Waterbeach
12 Squadron
12 Field Squadron and 55 Field Squadron, part of 28 Field Engineer Regiment, went from Korea to Christmas Island in 1956.
The email below was received on 8th December 2012 - can anyone help?
Hi. I signed up to your well organised site in an attempt to find out more about the 12th Independent Field Squadron RE’s, it is not mentioned on your site nor the Royal Engineers sites anywhere! The squadron went out to Christmas Island and helped to build the Air strip in 1956 and again in 1957/8 to build the Main Camp sewage system and started the constructing of the permanent wooden accommodation. They also saw all 5 Hyd/Atomic during that second tour. I did the Accommodation store with one other Sapper and a R.A.S.C driver. One reason for my interest is that I received a Commendation from the Grapple commander but have never known who recommended me for it. I can supply a copy of the commendation and photos of the time I was on the Island.
This commendation held me in good stead in getting a Civilian job as soon as I left the force. I joined the UKAEA and was a radiation worker for 32 years, plus the three bombs, you would think that I would glow in the dark! I retired, in good health, when 52 years of age on a full pension and at 73 am still enjoying good health and the pension!
I was also at Farnborough ,3TRRE and went on to NCO Cadre in the mid 1950’s but am unable to be precise for I have mislaid my pay book after some 60 ish years. I have tried to get my service records, to no avail, any help in this direction would be appreciated. I also have photos of this time.
I didn’t get my first L/Cpl stripe until my return from Christmas Island and was posted to Barton Stacey, I don’t know who recommended me for that stipe either! I was a 9 year regular but as I didn’t seem to be getting anywhere and I had joined before my eighteenth birthday I had the 3 year option to come out, which I did. I would like to know the Regiment I was with at Barton Stacey.
If you can give me any pointers I would appreciate it.
Regards
Cliff Barnard
34 Squadron
This is the main page for the squadron or unit. More info will be added here as I get the time, but for now it's a "base" for establishing comms with other members of the same unit. You can post messages for other members of the same unit using the messages link above this blurb, and you can also search for other members of this unit. Once you find them, click on their name to send an email direct to them. Please note that this website doesn't "remember" your emails, they are sent direct from you to the recipient without sappers.co.uk getting in the way. That helps you get in touch quickly and it keeps everything simple and free. Have fun. Gordon
39 Engr Regt Workshops
By creating this unit, you have somewhere to add as your service history. This page itself doesn't contain anything of interest, but it forms a base for finding others you served with in this unit, or putting up photos, or even sharing a message with each other. REgards, Gordon
43 Squadron
This is the main page for the squadron or unit. More info will be added here as I get the time, but for now it's a "base" for establishing comms with other members of the same unit. You can post messages for other members of the same unit using the messages link above this blurb, and you can also search for other members of this unit. Once you find them, click on their name to send an email direct to them. Please note that this website doesn't "remember" your emails, they are sent direct from you to the recipient without sappers.co.uk getting in the way. That helps you get in touch quickly and it keeps everything simple and free. Have fun. Gordon
48 Squadron
This is the main page for the squadron or unit. More info will be added here as I get the time, but for now it's a "base" for establishing comms with other members of the same unit. You can post messages for other members of the same unit using the messages link above this blurb, and you can also search for other members of this unit. Once you find them, click on their name to send an email direct to them. Please note that this website doesn't "remember" your emails, they are sent direct from you to the recipient without sappers.co.uk getting in the way. That helps you get in touch quickly and it keeps everything simple and free. Have fun. Gordon
51 Squadron
This is the main page for the squadron or unit. More info will be added here as I get the time, but for now it's a "base" for establishing comms with other members of the same unit. You can post messages for other members of the same unit using the messages link above this blurb, and you can also search for other members of this unit. Once you find them, click on their name to send an email direct to them. Please note that this website doesn't "remember" your emails, they are sent direct from you to the recipient without sappers.co.uk getting in the way. That helps you get in touch quickly and it keeps everything simple and free. Have fun. Gordon
The following brief history of 51 Sqn was submitted by Paul "Scouse" Wylde - thanks very much to him for this. Can anyone fill in the next bit?
The Squadron was formed in 1965, filling its establishment and working up at Claro Barracks in Ripon in the latter half of that year. It was one of four Squadrons forming or converting to the Airfields role, to take over responsibilities of support to the RAF from the “Airfield Construction” Branch of the RAF.
At the end of January 1966 the bulk of the Squadron started on the 24+-hour journey to join the advance party in what was to be the largest Engineer Squadron on establishment for nearly 3 years. This started with a session of concentrated acclimatisation training which was to last until our arrival at Paya Lebar Airport Singapore.
The Squadron settled down to life on an RAF station, RAF Seletar to be precise, and started the take-over and work up to replace 5001 Squadron RAF. We inherited some strange equipment, exchanged some good for some rather dated and tried to keep some of the “spare” toolkits that the RAF had, to little or no avail. We also inherited some personnel from the RAF, mostly to the great benefit of the Squadron as it helped ease the process of familiarisation with RAF procedures. The Squadron was withdrawn from Singapore as part of the “withdrawal from East of Suez” plan in 1968.
Since October 1970 the Squadron has had a number of name and role changes and even returned to Ripon around 1977, the Squadron today I am sure is just as successful as its predecessors and hopefully the “Black Ant” lives on somewhere.
51 reformed in June 1968 at Waterbeach Barracks as part of 39 Engineer Regiment (Airfields). The Squadron stayed here till 1977, but then moved back to Claro Barracks, In Sunny Ripon again, were it was to undertake yet another change taking on the role of 51 Field Squadron (Construction) but still carried on its Airfield Damage Repair job at RAF Gutersloh, I am not sure what happened to the Squadron after 1981 because I was posted to 21 Engineer Regiment in Nienburg. I would hope that maybe someone could fill in the blanks from 1981 to whenever 51 Field Squadron were disbanded as I would be interested to find out
52 Squadron
This is the main page for the squadron or unit. More info will be added here as I get the time, but for now it's a "base" for establishing comms with other members of the same unit. You can post messages for other members of the same unit using the messages link above this blurb, and you can also search for other members of this unit. Once you find them, click on their name to send an email direct to them. Please note that this website doesn't "remember" your emails, they are sent direct from you to the recipient without sappers.co.uk getting in the way. That helps you get in touch quickly and it keeps everything simple and free. Have fun. Gordon
Rob Savage has started a Facebook group for you all too - https://www.facebook.com/52FieldSquadronConstRe
From the time I joined 52 in 1986 it was located with 22Engr Regt then in 1989 we permenantly relocated to RAF Bruggen in West Germany. - Shane Lee
529 STRE
This is just a holding page for 529 STRE, I know nothing about it so feel free to tell me stuff and I'll post it here. Meanwhile you can use this page to look for other members of the unit or to post messages for each other by clicking the links above
53 Squadron
This is the main page for the squadron or unit. More info will be added here as I get the time, but for now it's a "base" for establishing comms with other members of the same unit. You can post messages for other members of the same unit using the messages link above this blurb, and you can also search for other members of this unit. Once you find them, click on their name to send an email direct to them. Please note that this website doesn't "remember" your emails, they are sent direct from you to the recipient without sappers.co.uk getting in the way. That helps you get in touch quickly and it keeps everything simple and free. Have fun. Gordon
60 Squadron
Roy Bloor runs an excellent website for 60 Sqn members, and the membership there is very healthy from what I can see. Sappers.co.uk is really just a big email address book, if you want to see the photographs and get involved in a good social site for your squadron then I'd recommend visitng http://www.60squadronvets.co.uk/ once you've put your service history on here. REgards, Gordon
60 Field Squadron (26 Field Engineer Regiment) was formed December 1950 at Hameln. It was then disbanded in 1958.
In April 1964 it was re-formed at Shorncliffe (36 Engineer Regiment) and was later deployed to Aden in Nov 1964 returning in August 1965 to Maidstone. Further deployments were as follows:
Mar – Oct 1967, Aden Taff C writes - During our tour of Aden we lost Sapper Terry Allchin on the 4th June 1967, Killed by an IED near Habilayn. 1 Troop were up in Dhala at the time working to try to get a water supply and storage tank built for the village ( see pic's ) and every night after sundown the camp would be attacked by mortar and small arms fire from the surrounding Jebels.
Dec 1969 – Aug 1970, Gibraltar (1 Troop went to Cyprus) Submitted by Richard Brookes on Sat, 2011-10-08 18:39 - 60 Squadron actually went to Gib in January 1969, except 1Troop, who went to RAF El Adem in Libya, when Ghaddafi seized power we sailed from Tobruk to Famagusta on an LSL, the trip took 3 days. we spent about 3 months at Dhekelia with 62(NE)Support Squadron.
Sep 1970 – Jan 1971, Long Kesh, Northern Ireland Submitted by Dundas on Thu, 2012-02-02 16:40 - Northern Ireland 1970/71 60 Sqn were based in Antrim, at what is now Maserine Bks. It was just Nissen huts and some tents when we got there, and during our time there we built the first Twynhams. 1 Troop spending several weeks at Crossmaglen and Enisskillen.
Nov 1972 – Feb 1973, Long Kesh, Northern Ireland
In Apr 1977 renamed to 60 Field Support Squadron and moved to Waterbeach (39 Engineer Regiment). Deployed to the Gulf War Sep 90 – Mar 91.
In 2006 renamed to 60 HQ and Support Squadron (Air Support)
Also from Taff C:
In Anguilla I was with 521 STRE drilling for fresh water in several locations around the island. It was just after they had their uprising, which the Para's went out and sorted out. There was a Squadron out there I think it may have been 39? they were trying to upgrade the roads, which were really no more than tracks. The government at the time had also sent lots of Metropolitan police officers out there to help keep things in control, and we spent many a day off playing them at volley ball, ( I don't think they had much more to do!! ) and then seeing who could drink the most after.
Kenya was a long tour, broken only by 10 days R&R in Mombassa at a resort called Silversands which at the time was run by the Navy. We split the team into two, each drilling in different areas, hundreds of miles from anywhere, ending up in the North East Province where the Ethiopia and Somalia borders meet. Entertainment was volleyball on a court cleared out of the bush, and played against some great guys from the Kenyan Army defence platoon who were with us. Now and again we would have a film sent up by air with the supplies, but not very often.
In Northern Ireland 60 Sqn were based in Antrim ( I think it was then called Antrim "B" camp ) it's now Maserine Bks. Again 1 Troop were sent to some interesting places, Crossmaglen and Eniskillen being two of them. I also met up with some of my old mates in 1 Troop when I was sent straight from Kenya ( after 10 days leave at home ) to El Adem in Libya, again to do water well drilling, and also cleaning out an existing well at the British military cemetary. The rest of 1 Troop and the Squadron having gone on to Gibraltar.t
63 Squadron
This is the main page for the squadron or unit. More info will be added here as I get the time, but for now it's a "base" for establishing comms with other members of the same unit. You can post messages for other members of the same unit using the messages link above this blurb, and you can also search for other members of this unit. Once you find them, click on their name to send an email direct to them. Please note that this website doesn't "remember" your emails, they are sent direct from you to the recipient without sappers.co.uk getting in the way. That helps you get in touch quickly and it keeps everything simple and free. Have fun. Gordon
HQ 12 Engr Bde
In July 2011 the Ministry of Defence announced that Waterbeach Barracks will close, and the site sold for housing.[10] In November 2011 and March 2012 the Ministry of Defence announced that 39 Engineer Regiment would move to RAF Kinloss in July 2012. A total of 930 Service personnel will move to Kinloss, and 44 Service personnel to Wittering.[11] HQ 12 (Air Support) Engineer Group will move from Waterbeach to RAF Wittering in October 2012, with the compete closure of Waterbeach Barracks by 1 April 2013.[11][12] After that date, the Barracks will be guarded and managed by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation until they dispose of the site.
Do you have any stories about this unit? They did ADR/ RRR apparently, but that's all I know. If you've got any more to tell me, please make a comment or email it to me.
REgards,
Gordon
HQ 25 Engr Regt
This is just a holding page for this unit until I work out what I'm going to put here. For now I'm busy making sure I've got as many of the postings listed as we all need. In the meantime you can use it to add your service history and then click the Squadron Members link above this blurb to find out who else is registered on this site that you might remember. Good luck, Gordon
HQ 39 Engineer Regt
This is a holding page for this unit until someone can give me some better ideas of what you want to put here. Meanwhile you can add the unit to your service history and then use the Squadron members button to find other people who served here with you. Have fun. REgards, Gordon
TA - 218 Fd Sqn (V)
This is the main page for the squadron or unit. More info will be added here as I get the time, but for now it's a "base" for establishing comms with other members of the same unit. You can post messages for other members of the same unit using the messages link above this blurb, and you can also search for other members of this unit. Once you find them, click on their name to send an email direct to them. Please note that this website doesn't "remember" your emails, they are sent direct from you to the recipient without sappers.co.uk getting in the way. That helps you get in touch quickly and it keeps everything simple and free. Have fun. Gordon
TA 216 Fd Sqn (V)
This is the main page for the squadron or unit. More info will be added here as I get the time, but for now it's a "base" for establishing comms with other members of the same unit. You can post messages for other members of the same unit using the messages link above this blurb, and you can also search for other members of this unit. Once you find them, click on their name to send an email direct to them. Please note that this website doesn't "remember" your emails, they are sent direct from you to the recipient without sappers.co.uk getting in the way. That helps you get in touch quickly and it keeps everything simple and free. Have fun. Gordon
Training Trials Eval Team 12Bde
This is a holding page for this unit so people can add it to their service history and then use it to find others they served with. If you have any more info you can send me to put on this page and make it more interesting, please get in contact using the contact link on the main menu. REgards, Gordon
Recent comments