Recording the History - Recalling the Memories.
RAF Aberporth Station Activities
Parades were few at RAF Aberporth. Usually the only parades were for visits by the AOC or other VIP’s.
Many of the engineering NCO’s , including yours truly, were excused most parades due to work commitments at the RAE Site.
Some of the photo’s from Stuart Baines are of the AOC’s visit in 1974.
Only one of the two Aircraft Hangers still exist. The other being sold off a few years ago to someone in Ireland.
The runway was extended in 2009, and the sergeants mess demolished in 2011. The old hanger will be replaced with a new one, along with a new airport Hotel.. One day.
RAF Aberporth Football Team Junior Cup meeting the AOC in 1974
RAF Aberporth may only have been a small station, but it had a thriving Football team in the 1970’s.
These photo’s courtesy of one time MSF Technician Stuart Baines
RAF Aberporth Football Team Junior Cup Winners 1974
Names are listed below-left.
<Left:An Air Day at R.A.F Aberporth in 1981, organised by 1429 (Cardigan and Aberporth) ATC Squadron.
These events popular in the 80’s had many flying Aircraft Display’s including the Red Arrows, and attracted thousands to each event.
Among the static displays in this image is a Jindivik which you can just see a glimpse of in the background right of the hanger.
More Air Day photo’s
On ATC Air Display Page
A photo of the five-a-side team after they won the inter - Dept final in 1973. Image courtesy of Steve Niblock (Holding the cup)
The following selection of MT Photo’s are courtesy of John Smith, a member of the RAF Aberporth MT Section 1973 to 1975.
John at RAF Swinderby during training in 1969
Left to right- Warrant Officer ?, Mr Jones, John Smith, Brendan Keane,
The C.O. Wing Cmd D.T.Cann, John Adams, Cpl Clot? Sgt Bill Evans.
The Airmens Mess Christmas Dinner 1973/74. Among the faces of RAF, RN & MOD staff are Squadron Leader Wright, John Pitchford, Dougie Folland, Harrison ? Budgie Linton, Wilf Pickles, Al Darnell, Stuart Baines, Kevin Davies, Jonah Jones, Brooksy, Bob Hiles, Barry Parker and MOD Civvies’ Graham Walker, and Roy Mullins.
Diane Thompson and Jonah Jones
A few party photo’s from the 70’s
Janice Thomas and Stu Baines
Helen Davies and
Pete Merryweather
Betty Davies and Stu Baines
A few RAF and Royal Navy faces above-
Back Left: Harrison, Mr Davies, John Smith, ? , And Steve King hiding at the back.
Front Row: Brooksy, Jonah Jones, Ken Davies, and Pete Merryweather.
In 1969, HRH Prince Charles attended University at Aberystwyth.
While there studying Welsh, he spent his week-ends at RAF Aberporth Flying.
He was allocated his own room in the officers mess for the period.
At week-ends a Chipmunk and VR Pilot were at his disposal, and he could often be seen flying around the area during the time he spent here.
This photo’ shows him being presented with an inscribed tankard before his departure in July by the Station Commander, Wing Commander Kaye .
I wonder if he has still got it. Perhaps it will turn up on ebay or at an antiques fair one day!
My own “15 minutes of fame” whilst having the secondary duty of NCO I/C the Station Cinema, was to give HRH Prince Charles his own private showing of a one hour documentary about the Red Arrows one evening in 1969’.
I suspect he would rather have watched “A fist Full of Dollars” I had showing that week-end.
Dads Army at RAF Aberporth 1974. From the RAF News
Service personnel always worked and played hard.
RAF Aberporth was no different. Stories of the Sergeants Mess parties and dances in the 60’s and 70’s with the Royal Navy detachment also in attendance, are legend.
Watching seven senior NCO’s at their Christmas dance in 1967, led by Chief Tech Bunny Warren come waddling in line into the mess down on their knees with trouser legs pulled up and their shoes tied around said knees, also wearing silly Christmas hats, and singing “Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It’s off to work we go………” was one of many memorable events.
AND,… being a inter-service mess, there was the Royal Navy Petty Officers jape on one of the wives at the same Christmas dance, telling her a story of “Nelsons Eye” !
Picture the scene……. The blindfold seated lady, her pointed index finger at arms length,
half of an unseen VERY juicy orange produced silently in front of her, a petty officer telling her to poke around for his NOSE, while feeeding her a line about Nelsons good eye, then screaming in agony as her finger enters the orange, could give you every reason to wince at the outcome.
When the blindfold was whipped away the orange was nowhere to be seen. Everyone in the was room falling about laughing, except the victim who thought she had blinded someone………
Unforgettable.
Only the Navy could have come up with that one.
(An employee in our shop, also recalls this type of joke from her husbands navy days.)
And then there was the time when after a hard nights drinking in the Sergeants mess, a certain Chief Tech of my acquaintance from Missile Servicing Flight, arrived home in the early hours at his Married Quarter on Trenchard Estate.
After banging on the locked front door for 10 minutes, and being told by his dearly beloved to get lost, the inebriated “Chief” knew from past experience that he would have to sleep in his car parked in the road.
At about 7am the next morning, his wife dressed only in her night dress and slippers, in a mad panic ran from the house, pulled him from the car, and told him to get in the house NOW, before the milkman turned up on the scene, and spread the story far and wide.
Ah the good old days!
A Charity Bed Push 1974.
Faces include Pete Brooks, Mac, Al Green, John Smith and a Mrs McGill in the bed
Junior Ranks Christmas Party 1974. Crash Ashley and Steve Niblock in the foreground
The RAF Aberporth Team that won the RAF Junior Cup in 1974 against RAF Boulmer.
Names courtesy of: Stuart Baines- Norfolk.
@ April 2014
RAF Boulmer
(In Red Colours)R
Cpl Brett
J/T Valley
SAC Grieve
SAC Walker
Cpl Duthie
Cpl Brennan (Capt)
SAC Cockroft
Sgt Dunsire
Cpl Allen
SAC Tracey
SAC Wilson
J/T Philips
Team Manager:
C/T Carter
Trainer:
Sgt Robertson
RAF Aberporth
(In Yellow Colours)
Cpl Hambling
SAC Mullings
J/T Baines
Sgt Spry
Cpl Keal
SAC Robinson (Capt)
SAC Jones
SAC Frazer
AB Evans
Cpl Hart
LCEN O’Keef
SAC Town
Team Manager:
C/T Wilkins
Trainer:
Cpl McGill
