Detachments to other RAF stations were available to crash firemen when the station was due for re-surfacing or closed for other reasons. The stations that I was detached to during the 1964 period, were the following:-
RAF Rattlesden
Suffolk. This station was equipped with Bloodhound surface to air missiles
situated on a former USAAF base. The station only occupied a small part of the
original airfield. Fireman on
detachment had duties of which entailed
patrolling the area with a DP1 fire tender to carry out fire prevention
and to test the tenders pumps etc. On night duty I used to sleep in the main
guardroom. The site comprised of several Bloodhound missiles, white in colour.
The site consisted, a main guardroom, boiler house, EWS tank, fire tender
building, electrical powerhouse and several smaller buildings. The site today in
2OO2, sadly, is in a poor almost dilapidated state. I hate to see so much
history gradually disappearing as with many other, unfortunate, famous
airfields.
RAF Orfordness, certainly different to the usual noise and duties of a crash fireman, the reason being that radar top secret buildings were being erected by contractors Belfort Beaty in a joint RAF/USAF venture. As a top secret installation at that time, security was tight. On arrival at the ferry crossing we would be picked up by the RAF land rover and taken to our makeshift building and carry out the normal duties as at RAF Rattlesden. What I remember of this detachment was the most unusual radar building, details of which I cannot give and also the noise from the clearing of UXBs (unexploded bombs ). Coupled with the bitterly north easterly winds our makeshift accommodation and open patrols found the detachment fresh to say the least. On the island we would, if time allowed, visit the old airfield. This used to be home to the experimental aircraft dating back to the First world war, I must admit that parts from planes, bombs, bullets etc were easily found on the island. There was no flying from this island when I was there during the early 1960s, just a radar station.
RAF Leaconfield Yorks, was a detatchment of which I did not spend that long with and therefore only remember the normal duties as crash firemen and the ear deafening noise from the Lightning's, then F.MK.2s of No19 and 92. Sqns 92 with their yellow and red chequers and 19 with their black and white.
RAF Binbrook Lincs, home of the Lightning. The types that
were operational at the time, around 1964, were Lightning FM2s and 3s. As with
Leaconfield I did not stay at Binbrook for very long, however, I did notice that
the change was apparent with regards to Firestreak and Redtop missiles on the
aircraft, the Redtop being the latest of the type.
RAF Bently Priory was a one off
detachment .I remember this as Headquarters Fighter Command with a Gloster
Javelin situated at the entrance. Three of us crash firemen from Wattisham stood
by for H.M.the Queen as she inspected the Royal Observer Corps, we drove the DP 2
fire tender from Wattisham for this occasion and stayed for a couple of days
only.
RAF Neatishead Norfolk was not that far from RAF Coltishall and this being a radar station and an underground installation was high on the list for top security. The installation had at the time a fire during the 1960s and sadly lives were lost. A short detachment stay was all that was required.The station is still operational to this day
RAF Honnington Suffolk. An
enjoyable detatchment mainly because of the two aicraft
types that flew from there. Plenty of flying at this airfield Hunter T7s
would fly the cicuit each day as would the Buccaneers of
No 12 Sqn and 237 OCU. The
Buccaneers were really some aircraft, breaking over the airfield they seemed to
steal the limelight from any type that visited Honnington. With folded wings the
Buccaneers would taxi past our crash bays and it gave a real sense of pride to
think that these were terrific British aircraft. We carried out many practice
rescues from both the Hunter and Buccaneer. Good days.
RAF Marham Norfolk. This in the 1960s, my time, a large airfield, housing the large Victor tankers comprising of MK1As of 55 Sqn, 57 Sqn and 232 OCU. I remember the difficult times when carrying out the practice rescues on these very cramped and awkward aeroplanes, the reasons are easy to note. The roll of carrying large amounts of aviation fuel, plus any normal emergency, certainly kept you alert at all times. The Victor tanker was certainly a nice looking machine and as with most of us on duty, watched it take of and land as many times as possible, a true noisy beauty, will we ever see an example fly again? I hope so.
RAF Coltishall
Norfolk. The favourite of all my 
detachments, mainly, I think, was
because of the type of aircraft, the lots of flying, the call outs undertaken,
the nice colour scheme adopted by the aircraft of the OCU, the location of the
airfield i.e. near to Norwich.and Gt.Yarmouth. a friendly station with good
amenities. I enjoyed especially the Colt bowl.
The aircraft stationed at Coltishall were Lightning FM1As and T 4s. The
RAF air sea rescue with their yellow overall colour scheme were equipped with
Whirlwind helicopters, I could go on about Coltishall but that would be to much
on the web and may be a little boring. (Picture of Meteor NF14 at open day)
RAF Cottesmore Rutland, another of the stations that came up for fire crash duties. This station was home to the Canberras and Argosy aircraft. The Canberras were lined up as their black smoke from the starter cartridges fired and although a real eye opener, were much quieter than the Lightnings that we were more used to. Argosy machines (hardly to be seen nowadays) had their distinctive very high-pitched sound, it stood out from all other types that used to visit. Cottesmore was quite an interesting and fairly busy airfield and not being too far from Leicester made it a good detachment.
RAF Manston was used as central fire training school where I trained in 1963/4. Below are a few pictures of the fire practice area taken around 1993.
