Guess who I just spotted on BBC South News?

Congratulations to our very own Paul Hilton!

Yes, our very own POE Paul was part of a television report on Greenham Common, a former USAF Airbase near Newbury, Berkshire just a few minutes ago.

I remember the base also during the 1970's and 1980's because it happens that my company held the Pest Control Contract on the base for many years! Brought back good memories Paul, well done!

I was stationed at RAF Greenham Common from 1982 - 1986. I lived at 34 Stroud Green right next to the racecourse on the corner of Racecourse and Boundary Roads in a big white semi (the left side). If anyone has a picture of the green showing the house I'd like to see what it looks like now.

I cherish the memories of my assignment to RAFGC. It was the best assignment in my twenty years in the USAF. I miss the people and hope one day to return for a visit.

 Cheers,

 Bob

Glad you enjoyed it Ron; filmed 3 weeks ago, mostly from mid-way along the centreline of the old runway. I'm sure people appreciated my interview being reduced a lot to allow more views of the airshows long ago taken by a friend of mine who they didn't credit at the end. It was 8mm silent film the BBC added the aircraft sounds to which came out very well. 

I think Bob would have enjoyed watching it, though the BBC won't allow their programming to be shown in the US or I'd have included a link to it from BBC South Today's site.   

Ah, the Control Tower Paul. Wish I had a pound for every time I have cleaned those windows (we had the window cleaning contract there as well as the pest control) whilst F111's were taking off, roaring over our heads, and it didn't matter if it was winter the windows still had to be cleaned!

On one occasion, the water actually froze on the soft brushes that we used (from bucket to windows) boy did that get them going or what, because the water was frozen on there windows also!

I could write many funny stories about the USAF bases (from St Athan in Cornwall, taking in a straight line to West Rainham/Sculthorpe up near the Wash. I had most of the Defence Contracts for RAF/MOD and USAF bases south of that line. Great days indeed!

I remember in particular one guy called 'Shlitz'. When I asked him how he got that nickname he took me to his dormitory where the whole wall was taken up with fridges that stood about 8 feet tall and 4 feet wide. He opened up the doors of each to reveal more cans of Shlitz (American beer) than I have ever seen in my life. Is that beer still being produced I wonder?

And Bob, you were there at the same time as my company held the contracts discussed above. The Station Warden at Upper Heyford (who actually lived in Upper Heyford) was a great guy named Harold Golder, sadly no longer with us, but he was responsible for the overseeing of all the RAF/USAF/MOD bases locally including Greenham Common.

There was another Warden on site at Greenham but I can't remember his name at the moment. Really great guys!

When I was there we had:

Wing Cmdr Marsh for the RAF 1983 - 1986
Col Robert Thompson, USAF (Wing Cmdr till 1983)
Col Jared McGeehee, USAF (Suppt Grp Cdr)
Col Jon Bacs, USAF (Wing Cmdr 1983 - 1986)

 And they stopped brewing Schlitz in 1982 whrn the company was sold to Pabst and then again to Stroh's.

Schlitz really sucked.

                Hi Ron, you mentioned in your post at 17.01 that you remember the times past at USAF air bases and could write many a story, I agree, I remember when at Mildenhall a very small grass fire started by a few kids having a picnic just outside the fence and watching the planes. It took a fire tender and a crew all done up in their silver fire resitant protective overalls to put it out, overkill or what!! The other thing I remember is in their equivalent to the NAFFI was that even the salt and pepper was flown in, the only thing in there that was not from the States was the water in taps.

                 The other thing was that when I was at St. Athan, it was in South Wales,(that job is another story), Poss. St Mawgan is the Cornish base, Not too much nectar already hey Ron?

                  Joking aside this thread has stirred a few memories and that is for sure.