was just amazed at the skill and workmanship going into that project, I watched them cut in a very nice pattern into the roof, I just could not leave, I sat there watching and the next thing I knew it was lunch time, I could not find a call box so took my chances and headed on to base. It so happened that 3rd AIR FORCE had called an ALERT EXERCISE, and I was no where to be found on BASE, OLE COL SIMPSON was madder than HELL at me, I had planes in my hangar that he wanted out and my crew was standing around with their heads up you know what. When I got to the MAIN GATE I was informed that SIMPSON was looking for me, I knew then that I was in deep do do. I called COL. SIMPSON on the field phone and told him I was present for duty and would roll the planes as fast as we could put the panels back on. Needless to say he had a few choice words to say to me and told me to report to him as soon as the alert was over. Thank goodness the alert was cancelled before we got scored and so there fore we got a passing inspection from 3rd AIR FORCE. OLE LT. COL CHARLES SIMPSON was out to burn my young butt and bust me down to airman basic, I was saved by COL ADRIAN E. DREW, he happened into my hangar to have coffee with me and I told him that SIMPSON was after my ass, COL DREW stepped in for me and cooled COL SIMSON down and I got by with just a good ole butt chewing. However even if I knew I was in trouble, I would probably do it over, I was and still am amazed at that crew putting that roof on that house, that is one of the things I will look for when I come back, I will remember that house when I see it. Editor's note:
JATO Powered 6x Truck ! Ausch(a)aol.com I saw an article written by Walter O'Toole wotoole(a)dswebnet.com requesting any information on a test of the runway barrier at Bentwaters by a truck outfitted with jato bottles. I tried to send the info to him but email is rejected, so here's the story... I was one of the tower controllers on duty at that event and witnessed the whole test. The 81st. Fighter/Bomber Squadron fitted the front of a six-by truck with the nose gear and the main gear of a F-84 in order to perform a test on the barrier's operation. The truck also was fitted with jato bottles to give it the necessary speed that they were trying to match to the F-84's landing roll to see if the barrier would engage the nose/main gear at the correct angle and subsequently stop the aircraft before it ran out of runway. The barrier was a nylon webbing that stretched across the overrun of the runway 27 and while not in use, lay flat on the surface. The controller could push a button in the tower, if the pilot or controller deemed it necessary, that would cause the webbing to pop up and hopefully engage the aircraft while dragging 100 feet of chain (each chain loop was 2 feet long and weighed 45 pounds) on both sides of the runway, causing enough friction to stop the aircraft. The engineering part was completed and it was built but the theory had not been actually tested after it was completed so they needed to test it in as near conditions as possible, thus the six-by truck that was about the same weight as the F-84 but lacking in speed. First of all, they had to find someone to drive the truck and they did. I believe his name was 2nd. Lt. Critchfield, one of their newer pilots just arrived from the States and was eager to please his superiors. The truck was taken to the other end of the runway and heading west on 27 at full speed (from the tower it looked like it was hardly moving) and probably at a top speed of around 70, the pilot lit the jato bottles at about the halfway section of the runway. All you could see was this cloud of smoke where the truck actually was with the nose gear visible in front. It was a sight to be seen and they also had a Mercedes SL 120 convertible running along side of it taking movies of the test. The jato bottles quit just as the truck hit the barrier and the truck stopped almost immediately, dragging only about 1/3 of the chain across the tarmac after barrier engagement. The webbing had indeed engaged the nose/main gear at the proper angle and it was approved for immediate use. I can imagine the g-forces that young pilot experienced, but nothing was ever said about it later. Anyway...that barrier did save a lot of aircraft while I was stationed at Bentwaters and it also caused one fatal accident on a F-84 that engaged it at too high of a speed causing the chain links to whip and throw the webbing up over the cockpit preventing the pilot from escaping when it caught fire. One of the chain links penetrated the side of the GCA unit with no one being hurt. After that ordeal, they put a maximum speed of engagement at 140 knots I believe. |
FOR TWELVE YEARS this site has collected contributions for Twin Bases of RAF Bentwaters and RAF Woodbridge in Suffolk, England
Copyright © 1995-2008 Linn Barringer, All Rights Reserved. Bentwaters.org was RENAMED and re-launched as TwinBases.org.uk 14 January 2007