S.BROCKLESBY Posted October 24, 2007 Share Posted October 24, 2007 Hi, I was stationed at R.A.F nortonand demobed in1953 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldbri Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 Not really Norton Woodseats but Lightwood. I went to what was then Norton County School on Derbyshire Lane (now Mundella School)and a lot of RAF Personnels childen attended there in the 1950's. The RAF also had houses in the area incl warminster Road where personell were housed if they had families. In the entrance to Mundella School on the notice board outside the school office there used to be a wooden Shield presented to the school in the 1950's by the RAF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pwhs Posted November 14, 2007 Share Posted November 14, 2007 As one of the other posters has stated - there were two places - is that correct? One of them was on the other side of Norton Lane/Dyche Lane - near to where Rowlinson School is/was. The other one is located further up - (using a 1960s roadmap) - going up Norton Lane, past an estate house up towards the Water Tower - then a road junction - bear right and keep going and the other aerodrome is on the right? Is this correct? I used to play in the buildings opposite Norton Lane - early/mid 1960s and I definitely remember watching airshows from my house which was on Norton Park... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Bear Posted November 14, 2007 Share Posted November 14, 2007 As one of the other posters has stated - there were two places - is that correct?QUOTE] Yep, I think the one at Rowlinson school may have had a runway. The other was at Lightwood and at some time it made or housed barrage balloons. Didnt have runway though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piffle Posted December 30, 2007 Share Posted December 30, 2007 My late mother was a WAAF here, it was 16 Balloon Command, Aircrew Refresher School, she called it a 'Discip' station. It was where the bad boys ended up - some Low Moral Fibre. One rule was you never asked why they were there. She met her fiancée there - a Lancaster rear gunner, he was sent back to fly again. He was shot down over Holland on a Berlin raid in March 1944. He was just 19 years old. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billythefish Posted August 3, 2008 Share Posted August 3, 2008 I do remember the air raid shelter in fact I was metla detecting close by and found 5 spent lee enfield cartridges but they are dated 1949 can any body explain why they would be shooting at that point int ime Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plain Talker Posted August 3, 2008 Share Posted August 3, 2008 I do remember the air raid shelter in fact I was metla detecting close by and found 5 spent lee enfield cartridges but they are dated 1949 can any body explain why they would be shooting at that point int ime because the base hadn't been decommissioned at that time? it wasn't decommissioned until the early 50's (1953, according to an earlier contributor, sbrocklesby) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billythefish Posted August 3, 2008 Share Posted August 3, 2008 I realise that but the site doesnt have a shooting range and these arent blank rounds that have been fired. Im ex army and pattern they were laid in leads me to believe they were shot in one place and not just throne there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puffin4 Posted August 3, 2008 Share Posted August 3, 2008 because the base hadn't been decommissioned at that time? it wasn't decommissioned until the early 50's (1953, according to an earlier contributor, sbrocklesby) Hi PT, RAF Norton was still open in the late 1950's, certainly about 1958 because I used to use the Sgt's Mess there. I wasn't actually in the RAF at that time but I had several friends who were serving there and they used to invite me on a weekly basis. That is probably part of the reason for my eventually joining the RAF in 1959. RAF Norton, like most other camps, did have a rifle range where the troops would carry out their annual Ground Defence Training. Nothing very elaborate, just a brick built butts, filled with sand. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plain Talker Posted August 3, 2008 Share Posted August 3, 2008 Hi PT, RAF Norton was still open in the late 1950's, certainly about 1958 because I used to use the Sgt's Mess there. I wasn't actually in the RAF at that time but I had several friends who were serving there and they used to invite me on a weekly basis. That is probably part of the reason for my eventually joining the RAF in 1959. RAF Norton, like most other camps, did have a rifle range where the troops would carry out their annual Ground Defence Training. Nothing very elaborate, just a brick built butts, filled with sand. Mike I nursed at the hospital that was built on the site, and grew up nearby. I was going on what sbrocklesby was saying about the "closing" date of 1953. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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