Ian Cave Collection

The Ian Cave Collection

I am very grateful to our new RAF West Raynham Association Member, for allowing us free use of his collection of images taken during his time at the Station. The images and text are all his, with one or two exceptions

When I arrived here the station was home to 1 & 54 Squadron Hunter FGA9,s & T7,s and were hangared 1 Squadron in No2 and 54 Squadron in No4, along with respective ASP,s.No1 hanger was MT, and No3 was ASF, in the middle slightly ahead of all the hangars was the old control tower the housed Station Flight who handled any visiting aircraft. Behind the Old Tower was TAC Ops and Flight Planning in a Nissan Hut. TAC Ops is where our small Army contingent operated from, sorting out all the Forward Air Control, working alongside both 1 & 54 Squadron, to enhance their capability a little Auster AOP 9 was based and sometimes staff did some air experience and if we were lucky a DH Chipmunk was also on hand. My workplace was in Control Tower situated out on the airfield just ahead of the ASP,s giving us a very good view of the airfield and squadrons operating.

My job as assistant air traffic controller was varied, whether it be in our little ops/switchboard room, assisting the Controller in the dark approach radar room, or where I liked to be sitting, up in the visual control room (VCR) where you could see every aircraft movement taking place and it is on one of those days of Hunter operations, that I was witness to one of 1 Squadron daily tasks to fly a 4 ship to carry out FAC task on Salisbury Plain, as we all know the day was 5 April 1968 when Flt Lt Alan Pollock flew through Tower Bridge, initially in the Control Tower we were not aware until we wondered why the RAF Police had just driven onto the ASP to meet Flt Lt Alan Pollock’s Hunter, that things were becoming clear. As an AATC we did have other duties that took us outside, one of which is, was Bird Scaring, checking for any FOD on any operational areas.

Looking at some recent photographs I notice the grass mounds ahead of the squadron ASP,s have been flattened.

We saw an assortment of visiting aircraft during my period on base, from Hunters, Harrier GR1 HOCU at Wittering which later became 233 OCU, Meteor NF14 RRE Pershore, Jet Provost T3/4 Canberras, Sioux helicopter of the AAC, Wessex, Whirlwind, Devon, Pembroke, Andover, C130, Basset, Devon RAF & RN. (these aircraft are in the first section below)

When these were (the Wessex) used as target practice for the Hunters, I went along on one sortie. Verging on the scary; could have picked cabbages out of the fields. At one stage we suddenly dropped into a clearing in a wood to avoid a Hunter and sprayed the site with clippings from the trees. Pilot casually advised us that we were now full of bullet holes! Neil Swayze

RAF West Raynham and the Royal Family

WR played host to the Queens Flight Andover on many occasions, dropping off one of the Royals for Sandringham, which in my Air Traffic Control terms meant a special Royal Flight airspace corridor being set up, woe betide anybody straying into that airspace.

RAF West Raynham played host to the Queens Flight Andover on many occasions, dropping off one of the Royals for Sandringham, which in my Air Traffic Control terms meant a special Royal Flight airspace corridor being set up, woe betide anybody straying into that airspace.

"The Andover brings back a wonderful memory of my time at WR. I was about 11 years old (1973ish) and along with 2 friends also from AMQ were playing “War” on the disused area across the road from the Officers’ Quarters. We were making our way back along the Massingham Road and could see families gathering outside the Westray Stores and white gates. This we instantly knew mean’t Royalty was either about to leave or arrive. Needless to say we started to jog in order to join the crowd. However almost immediately a very big car along with escorts turned onto the Massingham Rd from the Camp entrance and came heading towards us. We immediately lined up alongside the road and shouldered Arms using sticks which we had been using as rifles in our earlier fire fights. As the vehicle passed we all saluted, not sure if we used the correct arm, but to our absolute delight the Duke of Edinburgh was returning our salute from the back of the car. Needless to say we rushed home to tell anyone who would listen. I have had the privilege of being on parade in front of Royalty on many occasions since, but that day will always stay with me." Mal Sleight

"When HM herself came, all of us lineys were confined to the line hut or the hangars out of sight and out of mind. To be fair most lineys wore hand me down kit held together with black tape and locking wire. We smelt of AVTUR F40, om 15 hydraulic oil and grease" Bill Dore.

The recent picture of a Queen’s flight aircraft at WR brought back a memory from around 1959/60. I was a Cpl/Tech at the time and one of the duties for the Orderly Corporal was to see the kids across the road to the school down Massingham Rd….. morning, lunch time and afternoon. (the school was in a disused wartime building on the right hand side, just about opposite the last of the Officers Married Quarters) Seldom any traffic so a pretty boring duty actually, but on one occasion a large car emerged from WR and came down the road. It stopped where I was stood waiting for the kiddies. The window went down - it was the Duke of Edinburgh! “What are you doing then, and why are your stripes upside down”? So I told him I was the Orderly Corporal and was here to see the school children across the road. I then had to explain technician ranks and what I did. His parting words were “Never heard of anything so bloody ridiculous - technical chaps like you wasting your time seeing children across a road with no traffic”. He was pretty direct....as always! John Curtis

The most iconic aircraft in my mind to this day V-S Spitfire F21 LA255 belonging to 1 Squadron sitting in front of their hangar, and for the record has moved around with the squadron wherever they have set up home, currently sitting in 1 Squadron Typhoon hanger at RAF Lossiemouth having undergone a cleanup & respray. The right hand photo is from my collection.

A few more visitors to add, which includes some Foreign visitors,2 x G91,s WGAF, CAF T33 Shooting Star with a T29 USAF Transport in the background.

Heavy Stuff:

One Transport aircraft seen at WR on a fairly regular basis was the Belfast C1 XR367 53 Sqn to move the Bloodhound Missiles around the country either for exercise or servicing.

Also used was the Hercules, regular trips from West Raynham to Germany and other places, for missiles exchanges. The Bloodhounds were returned to WR for servicing and then returned later. Many of us took part in these trips, mainly to stock up on duty--free alcohol and tobacco! Paul Lloyd

Winters at WR could be harsh, especially when you trying to get a VC-10 transport aircraft in on a 6000 ft iced runway not ideal for this aircraft which would prefer 7500 ft, and with limited cleared ASP to park, we were forced to park him on an Operational Readiness Platform (ORP).

Whilst this page was being prepared (February 2021) WR currently is covered with snow to mirror some of the photos below. Snowy image courtesy of Jon Booty

Hi folks I said I would be back and in just over 14 months later I returned to see and photograph all the Helicopters taking part in the NATO Rescue Helicopter Meet between the 10 - 19 June 1971, I will try and name them all, FAA Seaking HAS.1 819 Sqn, Westland Sycamore HC14 32 Sqn, R.Norwegion AF UH1, R, Neth Navy UH1, Puma HC1 33 Sqn, Whirlwind HAR10 22/202 Sqn, Westland Scout AH1 AAC, WGAF UH1, R.Danish Navy Alouette 2, R.Norwegian Navy S61/Seaking Mk50, Belgium AF Sikorsky H34, WG Navy Sikorsky H34, R.Neth AF Alouette 2, USAF Kaman Huskie. The day I attended this Helicopter meet was the last time I saw West Raynham.

Whirlwind XP 437 was 202 Sqn I think and XP 351 was 22 Sqn. I worked on XP351 a lot when it was based at Chivenor and when the Whirlwinds were due a big service 22 HQ at St Mawgan would replace it with another fresh from its service. Bill Dore

I had just arrived from my fitters course at Locking, in 1971, to be greeted with the task of getting the ground radio gear checked over for the following week. (for the Helimeet) To see the pan filled with a large selection of Air Sea Rescue aircraft from various NATO forces was something to behold. I just regret not sneaking a camera into work, would have great views from the Radio Room on the middle floor of the tower.
Archie Dundas