Me and my Army chum Chas Foxwell went there to spot the jets in 1979. It was dark and so cold, we tried to sleep in a phone booth. The F-4s are FY68, so this must be c. 1970 or a bit later.
My time at Alconbury was April 1961 to April 1965. Days of RB-66 night reconnaissance bombers. Base was beautiful and well kept. Relatively new brick barracks. Loved my time here and East Anglia.
What GREAT MEMORIES. I was there and still remember it. The parade I marched in, boring, and the air show. What a great place to have been, spent 3.5 years there, 30th TRS.😊😊😊😊
My father Col. John "Jack" Buchanan was was assigned to the 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, RAF Alconbury, England, as Commander of the 1st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron and held the position for three years. 1966 to 1969. He just passed on May 29, 2022 at 98 years old...alert, active and full of wonderful stories. We lived on base but my sister and I went to Lakenheath High School. Best years of our lives living in England!!! Thanks for the wonderful memories of Alconbury from your video!!!
Were some of the flybys from an Armed Forces Day show held there during your listed time frame? I recall being impressed by my first experience hearing and seeing the Lightning followed by an RF-4 that could well be going straight up. See
Thanks for sharing... USAF 64-68 .... RAF Alconbury Feb '65 - Feb 67 ... Automatric Flight Controls Specialist A&E Squadron ... Lived in the Village of Ellington
Ah Huntingdon. I was home in southern Alberta in Canada being 8 and 9 years old when these films were made. I got there in November 1982 when I was 23 and stayed until about March 1983. I lived at 11 Hartford Rd. Loved shopping on the high street. Took pictures of St. Mary's and All Saints Churches. Sadly, I never went inside them. I came home to southern Alberta from Britain in April 1983 and am still here to this day, but I love Huntingdon and have fond memories of my time there.
My wife’s biological father was stationed there between 68 and 70. Does anybody know a way we can find more information on him? All we know is his name and My mother-in-law thinks she knows his home address and mothers name. If anybody can guide me in the right direction I would greatly appreciate it.
I was a local kid, growing up in the 70s in Sawtry. The USAF people were great to us. I have such fond memories of those wonderful people, I've not met such a warm, generous and polite people since. They would Take us to the base to go bowling, and to the Cinema with the projector that broke down midway through a film. Everything about it was from another world. Fanta Grape, Comics in colour, mad clunky cars the size of a house that bounced down the road - Holloween, the 4th of July, Thanksgiving, we were all made to feel welcome and we had a blast. Thanks for those wonderful memories.
I was a military kid growing up in the 70’s who lived on base and in Sawtry, at the end of Gidding Road. Such a special time, great people all around….I now realize what a beautiful little village it was and how lucky I was to have experienced it all! Rest in Paradise Mom and Dad, thank you for the adventures and being the best parents and giving me such an awesome childhood. Thank you to the OP for the video and awesome music to boot!
I was stationed there from January 1961-January 1964. Worked in Ground Radio repair (2166 Comm Sq) We took care of the Tower and Fire & Air Police radios. They had RB-66 aircraft ( Photo Recon) when I was there. WE also took care of the Ground Radios at RAF Molesworth . Used for emergency landing -The only thing there was the Fire company & the Air Police ( Brig) and Hospital Radios. They were the good old days.
We moved to near here (Hemingford Grey) in 1968 from Northern England. Prior to this I had only ever seem those large, wallowing land-boats that Americans drove at the cinema, but now I was surrounded by them. One of our neighbours had been in the US military, but married a Fen lass and settled down. I love old films, but one of the sad things to see was Huntindgon Elms - now virtually eradicated by Dutch Elm Disease. The airfield is now being developed for housing. I had more interaction with the RAF planes at Wyton, passing the camp on the school bus. On the way to school we'd often have to stop for traffic lights to allow aircraft to take off. On the way home we'd often have to stop, in Hemingford Grey, for cows to cross the road to go for milking.
father was there around 89-93, planes still there then, base was full on during first golf war, i remember the airshows to.. great times, bit of a sad sight now..lol
Awesome video.... The mighty f4s Iirc an Alconbury phantom crashed shortly after taking off in the early 80s...the radome opened somehow the pilot ejected as it was at a very low altitude
I am now working off the old Airfield site at the long since decommissioned Alconbury . Much of the old Airfield site is under huge storage units, most of the hangars still exist and are now put to new uses. A lot of the old domicile site has been developed and now hundreds of new homes have been built where once were places like the Rod & Gun Club, The NCO's Club and the Aquarius Club. The AAFS stores and I think the schools are gone, too. The Guard House now stands deserted, barriers down. There is a new entrance further up the Stukely Road. A few of the bungalow type homes along the old road still exist, the perimeter fence is still largely intact. I remember the Phantoms and the Groundhogs flying out of there back in the 70's & 80's.
Spent 3 years at RAF Martlesham Heath....'82 - "85. Det. 1, 2164th Comm Squadron. Our main base was RAF Bentwaters. They and RAF Woodbridge accommodated the 81'st Tac Fighter Wing....largest in the Air Force then. All A-10's!! The Time Of My Life!!
I found the video amazing. Stationed at RAF Alconbury, 64-Nov 67, and lived in very same location, across from the Ole Bridge Hotel and Casino, Castle Hills and the old Roman Bridge just a few yards down the street. When he zoomed in from Castle Hills right to our flat on the first floor, nineteen pounds a month, what great memories. Thk U.
We lived just down High Street to the left in that shot. I think our rent was about £27 a month. We did a lot of walking through the surrounding countryside, as you can see from this film. So young and so in love!
Very enjoyable to watch. Those sure appear to be the days! So many fine aircraft in service. Looks to me like RF-4C Phantoms, F-100's, the Red Arrows with I believe Folland Gnats, a Victor on the ground and even an English Electric Lightning. Plus a Canberra or B-57 on the ground in there. All gone now though, they don't even have specialized photo reconnaissance aircraft anymore.
Thanks so much for taking time to make and share this video. I was stationed at RAF Alconbury a bit later than you, 1975-1978, and spent quite a bit of time in Huntington dating a girl though I eventually married a different one from Luton. Now 40 years later this video brings back a flood of fond memories of the best three years of my life. Aww, to be so young and carefree, driving at neck break speed on the "wrong side" of the road lol
My Air Cadet squadron in Rutland were all set up for a visit to Alconbury as our Field Day Outing in March 1970.....It was cancelled on the day.....so we went to the Shuttleworth Collection instead and somewhere is a photograph of me sitting astride a V1 Flying Bomb outside the museum (it had been used in the film Operation Crossbow)....
Thank you for a very nice video, I was there from 1967 to1970.I was wondering if it would be possible to have a fly over dining hall, barracks airmans club Etc. thanks again
