Many thanks Zinc for posting and sharing your video of Waterbeach - appreciated! I have wonderful memories and many good friends whilst at RAF Waterbeach where I lived between 1954 and 1958 with my parents in a Warrant Officer married quarter as my father was a Master Navigator who served for 40 years in the RAF from 1940 I attended Waterbeach Primary School and Cambridge High School. Coincidentally I retained an interest in aviation and former RAF airfields and married quarters. This started with the first aircraft I ever flew in being G-AHED, a de Havilland Rapide owned by Marshalls Cambridge whilst at the Battle of Britain Air Show at Waterbeach in 1955. In 1971 I bought my father's former RAF Devon which he flew whilst stationed at RAF Northolt and at the age of 25 I obtained an AOC and started an airline - Macedonian Aviation based at Southend operating six DC3 Dakotas and Devons/Doves. When the Army barracks at Waterbeach closed and the engineers moved to former RAF Kinloss Scotland in 2010 one of my related companies bought 321 former NCO and officer MQs on the base. Since 1980 I have purchased 35 former military married quarter and airfield sites, some Army and Navy but the majority being former RAF facilities see www.twsg.co.uk
I was stationed there with the Airfield Construction Branch in 1965/66 following their move from Wellesbourne Mountford. The unit was later turned over to the Army engineers regiment.
Thanks for posting. I spent a few years living on the base when my father was stationed there. I remember the Burma star air displays. I got my distance swimming certificates in the pool there. Memories.
So when it was a engineer regt there were Reme workshops, looked like the small hangers you passed think the tall chimneys are the cook house and naffi ,bit hard to get orientated because you are not showing the buildings properly some are new built after 83 , when i was there the two big hangers n(not shown) have presevation orders on them they used to hold a lancaster sqn in each one and are the second biggest hangers in uk after the one that hold the airships at bedford. RE Sqns were 53construction , 60 fld spt , 34 fld sqn and 48 fld sqn , hq and spt and i think 8th brigade HQ to the left of front entrance is the guard room and jail, to the right officers mess although you are further up the airfield . Hq offices are in front of main gate as you enter .various other things servicing bay , battery room , loads of store rooms etc. cinema and briefing room been there years. think the reason some of the buildings are locked is because of asbestos common when these buildings were put up ,nissan huts are either made of it or its in the ceilings , floor coverings , black toilet systems, heating pipes that run through the old buildings are lagged with blue asbestos all perfectly safe as long as no one starts smashing the place up. Might go up there for a look before the H blocks are demolished and grab a few photo's
Many thanks Zinc for posting and sharing your video of Waterbeach - appreciated!
I have wonderful memories and many good friends whilst at RAF Waterbeach where
I lived between 1954 and 1958 with my parents in a Warrant Officer married quarter
as my father was a Master Navigator who served for 40 years in the RAF from 1940 I attended Waterbeach Primary School and Cambridge High School. Coincidentally I retained an interest in aviation and former RAF airfields and married quarters. This
started with the first aircraft I ever flew in being G-AHED, a de Havilland Rapide owned by Marshalls Cambridge whilst at the Battle of Britain Air Show at Waterbeach in 1955. In 1971 I bought my father's former RAF Devon which he flew whilst stationed at RAF Northolt and at the age of 25 I obtained an AOC and started an airline - Macedonian Aviation based at Southend operating six DC3 Dakotas and Devons/Doves. When the Army
barracks at Waterbeach closed and the engineers moved to former RAF Kinloss Scotland in 2010 one of my related companies bought 321 former NCO and officer MQs on the base.
Since 1980 I have purchased 35 former military married quarter and airfield sites, some Army and Navy but the majority being former RAF facilities see www.twsg.co.uk
Thankyou for your comment! Very interesting stories and fond memories you must have of the base 😀 thanks for watching
I was stationed there with the Airfield Construction Branch in 1965/66 following their move from Wellesbourne Mountford. The unit was later turned over to the Army engineers regiment.
Thanks for the videos mate,was there 95-2000,great memories.
No worries 😊 thanks for the comment ! And wow I can imagine it looked alot different back then ✌️
@@exploringwithzinc2027 It was immaculate.
@@vmarkable I would of loved to of seen it in its heyday
My mum served there as a WAAF 1943-46 and there is now a framed large photo of her on the outside of the museum wall.
I was stationed there 85 to 88 Waterbeach was a lovely village
Thanks for posting.
I spent a few years living on the base when my father was stationed there.
I remember the Burma star air displays.
I got my distance swimming certificates in the pool there.
Memories.
So when it was a engineer regt there were Reme workshops, looked like the small hangers you passed think the tall chimneys are the cook house and naffi ,bit hard to get orientated because you are not showing the buildings properly some are new built after 83 , when i was there the two big hangers n(not shown) have presevation orders on them they used to hold a lancaster sqn in each one and are the second biggest hangers in uk after the one that hold the airships at bedford. RE Sqns were 53construction , 60 fld spt , 34 fld sqn and 48 fld sqn , hq and spt and i think 8th brigade HQ to the left of front entrance is the guard room and jail, to the right officers mess although you are further up the airfield . Hq offices are in front of main gate as you enter .various other things servicing bay , battery room , loads of store rooms etc. cinema and briefing room been there years. think the reason some of the buildings are locked is because of asbestos common when these buildings were put up ,nissan huts are either made of it or its in the ceilings , floor coverings , black toilet systems, heating pipes that run through the old buildings are lagged with blue asbestos all perfectly safe as long as no one starts smashing the place up. Might go up there for a look before the H blocks are demolished and grab a few photo's
Since it was RAF Waterbeach, it was then home to 39 Engineer Regiment (Airfields). I was stationed there from 1972 to 75.
My Dads youngest brother Fred Newton did 30 ops over Germany from there in Lancs. Bomb aimer /navigator.
Went with Shell in 46 into oil. Met D Bader.
I'll coming on the next filming session for sure
Of course you can :)
About 9 months old and about half of the base has gone I think .. there building 12,500 homes on the land .. such a shame
how do i get there
Literally just Google Waterbeach and the barracks are in the village