Saturday 15 August 1998
CAPTIONS: If you can help improve or correct captions, please send me an email, with a reference to the picture number, which is alongside each picture. Thank you for your interest and responses so far, but I still need more information. I've put the name of the contributor by each caption. Where there is no contributor's name, I wrote the caption.
1. Welcome.
This sign is just inside the Tunstall-end entrance - a.k.a. the
Ivy Lodge entrance.
[In 2001 it was re-sited
opposite the Control Tower.
2. Security police building,
just inside the Technical Site main entrance, beyond the gatehouse,
looking generally towards the gate.
3. This building would
have been the 'terminal building' if the airport gained planning
permission.
It did not, so it is now leased commercially. This was the 81st Wing Headquarters building.
MSgt Brad Moore (I am now stationed back in the states at Whiteman AFB but I was stationed at RAF Bentwaters/Woodbridge from 1988 to 1992. I was assigned to the 81st Transportation Squadron, and worked in Vehicle Maintenance.)
Sent: Saturday, February 03, 2001 (contributor wishes to remain un-named)
Linn, I was looking at your pictures of RAF Bentwaters and wanted to add a little bit of information.
Picture #3 is the Wing HQ Building. My office was on the ground floor (Air Traffic Control Operations). On the Ground floor of the main building, on the left side of the picture was actually a hardened room also used for many years as a command center for the Communications Squadron which used the building prior to Col Hal Rhoden (Wing Commander) taking over the building in 1987. Also on the right hand side of this main building was a hardened vault! Spent lots of time working in that place as well. The building just to the left of the walkway in this photo (you can just barely see the roof), is actually the building which housed our RAPCON (Radar Approach Control) Facility. This was a portable building (ugly green) but Col Rhoden didn't like the view from his picture window (seen in top left of the main building), so he had it enclosed is a beautiful red brick structure with tile roof (much more pleasing to the eyes). From this window, you could look over the entire runway and over towards the WSA. Also, I remember when the guys put in the red brick parking lot where Col Rhoden would park just behind the car shown in the photo.
3.a. Our party wandering around outside the Wing Operations Centre (WOC).
4. William Calhoun, who was
among the team who opened Bentwaters in 1951, and he was here
on the Bentwaters trip today, some 47 years later!
5. This rather crap image was taken in total darkness in the WOC,
with flash, on an auto-focussing digital camera - it didn't have
quite enough time to focus. But for those of you who worked here,
you will probably still recognise it, so I left it in.
Sent: Saturday, February 03, 2001 4:28 PM (contributor wishes to remain
un-named)
Linn, I was looking at your pictures of RAF Bentwaters and wanted
to add a little bit of information.
Picture #5, 6, 7, 8, 9
This is inside the Wing Operations Center (WOC) which is right next to the Wing HQ building (After 1987). I spent many days working inside this building between 1986 and 1990 for various exercises and real world situations. I helped with the Lybia raid from this building. On the clear boards on the wall we would identify all aircraft, pilots, weapons and so on that would be tasked to support the Air Tasking Order (ATO) for all events. This building also housed our Message Center. All encrypted message traffic came into this building back then.
7. More detailf of the console desks. Also taken in total darkness.
8. And the last one in this totally darkened
room...
9. The EMERGENCY EXIT from the
Wing Operations Centre.
10. Outside the Hush House.
The building in picture 17 is just out of sight, on the left
of this view.
I left BW in June of ‘88 and the Hush House is a new addition
since then. I suspect that it was put in place for the proposed
arrival of the F-16 (shifting some A-10’s to Alconbury)
with its after burner type engine, which would be orders of
magnitude louder than the TF-34 engines on the A-10 when tested
at full power.
Bill Repmann
11. Sign on the outside wall of
the Hush House.
12. Hush House control panel.
13. Interior of the Hush House,
looking towards the exhaust muffler.
14. The business end of the muffler,
showing the blast deflector (now collecting a green slimy growth)
The engine blast would be directed against the large blast deflector
and thousands of gallons of water per minute would then be sprayed
into the shaft, muffling and directing the sound straight up.
Bill Repmann
15. From the blast deflector end,
looking into the Hush House
16. Work area (?) off the
side of the Hush House main chamber, on the opposite side from
the control panel shown in picture 12.
From: mark.lowe(a)gsa.gov
Sent: 27 October 1999 22:19
Subject: Photo's of Hush House
Linn,
I've read several of the comments regarding the Hush House photos
(10, 11,12,13,14,15) and as remember it, this Hush House was
built back in the mid-70's for the F-4D's and their screaming
J-79 engines. I was there when they built it. I've sat in the
control room many times when we towed aircraft out of the Phase
Docks (Photo 33), hooked up intake screens and prepared the
aircraft for an engine run. Before the Hush House was built,
we used to tow the aircraft to an outside equivalent of the
Hush House without the enclosed building. Unless they built
another one after I left in 1976, the Hush House was not built
in the 80's as I believe one of the comments suggested in photo
10.
Mark Lowe
From: David White montanared(a)msn.com
Sent: Friday, January 05, 2001 3:04 AM
I am now retired from the US Air Force, but from 1987-92 I
was the Propulsion Branch Chief for the 81st TFW. Pictures 10-17
are indeed the Jet Engine Hush House. I monitored the set up
in 1989, NOT in the 70's, and it was never used to run F-16's
(as suggested). At the time, the plan was to bring in a wing
of F-15 Strike Eagles, but politicians had the Strike Eagles
diverted to Lakenheath instead.... AFTER millions of dollars
were spent to build this hush house, family housing, and a complete
rebuild of the Runway. The A-10 engines (TF-43) were relatively
quiet, but not quiet enough for nightime and weekend engine
testing. There was a farm behind the beam in picture #10, and
although the farmer was VERY friendly, he did complain OFTEN
about the noise. In picture 13 you can see the rails on the
floor in front of the exhaust tube. We had a thrust frame that
was mounted on these rails to run uninstalled engines after
overhaul (or other extensive maintenance). If an A-10 required
an indoor run, the thrust frame could be pushed aside on these
rails, then the aircraft was tied to that large tiedown you
see at the entrance to the exhaust tube. Picture 14 is the exhaust
duct, and worked much like a glass-filled muffler. Water WAS
NOT pumped into this tube during engine runs. Water was used
in other test cell designs, but were environmentally unfriendly.
Picture 17 was the Test Cell office and equipment storage building.
No engine maintenance was performed inside this building.
David White
CMSgt, USAF (RET)
17. Building opposite the personnel
door to the Hush House.
I believe is the original ‘Test Cell’ shop. It was
staffed by the 81CRS (my squadron) working in conduction JEIM
or the jet shop. Jet engines repaired in the shop would be towed
out the test cell (under a canopy like shown in image 10) and
tested.
Bill Repmann
From: David White montanared(a)msn.com
Sent: Friday, January 05, 2001 3:04 AM
Picture 17 was the Test Cell office and equipment storage building.
No engine maintenance was performed inside this building.
David White, CMSgt, USAF (RET)
18. This is not a British road
sign - ours say "Give Way."
19. The 81st Transportation
Squadron’s (main) Vehicle Maintenance facility, as seen
from the main entrance to the Industrial side of the base.
We
moved in to this fine facility in November 1988 from the adjacent
building that dated from the very early 1950’s.
Ronald A. Case, Jnr.
TSgt, USAF (Ret.), near Seattle, Washington, USA
Pictures 19-26.
Transportation Yard.
The large building was the Vehicle Maintenance Building and
most of the pics were from various areas inside of the Bldg.
Ray Young
20. The maintenance activity’s
emblem
....a dragon that obviously eluded St. George.
Ronald A. Case, Jnr.
TSgt, USAF (Ret.), near Seattle, Washington, USA
The badge in photo #20 was the 81 TFW emblem, the Transportation
one had British, German, and US flags on it.
MSgt Brad Moore (I am now stationed back in the states at Whiteman AFB but I
was stationed at RAF Bentwaters/Woodbridge from 1988 to 1992.
I was assigned to the 81st Transportation Squadron, and worked
in Vehicle Maintenance.)
21. Inside the cavernous building.
To the left, vehicle doors, lifts, and exhaust piping. Down
centre are the lunchroom, and to its left, small work stations
for tyres and batteries. To the right and out of view
are more (larger) lifts and offices and tools and spares rooms.
Ronald A. Case, Jnr.
TSgt, USAF (Ret.), near Seattle, Washington, USA
22. Electrical outlets at any
work station.
The standard UK (220/240V 13amp) receptacles,
standard US 110/120V, and 24Volt for heavy vehicles and such.
I should mention that the contractor installed 13 amp breakers
on the US system. The old building had 15 amp breakers installed
and some of our heavier electrical tools were likewise 15 amp.
When I left, sometimes the troops were still lugging jobs over
to the old building because of this oversight.
Ronald A. Case, Jnr.
TSgt, USAF (Ret.), near Seattle, Washington, USA
23. The men’s lavatories.
There are
shower stalls near where the photo was taken, and a locker room
to the left. The women’s WC was to the right of the men’s
and a fraction of the size.
Ronald A. Case, Jnr.
TSgt, USAF (Ret.), near Seattle, Washington, USA
24. Close-up of Mr. Bobo's locker,
with Dymo-tape label.
As I recall, Mr Bobo was a newly hired US civilian fitter in
the unit. He was actually in England as a Dependant. His
wife was in the USAF. I believe he was also a painter.
Ronald A. Case, Jnr.
TSgt, USAF (Ret.), near Seattle, Washington, USA
Note: Bobo was an AF Ssgt (not - see below) that worked on
various government vehicles. If I remember correctly, he was
married to a young English lady - I think they lived up north
of Framlingham.
Ray Young
ARE YOU OUT THERE, Mr. BOBO?
4 March 1999:
YES I'M HERE. I AM THE GENERAL PURPOSE
SUPERVISOR AT RAF LAKENHEATH. I WAS NOT A SSGT AT THE TIME,
BUT A CIVILIAN. I STILL LIVE IN IPSWICH AND DRIVE HERE EVERYDAY.
YOUR NAME SOUNDS VERY FAMILIAR TO ME. I AM E-MAILING YOU FROM
WORK, BUT HERE IS MY HOME E-MAIL ADDRESS esker(a)ayrton.libertynet.co.uk
DROP ME A LINE AND MAYBE WE CAN MEET ONE DAY.
E. BOBO
25. Mr. Esker Bobo's work station
Photos 24, 25. I see Mr. Bobo wrote and let you know he is alive
and well.
MSgt Brad Moore (I was at Mildenhall, I am now stationed back in the states
at Whiteman AFB but I was stationed at RAF Bentwaters/Woodbridge
from 1988 to 1992. I was assigned to the 81st Transportation
Squadron, and worked in Vehicle Maintenance.)
26. Staircase and racking.
Inside the tools and spares
room that was most capably attended to by Mr. Dann, of Snape,
and by Roy and Rocky.
Ronald A. Case, Jnr.
TSgt, USAF (Ret.), near Seattle, Washington, USA
NEWS OF ROY:
# 26, as of May of 1994 Roy was working at the Commissary at
RAF Fairford.
MSgt Brad Moore (I am now stationed back in the states at Whiteman AFB but I
was stationed at RAF Bentwaters/Woodbridge from 1988 to 1992.
I was assigned to the 81st Transportation Squadron, and worked
in Vehicle Maintenance.)
27. Buildings near the flightline.
Two adjoining cream &
brown buildings. Bldg on the right of the pick was the Orderly
Room and Admin Offices for one of the aircraft sqdns. It also
housed the Flight Line Bank, which was a branch of the base
bank to help those folks that didn’t have the time to run
to the other side of the base during duty hours.
Ray Young
...this building also housed the flightline kitchen, where
we used to go for lunch to get a "Bag Nasty"
Paul Topolosky
This is where my daughter Donna, daughter number 2, worked
back in 1983 or 84. The Bag Nasty! The food was ummmm good!
and cheap.
Former bag nasty patron Ron
Burrell
28. 81st Transportation
Squadron's Orderly room and the Vehicle Operations office.
MSgt Brad Moore (I am now stationed back in the states at Whiteman AFB but I was stationed at RAF Bentwaters/Woodbridge from 1988 to 1992. I was assigned to the 81st Transportation Squadron, and worked in Vehicle Maintenance.)
29. Building near the main gate. Computer operations?
30. Well, I was driving at the
time (on private land with plenty of space!)
31. FTD920 is a hangar in the
Phase Row group but FTD is Fuel Training Department (I think).
WRONG! See below:
My name is Jim Presley. I work with a friend of yours, Glenn Martin. He told me about your RAF Bentwaters web site. I was very interested, having been stationed there from 81-84. Your pictures and those of your contributors bring back some good memories. I was so sad to see what a state the base has come to. Anyway, I saw a picture of one of the hangars with the letters "FTD" on it and you speculated that it probably meant "fuels" something or other. As it happens, that building is where I worked. The letters stand for Field Training Detachment. My unit was FTD 920. At the time there were about 95 such detachments throughout the world, each supporting it's host base. Our mission was to provide hands-on aircraft maintenance training to the mechanics assigned to the 81st Fighter Wing and its operating locations in Europe. There were about 16 instructors assigned to FTD 920. I taught aircraft general courses as well as courses on flight control, canopy, and throttle systems rigging and corrosion control. Our other instructors taught engine systems, armament, instruments, electronic countermeasures, aerospace ground equipment (Glenn's specialty), battle damage repair, and a host of other courses. So now you know about FTD. I'll probably never get back to Bentwaters, but your site is almost as good as a visit. Thanks so much for doing it. Sincerely,
Jim Presley
Retired Chief Master Sergeant, USAF
32. HAS- Hardened Aircraft Structure
33. Hangars in Phase row.
String of Aircraft Maintenance Hangars. Each individual hangar
was for repair and/or fabrication of various A-10 aircraft parts
and for storage of various materials need in the process.
Ray Young rcyoung(a)gci.net
Picture 33 in your 1998 Tech site collection is hauntingly
familiar. I was assigned to the 81st FMS aircraft fuel systems
shop from Jan 1, 1976 to Jan 5 1978. The row of hangars strongly
look like those which I worked in for two years. The hangar
to the farthest left was the fuel systems repair shop, next
to it's right would of been the Tank farm. The ramp that you
are standing on and shooting the picture was used by both Fuel
systems and Egress shop. We would on occasion work a C-130 from
the 67th when it need major repair on that ramp. This of course
was during the F-4D era that I am referencing. Behind the hangars
should be a row of Tabvee's that where just being built when
I left Bentwaters.
Larry Zeilmann zeilgang(a)core.com
Photo 33 brings back many memories. Several of these hangers
were also used in the mid 70's to perform phased inspections
and maintenance during the F4D era. I was stationed at Bentwaters
from June 1974 thru May of 1976 and worked in the second hangar
from the right edge of the photo. It was called Phase Dock 2
back in those days. Thanks for the memory.
Mark Lowe mark.lowe(a)gsa.gov
34. What is this building?
The mystery building in image 34 looks familiar. A wider angle
shot may give you better results.
Bill Repmann
My reply to Bill Repmann:
The building in pix 34/35/36 is at the Tunstall end of the base,
quite near the "Welcome" sign, just across the road
from the Rod ‘n’ Gun club, INSIDE the fence (RnG is
outside). From the taxiway, the building is a little to the
right of the RnG. Its interior décor is almost domestic.
The picture is painted on the right hand wall in a sort of entrance
hall that had a plastic-glass roof, like a carport. I can’t
get back to take a wider shot to put it into context.
I have solved the mystery of pictures 34, 35, 36...
...I worked in this building. It is the Fuels Operations (P.O.L.)
building. It had two offices, the Fuels Control Center and what
we call the Driver's Lounge. The lounge is the reason for the
domestic decor. It is where the fuels drivers relaxed and watched
television when they had a break from their work.
Paul Topolosky
Your mystery building in picture 34 is...
...the locker room and toilet block for the adjacent building.
This was used by the 81st Supply Squadron, Fuels Management
Branch, commonly known to most Brits as POL (petroleum, oil
& lubricants). It housed the drivers for the mobile fuel
trucks that serviced the A-10's on Bentwaters. The logo on the
side of the building was painted on it in preparation for the
1991 American Petroleum Institute (API) competition.
Walter Haller, TSgt, USAF
(retired) RAF Bentwaters 1990-93
35. Painting on the wall of a "breezeway".
The painting
inside the breeze way... was painted for the same API competition.
The painting was updated as part of mission completion, we thought
it was a nice touch and might be looked upon as historic piece
as are the old art work left in some of the W.W.II buildings
still around the UK.
Walter Haller, TSgt, USAF
(retired) RAF Bentwaters 1990-93
(Walter - I agree about the "historic piece" - I wonder if we can have it preserved? - Linn Barringer)
36. And WHO SIGNED IT, on 19 October 1992?
Senior Airman (SRA) Glenn Wernli, a very accomplished
artist I might say!
Walter Haller.
How's this for an UPDATE!!! Almost exactly 10
YEARS LATER...
Thomas
Grant November 24, 2002
My name is Thomas Grant and I was stationed at
Bentwaters from 91 to 93. I also found some pictures that I
had lost over the years of a Painting that I had done and signed
(#35 and #36). Its all right if the site does not get updated
any more I'm just glad that I was able to see that painting
again and filled a blank spot in my life! Hope all is well and
keep the spirit alive!
- Thomas
37. Not quite Florida, but there
IS a palm tree still growing there!
This is the
Rod and Gun Club. And in 2000 it was re-opened as a Rod
and Gun Club!
38. The control tower, RAF Bentwaters, 1998.
Hi, I just stumbled onto your site and think its great.
I was stationed at RAF Bentwaters from Feb 1980 to Feb 1982,
where I was assigned to the 2164th comm sqd as an air traffic
controller in the control tower.
Joseph Madeja
39. The control tower and (left) bird control unit, RAF Bentwaters, 1998.
40. The control tower, RAF Bentwaters, 1998.
41. The control tower and (right) bird control unit, RAF Bentwaters, 1998.
42. My Audi A3 outside some "Earthtone"
EMS buildings near the AGE Branch.
I believe it is the old 81 EMS building that housed the orderly
room, the commander’s and first sergeant's office, supply,
plus some other maintenance shops. It was just opposite the
AGE buildings. If you were to get out of your car and walk towards
the building and go right of the photo, you would see one of
those old Nissen huts that was sitting next to it. It was a
vending machine snack bar. It was usually kept stocked up by
a British national who worked for AAFES on the base.
Ron Burrell
Ron,
You're absolutely right. The Nissen huts are still there - I
just visited them with Glenn Martin (31 March 1999) I visited
this building again in 2001 and found the spot where the vending
machines stood. Just outside across the road is a place
for barbecues, with a covered eating area, just in case...
Linn Barringer
43. Runway from the Eyke end
44. Further along, from the Eyke
end
45. Near the middle, from the
Eyke end. Looks like some chaps are having fun with their
cars...
46. From the Tunstall end, still
not quite down the big dip at the end of the runway!
47. Hangar 74 (green) and a Hardened Aircraft Shelter (HAS).
Photo #47 shows the old EMS
phase hangar on the left with a 'new HAS' on the right. The
engine shop can be seen between the two. EMS orderly room, with
various maintenance sections are to the left of the grey hangar.
The bad thing about that hangar was the birds. One time, I was
ordering a part from inside the hangar and a bird pooped on
me!
I was assigned to phase from Feb to Jun 81, then I went to the
510th as a crew chief. I was at Bentwaters from Feb '81 to feb
'85, then Woodbridge from Nov '86 to Nov '92 in the 78th TFS.
Tim Darrah ttttimmy(a)earthlink.net Dec. 2000
48. More Auto-focus trouble here.
Because I got close to the window, you can't see what I was
trying to photograph. Ron Burrell does
know the building. There's a clue in the final picture, a panorama
near the AGE 'hut', also known as an Office - it is building
599.
And finally...
click on the image to open the big version 2476x352 pixels
49. Panorama... the excellent description below the picture, which comes from Bill Repmann, really brings this picture to life. Thanks, Bill.
4 December 2000 NOTE: the first building on the far left has now been removed.
I remember
this very well. At the far left, the 3 brown (‘EARTHTONE
COLORS’ in proper USAF vernacular, around 1987 some genius*
mandated that all our installations needed to be painted in
this same beige and brown (rumoured to be phsycologically more
comforting and homelike for lonely airmen) and the process of
repainting the whole base from the former hodge-podge of blues,
greens and greys began. The new jet shop, under construction
at the time and contracted before this edict, eluded this cruel
fate. Buildings belong to AGE (Aerospace Ground Equipment).
The large green building in the center was the ‘new’
JEIM jet shop. It exists on the site of the original jet shop
which was demolished in 1986 (except for the small earthtone
row of structures in front of it (which were the locker rooms,
showers on the far end and the parts cleaning and bearing inspection
lab on the near end). The wash bay door (large overhead door
near the corner) is a replacement for one that was completely
destroyed by the big wind storm of October 87. Nearly my entire
two year tour was spent crammed into the two attached barns
to the rear of the new shop (on the same side of the street).
Offices and water closets where set up in trailers along side
it during this time. Further down, (the road dead ends) the
dark brown building was a storage building for engines under
repair as well as APU’s (auxiliary power units for A-10).
The APU shop lies adjacent (last brown building on the hanger
side of the street) to it. Heading back toward the camera on
the hanger side was the Sheet metal shop. They were part of
81AGS (Aircraft Generation Squadron, whatever THAT means), though
frequently did work for us on parts that were shuttled back
and forth on a hand pulled cart that made rounds to all the
local shops. Hangar 74 behind these buildings was left largely
abandoned during my tenure. JEIM was relocated there briefly
during an asbestos scare in the back barns (caused by night
shift deliberately contaminating an air sample due to dissatisfaction
with working conditions) the November raw unheated and poorly
illuminated hanger 74 they threw us in though put a quick end
to this. Minor repairs out of the weather would occasionally
find and airplane inside. Phase inspections were actually conducted
on a matching hanger located on the opposite side of the runway,
adjacent to the tower.
Bill Repmann
* some genius...
...the genius who ordered the painting of all the buildings
cream and brown was General George (?) Creech. He was the USAFE
commander sometime before I came there. I was stationed at Zweibrucken
in Germany after I left RAF Woodbridge, and I can tell you that
every base in USAFE that I was stationed at was painted in this
way. In fact, the color became known as Creech Brown. You know
why he did it? Rumour had it that it was his wife's idea. Cool
Huh?
Jonathan Burchard
From: David White montanared(a)msn.com
Sent: Friday, January 05, 2001 3:04 AM
Picture 49 is indeed the Propulsion Branch. The metal buildings
on the left were the AGE Branch, and the building just visible
on the right was the EMS Fabrication Branch (attached to hanger
74). The building in the center was where I "lived"
for 5 wonderful years. The outcropping on the left of the building
was the heating plant (boiler room), and the outcroppings on
the side of the building was the parts cleaning rooms. If you
are interested, I have several pictures of the inside taken
during the height of activity. During the Gulf War, this building
was the engine "Queen Bee" maintenance facility for
ALL A-10 aircraft dispersed to Saudi Arabia.
David White, CMSgt, USAF (RET)