I was based there for 4 years with Ground Radio Servicing Centre I left when It was handed over to the Army It looks very different now I think the Army demolished a lot of it
For a generation of RAF recruits North Luffenham was known for one thing; Military field training or MFT. Three days of being run ragged by RAF Regiment instructors with the dreaded stretcher race, forced marches around the old peri track and section attacks in the spinney. Swinderby always had a few recruits hobbling around on crutches and the inevitable response to how they hurt themselves would be "On MFT".
Tha "tank" isn't a tank, it is an APC. Why do we have to have the american pronunciation of missiles? My sister would like to kknow if you only have male viewers, as you refer to everyone as "guys"?
The first vehicles were Alvin’s armoured personnel carriers, the Jeep is actually an air portable landrover, their looked to be three fox scout cars with turrets and Raden Cannons removed and the armoured vehicle the lad sat on was an Abbot self propelled gun. To name but a few. 👍
There’s a book called “Cold War East Anglia” that tells you about these Thor Missile sites and has photos to give you an idea of the setup. Thanks for the show and tell it’s given me an idea for night photography there.
I think the truck next to the 432 at 9.15 is the remains of a Glover Webb Tactica, used in a few roles but mainly in Northern Ireland as bomb disposal team vehicles. Awful things! There were other variants and the Tactica range of vehicles was taken over by GKN Defence when Glover Webb went bust. You comment about bailiffs on council estates is a good analogy as they were originally designed for security in the South African diamond and precious metal mines
Well done boys , what started of several years ago as just a little walk learning about history has developed so much . It has helped him so much and developed his passion for history . This was his favourite place to go to . . For those who do not realise our son has anxiety and adhd and autism. He loves historical facts . To try and get him to focus on the camera is hard . This is a hobby which they both enjoy . Father and son time making memories . Please be thoughtful with your comments . Thank you for viewing everyone , we really appreciate your support , your thoughts and comments . Keep viewing .
Good wonder about. I remember an exercise on the airfield about 18 years ago, the old runway area having craters for EOD training and (as mentioned already by someone) there was an old Hunter in a crater mocked up as a Mig. I have a photograph somewhere of me sat on top of a Phantom situated on the runway. There was also a soviet anti aircraft gun system captured during the First Gulf War in an emplacement, the original Soviet tyres still on it. I also remember getting a Bedford stuck on the off road course 😂
Could be a nice video but you need to do much more research before posting. All the (often incorrect) guessing makes it rather poor. Take the video, which is OK as it is, add the voiceover when you know what you are talking about and you will have a nice package.
4:34 The helicopter is a Westland Whirlwind. Painted yellow due to it's Search and Rescue role in the RAF. I was based at RAF North Luffenham in the 1980s. There used to be a lot more old helicopters and aircraft on the old runway. They were used for RAF Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) training. There used to be a Harrier jump jet and F-4 Phantom. There was also a Hawker Hunter painted up to look like a Russian aircraft and even had a red star. There used to be lots of old training bombs and missiles. The missile stands/pads will be from the late 1950s. These were for the Thor ballistic nuclear missiles. The missile stand/pads and remaining concrete structures now have grade II historical listings. Look up Thor missiles and RAF North Luffenham on the internet.
@@johngrantham8024 Thanks. Yes, Hawker Hunter FGA.9 serial XG194 - Wattisham Airfield Museum, Wattisham, Sussex. So glad that it was rescued and restored.
* That Helicopter you saw @ 04:28 onwards is a "Westland Whirlwind" in the old A.S.R colours The rear fuselage (seen upside down), is a dead giveaway Wish you hadn't used that uber $hitty music with the childish 'Pinky / Perky' voicing :: Hugely off putting !!
Tracked vehicle, again not a tank, but an APC, Armoured Personnel Carrier. An infantry transport, and support vehicle. Nice to see you interested, but do some research.
The second body you found was that of an ATRL. Air, and road vehicle. AIR TRANSPORTABLE ROAD LOCATABLE accomodation. These could be joined to make small complexes. Why don't you invite an old RAF sweat with you, and find out for sure instead o guessing. We like to explain things RAF.😊
The Sangars (pill boxes) are called Yarnold Sangars after the RAF Regiment officer who devised them. They're simply and cheaply made from prefabricated concrete drainage pipes, and intended to be much easier than filling & stacking sandbags.
This was my local cinema as a child / teenager. Used to use it fairly regularly. Seen all sorts of films here. Was killed off by multiplexes at Lakeside, one of which no longer exists.
When I went through basic training for the RAF, we did our GDT exercise at Luffenham... Did a respirator run called the Thor run up the runway or peri track cant remember which, was some time ago, '89
I did two weeks Army training at RAF Luffenham in 2009/2010 ish ? Is it completely closed now ? At the time the Army were there ( I forget what regiment ) . There was a small RAF bomb disposal unit there and they took us out for ride around the base in one of their armoured vehicles ! A Scimitar I think ? That type anyway ! We were billeted outside the base ( on the Uppingham Road ? ) . Only I know it was rumoured to be the old officer's accommodation and looked quite modern ( 50s / 60s ? ) . Two of they guys /girls in my unit saw the ghost of an RAF Officer walking around it ! Apparently he shot himself in the head one evening in the 60s ,with a pistol .
I wrote this before the end of the video !! The derelict APC at the end of the video looks suspiciously like the type the RAF took us out for a ride in that all those years ago ! The shape of it and the inside for sure !
Wow, so that APC could be the very one you went in all those years ago! I wouldn't be surprised if it was, they look quite a bit was left behind, it looks like some training still goes on here as they have red flags that stop you from entering at certain times I believe, cheers for watching 😃 👍
@@ExploringwithAustinandThomas The APC was a FV432, very 70's with some variants still serving, you will find all this type of kit laying round most training areas.
We saw some paragliders there on the day, sadly we didn't speak to them to find out what they were part of in relation to the site, we were trying to keep a low profile 😊 cheers for watching 👍
Skylincs Scout Parascending and Paragliding club used whisky area most summer weekends until 2013. I was one of the winch and vehicle drivers. Loved North Luffs and got to know every nook and cranny.
The cabin with aerials on top at 5.57 minutes in is the mobile Type 86 "Firelight" Radar as used with Bloodhound and Thunderbird missile systems. It was also called "Indigo Corkscrew". It was made by Farranti. I think there is one preserved at the East Anglia Aviation Museum at Flixton. There was a "static" version with bigger aerials designed to be used at permanent RAF Bloodhound sites called the Type 87 "Scorpion" radar. In RAF Ground Radar and Radio trades a posting to No 3 Ground Radio Servicing Sqdn at North Luffenham was generally dreaded. It was like working in a factory, doing the same job day after day, fixing stuff at a workbench ( a lot more buildings there then). A few people thrived in the environment but a lot just lived for the day they could get a posting out back into the "real" Air Force.
That's interesting, it gives an interesting perspective on how it would have been working on these systems, not as glamorous as it looks. Thanks for mentioning the museum, we'd like to pay that a visit 👍 Thanks for watching much appreciated!
Really great video guys the drone footage adds that little something extra, the vehicles that remain are brilliant to explore, I found a smoke grenade made me think some kinda airsoft or paintball was in operation a while back along with that weird camp enclosure, but loved this 👍
Thanks! It was thanks you and Paul and found out about the place, in fact I will add that to the description 😊 we love our military and World war and cold war stuff above all our other explores, so it was a great one to do. The drone was second hand, but a worthy purchase, I'm very pleased with it and I feel it adds a nice dimension to the video 👍 all the best!
@@ConqueredAdventures I was very quiet on this one, it was when. I just realised I had got the wrong week and you were at RAF Sculthorpe 😃 it worked out ok in the end though , cheers for watching 😁🙂
Good video guys, didn't realise there was a tank there and a building you could get into, by the time we went maybe they had removed them or we just didn't see them ?
Woah, this one is the most local to me! My first video in fact was on the good ol' Bayer water treatment works. Completely gone downhill now, just a shell of what it used to be. I remember when the L3 laboratory was still standing, it still had chemicals in some beakers on the wooden tables! The most fun I had was when all the pipework was still connected to the tanks, pumps & pipes. There were two valves connected to one massive tank that had a hand crank that you could pull open. Huge amounts of water flowed out at an alarming amount of pressure. The tank had 'Sulfuric Acid' stamped on it with huge black letters but the ground never started to smoke so It was just rainwater, all part of the fun! Edit: I have the plans of this site on my wall currently to my left. I would happily be able to take a video of it explaining it if you were interested! Thanks for another interesting video!
I heard there was much more here and we were late to the party, interesting to hear you story about how it used to be 😎 if it's on your channel we'll take a look tonight, cheers again for watching 😃
