WW2 Photographs East Anglian Air Fields

[Timbo]

This on the BBC, some interesting photographs, some in colour, of the American WW2 Air Bases in East Anglia. 

[BroadScot]

Thanks for that Tim. I love reading items like that.

 

 

Iain.

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

There are some excellent books on  "Airfields of the second world war", of which i have 6, with more to come. The first one i bought was Dorset, after borrowing a friends copy (ex RAF mechanic), then in June 2013 when we were moored at Reedham, Karen saw the one for Norfolk in the riverside post office store, and bought it for me, as she knew i wanted it, but had`nt seen it. Then i got the Suffolk one, and 2 weeks ago, i bought 3 from Play.com, being Lincolnshire, (where we`re going in Aughust in a cottage), Hampshire, which borders Dorset about 3 miles away, and Kent, where i was born and brought up, and of which i have some of the best memories of second world war airfields.

 

Any threads, stories, or pictures from WW2 airfields are very interresting to me, so please, anybody with anything to post, please do, i`l always appreciate it.

[BroadScot]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Heathfield

 

This may be of interest to you Neil. Its now Prestwick Airport. 

 

 

Iain

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

Thanks Ian.

 

I used to make interiors for the Jetstream 41 back in the 90s, which i think (but not sure) were built at Prestwick. There again, it might have been some of the Nimrod stuff.

 

Well, it was nearly 20 years ago.

[BroadScot]

Hi Neil,

 

I played golf with lots of lads who worked on both the aircraft.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Aerospace_Jetstream  

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Aerospace_Jetstream_41

 

Iain.

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

 Yes, that`s the ones Ian, thanks for that.

 

I first started building aircraft interiors for a company called "Metair Aircraft" at West Malling airdrome in 91. The airdrome was sold off for redevelopement and in late 92, the company moved to new buildings at Biggin Hill, and took on the name of the new owners being the Hunting group, where we stayed till mid 98 when the place was shut down and we all got made redundant.

 

Ironically,  both Biggin Hill and West Malling were WW2 airbases, Biggin Hill being the centre of operations for the Battle of Britain.

 

I used to go for a walk in my lunch break round to the eastern side of West Malling airfield which was largely untouched  I got the same feelings of the ghosts watching me, and could definitely feel some sort of spiritual prescence around me as i did when we used to visit my Aunt and Uncle who lived in the village of Hawkinge where we used to jclimb over their garden fence and walk around the airfeild.

 

Both places were very spiritual, and very moving.

[BroadScot]

Hi Neil,

 

Yes, I bet. My only visits to Kent are a wedding in Ashford,and ferry crossings at Dover !

 

Maybe one day get the Biggin Hill or Manston feeling. I have heard what you were saying before. One of my cousins was in the RAF down that way.

 

 

Iain.

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

Hi Neil,

 

Yes, I bet. My only visits to Kent are a wedding in Ashford,and ferry crossings at Dover !

 

Maybe one day get the Biggin Hill or Manston feeling. I have heard what you were saying before. One of my cousins was in the RAF down that way.

 

 

Iain.

 

Hi Ian,

 

you`ll have to hurry for Manston, i think it`s recently been sold, and earmarked for redevelopement. Yet another bloody housing estate built on a site of important heritage, just like Hawkinge and West Malling.