This is the group photo of my ATC squadron on summer camp at RAF Watton in the early 1960s. I (Alan Bond) am in the front row – seated 3rd from right.
The squadron number 2235, was and still is located in Deal Kent.
We spent a week at Watton during the school summer holidays, we were accommodated in the airmen’s accommodation blocks and ate in the mess which were the other side of the road and we marched there and back every mealtime.
During the week we toured the station, spent a day on the range firing .303 Lee Enfield which gave a much stronger kick than .22 which we were used to firing on the local TA indoor range.
We were allowed to select a section from the station to spend the day with, I spent my day with the wheel and tyre section. We also had a couple of air experience flights, flying in the back seat of DH Chipmunk and a twin engined aircraft which I think may have been a DH Devon which I believed was based at Watton at the time.
We also enjoyed the use of the NAFFI.
Alan Bond
I was there too, for a Summer camp in 1963 with the ATC, 1114 Sqn.,from Gosforth Northumberland. As was mentioned previously the food in the airmens mess was first class. The most abiding memory for me, was the sight of so many modified Canberra aircraft all with massive misshapen nose cones.Highlights were flying in Chipmunks a couple of times and a flight in a Varsity. On the first Chipmunk flight, we got buzzed by a black PR9 Canberra and thinking back now what a wonderful air to air shot it might have been.
Also seen were Venoms from the Royal Navy and Fairey Gannets The whole trip and memories of what I’d seen and experienced has remained fresh as
ever, even after 60 odd years later…happy days…
“This is the group photo of my ATC squadron on summer camp at RAF Watton in the early 1960s. I (Alan Bond) am in the front row – seated 3rd from right.
The squadron number 2235, was and still is located in Deal Kent.”
I still have a copy of this photo at home, I remember most of the faces, and can still name a few. I have fond memories of my time at camp and with the squadron. I happen to be stood directly behind you in the photo Alan.
Regards Fred Rogers
zoek vluchtgegevens van Blenheim Mk.IV V6436 YH-L van 28 augustus 1941
met de volgende crew: Frank Orme. Stanley Gunnis en albert H. Collins.
I
I was at Watton on the start of august 1955 at summer camp in 1921 squadron A T C
just before the first air to air shots on tv. We had at the time Twin engined Vickers Varsity aircraft and cacberras ( only NCOs had aride in them). but I managed to get a two hour flight in a B29 probably out of Sculthorpe.They did not have Ccipmunks there at the time. The 303 and 22 ranges were brilliant wern’t they? I loved the food in the mess. We even had toast racks on the tables. On the B29 flight an F84 Thunderstreak arrived on our port wing in close formation and as I was in charge of the the remote control gunsights I trained them on him . All the guns pointed at him. He waved at me and peeled away. You can imagine the thrill that gave to a 14 year old at the time. We did about 6 ground controlled approaches at either Sculthorpe or Marham cicled Sandringham at 500ft (no go nowadays). The rides in the Varsities on take off involved leaning on the pilot’s seat (no health and safety then). The following year We went to Swanton Morely where they had Avro Ansons and Percival Prentices. I went up into a line squall in a Prentic , couldn’t see the end of the wings because of the rain Lightning was a little bit bright. Let me know where you went in 1956.All I knou was it was a great couple of years
Great memories Julian…